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Fans, writers, and legends flocked to upstate New York to induct the latest crop of icons into the Baseball Hall of Fame. But one of the honorees gave a hilarious confession about one of the final teams he played for.
Gathering in Cooperstown on Sunday, five legends of the game had their plaques unveiled - which will hang in the museum forever.
The five honorees included the late Dick Allen and Dave Parker - as well as Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, and Billy Wagner.
While each speech was heartfelt, it was Suzuki's admission about one of the final teams he played for which drew laughs.
Suzuki is best known for his career with the Seattle Mariners, but he also had short stints with the New York Yankees and the Miami Marlins.
But speaking to the crowd, Suzuki admitted that he wasn't familiar with the Marlins - even when they tried signing him.
"And to the Miami Marlins--
Honestly, when you guys called to offer me a contract for 2015...
I had never heard of your Team." 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/3TszuOJIVR
Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ichiro Suzuki admitted he never heard of the Miami Marlins before agreeing to play some of his final years in the major leagues with the franchise
Suzuki was one of five players inducted into Cooperstown on Sunday afternoon
L-R: Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Billy Wagner, Ichiro Suzuki, and CC Sabathia, Willa Allen (widow of Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Dick Allen), and Dave Parker II (son of Dave Parker)
'To the Miami Marlins... Honestly, when you guys called to offer me a contract for 2015, I had never heard of your team,' Suzuki said - drawing laughs from the crowd.
At the start of his speech, Suzuki said that being inducted into the Hall made him feel like a rookie again - but told his teammates, 'I'm 51 years old, easy on the hazing'.
Elsewhere in his speech, he called out the one writer who didn't vote for him to get into the Hall - preventing him from being a unanimous inductee (Yankees great Mariano Rivera is the only player to have every writer vote for him).
Suzuki previously extended an invitation to get dinner with the unnamed writer, but said in his speech that his offer 'has now expired'.
Suzuki was inducted into the Hall as a Mariner - the third in team history, alongside Ken Griffey Jr and Edgar Martinez.
His plaque reads: 'With extraordinary work ethic and unparallelled bat control, brought record-setting hit totals to Major League Baseball as its first Japanese-born position player.
'Electrified 2001 Mariners to record 116-win campaign, earning A.L. Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors. The only player with 10 straight 200-hit campaigns, 2001-2010.
'Set all-time single-season hits record with 262 in 2004. An All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder throughout his first decade in the majors, led A.L. in hits seven times, won two A.L. batting titles after capturing seven consecutive in Japan. Totaled 3,089 MLB hits and 509 stolen bases.'
