In every sense of the honor, Ichiro Suzuki is a Hall of Famer.
As the likes of Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki dominate headlines across Major League Baseball, Ichiro stands out as one of the pioneers of Japanese stars coming to the States and thriving in the majors. Across his incredible 19-year career, Ichiro logged 3,089 hits, 10 Gold Gloves, two batting titles, 10 All-Star selections, and a Rookie of the Year and MVP honor in the same season.
Seriously, how is that not universally considered a lock for Cooperstown?
Of course, those numbers are a lock for the Hall, which is why Ichiro received over 99 percent of the votes on Tuesday, confirming that he will be rightfully inducted this summer. But it is the less than one percent - that one single vote - that highlights how absurd the Hall of Fame voting discourse has become.
It shouldn’t come to this, where one anonymous vote takes over the story, which should be about celebrating one of the best hitters in baseball history. But here we are calling out one voter for not voting in Ichiro, as social media was sent ablaze after the results were revealed, demanding that the voter reveal themselves. That likely won’t happen, and it only reinforces voters’ confidence to do something so bombastic and - frankly - ridiculous. It’s not dramatic to say that a voter who doesn’t see Ichiro as Hall of Fame worthy should have their voting rights seriously put into question. Unfortunately, that voter isn’t alone.
Five years ago, Derek Jeter came one vote shy of the Hall of Fame. Another star who eclipsed 3,000 hits (considered by many to be a lock for the Hall), Jeter was the face of baseball for a generation, set playoff records while winning five World Series titles, and finished sixth all time in career hits. Seriously, discourse about his defense aside, what voter in their right mind would consider his credentials unworthy of Cooperstown? Yet one anonymous voter left him off. A year prior, a Boston-based writer revealed that he wouldn’t vote for Mariano Rivera, citing his ludicrous opinion about the impact of a closer, before relenting and voting for Mo to become the first unanimous Hall of Famer in baseball history. To think that the undisputed best of all time at his position almost fell short of a unanimous vote is insulting, and all-too familiar. Back in 2016, Ken Griffey Jr. came THREE votes shy of the Hall, despite basing over 600 home runs as one of the only superstar sluggers of his era to never have a whiff of steroid scandals around him, while also winning a remarkable 10 straight Gold Gloves at a premium defensive position in center field.
What drives a voter to not select such easy locks to the Hall of Fame? Bias? The desire to go against the grain for the sake of being contrarian? If that’s the case, it doesn’t come across as contrarian. It simply comes across as stupid, and those voters should be outed and face the criticism for making such an obviously ridiculous decision.
Understood, there are reasons for keeping voting anonymous. Fans hide behind their keyboards and can be downright cruel if they disagree with a writer’s decision, even if it doesn’t involve a sure thing like Ichiro or Griffey. But to make such an egregious omission like the one voter who didn’t select Ichiro, that voter should explain themselves, even if no explanation will make the decision any less absurd. If the plan was to get the attention without being named, congratulations. You made yourself part of the story while also being confirmed to be clueless, while remaining nameless.
That security blanket of namelessness gives some voters the courage to defile the privilege of being able to vote for the Hall of Fame, an honor only a select few get to hold. Fewer than that should have the privilege of being a unanimous selection, and Ichiro easily should have been one of those names. Jeter should have as well, and Griffey, and all the way back to Ted Williams, and so on. It is a major flaw of the process that puts a stain on what should be a time of celebration, and it is becoming an annual occurrence. It’s time to change that.