Fastest NPB Pitch

I'm not sure what this is in response to, but Kroon set the 161kph record a couple of years ago while with Yokohama - and on several occasions.

He broke his own record a couple of nights ago, hitting 162kph. That is the new Japan record. No one is disputing that.

What ever source you're referring to may be out-dated.

I'm really surprised that nobody has talked about Kroon's new speed record. He made 162 km/h on Sunday versus Hawks (the new Japan Record) and ... that's all!

Surprising.

You can see the pitch here on YouTube.

That's amazing. Croon is unbelievable.

I believe Zumaya has the world record [YouTube] (could be wrong) at 103mph, which I believe is 165km/h.

Fishiguchi-san, don't be surprised by the lack of attention paid to this. There are two types of records in NPB:

1. Those set by Japanese players.
2. Those set by foreign players.

Only #1 gets much attention.

A great deal was made of it when Kroon was with Yokohama. When TBS broadcasted games on terrestrial TV (i.e., when the BayStars played the Giants at Yokohama Stadium), they had special promotions for if Kroon hit 160 again. There was a full size cut out of Kroon outside of Yokohama Stadium, Kroon throwing the ball with lights flashing at 161 kph from his hand to the plate where passers by could stand and try to shadow swing at it. Kroon was even featured on a number of posters throughout elementary schools in Yokohama.

When Kroon hit 162 last week, he had two pages of the newspaper. The pitch was in an endless loop during the next day's game.

Before the game last Friday (June 6), there was a special awards cerimony at home plate before the game where Kroon was recognized for the speed in which he'd reached 100 saves.

My son really liked Kroon. And he was very upset when he went to the Giants. He does still get excited when he hears that Kroon hit 160 or more again - but then gets depressed that he's "with the enemy now."

Kroon filled that hole that Sasaki had left on the BayStars. He was loved by the fans and hyped by TBS (the owning company of the BayStars). I think that they were right in only offering a guaranteed one year based on the behavior of Kroon's knee at the end of 2007. I do understand that taking a guaranteed two years is in his best interest and don't fault him for taking the Giants' offer. And I certainly don't hope that his knee gives out on him to vindicate Yokohama's decision. But I still think it was the right decision for Yokohama to make at the time.

Why aren't there more people taking about it here? I don't know. The reason I don't is because anything that gets too much hype (be it foreign player or domestic equally) in the press tends to turn me off. If it's covered in the Pro Yakyu News links, then that's enough for me.

If you think that there's a void in coverage of some specific aspect or player in NPB, stop being anonymous and start writing about it/him. This whole gaijin "us vs. them" thing is a waste of spirit. Those writing (the press) write about what interests them and what they think will interest their readers. Those who take the time to post informative information here do so out of a passion for their favorite team and/or players.

It's unfortunate that there aren't any passionate Giants fans around here to write about Kroon - but it has nothing to do with "us vs. them." There are many around here who are rather hostile toward Giants fans. That may score them away. It also may have much more to do with my own inability to move people to want to write (for which I apologize).

I could not agree more, Westbay-san. Even the MLB doesn't have this "us vs. them" theme. I think it shouldn't matter who reached, broke, or set a record; but the record itself as it is accomplished. I am a BayStars fan, and a fan of Kroon; I would be lying if I say I didn't check on how he's been doing this year.

If I were a Giants fan (blah), I'd be ecstatic and overjoyed of Kroon, not only breaking his own record, but doing it while reaching a career milestone such as 100 saves. I wish he (somehow) made his return to the BayStars, where I feel he belongs; I still can't get used to seeing him in a different uniform (specially the Giants).

Giants fans, you have a great one in Marc Kroon, you should be celebrating him.

MOVE ON BAYSTARS!

I don't think it's so much an "us-vs-them" thing, but I also think records broken by native talent get more attention here in Japan. When Ramirez broke the Central League hits record, it was an afterthought in the media. Compare to this to MLB, where the whole country embraced Ichiro on his quest for 262. Granted, this was a much older record, but I still think there's a big difference.

Steve Dalkowski could reportedly run it up there at 107 mph, but this was during the pre-radar gun era, so just how they measured it, I have no idea. Could just be one of those baseball urban legends. Unfortunately, Dalkowski also couldn't throw strikes consistently and never went anywhere, which is why most people never heard of him.

Wow, the only person I've seen come close to that is Fujikawa, but he's usually around 155 km/h.

I do agree that we here on the site can be hostile towards Giants fans, but some people just act like perpetually drunken idiots when they spout venom at the Giants, and that's not right. I'm all for hating a team (I'm a Red Sox fan, and we make our living in the summer of taunting Yankees fans), but sometimes, there's a line that simply must not be crossed, and some people cross it here.