Latest news with #Yakyu
Japan Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Behind the scenes at the Baseball Hall of Fame's new Yakyu/Baseball exhibit
The 'Yakyu / Baseball: The Transpacific Exchange of the Game' exhibit, now open at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, tells a sweeping, richly visual story about the deep and evolving connection between Japan and America's shared national pastime. From the moment visitors enter, they are confronted with a suit of samurai armor presenting Japanese players as fiercely disciplined warriors across 1,800 square feet in the museum's third‑floor Guggenheim Gallery. The first exhibit in Cooperstown to focus on trans-Pacific baseball history, it spans more than 150 years, beginning in Japan's Meiji era and continuing to the present day. The exhibition is organized around four main narratives. Japanese teams touring America, with highlights including Waseda University's 1905 tour and later college and club teams' barnstorming trips across the United States. American teams touring Japan, with vivid emphasis on the legendary 1934 tour featuring Babe Ruth, and other All-Stars, which helped catapult the rise of Japanese professional baseball. American-born players in Japan, including stories of pioneers like Larry Doby, Warren Cromartie, Randy Bass and most notably the Lee brothers and Matt Murton, all of whom embraced Nippon Professional Baseball and left lasting legacies. Japanese-born players in Major League Baseball, starting with the pioneering Masanori Murakami — the first Japanese-born MLB player, who made his debut in 1964 for the San Francisco Giants and actually greeted fans at the exhibit during Hall of Fame weekend. The exhibition tracks the path of Japanese major leaguers from Murakami and evolves through Hideo Nomo, with artifacts from his no-hitter; Hideki Matsui, including a game-worn jersey from 'Godzilla,' and a central focus on Ichiro Suzuki and Shohei Ohtani. A single mannequin of Ichiro, featured in celebration of his 2025 induction as the first Japanese‑born player enshrined in Cooperstown, wears several pieces of memorabilia from his glittering career. | Joshua Mellin A single mannequin of Ichiro, featured in celebration of his 2025 induction as the first Japanese‑born player enshrined in Cooperstown, wears his 2006 World Baseball Classic Helmet, 2000 NPB season bat, 262nd hit batting gloves, elbow guard and wristbands, 2009 record-breaking jersey, 3,000th MLB hit pants and belt, and 500th MLB stolen base cleats, highlighting the variety of skills that made his game so imposing. For Ohtani, the exhibit focuses on the two-way icon's unique abilities, with an image-changing lenticular poster showing him batting and hitting during his tenure with both the Los Angeles Angels and Dodgers. The Shohei Ohtani display case is flanked by a cutout of his dog, Dekopin. | Joshua Mellin A display case features the cap he wore during his first pitching experience with the Angels on April 1, 2019, and the helmet he wore two dates later when he crushed his first major league home run, along with the Dodgers jersey he wore with his debut with the team during 2024's Korea Series. Ohtani is, of course, accompanied by a life-size cutout of his loyal dog, Dekopin. There are also lots of artifacts from other players who have recently made the jump from NPB to MLB, including a ball from Roki Sasaki's perfect game when he was with the Chiba Lotte Marines, former Yokohama BayStar and current Chicago Cub Shota Imanaga's 2024 MLB All-Star hat and a glove donated by former Orix Buffalo and current Los Angeles Dodger Yoshinobu Yamamoto. A ball from Roki Sasaki's perfect game when he was with the Chiba Lotte Marines. | Joshua Mellin The two-way influence between America and Japan's shared pastime is covered extensively, tracing back to when Americans introduced the sport to Japan in the 1870s — highlighting the significant impact not only through athletes and ambassadors, but the passionate fan cultures in both countries. A pop culture section includes a deep dive into trading cards and baseball manga, and even the Hanshin Tigers' 'Curse of the Colonel' and subsequent 2023 Japan Series run are covered extensively alongside an infamous Winnie the Pooh baseball video game that visitors of all ages have been having difficulty resisting. There's even a passport stamp-style circuit in the exhibit that reveals an image after three different presses. And what would baseball be without the food? From hot dogs to takoyaki, a playful concession stand display lets visitors imagine concocting their own stadium snacks as if in Mad Libs, like Japanese 'Crunchy Wizard Ramen' or American 'Flaming Bambino Nachos.' Another highlight of the exhibit is a 7th-inning stretch simulator room inviting fans to join in on