Ichiro, who spent parts of 19 seasons in the major leagues, delivered a riveting speech in Cooperstown on Sunday, even nailing an impression of Rick Rizzs.

Ichiro Suzuki and his wife, Yumiko Fukushima, have been married for over two decades, sparking curiosity in their enduring relationship. Suzuki is a former baseball outfielder whose recent Hall of Fame speech drew much attention.

Of those present, a plurality, if not a majority, were present to honor and celebrate Ichiro most of all. And yet, as Ichiro delivered his hilarious, thoughtful, uniquely earnest remarks, I felt a tang of bittersweetness.

Tampa Bay All-Star pitcher Drew Rasmussen grew up in Washington state, and was a huge fan of Ichiro Suzuki and the Seattle Mariners as a kid. He talked about Ichiro on Sunday, the day he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown,

There’s growing curiosity in Ichiro Suzuki and his wife Yumiko Fukushima’s enduring relationship, which has lasted over two decades. Suzuki is a former baseball outfielder whose recent Hall of Fame speech drew much attention.

The author of 4,367 hits over 28 seasons across Japan and America didn’t use an interpreter as he had during a media session on Saturday. He delivered his speech in English, and he was talking at one point about the Mariners, then the Yankees and then the next team on his 19-season major-league journey.

“Lou Piniella was very skeptical,” said Larry Stone, a Seattle Times baseball writer who has covered Ichiro’s career extensively. “That spring training, Ichiro started off not pulling the ball, not driving the ball. And Lou was like, ‘Who is this guy? When is he going to show me something?’”