There’s always one.
That was the case on Monday when Ichiro Suzuki was just one vote shy of becoming the second player to be unanimously elected into the Hall of Fame.
Ichiro received 393 of the 394 votes cast by longtime baseball writers. Mariano Rivera remains the lone unanimous vote-getter, accomplishing the feat in 2019.
Ichiro, of course, undoubtedly belongs in Cooperstown with over 3,000 hits and 10 Gold Gloves in his prestigious career. It was always a guarantee he’d be in, but it was a matter of whether he’d get 100% of the vote.
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Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees and Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners pose before the MLB All Star game at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. (Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
When it was revealed that just one person did not vote for him, the celebration quickly turned into anger on social media.
Five years ago, Derek Jeter also fell one vote short of unanimity. At the time, in typical Jeter fashion, he took the high road and said it was difficult to get everyone to agree on something. During his induction ceremony, he threw a shot at the lone voter who did not check his name on his ballot.
But with Ichiro’s snub, Jeter said the voters should be held accountable for their actions.
“A lot of players have been unbelievable that are in the Hall of Fame and haven’t gotten 100% of the vote. I never expected it, and I would never sit here and say everyone should’ve voted for me or everyone should have voted for Ichiro,” Jeter told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
“The only thing I do think is fair is that I think a lot of members of the media want athletes to be responsible and accountable; I think they should do the same thing. I get asked this question, I get tired of being asked this question, and I think they should answer it.”
Seattle Mariners former outfielder Ichiro Suzuki tosses a ball to the dugout before throwing out the first pitch for a game against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park. (Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports)
Jeter had plenty of success on the diamond, and he’s hoping to have more of it this weekend in Miami as a captain for Padel’s Reserve Cup, along with Andrew Schulz and Jimmy Butler.
“It’s a fun sport to watch. I had never watched actual live, professional padel before. And it’s pretty fun to watch all the athleticism,” Jeter said. “It’s good to see people active. I haven’t been very active since I retired. I’ve slowed down my physical activity. It’s fun to see the sport grow. I know it’s huge internationally, Wayne [Boich] had a vision to grow it here in the U.S., and he really deserves a lot of credit.”
Ichiro joined the majors in 2001 as a highly touted Japanese prospect, hitting .353 during his nine seasons in his home country, where he won three MVPs and was a seven-time All-Star. Joining the Mariners at age 28, he immediately lived up to the hype, winning the AL MVP and helping that year’s Mariners team to a record 116 wins.
American League All-Stars Vladimir Guerrero, left, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki stand at attention during the national anthem before the 78th Major League Baseball All-Star Game at AT&T Park on July 10, 2007, in San Francisco. (Greg Trott/Getty Images)
From 2001 to 2010, Ichiro was named an All-Star in each season while also winning a Gold Glove Award every year. In that span, he won three Silver Slugger Awards and two batting titles while putting up a .331 average and .806 OPS. In 2004, he set the all-time single-season record with 262 hits, and he’s the only player in MLB history to register 10 straight 200-plus hit seasons. He also stole over 500 bases and is one of just seven players to record 3,000 hits and 500 stolen bases.
After just his 11th MLB game, his career average never again dipped below .300. He retired with a .311 average, 3,089 hits, and a 60.0 WAR. In the live ball era (since 1920), he is one of just 21 players with at least 10 seasons of hitting .300 (among qualified hitters) and only one of seven to do it 10 straight years. Ichiro spent the majority of his career with the Mariners, making stops with the Yankees and Marlins.
Shortstop Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees talks with right fielder Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners during Game 4 of the ALCS on October 21, 2001, at Yankee Stadium. (M. David Leeds/Getty Images)
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Ichiro and Jeter played together from 2012 through 2014.
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