Cooperstown, NY – Ichiro Suzuki wants to raise a glass with the voter who chose not to check his name on the Hall of Fame ballot.
“There’s one writer I couldn’t get a vote from,” he said through a translator Thursday, two days after receiving 393 of 394 votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. “I would like to invite him to my place, and we will have a drink together, and we will have a good conversation.”
Suzuki had been to the venue seven times before attending a news conference Thursday with fellow voters CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner. The trio will be inducted on July 27 along with Dave Parker and Dick Allen, voted on last month by the Classic Era Committee.
Suzuki had difficulty dealing with the first player from Japan elected into the room.
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“Maybe in five, 10 years I can look back and maybe we can say that’s what it meant,” he said.
BBWAA secretary-treasurer Jack O’Connell recalled that Suzuki was at the hall in 2001 when he called to inform the Seattle star that he had been voted rookie of the year. Suzuki received 27 of 28 first-place votes, all but one from an Ohio writer who selected Sabathia.
“He stole my rookie of the year,” Sabathia said.
Sabathia recalled a game at Safeco Field on July 30, 2005. He worked with Cleveland pitching coach Carl Willis in a bullpen session on a pitch he could throw to strike out Suzuki, which turned out to be a slider.
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“I get two strikes on Ichi and he hits him out the window,” Sabathia said of driving 428 feet from the second deck restaurant into right field, at the time the longest career home run in Suzuki’s big league. “His next at-bat, throw it out again, first pitch he hits it out again.”
Suzuki’s second home run broke a sixth inning in the Mariners’ 3-2 win. As the trio discussed their favorite memories, Suzuki mentioned a Hall of Fame model plaque the hall had created — not a design for real — that included his dog, Ikkyu.
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“Our dog and then Bob Feller’s cat are the only animals to have the Hall of Fame plaque. It’s something I cherish,” Suzuki said, referring to a mock-up featuring the pitcher’s cat, Felix.
Sabathia helped the New York Yankees win the World Series in 2009 after agreeing to a seven-year, $161 million contract as a free agent. Sabathia began his big league career in Cleveland, finished the 2008 season in Milwaukee and was apprehensive about signing with the Yankees before being persuaded by general manager Brian Cashman.
“Going into the offseason, I just heard all the things that were going on, the turmoil in the Yankees clubhouse,” Sabathia said. “Pretty quick, like two or three days after spring training, me and Andy (Pettitte) are running around the outfield, I get a chance to meet (Derek) Jeter, we’re hanging out and the pitching staff, we’re Going to dinners, we go to basketball games together.
Sabathia was on 342 ballots and Wagner on 325 (82.5%), or 29 votes more than the 296 needed for the required 75%. While Suzuki and Sabathia were elected on their first appearance on the ballot, Wagner was elected on her 10th and final try with the writers.
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Even two days after learning of his election, Wagner had tears streaming down his cheeks when he thought about the call. His face turned red.
“It’s humiliating,” he said, his voice lighting up before he stopped. “I don’t know if it’s worth it but to sit 10 years and have your career looked at and everything, it’s tough.”
Wagner, who stands 5-foot-10, became the first left-hander voted into the room who was primarily a reliever. He thought about the words of 5-foot-11 right-hander Pedro Martínez, who voted for Cooperstown in 2015.
“I hope the kids see that there’s a chance you can get here and it’s possible, this size and where you’re importing from,” Wagner said. “I think Pedro said it first, but if I can get here, anyone can get here.”
