The BriefIchiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player to earn entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame.Suzuki earned 393 of 394 votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America, joining Derek Jeter in falling one vote shy of unanimous selection.

To this point, only famed Yankee closer Mariano Rivera has been elected to the Hall of Fame unanimously — not Babe Ruth, not Hank Aaron, not Ken Griffey Jr. nor Derek Jeter, just Rivera. Could Suzuki be the second?

SEATTLE – As I looked at my Baseball Hall of Fame ballot that included checkmarks on the boxes next to nine players’ names, I stared at the open box next to another name: Félix Hernández.