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Mariners mock Hall of Fame voter who left Ichiro off ballot

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Aug 10, 2025 7:33 PM ET

The Seattle Mariners are still holding a grudge against the unidentified voter who left Ichiro Suzuki off their Hall of Fame ballot.

The Mariners held a ceremony before Saturday’s game to retire Ichiro’s number following his recent induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. As part of that ceremony, the team went out of its way to take a shot at the still-unnamed voter who prevented Ichiro from being a unanimous selection.

Announcer Rick Rizzs, who was emceeing the ceremony, revealed that a “premium seat” had been reserved for “the one Hall of Fame (voter) who did not vote for Ichiro.” That seat was in the very last row of T-Mobile Park.

Don't worry, we saved a seat for *that* one voter… #IchiroHOF pic.twitter.com/tH994QopHf
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 10, 2025

Naturally, the capacity crowd got a good laugh out of the joke, then took the opportunity to boo the voter.

That voter still has not come forward seven months after the voting results were announced. Ichiro even invited the voter over to dinner, but recently admitted that offer has expired.

One could argue that the Mariners are going a little hard after the anonymous voter. On the other hand, it’s pretty tough to argue against Ichiro’s Hall of Fame credentials, and it is not as if they can call anyone out by name for the snub.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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