traditions from around the world, including the Hanshin Tigers' 'Lucky 7' song and the Rakuten Eagles' jet balloon release to the Chicago Cubs' sing-a-long at Wrigley Field and Red Sox fans' Fenway Park rendition of Neil Diamond's 'Sweet Caroline." The exhibit even goes as far as to explain the Hanshin Tigers' "Curse of the Colonel" that recently ended with their 2023 Japan Series run. | Joshua Mellin The interactive elements offer a deeper experience new to the traditional Hall, marking a new era in its own evolution. Hall of Fame President Josh Rawitch described 'Yakyu / Baseball' as 'unlike anything we've ever done in Cooperstown,' highlighting the role of design firm Solid Light in making the experience interactive and immersive. For fans wishing to visit to make the journey to Cooperstown to experience the exhibit themselves, 'Yakyu / Baseball' is set to remain on display for at least five to ten years and possibly indefinitely, especially given its enduring cultural and educational relevance. In a town built on American legends, this exhibit reminds us that some of the game's greatest stories have always been international.
CBS News
3 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame
Ichiro Suzuki was always known for his meticulous preparation during his 19-year Major League Baseball career. For his induction into the Hall of Fame? Not so much. "Of course, I'm nervous and I probably should be preparing more, but this morning I actually went to the field, long tossed and kind of ran and did my workout, so I guess for me that was more important," Suzuki said Saturday through an interpreter on the eve of his enshrinement. Suzuki is the first Japanese player chosen for the Hall and fell one vote shy of becoming the second unanimous selection. He will be joined Sunday by CC Sabathia, a six-time All-Star who won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award, and relief pitcher Billy Wagner. Dave Parker, who died a month before he was to be inducted, and Dick Allen will be honored posthumously. They were voted in by the classic era committee. MLB has been profoundly impacted by Japan since Suzuki's arrival in 2001. His induction coincided with the opening of an exhibit at the Hall on Thursday entitled Yakyu/Baseball: The Transpacific Exchange of the Game, which celebrates the ways Japanese and American baseball are interconnected. It honors not just Suzuki but also pitcher Hideo Nomoi and current two-way star Shohei Otani. As interconnected as the two countries are, Suzuki does not want Japanese baseball to become a carbon copy of MLB. "I don't think Japan should copy what MLB does. I think Japanese baseball should be Japanese baseball and the way they do things, and MLB should be the way they are. I think they should be different and not the same," he said. Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes (99.7%) from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Sabathia was on 342 ballots (86.8%) and Wagner on 325 (82.5%), which was 29 votes more than the 296 needed for the required 75%. Suzuki joked about falling one vote shy of a unanimous induction, calling out the one writer who left him off the ballot. The ballots are secret, so it's not known who kept Suzuki off their list, but after the totals had been announced, Suzuki initially offered to have that writer over for dinner. "Three thousand hits or 262 hits in one season are achievements recognized by the writers. Well, all but one of you," he said during his speech on Sunday. "By the way, the offer for that writer to have dinner at my home has now expired." Only one player in the Hall's history has been voted in unanimously: legendary New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who received all 425 possible votes in 2019. Suzuki was a two-time AL batting champion and 10-time All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder, hitting .311 with 117 homers, 780 RBIs and 509 stolen bases with Seattle, the New York Yankees and Miami. He is perhaps the best contact hitter ever, with 1,278 hits in Nippon Professional Baseball and 3,089 in MLB, including a season-record 262 in 2004. His combined total of 4,367 exceeds Pete Rose's MLB record of 4,256. Suzuki visited the Hall seven times during his career, but this time is different. "I had a purpose. I would come to the basement and look at some of the artifacts. This time around, though, I didn't come to have one purpose to see something. I just wanted to experience Cooperstown, take it all in. That's the difference this time around. "This is the place where I'd come (during the season) and kind of cleanse myself and get a great feeling again," he said. For Sabathia, his induction represents a full-circle moment because his plaque will have him sporting a Yankees cap with the interlocking NY. A