Ichiro Suzuki's near-unanimous election headlined Tuesday's results from the National Baseball Hall of Fame as arguably the sport's greatest hitter will finally head to Cooperstown. Despite not debuting in the United States until age 27,

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

On the same day that Ichiro Suzuki learned that he'd been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Seattle Mariners announced that they'll retire his No. 51 during the upcoming season: Ichiro's number will be officially honored in a ceremony prior to the Mariners' game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday,