Ichiro, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner get five stars at Baseball Hall of Fame inductions
COOPERSTOWN, NY—It seemed like old times.
Ichiro delivered, as always.
CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner had their best stuff.
Dick Allen and Dave Parker, “The Cobra,” reigned supreme one more time.
And the crowd cheered, as all five players were given their rightful place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame during the shrine’s induction ceremony July 27 at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown.
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What more could you ask for on a hot Sunday afternoon in late July than to spend time with thousands of baseball fans and a roster of diamond legends in Cooperstown?
And there were some surprises. Wagner, the consummate closer with 422 saves over his 16-year big-league career, got the start (even though he never had one in the majors), giving the first induction speech of the afternoon.
Ichiro, a Japanese native who played nine seasons of professional baseball in Japan (1992–2000) and always spoke through an interpreter during his 19-year major league career (2001–2019), gave his speech himself in English.
Wagner, Ichiro and Sabathia were voted into the Hall of Fame in January by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America; Parker and Allen were elected in December 2024 by the Hall of Fame’s Era Committees.
Words of gratitude abounded, as spouses, children, coaches, parents, teammates, general managers, team owners, scouts, baseball writers, Hall of Fame staff, and many others were thanked for helping the new Hall of Famers realize their dream of playing in the major leagues.
“For every person who believed in me along the way, I am forever grateful,” Wagner said in an emotional induction speech.
Wagner will have a Houston Astros cap on his Hall of Fame plaque, though he also played for the Phillies, Mets, Red Sox and Braves from 1995-2010.
“This game is more than numbers and metrics—it’s winning the moment. It’s being excited for your teammates when they succeed. It’s being crushed when you don’t come through in the clutch. It’s knowing that there is always tomorrow.”
The 54-year-old continued, “The love of the game has meaning, and it’s not about salaries and rankings. It’s about perseverance, passion, grit, and the pursuit of perfection. It’s about the 1-2-3 inning, playing to win, and letting God take care of the rest.”
The first left-handed closer ever elected to Cooperstown, Wagner recounted his unlikely path to the majors—coming from a small-town high school in Virginia and then an NCAA Division III college—to catch the eye of pro scouts. The 5-10, 180-pound flamethrower, who tirelessly labored to become one of the game’s best closers, had some time-honored advice for youngsters:
“To every kid out there, this is my message to you: Obstacles are not roadblocks. Obstacles are stepping stones. They build you and shape you, define you. I wasn’t the biggest, I wasn’t left-handed, I wasn’t supposed to be here. There were only seven full-time relievers in the Hall of Fame; now there are eight because I refused to give up or give in, I refused to listen to the outside critics, and I never stopped working.”
Wagner added, “That’s what this game does for you. It teaches you about life, it teaches you how to persevere, don’t fear failure—embrace it. Because perseverance isn’t just a trait, it’s the path to greatness.”
CC's SUPPORT GROUP
In another poignant moment, fellow hurler CC Sabathia thanked his mother, aunts, wife, grandmother and others, saying, “No one has more fun hanging out with the fellas than me, but I’ve been blessed to have so many wise and caring women in my life.”
The talented left-hander from Vallejo, Calif. told a story about a huge grapefruit tree in his grandmother’s backyard. “When I was young, I would collect the grapefruits that fell, line them up, and throw them at a folding chair—that was my strike zone. That was the first time I realized I could throw hard,” the 251-game winner said.
He recalled wanting to get a job at Marine World when he was a teenager and “My granny said, ‘No. Focus on baseball.’”
He looked out at the throngs gathered for the induction ceremony and saw his mother, Margie. With his famous smile, the now 45-year-old lefty spoke about how his mom put on catcher’s gear when he was kid, “so I could throw to her in the backyard.” Then, when he reached the pros, he’d talk to his mom about pitch selection.
And the stories kept on coming. The 19-year veteran, who played for Cleveland, Milwaukee and the New York Yankees from 2001-2019, said he and his wife Amber were always teammates. When Sabathia was a free agent at the end of the 2008 season, “we” made the decision to join the Yankees in New York. That’s the team whose logo will appear on Sabathia’s cap on his Hall of Fame plaque.
“It’s been a long road from Vallejo, Calif., and I wouldn’t have made it all this way without the women redirecting me when I got lost,” Sabathia pointed out. He proudly regaled the crowd about the “village of women who raised me, guided me, made me laugh, fed me, protected me, and a few times literally saved me.”
A dedicated and determined pitcher, who was one of the game’s most popular players in his time, Sabathia said, “You’d be lucky to have even one of those women in your life. And I’ve had them all.”
Then with his warm, friendly demeanor, the man everyone calls simply “CC” urged the crowd to “tell your grannies, your moms, your aunts, your sisters, your wives, your girlfriends, and your daughters how much you love and appreciate them.”
‘WE ARE FAMILY’
Dave Parker, one of the game’s biggest superstars in the 1970s and ’80s (a star from 1973-91), played for the “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates, his hometown Cincinnati Reds, the Oakland A’s, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels, and Toronto Blue Jays. The lifetime .290 hitter passed away on June 28 after a long illness, but he was buoyed by the news last December that he had finally been elected to Cooperstown and was even working on his speech at the time of his death.
Parker’s son, David Parker II, delivered his father’s speech and spoke on behalf of his dad at the induction ceremony. He said that while his dad would have a Pirates logo on his Hall of Fame plaque, he always loved his hometown Reds and even worked as a kid at the hot dog stands at Crosley Field, the old home field of the Reds.
