That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Ichiro elected to Cooperstown, Not Unanimous?

Ichiro Suzuki with Hall of Fame plaque at Hall of Fame induction Sun Jul 27, 2025 (AP News photo)

Ichiro elected to Cooperstown, Not Unanimous?

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

In 2001, when Ichiro Suzuki made his debut in Major League Baseball, I was broadcasting all home games for the Mariners in Seattle and then returning to the Bay Area to do the same for the San Francisco Giants, both in Spanish.

Ichiro was a special guy, extremely focused, disciplined, hard-working, and a great contact hitter. For me, Ichiro was a leadoff hitter in the category of Rickey Henderson and Pete Rose, a great contact hitter, speed on the bases, and, for Ichiro, a great and accurate throwing arm from right field.

Ichiro took over the Mariners franchise record in stolen bases, previously held by Julio Cruz (who was my broadcast partner in Seattle, may he rest in Peace). Julio’s franchise record was 290. Ichiro surpassed that category for the Mariners.

Ichiro Suzuki’s American League records include a single-season hits record of 262 in 2004. I was privileged to call that hit in 2004 at Safeco Field. Since Ichiro arrived and during his first season, I believed and commented that he had the talent to be a potential Hall of Fame player.

In 2001, Ichiro provided an example of how his career was going to unfold. During that first season in the US, the Japanese star did something that nobody to this date has ever done.

1-Won the AL Batting title. 350 2-Won Rookie of the Year. 3-Won the Gold Glove. 4-Won the Silver Slugger, and (5) last but not least, was selected to be a starter in the All-Star Game. This was a first in history for a major league player.

This week, Ichiro Suzuki received 393 votes out of 394 cast in the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame election, making him one vote short of a unanimous selection. One vote short? How can anybody who covered this player’s career not vote for him for Cooperstown?

That is puzzling to me. Seattle again? Another great Mariner player, Ken Griffey Jr., was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016, and was not elected unanimously, by a single vote. Could it be possible that this was the same Baseball Writer who did not vote for these two legendary Mariners players?

You tell me. Incredible. Increible,信じられない Today, many questions in the baseball world remain (obviously, by Mariners fans), and are not answered, although the Baseball Writers Association of America does not release the names of the writers who vote.

However, since we can always speculate, there could be a personal reason, including racism, if a player is racist, a writer could also be, and nobody really knows. We know that Ty Cobb, for example, who won twelve (12) batting titles, was not unanimously elected to Cooperstown; he was four votes short of unanimity.

Why? more than likely, since Cobb was a well-known racist, it is probably what cost him unanimity. In my book, this is the Hall of Fame for Baseball, for your skills as a baseball player, and that should be it. No more, no less.

I recommend a visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. A beautiful part of the country. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY, is open seven days a week, 362 days a year.

It’s closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Extended hours are offered from Memorial Day weekend through the day before Labor Day. If you are a baseball aficionado, this must be on your bucket list.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.