Billy Wagner anxiously waited for his moment, but not just for himself, for what it meant to the future of baseball.

In his 10th and final year on the ballot, former Astros closer Billy Wagner earned is place in Cooperstown, N.Y. in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

FERRUM, Va. (WDBJ) - With more than 82% of the baseball writers vote, Southwest Virginia’s own Billy Wagner has been elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner reached the necessary 75% support on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot revealed Tuesday. Complete results.

Miller School baseball coach Billy Wagner, known to the outside world as the best lefthanded closer in MLB history, is a Baseball Hall of Famer.

It was a long time coming, but Billy Wagner finally closed it out. And he couldn’t keep the emotions from flowing. The seven-time All-Star, in his final year of eligibility, was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame with 82.5 percent of the vote.

These three players, along with Dave Parker and Dick Allen, who were chosen by the most recent Era Committee, will be inducted in Cooperstown this coming summer. The necessary first step, though, is clearing that 75% threshold for election and then getting the official call from the Hall.

The trio of stars, each of whom spent part of their career in New York, will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 27.

Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player chosen for the Hall of Fame, falling one vote shy of unanimous when he was elected along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.

“For me, I’m just happy it’s over.” Wagner became the first left-handed reliever elected to the Hall of Fame, and he embraced the other, very unlikely pieces of his rise. He played collegiate ball at the Division III level – Ferrum College.

Ichiro Suzuki had already cemented a strong, and likely everlasting baseball card market long before Tuesday’s almost unanimous vote for his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, headlining the class of 2025.