“Dave Parker’s affection for the Cincinnati franchise spanned decades,” Parker’s son said.
The late slugger’s son said his father, who came up through the Pirates organization, credited Bucs stalwarts Roberto Clemente, Doc Ellis, Willie Stargell, and Al Oliver for instilling in him concern for others and teaching him how to play the game the right way.
Reminiscing about his dad’s early days, Parker II noted, “Pops played three sports in high school—basketball kept him busy in the winter, football was his job, but baseball was his love, more than other sports. Baseball, a cultural tradition passed down over generations from mamas to sons, daddies to daughters, standing on the baseball fields from Shea Stadium to Chavez Ravine. The small hot dog stands, fresh-cut grass, and spilled beer reminded Pops of his youthful career.”
The son of the two-time World Series champion (1978 and 1979) and two-time NL batting champion (1977 and 1978) recalled walking with his dad to an ice cream parlor in Cincinnati and people saying hello and cheering for him. He remembered saying to his famous dad, “You’ve got a lot of fans, Pops. My father would shake his head pleasantly: ‘They aren’t fans, son, they’re friends. Forever friends.’”
FIRST LOVE
Dick Allen passed away in 2020, but his presence was certainly felt at the 2025 Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Allen’s widow, Willa Allen, spoke about the 15-year major league veteran’s passion for the game.
“He loved the game. But more than that he loved the people in it. Baseball was his first love. He used to say, ‘I’d have played for nothing,’ and I believe he meant it.” And then she joked, “But, of course, if you compare it to today’s salaries, he played almost for nothing.”
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In his 15-year career (1963–77), Allen, whose lifetime batting average was .292, played for the Phillies (1963–69, 1975–76), Cardinals (1970), Dodgers (1971), White Sox (1972–74), and the Oakland A’s (1977). His Hall of Fame plaque sports a Phillies logo and shows Allen with his trademark long sideburns and moustache.
Mrs. Allen said, “For Dick, the fans meant everything. He always wanted to show them—especially the young ones—that it’s not about where you come from, but where you’re determined to go. He came out of Wampum, Pennsylvania. It’s a town with no more than 1,200 people, and yet major league baseball found him.”
Wielding a 42-ounce bat, Allen hit long home runs—a total of 351—during what was considered a pitchers’ era. He knocked 33 homers in 1968, when hurlers ruled the diamond.
Allen’s widow said, lovingly, “His story is not just about home runs or awards; it’s about principle, compassion, and determination. That is what carried him through every challenge and every triumph. Today his name is enshrined among the greatest to ever play the game, and I know, beyond all the applause, Dick would want this moment to inspire others to play with passion, to live with heart, to always be true to yourself.”
She added, “Dick didn’t just give his time or his money—he gave his heart. Whether it was visiting a teammate in the hospital or standing up for someone who didn’t have a voice or just writing a note to a fan. To many of us, Dick was already a Hall of Famer, not just for how he played, but for who he was.”
ICHIRO'S MANTRA
Not only was Ichiro Suzuki one of the best hitters in the major leagues, he was one of the best hitters in Japan as well. In nine seasons with the Orix Blue Wave in Kobe, Japan, in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Pacific League, he was Pacific League batting champion seven times (1994–2000). He had a career .353 batting average in the NPB.
Signed by the Seattle Mariners in 2001, Ichiro was both AL Rookie of the Year and MVP that year. He won 10 Gold Gloves (2001–2010), two AL batting championships (2001, 2004), three Silver Slugger Awards (2001, 2007, 2009), and was a 10-time All-Star (2001–2010). The savvy hitter had a .311 lifetime big-league batting average, with 3,089 hits. He had 1,278 hits in his career in Japan, giving him a combined total of 4,367 hits as a professional baseball player on both sides of the Pacific. Ichiro is the first Japanese player inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and he goes in as a Mariner.
He could field, throw, and run the bases seemingly with ease. But Ichiro, as he was known throughout his career, worked hard at his craft, striving to get better every day, pointing out: “If you consistently do the little things, there’s no limit to what you can achieve. Look at me: I’m 5-11 and 170 pounds. When I came to America, many people said I was too skinny to compete with bigger major leaguers. The first time I ran out onto the field, I was in awe of the competition. But I knew, if I stuck to my beliefs about preparation, I could overcome the doubts—even my own.”
Always a team player, no matter which uniform he wore—the Seattle Mariners (2001–mid-2012, 2018–19), the New York Yankees (mid-2012–2014) and the Miami Marlins (2015–17)—the 19-year big-league veteran said, “I have been asked, ‘What’s the best thing you can do for your team?’ My answer is ‘taking responsibility for yourself.’ Being responsible for yourself means answering to yourself. When you go home at night and wonder why you didn’t get that hit or you didn’t make a catch, the honest answer is not because a great pitcher beat you or a tough sun was in your eyes. It’s because there was something you could have done better. By taking responsibility for yourself, you support your teammates and you don’t cheat the fans.”
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Ichiro said he always dreamed of being a baseball player and even wrote an essay about it when he was in sixth grade.
“If I were to rewrite that essay today with what I know now, I would use the word ‘goal’ instead of ‘dream.’ Dreams are not always realistic, but goals can be possible if you think deeply about how to reach them. Dreaming is fun, but goals are difficult and challenging. It’s not enough to say, ‘I want to do something.’ If you are serious about it, you must think critically about what is necessary to achieve it.”