Ichiro's Hall of Fame Yankees shoutout exemplified what franchise should stand for

On a day where CC Sabathia's booming voice valiantly fought against emotional cracks, and Dave Parker's son read a boisterous poem put together by his late father, who lorded and laughed over the proceedings from the great beyond, Ichiro Suzuki still managed to steal the show.

And while the crowd of New York Yankees fans was admittedly pro-Sabathia, Ichiro still showed love to the Bronx faithful. He winked, acknowledged the reality in front of him, and praised the franchise in a manner of reverence that reminded us all what the Yankees used to stand for, and should continue to.

Ichiro joined the Yankees at the 2012 trade deadline, swapping dugouts during a series in Seattle and departing the only franchise he'd ever known. Detractors believed that, on the downswing of his career, the speedy singles hitter wouldn't make more than a blip's worth of impact in the Bronx. Though no longer the superstar he'd been when he arrived - or when he was walking off Mariano Rivera's cutter in 2009 - he still played with a creative flourish unlike any other, and hit .322 with a 113 OPS+ down the stretch for good measure. He posted 2.1 bWAR in a 2013 follow-up, predicated mostly on his defense, then played in 143 games the next year at the age of 40.

It was a shame he only appeared in two postseason series with the Yankees, but still, he made it clear on Sunday he'd felt the power of the big stage in the Bronx. After quipping that the fans were really there for "...CC" who "deserves [their] love," he then thanked the Yankees for "letting [him] experience the great leadership of Derek Jeter and your organization's proud culture".

Yankees receive heartwarming shoutout from Ichiro Suzuki in Hall of Fame speech

Ichiro, whose entire career hinged on pride in his work and endless preparation, seemed to confirm that his values aligned with the Yankees organization he joined, led by Jeter's higher-than-high expectations.

As the Yankees fight to rebuild in their current captain's image and reclaim their strengths in the second half, it's worth remembering that surrender should not be in this franchise's vocabulary. Diamonds in the rough like Ichiro can be reawoken in their pinstriped uniform. The current team is undermanned. They are not doomed. They just need to find pieces who fit - and, if the second half continues to sag, be unafraid boldly to act in their proud tradition's best interest.

With a flicker, Ichiro complemented Sabathia's speech by reminding the Yankees what they meant when he arrived in 2012. Their history will never be erased - but their future must now be built with the same precision that drove the great Ichiro to the heights he reached.