Mixing sneaky humor with heartfelt messages, the first Japanese-born player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame stole the show in Cooperstown.

There's the batting style that had Ichiro flying toward first base almost before he had even made contact with the baseball, the hand-eye coordination that allowed Ichiro to drop a hit to any segment of the field he chose seemingly on command, the legendary preparation and throwing arm and underrated sense of humor.