The path to the Baseball Hall of Fame proved to be a long one for Andruw Jones. The center fielder spent 17 seasons in the big leagues with the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and New York Yankees. Once he appeared on the BBWAA ballot for the Hall of Fame, it took another nine years before he’d finally receive the 75% needed for election (he was named on 333/425 ballots or 78.3%).
Jones collected several accolades along that path, including a Silver Slugger Award, five All-Star appearances, and 10 straight Gold Glove Awards. Jones played in 2,196 games throughout his career, batting .254/.337/.486 (111 OPS+) with 383 2B, 434 HR, and 1289 RBI.
By the time the defensive standout came to the Yankees, however, he was a shell of his former self at the plate. In fact, Jones’s limited offensive production over his two seasons in New York led to minimal interest from other MLB teams when he returned to free agency after the 2012 season. Without a strong offer from another MLB team, Jones opted to play internationally and headed to Japan.
Jones finished his career spending two seasons with the NPB’s Rakuten Golden Eagles, hitting .232/.392/.441 in 1185 PA with 41 2B and 50 HR. As it turns out, Jones isn’t alone in having spent a part of his career playing internationally. He is now the fourth Hall of Famer to hold this distinction.
Rich “Goose” Gossage
Gossage suited up with nine teams during a 22-year career, but his most dominant run came during a six-year stretch after signing a lucrative free agent deal with the Yankees before the 1978 season. Gossage collected 150 saves while pitching to a 2.10 ERA (183 ERA+) in 518.2 IP in that period, going to four All-Star Games and finishing in the Top 5 in AL Cy Young voting three times. New York also won the 1978 World Series, with Gossage pitching six scoreless innings.
While the rest of his career took him around the league, Gossage continued to be among the game’s top relievers. He appeared in 1002 games during his career, posting a 3.01 ERA (126 ERA+) in 1809.1 IP, collecting 310 saves along the way. The BBWAA elected him to the Hall of Fame in 2008, with Gossage appearing on 85.8% of ballots.
After starting the 1990 season unsigned, Gossage ultimately went to Japan in July, signing with the NPB’s Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (today they’re the Softbank Hawks). Gossage pitched in 28 games with a 4.40 ERA across 47.0 IP with the Hawks before returning to affiliated ball the next spring.
Larry Doby
Doby is often remembered as the first African American player in the American League, but his career spanned several locales, including an international stint.
After five seasons in the Negro Leagues, Doby joined the Cleveland Indians during the 1947 season, making his debut just three months after Jackie Robinson’s. He went on to play in 1533 games over 13 seasons with the Indians, White Sox, and Tigers. All told, Doby was an eight-time All-Star, two-time World Series winner, and a .288/.389/.499 (140 OPS+) hitter with 276 2B, 77 3B, 273 HR, and 1099 RBI. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1998.
Doby “retired” after the 1959 season, but wasn’t done playing. He signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs of Toronto’s Intercontinental League (not the better-known NHL team by the same name), but failed to appear in a game due to an ankle injury. He then went to Japan for the 1962 season, appearing in 72 games for the NPB’s Chunichi Dragons while hitting .225/.302/.396 with 10 HR.
Ichiro Suzuki
Suzuki doesn’t count the same as Jones, Gossage, and Doby — who all spent time playing overseas during or after their MLB careers. Suzuki got his start in Japan instead, spending nine dominant seasons with the Orix Blue Wave, where he slashed .353/.421/.522 and collected a host of accolades, including seven batting titles, seven Gold Glove Awards, and three MVP Awards.
Ichiro signed as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners before the 2001 season and would spend 19 more seasons in the Major Leagues, batting .311/.355/.402 (107 OPS+) while winning the AL Rookie of the Year Award, an MVP, a pair of batting titles, and 10 Gold Glove Awards, while also appearing in 10 All-Star Games.
A beloved fan favorite in both Japan and the US, Ichiro was elected into both Halls of Fame in 2025, appearing on 99.7% of the BBWAA ballots.
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