native of Vallejo, California, Sabathia "thought I wanted to be close to home," but after "pretending" the Yankees didn't offer him a contract on the first day of free agency, his wife persuaded him to sign with the Bronx Bombers following an in-home meeting with general manager Brian Cashman. "My wife was the one that said: 'You're trying to do all these different things, figure out all these contracts. You need to go where they want you. All you talk about is you want to win, be a winner and all these things. How can you not go to New York? That's the one place they try to win every single year.' When she put it that way, it was like I was born to be a Yankee," Sabathia said. "And I think for the longest time I tried to run away from that because my father would always tell me I was going to play for the Yankees. He passed away when I was 23, so he wasn't there to tell me it was OK if I failed. I think I was scared to go there and fail. But it ended up being the best decision I ever made. I ran from that decision for a long time. I thought I wanted to play on the other coast, but I think I was born to play with the pinstripes." Suzuki and Sabathia were teammates for more than two seasons, which makes their induction extra special. "It feels like we're teammates. Obviously, Ichi and I were rookies together. I always say he stole my Rookie of the Year award (in 2001) so it's great to be able to go in the HOF with him and Billy," Sabathia said. Sabathia went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts, third among left-handers behind Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton, during 19 seasons with Cleveland, Milwaukee and the Yankees. While Sabathia and Suzuki were elected in their first appearance on the ballot, Wagner made it on his 10th and final try. "Well, after seeing how a lot of guys like Lee Smith and Ted Simmons and (other) guys had to wait their turn to get to this point and go through the veterans committee, and how hard it is to get in here, you know, it's well worth the wait," Wagner said. Wagner, a seven-time All-Star, became the ninth pitcher in the Hall who was primarily a reliever, after Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith and Mariano Rivera. Wagner is the only left-hander. Two others honored Saturday were longtime Cleveland Guardians broadcaster Tom Hamilton, winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting, and retired Washington Post sports writer and columnist Tom Boswell, who received the BBWAA Career Excellence Award.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner are set for Hall of Fame induction
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Ichiro Suzuki was always known for his meticulous preparation during his 19-year Major League Baseball career. For his induction into the Hall of Fame? Not so much. 'Of course, I'm nervous and I probably should be preparing more, but this morning I actually went to the field, long tossed and kind of ran and did my workout, so I guess for me that was more important,' Suzuki said Saturday through an interpreter on the eve of his enshrinement. Suzuki is the first Japanese player chosen for the Hall and fell one vote shy of becoming the second unanimous selection. He will be joined Sunday by CC Sabathia, a six-time All-Star who won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award, and relief pitcher Billy Wagner. Dave Parker, who died a month before he was to be inducted, and Dick Allen will be honored posthumously. They were voted in by the classic era committee. MLB has been profoundly impacted by Japan since Suzuki's arrival in 2001. His induction coincided with the opening of an exhibit at the Hall on Thursday entitled Yakyu/Baseball: The Transpacific Exchange of the Game, which celebrates the ways Japanese and American baseball are interconnected. It honors not just Suzuki but also pitcher Hideo Nomoi and current two-way star Shohei Otani. As interconnected as the two countries are, Suzuki does not want Japanese baseball to become a carbon copy of MLB. 'I don't think Japan should copy what MLB does. I think Japanese baseball should be Japanese baseball and the way they do things, and MLB should be the way they are. I think they should be different and not the same,' he said. Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes (99.7%) from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Sabathia was on 342 ballots (86.8%) and Wagner on 325 (82.5%), which was 29 votes more than the 296 needed for the required 75%. Suzuki was a two-time AL batting champion and 10-time All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder, hitting .311 with 117 homers, 780 RBIs and 509 stolen bases with Seattle, the New York Yankees and Miami. He is perhaps the best contact hitter ever, with 1,278 hits in Nippon Professional Baseball and 3,089 in MLB, including a season-record 262 in 2004. His combined total of 4,367 exceeds Pete Rose's MLB record of 4,256. Suzuki visited the Hall seven times during his career, but this time is different. 