Ichiro Suzuki was officially inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 27, becoming the first Asian-born player ever to receive the sport’s highest honor. The 51-year-old Aichi native,

Ichiro Suzuki, a remarkable hitter with dazzling speed and arm strength, not only broke stereotypes during a career played across two continents but also blazed a trail for a generation of Japanese-born players in Major League Baseball.

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.