With 52 returning Hall of Famers on hand, Suzuki paid homage to his new baseball home in Cooperstown and his adoring fans by delivering his 18-minute speech in English. His humor, a surprise to many, delighted the crowd. He threw shade at the Miami Marlins, the last stop of his professional career.

Ichiro Suzuki, the first Japanese Hall of Famer in baseball history, had one of the most humorous speeches since the late Bob Uecker.