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Unanimity: Ichiro and the crime of a single vote

The concept of “unanimous” can be as informal or as literal as you like. Either: Everyone thought that was cool. Or: Every single voter for baseball’s highest honor thought you were worthy. There are levels to the same sentiment.

Ichiro Suzuki, a wizard of sport and style, nearly cleared both yesterday. Instead, one single voter — who remains unknown at this juncture — left one of baseball’s most accomplished players off their Hall of Fame ballot. It’s ultimately not a major tragedy, but it’s still a shame.

Here’s the full class, which was announced yesterday: Ichiro, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner. That’s it. Let’s sidebar on the pitchers before getting back to Ichiro:

• Sabathia was a no-brainer. He earned 86.8 percent of the vote, well above the 75 percent threshold. His resume speaks for itself. The 2007 Cleveland Cy Young winner and 2009 Yankees World Series champ was also a Hall of Fame teammate, as Brendan Kuty wrote today in a great story. Sabathia was a unique character and one of the game’s best pitchers. Kudos.
• Wagner skated in on his last chance. He got 82.5 percent of the vote, up from 73.8 percent last year. The seven-time All-Star best known for his Houston stint is one of the best closers in baseball history, but he was low in innings pitched. Now it doesn’t matter.

Back to Ichiro, who was simply a marvel for literal decades. He was absolutely worthy of becoming the second unanimous Hall of Famer (joining Mariano Rivera). Consider:

• Ichiro compiled 3,089 hits in his MLB career, which ranks 25th on the league’s all-time list … after coming over at 27 years old. He’d compiled 1,278 hits as a pro in Japan, which would push his complete number past Pete Rose’s 4,256.
• In 2001, he immediately won MVP as a Mariners rookie. He was a 10-time All-Star, two-time batting title winner and 10-time Gold Glove recipient. He was a top-five player into his mid-30s. Chad Jennings’ story on how Ichiro silenced skeptics in a heartbeat was really great.
• He was also a cultural icon, both for his fashion and his humor. I highly recommend reading this feature from 2021 on who Ichiro was in the clubhouse. He was just so cool. 

Jayson Stark had plenty of thoughts on this class, but it was his preview of the upcoming Induction Day — and the 2026 class — that got me excited. Read his excellent notebook here. 

Ichiro forever.

Found Treasure: You have a choice

You know who’s already on a Hall of Fame track after one season? Pirates pitching sensation Paul Skenes. It’s early, but if he can maintain health and velocity, there’s no reason to think he won’t make it to Cooperstown at some point. 

Which is why a one-of-one edition of his Topps rookie card, unearthed by an 11-year-old collector yesterday, is such a big deal.

The card is enormously valuable, and The Athletic’s Larry Holder told me it could fetch $1 million at an auction. The kid could take that, or accept this offer from the Pirates: 

• Two season tickets behind home plate for the next 30 years. 
• A softball game for 30 people at PNC Park. 
• A meet-and-greet with Skenes, a chance to warm up with the team, autographed jerseys and “other experiences.” 

Skenes’ girlfriend, the LSU gymnast and social media star Livvy Dunne, also said she would offer her suite to the cardholder if they took the Pirates’ offer. 

Before I make a choice, I want to hear from you, and thus we arrive at our next Pulse Poll. Do you: 

• Sell the card for $1 million, or
• Take the Pirates’ godfather offer

Make your voice heard here. We’ll share the results tomorrow.

News to Know

Butler trade imminent?

The Phoenix Suns appear to be gearing up to trade for disgruntled Heat star Jimmy Butler, sources told The Athletic last night. The Suns executed a picks-only deal last night with the Utah Jazz, which netted them three first-rounders in return, a clear sign Phoenix is amassing trade assets. The only thing in the way for now: Bradley Beal and his no-trade clause. Full report here. Also, Butler was not very conspicuous last night with his Suns-themed shoes.

A record transfer

USWNT and NWSL star Naomi Girma is expected to join Chelsea after the Women’s Super League club agreed to a $1 million transfer fee with the San Diego Wave, the first time a woman’s fee has reached seven digits. The 24-year-old Girma is plenty worth it, and Chelsea was not the only European club willing to set the record for her services. See more on the deal here.

McDaniels returning to Pats

So much for everything being new in New England under Mike Vrabel, who hired familiar face Josh McDaniels yesterday to be the Patriots’ offensive coordinator. It will be McDaniels’ third stint as Pats OC, and to be fair, he has been excellent in that role. His times as a head coach have proven less successful. In other coaching news: The Vikings agreed to a contract extension with coach Kevin O’Connell.

One Last Thing: We got another Ohio State golf cart meme

Deep in the annals of Buckeye internet lore, the golf cart is maligned. If you were online around 2013, you probably remember seeing former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, seated on a golf cart, sadly eating pizza after his Buckeyes lost the Big Ten title game to Michigan State in a major upset:

Eating cold pizza in the bowels of Lucas Oil Stadium while seated on a golf cart: No one’s idea of fun. pic.twitter.com/HMSSXLnDDr

— Pat Brennan (@PBrennanENQ) December 8, 2013

The golf cart now exists at the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, too. Here’s current coach Ryan Day and company on a golf cart after Monday’s national title win:

Some lady just crashed the golf cart carrying Ryan Day and Will Howard in the Mercedes-Benz tunnel after they won the National Championship pic.twitter.com/o3UqM5ZhrO

— Patrick Greenfield (@PCGreenfield) January 21, 2025

Everyone was OK, thankfully. Maybe the Buckeyes should find other transportation during the next Playoff trip. They laughed it off afterward. 

Also from the game: Bruce Feldman spoke to Ryan Day’s family about what the last six weeks have been like, with the Ohio State coach going from pariah to legend. It was enlightening. Read that here.

Watch, Listen and Play

📺 Soccer: Manchester City at Paris Saint-Germain

3 p.m. ET on Paramount+

It’s a soccer day today. Here’s the pick from the Champions League slate, though these two big-name teams are far down the CL table. But these are still major talkers, with Erling Haaland’s massive contract and PSG’s post-Mbappe wallow. And yet this could essentially be an elimination match. 

📺 Soccer: USMNT vs. Costa Rica

7 p.m. ET on TNT/Max/Peacock

The Americans are thriving both at home and abroad right now, and they’ll look to go 2-0 in 2025 here. Expect plenty of newer faces here, as most of the team’s stars are competing in club soccer at the moment. 

Get tickets to games like these here.

🎧 Marcus Thompson joined “NBA Daily” to discuss the title pressure on the Thunder. Listen on Apple and Spotify.