A Grip on Sports: Even at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Ichiro shows he can still deliver a few hits, steal the show and give baseball fans a smile or two hundred

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Standup comedy is hard. Maybe the second-hardest thing to do in the galaxy. Besides hitting a baseball, of course. A guy who can do both? Ladies and gentlemen, we give you Ichiro Suzuki.

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• He’s so talented, he did the latter on two continents. And he delivered his first nationally televised comedy special in his second language. With nothing lost in translation.

OK, Sunday’s induction ceremony wasn’t a Netflix special. Nate Bargatze wasn’t opening for him. The humble Billy Wagner, the poet Dave Parker, the magnanimous C.C. Sabathia and Dick Allen’s proud teammate were. But Japan’s first Hall of Fame inductee, and the Mariners’ third, stole the show in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Appropriate, right? After all, he was one of the few men in the history of the game with the ability to steal first base.

But who knew he was as funny, as sharp, as special with his wit as he was with his bat, arm and legs? Other than all of his teammates over 19 years in the big leagues, I mean? And anyone who paid attention while he wore an M’s jersey.

There is clubhouse-and-batting-cage funny, though. And then there is stand-up-in-front-of-a-huge-Cooperstown-crowd-on-the-most-important-day-of-your-career funny, isn’t there? Even then, Ichiro delivered.

He made fun of himself. He made fun of the numbskull who left him off the Hall of Fame ballot. He made fun the Miami Marlins. He made fun everyone and everything – except the game and the place he was being welcomed into.

He explained his success in the former, emphasizing his razor-sharp focus and never-wavering commitment to preparation. The latter? He marveled at his life-long journey to the sport’s most-hallowed ground, where only the best of the best – and Don Sutton – has been enshrined.

He was, in essence, the Ichiro those of us who experienced his 14 seasons in Seattle knew.

Now he’s where he belongs. With a plaque among the game’s greats.

• Yes, Ichiro was funny. But there were other things he said from the dais, in front of his now officially designated peers, that hit me between the ears. He highlighted a trait that separates the great from the good – at least in the eyes of those who paid a lot of money to sit in the stadium or invested hours and hours watching from home. A trait that endeared him to a generation of Northwest baseball fans.

“When fans use their precious time to come watch you play, you have a responsibility to perform for them,” he said, “whether we are winning by 10 or losing by 10. I felt my duty was to motivate the same from opening day through game 162.”

• It’s kind of funny, in a sad sort of way, how the Mariners’ history of team failure has overwhelmed the individual excellence we have experienced over the years.

The young Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez. Edgar Martinez. Ichiro. Felix Hernandez. The current brightest light, Cal Raleigh. To name just a half-dozen.

There have been years, here and there, in which those players and their teams seemed poised to make the ultimate breakthrough. Never happened.

In the ultimate star game, there have been a few supernovas. Just not enough to burn through all the obstacles a poorly run franchise puts in its own way.

All M’s fans can do is marvel at their occasional super hero. Cheer for them. Buy their jersey for the youngsters in the household. And hope that someday they and their teammates will magically break through.

• One last baseball thought for the day. The trade deadline is Thursday. Deals will begin to start coming fast and furious between now and then.

What is your confidence level Jerry Dipoto will be able to pull the trigger on enough targets to jumpstart Seattle’s stretch run?

If it is high, I guess my next question is what in the past 10 years has shown you it will actually happen? Or are you just an eternal optimist?

Come Friday morning, I’m pretty sure he will have added a couple of decent middle relief arms. A surprise veteran that came pretty cheap. And nothing more. It may be enough to allow the team to slip into the postseason. A wild-card, maybe, in a season in which the Astros look vulnerable and the Rangers seem unwilling to add significantly.

Instead of taking a big shot in a wide-open season, a first- or second-round exit will await.

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WSU: Soon it will be time to focus our attention on college football in general and the Cougars in particular. Maybe the day has already arrived. Here we are, with four days left in the best month of the year and Greg Woods is five stories deep into his position previews. Today’s offering? The defensive line. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, John Canzano has a notebook filled with thoughts about the conference and what’s ahead. … The latest Oregon State position preview? Safety. … No Utah player has ever won the Heisman. The Utes’ new quarterback thinks he has a shot. … It’s almost time for USC and UCLA to open camp. And, finally, there seems to be some coverage in the L.A. newspapers. … Arizona State opens camp in the mountains north of Phoenix early next month. … There are 10 newcomers to watch when Arizona begins. The Wildcats are a two-touchdown favorite in their opener vs. Hawaii. … Fresno State may need an outside partner to build a new football stadium. … In basketball news, the Oregon State women have made connections with a guard from New York. … Health is key for one Colorado player. … The Colorado men had a good opener in Australia.

Gonzaga: There are about 100 days until college basketball tips off. It seems as if Gonzaga has been a little forgotten by the national media.

Indians: If you want to watch Spokane win, the upcoming week is for you. Hillsboro comes to town tomorrow night, sporting an 8-22 second-half record. The Indians are 16-14, in second place in the NWL standings, after Sunday’s 7-4 win at Everett, the first-half champion. Dave Nichols followed along and has this story.

Seahawks: The first week of camp is over. Bob Condotta watched it all. He has some thoughts on what went on. … Charles Cross is in a good spot. … The Hawks have to figure out what is going on with the tight end position.

Mariners: Cal Raleigh did what he does. Hit home run No. 41. A solo shot. Home plate umpire Charlie Ramos did what home plate umpires do often, made a series of ball-and-strike calls that changed the game’s trajectory. And the Angels scored four runs off Logan Gilbert en route to a 4-1 win. … Thankfully, for the M’s anyway, there are a lot of teams that need closers. Seattle doesn’t. Which might make the market for what it does need, bridge arms, a little less expensive. … Back to Ichiro. Larry Stone came out of retirement to cover his induction for the Times. And once again puts Ichiro’s actions in perspective. But does this mean Stone will have to wait five more years before he’s eligible for induction to the place himself?

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• Ichiro always seemed unfazed on the field. But that wasn’t exactly true, as he shared Sunday. He was a little nonplussed by something Lou Piniella did after his first MLB game. “Lou kissed me right here on the cheek,” Ichiro told the crowd. “The manager gave me a biiiiig wet kiss. That doesn’t happen in Japan. I was shocked. Honestly, I was scared. I thought to myself, ‘If this is a custom in America, I might not make it here.’ ” It wasn’t. And he did. Until later …