Global baseball's hit king Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese-born player elected to Major League baseball's Hall of Fame on Tuesday, just one vote shy of unanimous selection. - More hits than Rose - Ichiro was 27 when he made his debut with the Mariners in 2001,

Ichiro Suzuki is set to become the first Japanese player to make it to baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is likely to be the next.

Ichiro Suzuki, the dominant contact hitter whose 19 years in the major leagues, most of them with the Seattle Mariners, was lined with records and accolades, on Tuesday became the first Asian player elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame.

Ichiro will join fellow Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, and Jackie Robinson as the only players to have their uniform number retired by the M's.

Ichiro will join Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez and Jackie Robinson as the only jerseys retired by the Mariners.

The trio of stars, each of whom spent part of their career in New York, will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 27.

Ichiro Suzuki could join Mariano Rivera as the only unanimous picks for baseball’s Hall of Fame and CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner and Carlos Beltrán also could be elected when results of the writers’ voting are announced.

Billy Wagner, who briefly pitched for the Red Sox in 2009, has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame alongside Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia in his final year of eligibility.

Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown on Tuesday night. Ichiro and Sabathia were elected

Ichiro Suzuki is the Japanese Zen master who was so dedicated to baseball that he carried his bats in a moisture-proof case and apologised to their creator when he broke one.

CC Sabathia understands his place in history. The former Yankees ace was pretty much a lock to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of the last great, dominant workhorse starters in the game. When he got elected the first time he appeared on the ballot, however, Sabathia could not hide his feelings about how special that was.