2025 is the year for recognition of the Japanese legend Ichiro Suzuki! After his induction to the Japanese Hall of Fame, he received an induction to the US National Baseball Hall of Fame. However, even though everyone expected Suzuki to get his flowers, the fans expressed displeasure that he got shy of just one vote, missing a unanimous selection. For starters, Suzuki secured 393 out of 394 votes, and now this one vote is making the fans go wild and start a witch-hunt for the opposer. 

Well, Ichiro Suzuki is a bona fide legend, and many expected he would become the second unanimous selection after the great Mariano Rivera. His decorated career spans 9 years at NPB and 19 seasons in MLB. Significantly, he becomes the first and only Asian to get inducted into the National HOF. Well, he finally got recognized for his illustrious career. However, the MLB world was up in all arms for his non-unanimous selection. Yes, and there’s no doubt about that!

Likewise, Suzuki started late in the MLB when he debuted in 2001 at 27. He went on to amass 3,089 hits in the next 18 years. Just imagine those numbers if he started as a rookie!

Also, in his debut year, the officials selected Suzuki as the AL MVP, and 10x All-Star, 10x Golden Gloves, and 3x Silver Sluggers followed the next 18 years. Well, if that’s not enough, Suzuki had already made his name at NPB including 1,278 hits, 7x All-Star, 3x MVPs, and 7x Golden Gloves before arriving in the MLB. Hence, quite a number to justify his HOF induction. 

Moreover, fans also considered Suzuki the frontrunner who paved the way for future Japanese stars in the MLB. The likes of Ohtani, Sasaki, and Yamamoto have now made the big leagues with the inspiration-maestro, Suzuki. But, again, how can such a legend miss his unanimous selection by just 1 vote? The fans ponder about the probable reasons and netizens are flooding social media with not-so-kind words.

The majority of comments went to that one anonymous voter. 

Fans going all guns blazing for Ichiro Suzuki

Taking to Reddit, one fan wrote, “There’s always a sportswriter grabbing attention by going against the obvious”. Referring to the unusual trend of going against the flow to look cool. “That person is currently j–king off to the online hate. They just want the attention”, added another enthusiast pointing to the lack of sound reason behind not voting for Suzuki. Well, fans have a point here because there is still no official statement about the reason for not voting for Suzuki. Maybe going against the trend is what the voter was looking for.  

A rather effective stand was taken by a user stating, “Whoever didn’t vote for Ichiro should be asked to publicly explain their reasoning. This nonsense has to stop.” So, there will be reasons for not voting for any entity. This can be explained even by keeping the voter anonymous. This will answer the questions and will be effective in not letting the discussion go no-holds-barred.

“This person should never be allowed to vote again”, a fan shared. For the unversed, BBWAA members get voting rights after spending 10 years on the baseball beat not voting for any entity is also by the rules. 

Moreover, apart from this on-field greatness, Suzuki should be credited for promoting cultural diversity. Remember his role in paying the way for Asian players in MLB? One fan focused on this factor and wrote, “Not only was he an all-time great, but he was a one-of-a-kind player and cultural phenomenon”. Unanimous induction would have better justified this aspect of Suzuki. 

Nevertheless, Ichiro Suzuki is an all-time great and will continue to be so despite this snub. Yes, unanimous induction would have been great but securing 393 votes out of a total of 394 is not an easy feat and demonstrates his greatness only. 

What do you think about Suzuki missing out on 1 vote? Let us know in the comment below.