Ichiro, who has set numerous records such as the most hits in a season in the major leagues, held a press conference on the 26th, the day before the ceremony to be inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame, saying, "I don't know what will happen if I'm alive. I myself too. I couldn't imagine being on this stage," he said with joy.
Mr. Ichiro will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in November last year in honor of his achievements in the Mariners for many years during his active career, and a ceremony will be held before the game on the 27th at Seattle's home base.
Mr. Ichiro is currently an instructor for the team, and on the 26th, after moving his body on the ground as usual before the game at his home base, he held a press conference in practice clothes.
It was the first time for a Japanese player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a major league baseball team. I could not imagine at any time."
After that, looking back on the time when he challenged the major league in 2001, "The biggest experience was playing in Japan for nine years. I didn't gain confidence after coming to the United States, but I had confidence during spring training." rice field.
Regarding the thoughts that supported him during his active career, he said, "Since I was a child, I was thin, and I was not big as a baseball player. I have been fighting until now, and I know the pleasure of silenced those voices with the results.
At the ceremony the next day, when asked if he was ready to give a speech, he said, "My stomach hurts. I might get a second stomach ulcer." Skipping, when asked about Hwang Hae's thoughts, he answered, "I want to save it for tomorrow."
According to the team, tickets for the 27th are already sold out.
Mariners Hall of Famer Ichiro becomes 10th inductee
In 2001, Ichiro won the American League's Rookie of the Year and MVP = Best Player, and in 2004, he marked 262 hits in the season and broke the major league record for the first time in 84 years.
From the first year to the 10th consecutive year, he was selected for the All-Star Game and continued to hit 200 hits in the season. increase.
Previous Mariners Hall of Fame inductees include Randy Johnson, who has the second most strikeout record in major league history with 4,875 strikeouts, Ken Griffey, who has 630 career home runs, and Ichiro, who is a first-year major leaguer. Lou Piniella, who served as manager in 2001 and had 116 wins in a season, which is the most in the major leagues, and Edgar Martinez, who played for the Mariners for 18 years and played an active role as a designated hitter. is the 10th person.
Ichiro will be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025, five years after his retirement, and is also expected to become the first Japanese player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.