'I had a purpose. I would come to the basement and look at some of the artifacts. This time around, though, I didn't come to have one purpose to see something. I just wanted to experience Cooperstown, take it all in. That's the difference this time around. 'This is the place where I'd come (during the season) and kind of cleanse myself and get a great feeling again,' he said. For Sabathia, his induction represents a full-circle moment because his plaque will have him sporting a Yankees cap with the interlocking NY. A native of Vallejo, California, Sabathia 'thought I wanted to be close to home,' but after 'pretending' the Yankees didn't offer him a contract on the first day of free agency, his wife persuaded him to sign with the Bronx Bombers following an in-home meeting with general manager Brian Cashman. 'My wife was the one that said: 'You're trying to do all these different things, figure out all these contracts. You need to go where they want you. All you talk about is you want to win, be a winner and all these things. How can you not go to New York? That's the one place they try to win every single year.' When she put it that way, it was like I was born to be a Yankee,' Sabathia said. 'And I think for the longest time I tried to run away from that because my father would always tell me I was going to play for the Yankees. He passed away when I was 23, so he wasn't there to tell me it was OK if I failed. I think I was scared to go there and fail. But it ended up being the best decision I ever made. I ran from that decision for a long time. I thought I wanted to play on the other coast, but I think I was born to play with the pinstripes.' Suzuki and Sabathia were teammates for more than two seasons, which makes their induction extra special. 'It feels like we're teammates. Obviously, Ichi and I were rookies together. I always say he stole my Rookie of the Year award (in 2001) so it's great to be able to go in the HOF with him and Billy,' Sabathia said. Sabathia went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts, third among left-handers behind Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton, during 19 seasons with Cleveland, Milwaukee and the Yankees. While Sabathia and Suzuki were elected in their first appearance on the ballot, Wagner made it on his 10th and final try. 'Well, after seeing how a lot of guys like Lee Smith and Ted Simmons and (other) guys had to wait their turn to get to this point and go through the veterans committee, and how hard it is to get in here, you know, it's well worth the wait,' Wagner said. Wagner, a seven-time All-Star, became the ninth pitcher in the Hall who was primarily a reliever, after Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith and Mariano Rivera. Wagner is the only left-hander. Two others honored Saturday were longtime Cleveland Guardians broadcaster Tom Hamilton, winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting, and retired Washington Post sports writer and columnist Tom Boswell, who received the BBWAA Career Excellence Award. ___ AP MLB:
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner are set for Hall of Fame induction
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Ichiro Suzuki was always known for his meticulous preparation during his 19-year Major League Baseball career. For his induction into the Hall of Fame? Not so much. 'Of course, I'm nervous and I probably should be preparing more, but this morning I actually went to the field, long tossed and kind of ran and did my workout, so I guess for me that was more important,' Suzuki said Saturday through an interpreter on the eve of his enshrinement. Suzuki is the first Japanese player chosen for the Hall and fell one vote shy of becoming the second unanimous selection. He will be joined Sunday by CC Sabathia, a six-time All-Star who won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award, and relief pitcher Billy Wagner. Dave Parker, who died a month before he was to be inducted, and Dick Allen will be honored posthumously. They were voted in by the classic era committee. MLB has been profoundly impacted by Japan since Suzuki's arrival in 2001. His induction coincided with the opening of an exhibit at the Hall on Thursday entitled Yakyu/Baseball: The Transpacific Exchange of the Game, which celebrates the ways Japanese and American baseball are interconnected. It honors not just Suzuki but also pitcher Hideo Nomoi and current two-way star Shohei Otani. As interconnected as the two countries are, Suzuki does not want Japanese baseball to become a carbon copy of MLB. 