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Hall of Fame Inductee Ichiro Suzuki answers questions during the media press conference at the Clarke Sports Center in Cooperstown on July 26. Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Hall of Fame Notebook: Ichiro Suzuki Speaks Before Taking Place in Cooperstown

Originally posted on Seattle Mariners on SI
By Brady Farkas | Last updated Jul 26, 2025 1:15 PM ET

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Seattle Mariners' legend Ichiro Suzuki is set to join baseball immortality on Sunday afternoon when he becomes the third Mariners player to get enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

He'll join Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez as those to have a Mariners emblem on their plaques.

In a media availability on Saturday, Ichiro spoke about his speech, his legacy, his career and much more, including what Cooperstown means to him (he famously visited several times as a player).

"During a season, it's a tough year. You know, you go through your ups and downs, and you're going to have a lot of different emotions. Coming to Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame, it was almost like you get to push a reset button. You kind of cleanse yourself in a way. And so this is a place that I would come and kind of cleanse myself and kind of get a great feeling again and go back...as a baseball player, there are certain feelings that you need to have, and this is a place that I was able to get those feelings back, and that's for any ballplayer."

Other notes

--Ichiro said he is nervous about his speech, but he spent his time on Saturday morning working out, running and long-tossing, and he found that a little more important than additional speech practice.

Ichiro says he is nervous for his speech on Sunday, but he went to the field and worked out today and threw a long toss session.

Says that was a little more important than more speech practice.
— Brady Farkas (@RefuseToLosePod) July 26, 2025

--When asked why he still feels motivated to go to the field and work out and practice, Ichiro says he wants to be physically able to help a player with something if he is asked. For instance, Julio Rodriguez asked him about help throwing to bases from the outfield, and Ichiro wanted to be able to physically replicate the actions.

Ichiro was asked why he's still motivated to go to the field and work out. He says it's because if he's going to be available to help current players, he has to be physically ready to help.

For instance, Julio Rodriguez asked him for help throwing to bases, and he wanted to be…
— Brady Farkas (@RefuseToLosePod) July 26, 2025

--He added that he doesn't think that baseball in the United States and Japan should be the exact same, and they should have their own distinct brands of playing the game.

--He said he is honored to be the first player to be in both the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.

--He did his entire media availability in Japanese, with English translations coming from interpreter Allan Turner, and he did an entire pre-Hall of Fame availability on zoom in the same manner. There's been no word on if, or how, he will break up his speech on Sunday between English and Japanese. He did famously give his Mariners Hall of Fame speech in all English.