Ichiro cherishing Hall of Fame weekend in Cooperstown

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – Throughout his career, whenever Ichiro took time to answer questions from the media, his answers were always well thought out.

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Oftentimes, after he finished answering the question in Japanese, he would have further comments on his answer by the time his interpreter had completed the original translation. There were never cliches, and his answers were typically longer than what you usually got in the clubhouse.

On Saturday in Cooperstown, during his one media session before Sunday’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Ichiro’s shortest answer most summed up his career.

When asked what the key was “behind that immortality” he displayed on the baseball field in his years in the game, his simple response left nothing to further clarify.

“Because I loved it,” he said quietly.

Ichiro’s love of the game that has been on full display since the first time he set foot on a major league field continues today. With a full schedule and television crew following him every minute, Ichiro still took time Saturday morning to do long toss and run. On Friday, he even took some batting practice thrown by fellow inductee Billy Wagner.

“I’m glad I only faced him once in my career,” Wagner said in his media session. “What was unique about it was his work ethic. It hasn’t changed. It was good having my kids around somebody like Ichiro, who is still serious about what he’s doing. I enjoyed it. It was fun to throw and have that awareness of going from missing bats to hitting bats. And he’s so serious. He’s locked in. It was just a great moment. It’s fun to be around him.”

Hall of Fame inductee Billy Wagner on throwing BP to Ichiro yesterday. pic.twitter.com/7YdVYGta2g

— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) July 26, 2025

By all indications, Ichiro is thoroughly enjoying his time in Cooperstown. While he has visited the town and museum many times before, this time has been different for him.

“When I was a player, I would come and we would to go in the basement and look at some of the artifacts,” he said. “There was a purpose.

“This time around, there wasn’t a purpose. This time around, I didn’t come to have one purpose to see something. I just wanted experience Cooperstown. I wanted to just enjoy it all and take it all in.”

The Hall of Fame was a place Ichiro could study those who came before him and connect with them when he put on the white gloves and handled the artifacts stored beneath the museum. It was also a place of refuge.

“During the season, it’s a tough year – you go through your ups and downs and you are going to have a lot of different emotions,” he said. “Coming to Cooperstown and the Hall, it was almost like you got to push a refresh button and kind of cleanse yourself in way. This was a place I could come and kind of cleanse myself and get a great feeling again and go back.

“As a baseball player, there are certain feelings you have. And this is a place I was able to get those feelings back, and that is for any baseball player.”

Starting Sunday, Ichiro will have a permanent place in the Hall of Fame. Perhaps someday, his plaque on the wall or artifacts in the basement will inspire or refresh others the way those who came before did for him.

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