Ichiro Misses Unanimity, Still a Big Moment, the Rest of the Hall, and Other Cubs Bullets

The kids have been off school for two days due to the sub-zero temperatures, and what with MLK Jr. Day on Monday, it has become a mini winter break fresh on the heels of the other one. So that’s … well … it’s a lot of close-quarters extra family time with everyone out of routine and dad still trying to get work done. If they want to open up the schools tomorrow, that’d be fine …

• As noted yesterday, Ichiro Suzuki was left off just one single Hall of Fame ballot. Unanimity in Hall of Fame entrance doesn’t truly matter – Mariano Rivera is literally the only player to go in unanimously – but I just think it would’ve been very cool and very appropriate for a player like Ichiro, who also just happens to have been one of my favorite players ever. The voter has not yet stepped up to admit and explain, and I’d be surprised if they do. That said, when the ballots are submitted, the BBWAA voters are permitted to check a box that says their ballots can be made public two weeks after the votes come out. So it’s POSSIBLE we’ll find out in two weeks who the voter was, if not sooner. If it were me, I’d want to stay anonymous, though.
• … but it wouldn’t be me, because there absolutely no universe where you can ACTUALLY justify not voting for Ichiro Suzuki for the Hall of Fame.

Iconic. Immortal. Ichiro. #IchiroHOF

永遠にして伝説。イチロー。 pic.twitter.com/pkLfeNHE8g— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) January 21, 2025

Ken Griffey Jr. welcomes Ichiro to the @BaseballHall 💙 pic.twitter.com/vaB8Yp6J3j— MLB (@MLB) January 21, 2025

Mariners staffers greet Ichiro on his way into his press conference. pic.twitter.com/OdybI2PoWh— Adam Jude (@A_Jude) January 22, 2025

Worth noting Ichiro Suzuki .385/.429/.615 (1.044 OPS) in 14 PA against Mariano Rivera. They should both be unanimous Hall of Famers.
Included in that fun, limited sample was this walk off home run.

pic.twitter.com/QYN9sl5r2p— Greg Zumach (@IvyFutures) January 21, 2025

• As Ryan Thibodaux notes, there were no blank ballots submitted, so whoever it was that didn’t vote for Ichiro DID vote for at least one other player. The only REMOTELY defensible argument would be that a voter thought there were more than 10 worthy players, so that voter left off Ichiro – knowing he’d get enough to get in – in order to add an extra vote for someone else. But I just can’t imagine being the person who would risk my ballot being the literal only one that didn’t include Ichiro. It’s embarrassing at best.

• Also, Ben Zobrist didn’t get a single vote, so it wasn’t even like that voter just wanted to make sure to give one to the guy who almost single-handedly invented the super utility role!
• A couple other things: Ichiro becomes the first Japanese-born player to be elected into the Hall, and the Mariners announced they will be retiring his number 51 this year.
• This year’s full Hall of Fame class, with Ichiro, CC Sabathia, and Billy Wagner joining Dave Parker and Dick Allen:

• It’s not the point, but this kinda mostly just makes me think about how much of a freak Clayton Kershaw and Jacob deGrom are:

LOWEST CAREER MLB ERA
(last 100 years, 500+ innings):

Mariano Rivera, 2.21
Billy Wagner, 2.31 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Jonathan Papelbon, 2.44
Clayton Kershaw, 2.50
Jacob deGrom, 2.52
Hoyt Wilhelm, 2.52 pic.twitter.com/JKO45vCZTn— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) January 22, 2025

• A small but good point when it comes to guys who are signing lower-dollar or minor league deals and have multiple choices out there:

• Speaking only to the financial part of the decision: If you’re signing a minimum deal and choosing between three teams, why wouldn’t you choose the one that is likely to net you a huge bonus at the end of the year even if you spend only a few days on the big league roster? I suppose the answer is that you’d have to feel you had a much better shot at competing on the other clubs.
• It’s currently a little snowy at the home of the Cubs’ Low-A affiliate in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina:

Good morning, Myrtle Beach! ⛄️

First pitch at 7:05. pic.twitter.com/D0HJVrdl9y— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) January 22, 2025

• The throw that got him was way inside the circle so he’s safe:

• A kid pulled the extremely-sought-after Paul Skenes Rookie Debut Patch card, and he’s gonna get six figures for it:

• My God. How do I not remember this lad:

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