Inside/Peter

Ichiro!

Long before Ichiro Suzuki was Ichiro, one-name icon status in the world, long before his 19 seasons in Major League Baseball, his 3,089 hits, his 10 Gold Gloves, his 10 All-Star selections, he met with Peter O’Malley at Dodger Stadium on December 18, 1995. Suzuki had just finished his fourth season playing for the professional Orix Blue Wave, and it was clear the 22-year-old outfielder was on the foothold of becoming one of the greatest players in Japan baseball history.

Suzuki’s purpose of the visit was to express his appreciation to O’Malley of the signing of Hideo Nomo to a 1995 Dodger contract. Nomo became the first Japan-born player in 30 seasons to play in the major leagues and he clearly showed the Dodgers strongly benefited from the unknown risk they took as they won the 1995 National League Western Division Championship, Nomo was named the starting pitcher for the National League for the 1995 All-Star Game and was elected the 1995 National League Rookie of the Year.

At their 1995 meeting, Suzuki told O’Malley he kept a photo of the Dodger President on his desk in appreciation of his dedication and effort to sign Nomo and O’Malley’s support that led to Nomo’s successful season. O’Malley corresponded with Suzuki after his visit, “I am grateful to you for taking the time to visit Dodger Stadium when you were here in Los Angeles, I was happy to meet you. You are a great credit to your family, your team and the game of Baseball. I admire what you have accomplished, and you have my complete support in the years ahead…Keep up the good work, you have a friend here at Dodger Stadium.” December 30, 1995, Peter O’Malley, Correspondence to Ichiro Suzuki

Dodger President Peter O’Malley writes this December 30, 1995 letter to Ichiro Suzuki. The two enjoyed meeting each other at Dodger Stadium, December 18, 1995. Following in the footsteps of Hideo Nomo, Suzuki would eventually play for Seattle in Major League Baseball starting in 2001, launching his Hall of Fame career.

How far ahead was Suzuki looking to playing in the major leagues? His major league debut occurred in 2001 when he began his magnificent career in Major League Baseball. In speaking with Jeff Idelson, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006, Suzuki was asked when he did first set his cap toward playing in the major leagues. The Mariner outfielder said “When I began, I never thought about it much. A really big influence was when (Hideo) Nomo signed a contract to play in the major leagues with the Dodgers. Up until then, it was merely an image in my mind, but when I saw Nomo play on television, the thought of playing in America became much clearer.” Spring/Summer, 2006, Jeff Idelson, Memories and Dreams

And the thought of playing in the major leagues was considered not just by Suzuki. Bob Ryan of The Boston Globe wrote “But it wasn’t until Hideo Nomo joined the Dodgers in 1995, making him the first significant Japanese player to play in American since (Masanori) Murakami 30 years earlier, that American fans were made to realize how close the countries (Japan and the United States) really were in the game.” March 30, 2007, Bob Ryan, The Boston Globe

An autographed baseball signed by Ichiro Suzuki, Hall of Famer in Japan and America. On December 18, 1995, Suzuki met with Dodger President Peter O’Malley at Dodger Stadium and expressed his appreciation for the signing of Japan-born pitcher Hideo Nomo. Until Nomo pitched for the Dodgers and was named the 1995 National League Rookie of the Year, there had been a gap of three decades for a Japan-born player in MLB.

Ichiro Suzuki, a Hall of Fame player both in Japan and the United States, signed this baseball for Dodger President Peter O’Malley, December 18, 1995. Ichiro was with the professional Orix Blue Wave in Japan. His meeting with O’Malley was at Dodger Stadium and he kept a photo of O’Malley on his desk in appreciation of signing Japan-born pitcher Hideo Nomo earlier that year. That signing opened the door for scores of Japan-born players to participate in MLB.

Soon, every major league team and every fan would realize the bounty of talented players from Japan. There has been Nomo, Suzuki, Ohtani, and Roki Sasaki and there will be more on the way to play the game loved in Japan and in the United States.

And in 2025, Suzuki will have other “firsts” to his remarkable career. He is the first Japan-born player to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, missing by one vote of it being unanimous. Also, this year, he will be inducted into the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame, the first player ever to be voted into the two notable Baseball Halls of Fame.