'I don't think Japan should copy what MLB does. I think Japanese baseball should be Japanese baseball and the way they do things, and MLB should be the way they are. I think they should be different and not the same,' he said. Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes (99.7%) from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Sabathia was on 342 ballots (86.8%) and Wagner on 325 (82.5%), which was 29 votes more than the 296 needed for the required 75%. Suzuki was a two-time AL batting champion and 10-time All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder, hitting .311 with 117 homers, 780 RBIs and 509 stolen bases with Seattle, the New York Yankees and Miami. He is perhaps the best contact hitter ever, with 1,278 hits in Nippon Professional Baseball and 3,089 in MLB, including a season-record 262 in 2004. His combined total of 4,367 exceeds Pete Rose's MLB record of 4,256. Suzuki visited the Hall seven times during his career, but this time is different. 'I had a purpose. I would come to the basement and look at some of the artifacts. This time around, though, I didn't come to have one purpose to see something. I just wanted to experience Cooperstown, take it all in. That's the difference this time around. 'This is the place where I'd come (during the season) and kind of cleanse myself and get a great feeling again,' he said. For Sabathia, his induction represents a full-circle moment because his plaque will have him sporting a Yankees cap with the interlocking NY. A native of Vallejo, California, Sabathia 'thought I wanted to be close to home,' but after 'pretending' the Yankees didn't offer him a contract on the first day of free agency, his wife persuaded him to sign with the Bronx Bombers following an in-home meeting with general manager Brian Cashman. 'My wife was the one that said: 'You're trying to do all these different things, figure out all these contracts. You need to go where they want you. All you talk about is you want to win, be a winner and all these things. How can you not go to New York? That's the one place they try to win every single year.' When she put it that way, it was like I was born to be a Yankee,' Sabathia said. 'And I think for the longest time I tried to run away from that because my father would always tell me I was going to play for the Yankees. He passed away when I was 23, so he wasn't there to tell me it was OK if I failed. I think I was scared to go there and fail. But it ended up being the best decision I ever made. I ran from that decision for a long time. I thought I wanted to play on the other coast, but I think I was born to play with the pinstripes.' Suzuki and Sabathia were teammates for more than two seasons, which makes their induction extra special. 'It feels like we're teammates. Obviously, Ichi and I were rookies together. I always say he stole my Rookie of the Year award (in 2001) so it's great to be able to go in the HOF with him and Billy,' Sabathia said. Sabathia went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts, third among left-handers behind Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton, during 19 seasons with Cleveland, Milwaukee and the Yankees. While Sabathia and Suzuki were elected in their first appearance on the ballot, Wagner made it on his 10th and final try. 'Well, after seeing how a lot of guys like Lee Smith and Ted Simmons and (other) guys had to wait their turn to get to this point and go through the veterans committee, and how hard it is to get in here, you know, it's well worth the wait,' Wagner said. Wagner, a seven-time All-Star, became the ninth pitcher in the Hall who was primarily a reliever, after Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith and Mariano Rivera. Wagner is the only left-hander. Two others honored Saturday were longtime Cleveland Guardians broadcaster Tom Hamilton, winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting, and retired Washington Post sports writer and columnist Tom Boswell, who received the BBWAA Career Excellence Award. ___ AP MLB:
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner are set for Hall of Fame induction
