Ichiro hilariously called out writer who didn't vote for him in Hall of Fame speech
By all accounts, he was one of the most obvious first-ballot Hall of Famers we've seen. Yet, one writer left Ichiro off the Hall of Fame ballot, leaving the Mariners legend a vote shy of unanimous selection.
Well, Ichiro made sure to mention that snub in his Hall of Fame speech.
Speaking to the crowd, Ichiro listed a few of historic achievements to set up the joke about the lone writer's snub. After the vote, Ichiro had offered to host the writer at his home for dinner, but on Sunday, he jokingly made a point to rescind that offer.
Hey, if anyone deserves to be a little petty in a Hall of Fame speech, it's Ichiro. The numbers speak for itself.
The speech overall was a great mix of humility, humor and wisdom — and he did so in English. Ichiro also had jokes for his time with the Miami Marlins.
Well played, Ichiro. Well played.
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