Can Ichiro Open the Doors for Other Japanese Players

[Tyrus4189Cobb]

Regardless of your opinion on Ichiro's Hall worthiness, do you think his induction (should it come to pass) would open the doors for other prominent Japanese players, including those like Sadaharu Oh, who spent their entire careers in Japan? How would this affect other international greats?

[Zito75]

Regardless of your opinion on Ichiro's Hall worthiness, do you think his induction (should it come to pass) would open the doors for other prominent Japanese players, including those like Sadaharu Oh, who spent their entire careers in Japan? How would this affect other international greats?

I think Ichiro will get in and his career merits it - regardless of his ethnicity. As far as Oh goes - he'll never get into the MLB Hall of Fame - he belongs in whatever Japanese HOF they may have. As it stands now, I'd say Ichiro is the closest MLB'er to the Hall for any player born in Japan - by a long shot.

[jalbright]

I wouldn't say there's no way Oh gets in. Things could work out that way, but never involves a very long time. Ichiro will get in Cooperstown before Oh does. One thing which could happen in the future is the majors taking at least some NPB teams into the majors. If that ever happened, I'd say Oh would become a lock to get in, as MLB would want to ingratiate itself with its new Japanese fan base. Even expansion into Japan would likely have that effect on Oh and Cooperstown.

Another thing that could have interesting consequences would be Ichiro's induction. If Ichiro took the occasion to push for the greatest players in Japan, it certainly could give Oh and other Japanese players a tremendous push--remember, Ted Williams' induction put rocket fuel into the case for the Negro Leaguers. It wouldn't be shocking if a real campaign developed at the time of an Ichiro induction that might crack the Cooperstown wall even without Ichiro's help.

Of course, Lord only knows if or when a Japanese expansion or merger might come to pass. It's likely Ichiro will be inducted, but how things would play out at that point is certainly speculative. Even Oh's death might have interesting consequences in that regard. It might not, but I think it's clear that there are plausible scenarios which at least could come to pass.

[GiambiJuice]

What next, will we enshrine Little Leaguers and Beer League legends?

[Cowtipper]

Seriously. Why do Japanese players deserve induction? They haven't played in the major leagues. They haven't played in North America. Japan has its own baseball Hall of Fame. Let them be inducted there. To even consider it is kinda absurd.

[Seattle1]

One thing they could do after Ichiro retires is have a league-wide day where all players wear a nameless #51 jersey in honor of Ichiro, in the same way that there is a day where all players wear a nameless #42 jersey in honor of Robinson. Because he broke a different kind of "color line" so to speak.

[Cowtipper]

One thing they could do after Ichiro retires is have a league-wide day where all players wear a nameless #51 jersey in honor of Ichiro, in the same way that there is a day where all players wear a nameless #42 jersey in honor of Robinson. Because he broke a different kind of "color line" so to speak.

Not really. The "color line" that Robinson broke was caused by deep-seated racial discrimination dating back hundreds of years into American history. The line Ichiro broke, which he didn't even break or get close to breaking, is the result of increased scouting and interest in Japanese baseball by MLB.

[westsidegrounds]

<>. One thing which could happen in the future is the majors taking at least some NPB teams into the majors. ed, but how things would play out at that point is certainly speculative. <>

That would require any such teams to drop their restriction on the number of non-Japanese players a team can have, wouldn't it?

[GiambiJuice]

Ichiro broke a color line? Huh? Ever hear of Hideo Nomo?

Where do you come up with this stuff?

[The Dude]

Ichiro broke a color line? Huh? Ever hear of Hideo Nomo?

Where do you come up with this stuff?

Masanori Murakami would like a word.

[J W]

The key here is that it is the National Baseball Hall of Fame, not the International Baseball Hall of Fame, although there is a blur of Cuban and Negro League baseball.

Personally I would like to see an International Baseball Hall of Fame*, even to have it be the one in Cooperstown. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame does this, electing purely international players such as Kresimir Cosic and Dino Meneghin. But until the designation happens it doesn't make sense.

*not to be confused with the International League Hall of Fame which exists in New York City

[dgarza]

The key here is that it is the National Baseball Hall of Fame, not the International Baseball Hall of Fame, although there is a blur of Cuban and Negro League baseball.

To a degree, there may be a blur. I had thought of this earlier, but didn't comment on Cubans since there has not been a Cuban-born HOFer who played in the Majors and also significantly in the Cuba as well. Tony Perez does not quite fit the Ichiro career path mold. But I do wonder if Martín Dihigo made the HOF purely on his Negro League play. Because most of his possible HOF credit came outside the US.

[Captain Cold Nose]

Ichiro broke a color line? Huh? Ever hear of Hideo Nomo?

Where do you come up with this stuff?

Not to mention Kaz Sasaki, who only won the ROY as a Mariner the previous year Ichiro broke in.

Turn in your fanclub card, Seattle. You've done a grave injustice to your team.

Ichiro will get in for what he did as an MLB player. If he didn't ave the amount of success he has had here, it wouldn't even be a discussion, let alone a possible open door for players who never played here.

[jjpm74]

What doors really need opening for Japanese players? They become superstars in their home country and their games are not televised in the USA so no one knows anything about them here outside of scouts a dedicated few fans. They were/are not discriminated against like pre-Jackie Robinson era minorities were. The reasons they do not come here to play sooner are financial.

Our HOF is to honor people who played in the MLB and an exception was made to right a horrible wrong for NeL players. The NBHoFM should never be watered down like the basketball HOF has been by players who played in lesser leagues in foreign countries.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

What doors really need opening for Japanese players? They become superstars in their home country and their games are not televised in the USA so no one knows anything about them here outside of scouts a dedicated few fans. They were/are not discriminated against like pre-Jackie Robinson era minorities were. The reasons they do not come here to play sooner are financial.

Our HOF is to honor people who played in the MLB and an exception was made to right a horrible wrong for NeL players. The NBHoFM should never be watered down like the basketball HOF has been by players who played in lesser leagues in foreign countries.

You mean like the 17 Negro Leaguer folks that were enshrined in 2006? That wasn't "watering down" the HoF? That is far more watering down than inducting Sadaharu Oh could ever be.