The article critiques the outrage surrounding Ichiro Suzuki's Hall of Fame voting results, where he received 393 out of 394 votes. It contrasts American expectations for unanimous decisions with Japanese attitudes and underlines the absurdity of obsessing over one dissenting voter. The focus on the voter's identity illustrates a cultural tendency to punish those who deviate from consensus. It also comments on how voting in baseball often overshadows the achievements of the players themselves, suggesting that the system is more about spectacle than genuine recognition.
In no other sport is the voting itself considered more important than those being voted upon.
Japanese fans don't have America's unanimity fetish, let alone our propensity to be annoying scolds.
The hunt was on for the one recalcitrant Hall of Fame voter who either didn't watch baseball for 19 consecutive years.
Demands for the miscreant voter to reveal themselves highlights a culture of punishing deviation from the norm.
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