Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki Has Hilarious Story About Joining Marlins
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Toward the end of his playing career in Major League Baseball, Ichiro Suzuki spent three of his 19 seasons with the Miami Marlins. The newest Hall of Famer told a hilarious story about them during his induction speech Sunday.
“I appreciate David Samson and Mike Hill for coming today,” he said of the Marlins’ former president and general manager. “Honestly when you guys called to offer me a contract for 2015, I had never heard of your team.”
Suzuki was 41 when he signed with the Marlins on Jan. 27, 2015. His three seasons in Miami were his last as a major league regular.
In 2015, he threw one inning in Miami’s final game of the season — the only pitching appearance of his major league career. In 2016, he hit .291 with a .354 on-base percentage in 365 plate appearances, giving the Marlins a dangerous left-handed bat off the bench.
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Otherwise, Suzuki’s time in Miami was forgettable. He slashed .256/.315/.325 from 2015-17 before re-signing with the Seattle Mariners in March 2018.
Leave it to Suzuki to crack the perfect joke about how forgettable his Miami era was.
In a post-speech press conference, Ichiro was asked if he’s always been this funny. “Being a Hall of Famer wasn’t a goal,” he said, “but to make people laugh here was a goal.”
— Adam Jude (@A_Jude) July 27, 2025
“Being a Hall of Famer wasn’t a goal,” he told reporters in Cooperstown, New York, “but to make people laugh here was a goal.”
Ichiro Suzuki speaks during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Clark Sports Center on July 27, 2025 in Cooperstown, New York. Ichiro Suzuki speaks during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Clark Sports Center on July 27, 2025 in Cooperstown, New York. Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Suzuki had, of course, heard of the Marlins before he played in Miami. He played three games against them in the 2005, 2008 and 2011 seasons, including three games in Miami as a visiting player.
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With a Mariners hat adorning his plaque, Suzuki was inducted Sunday along with Dave Parker, Dick Allen, Billy Wagner and C.C. Sabathia.
Sabathia, Suzuki’s teammate on the New York Yankees for three seasons, told reporters in Cooperstown that it didn’t surprise him that Suzuki was so funny on stage.
At news conference after his induction speech, CC Sabathia said it didn’t surprise him that Ichiro Suzuki was so amazingly funny in his own speech. “I played with Ichi for three years and knew he could do that.
— John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) July 27, 2025
“I played with Ichi for three years and knew he could do that,” Sabathia said.
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“I’m so glad everyone got to see his humor,” former Marlins pitcher Tom Koehler wrote on Twitter/X. “It took me 3 weeks to introduce my self. He was an amazing teammate and deserves all the honors.”
Im so glad everyone got to see his humor. It took me 3 weeks to introduce my self. He was an amazing teammate and deserves all the honors. pic.twitter.com/QBfPcLrhdK
— Tom Koehler (@Tom_Koehler34) July 27, 2025
Suzuki led the Japan Pacific League in batting seven straight years before he became available to MLB clubs via the posting route. He debuted with the Mariners as a 27-year-old in 2001, won both the American League Rookie of the Year Award and MVP, and collected 3,089 hits in MLB before playing his final game at age 45.
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