Suzuki referened the lone writer who did not give him a Hall of Fame vote, saying that a previous invitation to dinner had now "expired."

Dave Parker, who died a month before he was to be inducted, and Dick Allen got into the Hall posthumously after being voted in by the classics committee.

With 52 returning Hall of Famers on hand, Suzuki paid homage to his new baseball home in Cooperstown and his adoring fans by delivering his 18-minute speech in English. His humor, a surprise to many, delighted the crowd. He threw shade at the Miami Marlins, the last stop of his professional career.