The Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Ichiro, who set numerous records such as the most hits in a season with the Mariners in the major leagues, was held at his home stadium in Seattle.


In his English speech, Ichiro expressed his gratitude to the fans, which was met with roaring cheers from the packed audience.

Ichiro joined the Mariners in 2001 as the first fielder from Japan in the major leagues. From his first year, he was selected for the All-Star Game for 10 consecutive years and continued to hit 200 hits in a season. marked



In recognition of his achievements, he became the first Japanese player to be inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, and a ceremony was held on the 27th before the game at home.



The ceremony was attended by his wife Yumiko and former teammates, and when Ichiro appeared in a suit, the crowd of fans erupted in thunderous cheers and called out to Ichiro.



At the end of the ceremony, Mr. Ichiro made a speech in English, beginning with a loud shout of "What's up, Seattle!" and "How are you doing, Seattle?"



The speech lasted for about 17 minutes with Ichiro's typical jokes, such as how he was surprised when he was kissed on the cheek after winning a match from Pinella when he was active.



"Even though I'm retired, baseball is my soul forever. I still wear the Mariners uniform with pride," he said of his thoughts on baseball and the team.



At the end of his speech, he said, "To the wonderful Seattle fans," he said, "21 years ago, when I was a rookie in my first game, the cheers never stopped. The warm welcome I received when I returned to the Mariners was one of the most memorable moments of my career, and it was a great honor to be part of the Mariners and play in front of you guys.” At the end of the performance, the audience applauded and cheered loudly, and the sound did not stop for a while.



Ichiro plans to be eligible for the American 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.

A message of congratulations on a large screen at the stadium

At the ceremony, a video message was shown on the stadium's large screen, and congratulatory messages were sent by Angels player Shohei Otani and Daisuke Matsuzaka, who had a great match in both Japan and the United States during his playing days.



Ohtani said, "This has been my goal since I was little. It's a little strange to be able to appear in a video message from someone like that, but I will continue to do my best with that goal in mind. Congratulations on your day." I sent you a message.



Matsuzaka also said, "Ichiro-san, congratulations on being inducted into the Mariners' Hall of Fame. I retired last year, but I was able to do my best with Ichiro-san's back even before I entered the professional league. For me, Ichiro-san is He is a person I admire, a person I respect, and a goal.



In addition to this, Randy Johnson, who is in the Mariners Hall of Fame like Ichiro, as well as gorgeous members such as Cardinals Poohholes and Angels Trout gave words of congratulations.



Ichiro also sent a video message from his two current dogs.



In the video, the subtitles are accompanied by the two cries, saying, "They always praise us, 'You're a good boy,' but today, we want to tell the world, 'You're a good boy.' Will you be a better girl tonight?” After watching the video with a warm expression, Ichiro-san smiled and gave a high-five to his wife, Yumiko-san.

Griffey: "The most consistent player who raised the concept of baseball"

Ken Griffey, who hit 630 home runs in total and is inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame and the American Baseball Hall of Fame, said in an interview with NHK about Ichiro, "He was the most consistent player and raised the concept of a baseball player. ” and gave a compliment.



Mr. Griffey (52), who played an active part in the Mariners and others, is a famous player who won the home run king four times as an outfielder with both offense and defense, and won the Gold Glove Award for 10 consecutive years. I returned and was a teammate with Ichiro for two years.



Griffey, who attended the ceremony, said in an interview with NHK, "He's my best friend. He and I share the same passion for baseball, both on and off the field. I wanted to be next to you," he said of his feelings for Ichiro.



On that note, he said of Ichiro's achievements, "He elevated the concept of a baseball player. What I learned from him was dedication and preparation every day. He wasn't the strongest or the fastest player, but he was the most consistent." Consistency was the most important thing, and he stuck to it,” praising his daily efforts.



Regarding memories with Ichiro, he revealed that when he was active, he secretly connected Ichiro's music player to the clubhouse's speakers and played music. He's so humble and self-absorbed that it's fun to pull his true self out of his shell.I don't just see him as a baseball player, but as a person." I wanted to tell him that I care about him," he said.



He added, "It's an honor to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but it's only a small part of what he's going to experience, and it's just the beginning. I think he'll be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and I can't wait to see more players on the Mariners." , Ichiro, who will be eligible in 2025, was also expected to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.