Ichiro Inducted into Mariners Hall of Fame

Seattle, Aug. 27 (Jiji Press)--A ceremony was held Saturday for inducting baseball superstar Ichiro Suzuki into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame. Suzuki, 48, is the first Japanese to join the hall of fame of a U.S. major league baseball team. His family and former teammates were among those present at the ceremony, held at the Mariners' home field in the U.S. city ahead of a game on the day, and the 48-year-old baseball icon was greeted with applause. "Even though I retired as an active player, baseball and Seattle have never left my heart. Baseball will forever be my soul, and my mission is to keep helping both players and fans appreciate this special game," said Suzuki, who now serves as special assistant to the Mariners Chairman John Stanton and as instructor. Suzuki played for the Mariners and other major league teams after belonging to the Orix BlueWave, the Japanese professional baseball team now called the Orix Buffaloes. Suzuki announced his retirement in 2019. Suzuki looks certain to be inducted into the U.S. National Baseball Hall of Fame. He is set to become eligible for the fame in 2025. Daisuke Matsuzaka, a retired pitcher who played for teams including the Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani sent video messages to Saturday's ceremony. In his message, Ohtani congratulated Suzuki on being inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame, saying that he has been inspired by Suzuki since he was a little boy. END