"Even if Ichiro Suzuki does not play another game in his Major League career, he became eligible for the Hall of Fame on Monday night.

The first-inning at-bat he had against the Athletics -- a popup to third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff -- gave Ichiro 10 years in the Major Leagues. So whenever he retires, even if it's on Tuesday, he will have qualified for HOF consideration.

Once a player retires, he must wait five years to be considered for HOF candidacy.

Several voters already are on record as saying Ichiro is on the cusp of being a Hall of Famer, citing his MLB record nine consecutive seasons with at least 200 hits. He also holds the single-season hit record -- 262 in 2004. "