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Ichiro Suzuki was always known for his meticulous preparation during his 19-year Major League Baseball career. For his induction into the Hall of Fame? Not so much. 'Of course, I'm nervous and I probably should be preparing more, but this morning I actually went to the field, long tossed and kind of ran and did my workout, so I guess for me that was more important,' Suzuki said Saturday through an interpreter on the eve of his enshrinement. Suzuki is the first Japanese player chosen for the Hall and fell one vote shy of becoming the second unanimous selection. He will be joined Sunday by CC Sabathia, a six-time All-Star who won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award, and relief pitcher Billy Wagner. Dave Parker, who died a month before he was to be inducted, and Dick Allen will be honored posthumously. They were voted in by the classic era committee. MLB has been profoundly impacted by Japan since Suzuki's arrival in 2001. His induction coincided with the opening of an exhibit at the Hall on Thursday entitled Yakyu/Baseball: The Transpacific Exchange of the Game, which celebrates the ways Japanese and American baseball are interconnected. It honors not just Suzuki but also pitcher Hideo Nomoi and current two-way star Shohei Otani. As interconnected as the two countries are, Suzuki does not want Japanese baseball to become a carbon copy of MLB. 'I don't think Japan should copy what MLB does. I think Japanese baseball should be Japanese baseball and the way they do things, and MLB should be the way they are. I think they should be different and not the same,' he said. Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes (99.7%) from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Sabathia was on 342 ballots (86.8%) and Wagner on 325 (82.5%), which was 29 votes more than the 296 needed for the required 75%. Suzuki was a two-time AL batting champion and 10-time All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder, hitting .311 with 117 homers, 780 RBIs and 509 stolen bases with Seattle, the New York Yankees and Miami. He is perhaps the best contact hitter ever, with 1,278 hits in Nippon Professional Baseball and 3,089 in MLB, including a season-record 262 in 2004. His combined total of 4,367 exceeds Pete Rose's MLB record of 4,256. Suzuki visited the Hall seven times during his career, but this time is different. 'I had a purpose. I would come to the basement and look at some of the artifacts. This time around, though, I didn't come to have one purpose to see something. I just wanted to experience Cooperstown, take it all in. That's the difference this time around. 'This is the place where I'd come (during the season) and kind of cleanse myself and get a great feeling again,' he said. For Sabathia, his induction represents a full-circle moment because his plaque will have him sporting a Yankees cap with the interlocking NY. A native of Vallejo, California, Sabathia 'thought I wanted to be close to home,' but after 'pretending' the Yankees didn't offer him a contract on the first day of free agency, his wife persuaded him to sign with the Bronx Bombers following an in-home meeting with general manager Brian Cashman. 'My wife was the one that said: 'You're trying to do all these different things, figure out all these contracts. You need to go where they want you. All you talk about is you want to win, be a winner and all these things. How can you not go to New York? That's the one place they try to win every single year.' When she put it that way, it was like I was born to be a Yankee,' Sabathia said. 'And I think for the longest time I tried to run away from that because my father would always tell me I was going to play for the Yankees. He passed away when I was 23, so he wasn't there to tell me it was OK if I failed. I think I was scared to go there and fail. But it ended up being the best decision I ever made. I ran from that decision for a long time. I thought I wanted to play on the other coast, but I think I was born to play with the pinstripes.' Suzuki and Sabathia were teammates for more than two seasons, which makes their induction extra special. 'It feels like we're teammates. Obviously, Ichi and I were rookies together. I always say he stole my Rookie of the Year award (in 2001) so it's great to be able to go in the HOF with him and Billy,' Sabathia said. Sabathia went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts, third among left-handers behind Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton, during 19 seasons with Cleveland, Milwaukee and the Yankees. While Sabathia and Suzuki were elected in their first appearance on the ballot, Wagner made it on his 10th and final try. 'Well, after seeing how a lot of guys like Lee Smith and Ted Simmons and (other) guys had to wait their turn to get to this point and go through the veterans committee, and how hard it is to get in here, you know, it's well worth the wait,' Wagner said. Wagner, a seven-time All-Star, became the ninth pitcher in the Hall who was primarily a reliever, after Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith and Mariano Rivera. Wagner is the only left-hander. Two others honored Saturday were longtime Cleveland Guardians broadcaster Tom Hamilton, winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting, and retired Washington Post sports writer and columnist Tom Boswell, who received the BBWAA Career Excellence Award. ___ AP MLB:
