Ichiro Suzuki’s Hall of Fame induction speech was well-received by the baseball world, particularly for its humor. For those associated with the Miami Marlins franchise, however, it may have struck a bit of a nerve.
Ichiro joked that he had “never heard of” the Marlins before signing with them in 2015 during his induction speech on Saturday. The joke went viral, in part because the Marlins are frequently the butt of jokes for their low spending and lack of consistent success.
David Samson served as Marlins president from 2002 to 2017, and was in attendance at Cooperstown for Ichiro’s speech. In an appearance on “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz,” he admitted that upon hearing the joke, he “had a little PTSD because the Marlins are the butt of people’s jokes.”
“You hear your name come out, and you’re just so overwhelmed with gratitude that your name comes out. Then you hear the Marlins joke, and I immediately thought, ‘my God, anything other than that,'” Samson said. “You could just tell that people were going to think that was serious, but it wasn’t.”
Samson pointed out that the Marlins won the 2003 World Series during Ichiro’s career, and that Ichiro faced the Marlins multiple times during his career.
"One of the most viral and best speeches I've ever heard a Hall of Famer give"
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) July 29, 2025
– Former Marlins President and Nothing Personal host @DavidPSamson reacts to Ichiro’s Marlins joke and iconic Hall of Fame speech pic.twitter.com/aLsiKILQ56
Samson felt that Ichiro’s joke was meant to display the player’s funny side. He held no ill will toward Ichiro for the speech, and called it “one of the most viral and best speeches I’ve ever heard a Hall of Famer give.”
Ichiro spent three seasons with the Marlins during the twilight of his career and hit .256.
Whether Samson likes it or not, the Marlins jokes are inevitable. The team has a reputation for selling off its best players before they become expensive. They are also mocked for their embarrassing attendance figures, which never seem to improve much even when the team is somewhat competitive.
