Mystery persists over voter who omitted Ichiro from Hall of Fame consideration as 321 of 394 ballots revealed

NEW YORK — The identity of a Hall of Fame voter who chose not to cast their ballot for Ichiro Suzuki remains unknown. 
 
All 321 voters who disclosed their decisions on Tuesday thanks to the Baseball Writers’ Association of America selected the renowned Japanese baseball player. When the voting results were publicized on January 21, Suzuki received accolades on 393 out of 394 ballots. 
 
“I wasn’t able to get a vote from one writer,” Suzuki remarked through a translator later that week. “I would like to invite him to my house for a drink and have a good discussion.” 
 
According to Hall of Fame rules, voters have the option to reveal their ballots. During a meeting in December 2016, the BBWAA voted with a majority of 80-19 in favor of making all ballots public. However, the Hall of Fame’s board ultimately decided that the choice would rest with each individual voter. 
 
Mariano Rivera remains the only player to achieve a perfect 100% vote from the BBWAA, being included on all 425 ballots during the 2019 voting. Derek Jeter followed closely with 395 out of 396 votes in 2020. 
 
This year, Suzuki, along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, was elected by the BBWAA and will be honored at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cooperstown on July 27. Additionally, Dave Parker and Dick Allen were voted in by the classic era committee in December. 
 
Suzuki earned accolades as a two-time American League batting champion and a 10-time All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder. Over his career, he achieved a .311 batting average, alongside 117 home runs, 780 RBIs, and a remarkable 509 stolen bases while playing with teams like the Seattle Mariners (2001-12, 2018-19), New York Yankees (2012-14), and Miami Marlins (2015-17). 
 
Regarded as one of the greatest contact hitters in baseball history, he amassed 1,278 hits during his time in Nippon Professional Baseball and 3,089 hits in Major League Baseball, including a record-setting single-season total of 262 hits in 2004. When combining his hits from both leagues, Suzuki’s total of 4,367 surpasses Pete Rose’s MLB record of 4,256 hits.