Cooperstown has three new members. On Tuesday evening, three players were elected by the BBWAA: Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, and Billy Wagner. Wagner, father to Toronto Blue Jays’ second baseman Will,

Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player chosen for baseball’s Hall of Fame, falling one vote shy of unanimous when he was elected Tuesday along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.

Ichiro Suzuki becomes the first Japanese player chosen for baseball’s Hall of Fame, falling one vote shy of being a unanimous selection.

Pete Rose still holds the MLB record for career hits with 4,256, but Ichiro would be the hit king if you count the 1,278 hits he had in Japan. Ichiro reached 4,257 combined hits on June 15, 2016, with the Marlins, hitting a double off the San Diego Padres’ Fernando Rodney (remember him, Mariners fans?). Ichiro finished with 4,367 combined hits.

Ichiro Suzuki could join Mariano Rivera as the only unanimous picks for baseball’s Hall of Fame and CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner and Carlos Beltrán also could be elected when results of the writers’ voti

Ichiro had more hits than anyone, while serving as a powerful precedent for Japanese players. That overshadows whether his Hall of Fame election was unanimous.