ICHIRO_ HALL OF FAME SPEECH
Commissioner John “Stray” Corrado’s Introduction Speech for Ichiro, _:
Ichiro, _ Suzuki
Born October 22, 1973, in Aichi, Japan
Drafted No. 2 overall in 2001 MWBL draft by the New River Road Runners. Played 18 seasons (2002-2018)
Career Stats: .302 Ave., .344 OBP, .401 SLG, .745 OPS, 2310 Games, 9538 At-Bat, 2884 Hits, 1423 Runs, 131 Home Runs, 931 RBI, 543 Stolen Bases, 99 Triples; .992 Fielding %, 245 Assists, 4980 Put-Outs, 57 Double Plays
2002-04 Sacramento Capitals; 2005 Tijuana Bottle Rockets; 2006-10 Kentucky Headhunters; 2011 Hollywood Werewolves; 2011 Manhattan Project; 2012-18 Detroit Crime
When a player goes by a single name, and everyone knows who you’re talking about, that’s a superstar. Combining speed, graceful defense, durability, and an uncanny knack for making contact, Ichiro, _ electrified the game after coming to American baseball following a great career in his native Japan. Ichiro, _ dominated the MWBL from the start, winning Rookie of the Year in 2002. That year, he led the league in Games (162), ABs (757), hits (243), Runs (133), and SB (59).
MWBL’ers got used to seeing his name on the leaderboards, as he went on to lead his league in Games three times (2002-04), At-bats six times (2002-05, 2010, 2012), Hits seven times (2002, 2004-05, 2007-10), Stolen Bases three times (2002, 2007, 2009), and Runs once (2002). He of course won a batting title in 2008, hitting .349. All those numbers resulted in Ichiro, _ being splashed all over the career leaderboards. He’s 2nd in career SB, 3rd in career hits, 4th in career triples, 7th in career runs and at-bats, and 12th in career batting average.
A complete player, Ichiro, _ supplemented his fine skills at the plate with excellent baserunning and stellar defense. He won six Gold Glove Awards (2002-04, 2006-07, 2012) and has a sparkling .992 career fielding percentage. His 245 Assists and 57 double plays attest to a strong and accurate throwing arm.
Ichiro, _ played in ten postseasons and finally captured the big prize when his Detroit Crime won the World Series four games to one in 2016. He played in four All-Star Games, starting two.
Ichiro, _ basically started over, having to prove himself anew in a new country, new culture, and new league, and he certainly accomplished that, excelling at the highest level when the scrutiny, curiosity, and spotlight were at their most intense. It gives me great pleasure to introduce the newest inductee to the MWBL Hall of Fame, Ichiro, _!
Ichiro__ Speech:
Thank you, Mr. Commissioner. It is truly an honor to be here today, being inducted with this incredible class of players. I’m honored to share the stage with C.C. Sabathia, Felix Hernandez, Adrian Beltre, Carlos Beltran, and Bill Schindel.
Let me first thank my wife, Yukimo Fukashima, for sharing this experience, and all our experiences, with me.
I’d also like to thank the many people who helped me to succeed along the way: my many teammates, team staff, translators, and front office personnel who helped ease my transition to a new country and a new league. I’d also like to thank the owners I played for, who made sure I was in the lineup as often as possible. I am proud to have played in so many games because it proves that I could be counted on by my teammates and that my managers had confidence in me that I would produce for the team.
There are so many ways a baseball game can be won, so I took pride in developing all the skills needed to be a well-rounded player. Being able to steal a base or take an extra base on a hit can be the difference in winning a close game. Chasing down a line drive in the gap or throwing out a runner at third can win a game just as a clutch hit can. These things take preparation and hard work to accomplish, and I am honored that these elements of my play have been recognized.
I am deeply thankful that I was able to play in so many important games in the postseason, and that I was able to win a championship towards the end of my career, with Detroit. It was a dream come true, and surely the highlight of my career, even if it wasn’t a purely personal achievement.
Again, thank you for this honor, it is the culmination of a wonderful career.