One voter deprived Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki of highest Hall of Fame honor

Ichiro Suzuki was a special talent on the field. His entrance into MLB as the first modern Japanese position player was clouded with uncertainty but it took him just one season to put all of those concerns to rest.

In his debut campaign, he won a batting title and earned All-Star, Rookie of the Year, AL MVP, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger honors. He would go on to win two more Silver Sluggers and nine more Gold Gloves in one of the most statistically impressive careers the sport has ever seen.

Aside from stellar outfield defense, incredible baserunning, and surprisingly entertaining lore, his most impressive quality was undoubtedly his ability to put the ball in play. Despite entering the league at 27, he still managed to work his way to 3,000 hits, tying Pete Rose for the most seasons with 200+ hits (10) and holding the single-season hit record at 262, surpassing George Sisler's own record of 258 which was thought to be unbeatable. If you consider his numbers from NPB, his total hit count of 4,367 surpasses those of Rose (4,256).

To Mariners fans, he is the third-most valuable player of all time by rWAR (56.4) behind just Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martínez. Numbers aside, he's remembered for helping to lead the team to an historic 116-win season as well as serving as the roster's only consistent performer during a time of competitive uncertainty from 2002-2011. Even after stints with the Yankees and Marlins, he returned to Seattle to finish his career in an emotional series that took place in his home country of Japan.

Years after his playing days ended, he has still found a way to contribute to the team's efforts to win baseball games. For many legends who receive front office roles akin to his own title of "special assistant to the chairman," the job is little more than an honorary administrative role. For Ichiro, it's another reason to suit up. He is well known for staying active in team practices, playing catch and shagging fly balls for naught more than love of the game and the franchise.

A first-ballot trip to the Hall of Fame is just one of many special things about one of Seattle's most special athletes. In fact, based on public BBWAA ballot tracking, Ichiro's eventual induction was never in question. But he got denied of unanimous status by one, short-sighted voter. The same guy who tried to make a point with Derek Jeter? Except this feels even more egregious.

Nonetheless, Ichiro is now the first and only Japanese player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, paving the way for current talent like Shohei Ohtani.

Here's to a franchise legend, fanbase favorite, and commercial centerpiece.