Ichiro Suzuki received a distinguished honor on Tuesday as he was chosen for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. To further celebrate his legacy, the Seattle Mariners, the franchise where he devoted the majority of his career, announced plans to retire his legendary No. 51 jersey.
During a press gathering at the Mariners’ stadium, Ichiro revealed that he was still coming to terms with the news after receiving the official notification regarding his Hall of Fame induction. The Japanese legend also struggled to hold back his emotions as he listened to the Mariners’ announcement regarding his jersey retirement.
The Mariners retire Ichiro Suzuki’s jersey number
Seattle Mariners Chairman and Managing Partner John Stanton declared that the team will retire Ichiro Suzuki’s iconic No. 51 jersey in tribute to the Hall of Famer. The retirement ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, August 9, at T-Mobile Park. Ichiro will join Ken Griffey Jr. (#24), Edgar Martinez (#11), and Jackie Robinson (#42) as the only athletes to have their numbers retired by the Mariners.
“For nearly 25 years, Ichiro has been a fundamental part of the Seattle Mariners organization,” stated the Mariners Chairman. “And today’s announcement will guarantee that his number will be honorably displayed in T-Mobile Park eternally as he fittingly joins Ken and Edgar as Mariners in the Hall of Fame.
Suzuki spent 14 of his 19 MLB seasons with the Mariners. The team will officially retire his No. 51 on August 9 at T-Mobile Park during a ceremony that is part of “Ichiro Hall of Fame Weekend,” planned from August 8 to August 10 as Seattle competes against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum disclosed earlier on Wednesday that Ichiro Suzuki was inducted on his inaugural ballot, achieving 99.7% of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
Suzuki came just one vote shy of a unanimous Hall of Fame selection, totaling 393 out of 394 votes. He is the first player born in Japan to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Mariano Rivera remains the sole player to achieve unanimous election.
Ichiro Suzuki during his playing days
Throughout his 19 MLB seasons, Suzuki achieved 10 All-Star selections, 10 Gold Glove awards, and three Silver Slugger awards. He also earned two American League batting titles and once led the AL in stolen bases.
In 2001, Suzuki garnered both the AL MVP and AL Rookie of the Year accolades following an extraordinary season, amassing 242 hits, 34 doubles, eight triples, eight home runs, 69 RBIs, and 53 stolen bases while batting .350. He also established the MLB record for the most hits in a single season with 262.
Ichiro concluded his career with 3,089 MLB hits, in addition to the 1,278 he accrued over nine seasons in Japan. His combined total of 4,367 hits stands as the highest in professional baseball history, surpassing Pete Rose’s MLB record of 4,256.
Across 19 Major League seasons, Ichiro secured two batting titles, scored 1,420 runs, and stole 509 bases, all while paving the way for Japanese players to thrive in MLB despite initial doubts regarding their adaptability.
Suzuki will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 27 in Cooperstown, New York, alongside CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.
Image Source: Ichiro Suzuki @ Instagram
