Ichiro, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame

Jan 21

Chris Francis Sports Reporter

By Chris Francis (Sports Reporter), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

The Baseball Hall of Fame will induct three new players this July. On Tuesday, Jan. 21, the Hall announced the 2025 voting results from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

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Considered one of the unique talents in the game’s history, Ichiro Suzuki is the first Japanese player to become a Hall of Famer. He played 19 seasons in the majors with the Mariners, Yankees and Marlins. Of the 400 votes cast, Ichiro earned 99.7% support –– just one unnamed writer prevented him from being a unanimous selection.

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During his debut season in 2001, Suzuki was American League Rookie of the Year and baseball’s Most Valuable Player. He has 3,089 career hits, ranking him 24th all-time. He posted a record 10 straight seasons with more than 200 hits, set a major league record for hits in a single season with 262, is a 10-time All-Star and won 10 Gold Gloves.

Ichiro Suzuki by the numbers

2001 American League MVP
3,089 hits in 19 MLB seasons
10 straight seasons over 200 hits
262 hits in 2004, single-season record
10-time All-Star
10 Gold Glove awards

Like Suzuki, CC Sabathia was on the ballot for the first time. He pitched 19 seasons, starring for the Cleveland Guardians when they were the Indians and the New York Yankees. In between, Sabathia spent a half-season in Milwaukee, where he led the Brewers to the playoffs.

He is widely regarded as one of the most dependable pitchers of his generation. “I wanted my guys in the locker room to feel like every time I went out there, every fifth day, that we had a chance to win,” Sabathia told MLB Network. “If I was available, I was going to take the ball, even down to those days in Milwaukee, I felt good, and they let me pitch every three days, and I’m thankful for that.“

Sabathia finished with 251 wins and had 3,093 strikeouts, ranking him third most in history by a lefty.

He is a six-time All-Star, was in the post-season 10 times, won the Cy Young award in 2007 and won a World Series with the Yankees in 2009

CC Sabathia by the numbers

2007 Cy Young award
2009 World Series Champion
251 career wins in 19 seasons
3,093 career strikeouts
3.74 career ERA
6-time All-Star

The third player elected Tuesday, on his final ballot no less, was Billy Wagner –– the ninth relief pitcher to make the Hall of Fame. Wagner racked up 422 saves and made seven All-Star teams during his 16-year career with five teams. When he was a kid, he broke his right arm and had to learn to throw left-handed. The rest is history.

“Chip was a big fan, and I’m a big fan of Chip right now,” Wagner said on MLB Network about his childhood friend who broke his arm. “Who would have thought that a kid from across the street would come over to my grandmother’s house and play football with me and fall on my right arm, and the next thing you know, I’d be a Hall of Famer? I mean, if God isn’t great and have a purpose, I don’t know what does.”

Billy Wagner by the numbers

9th relief pitcher Hall of Famer
422 career saves
7-time All-Star

The 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, July 27, in Cooperstown, New York.

Tags: baseball, MLB

THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME WILL INDUCT THREE PLAYERS THIS JULY. TUESDAY, THE HALL ANNOUNCED THE 2025 VOTING RESULTS FROM THE BASEBALL WRITERS OF AMERICA.
ICHIRO SUZUKI EARNED 99.7% OF THOSE YES VOTES, JUST A SINGLE UNNAMED WRITER DID NOT VOTE FOR ICHIRO ON HIS FIRST BALLOT.

CONSIDERED ONE OF THE UNIQUE TALENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE GAME, ICHIRO IS THE FIRST JAPANESE PLAYER TO BECOME A HALL OF FAMER. HE PLAYED 19 SEASONS IN THE MAJORS WITH THE MARINERS, YANKEES AND MARLINS.

IN HIS DEBUT SEASON OF 2001 HE WAS AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR *AND BASEBALL’S MOST VALUABLE PLAYER. HE HAS 3,089 CAREER HITS WHICH RANKS 24TH ALL-TIME. HE HAD A RECORD 10 STRAIGHT SEASONS WITH OVER 200 HITS, SET A MAJOR LEAGUE RECORD FOR HITS IN A SINGLE SEASON WITH 262, IS A 10 TIME ALL-STAR AND WON 10 GOLD GLOVES. FELLOW HALL OF FAMER KEN GRIFFEY JUNIOR HAD A MESSAGE FOR HIS FORMER TEAM MATE ON MLB NETWORK TUESDAY.

“CONGRATULATIONS ICHIRO, TRULY DESERVED, I AM HAPPY, MY WIFE WAS RUNNING AROUND WHEN SHE FOUND OUT YOU GOT THE CALL. IT IS AN HONOR AND I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU. JUST ONE THING YOU’RE BRINGING THE SAKE BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT ROOKIES DO, YOU’RE A ROOKIE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 25 YEARS. I EXPECT A NICE BOTTLE OF SAKE FOR BOTH OF US.
GEORGE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! (MUCH LAUGHING)“

CC SABATHIA, LIKE ICHIRO, WAS ON THE BALLOT FOR THE FIRST TIME. HE PITCHED 19 SEASONS, STARRING FOR THE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS WHEN THEY WERE THE INDIANS AND YANKEES. IN BETWEEN, SABATHIA SPENT A HALF-SEASON IN MILWAUKEE WHERE HE LED THE BREWERS TO THE PLAYOFFS. HE IS WIDELY REGARDED AS ONE OF THE MOST DEPENDABLE PITCHERS OF HIS GENERATION.

[ “ I WANTED MY GUYS IN THE LOCKER ROOM TO FEEL LIKE EVERY TIME I WENT OUT THERE, EVERY 5TH DAY THAT WE HAD A CHANCE TO WIN. IF I WAS AVAILABLE I WAS GOING TO TAKE THE BALL, EVEN DOWN TO THOSE DAYS IN MILWAUKEE “

SABATHIA FINISHED WITH 251 WINS AND HAD 3093 STRIKEOUTS, THIRD MOST IN HISTORY BY A LEFTY.
HE IS A 6 TIME ALL-STAR, WAS IN THE POST-SEASON 10 TIMES, WON THE CY YOUNG AWARD IN 2007 AND WON A WORLD SERIES WITH THE YANKEES IN 2009

THE THIRD PLAYER ELECTED TUESDAY, ON HIS FINAL BALLOT NO LESS, BILLY WAGNER WHO IS JUST THE 9TH RELIEF PITCHER TO MAKE THE HALL OF FAME. WAGNER RACKED UP 422 SAVES AND MADE SEVEN ALL-STAR TEAMS DURING HIS 16-YEAR CAREER WITH 5 TEAMS. WHEN HE WAS A KID HE BROKE HIS RIGHT ARM AND HAD TO LEARN TO THROW LEFT-HANDED. THE REST IS HISTORY.

“ CHIP WAS A BIG FAN, I’M A BIG FAN OF CHIP RIGHT NOW, WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT A KID FROM ACROSS THE STREET WOULD COME OVER TO MY GRANDMOTHERS HOUSE AND PLAY FOOTBALL WITH ME AND FALL ON MY RIGHT ARM AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW I’D BE A HALL OF FAMER, I MEAN IF GOD ISN’T GREAT AND HAVE A PURPOSE, I DON’T KNOW WHAT DOES.”

JUST ONE OF THE MANY AMAZING STORIES WE’LL HEAR ON JULY 27TH WHEN THOSE THREE PLAYERS ARE INDUCTED IN COOPERSTOWN. FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M CHRIS FRANCIS