Cultural Barrier for Nippon-jin in US
Discussion in the Nichi-Bei forum
Comments
Japanese Players Going Stateside
[ Author: Guest | Posted: May 18, 2001 12:45 AM
]
Certainly, Oh could have played in the major
leagues and analyses I've seen as to what he would
have done here indicate that he probably would
have ended up in Cooperstown, something that Jon
Matlack, the great ex-Met hurler, would endorse.
Oh took Matlack completely out of Korakuen Stadium, a tape measure shot by anybody's reckoning during one of those tours. In all, Oh hit something like 28 homers off of major league
pitching. There is also no doubt that Shigeo
Nagashima and Koji Akiyama would have done well
here, too.
Bucky Showalter, former skipper of the Arizona Diamondbacks, made the remark the other day that he didn't think there were any other
non-pitchers available in Japan who could come over and help a big league club. Obviously, he's
totally ignorant about Japanese baseball, but then
again I'm not quite as optimistic as Hosono-san
about the number of those major league ready
players. Many who may have had good major league careers, such as Tomoaki Kanemoto, Yoshitomo Tani
or Ogata are too long in the tooth to draw any
interest. A couple others, like Tomohisa Nishi
or Nobuhiko Matsunaka, need to make a decision soon, since they are on the cusp of being too old.
Will Yokohama allow Kinjo to escape without putting up a big fuss if Kinjo follows his interest in MLB and tries to carve out a stateside
career as a Rafael Furcal-type player? If Shinjo
has success over here it may encourage more players to jump, so we may find that answer out soon.
leagues and analyses I've seen as to what he would
have done here indicate that he probably would
have ended up in Cooperstown, something that Jon
Matlack, the great ex-Met hurler, would endorse.
Oh took Matlack completely out of Korakuen Stadium, a tape measure shot by anybody's reckoning during one of those tours. In all, Oh hit something like 28 homers off of major league
pitching. There is also no doubt that Shigeo
Nagashima and Koji Akiyama would have done well
here, too.
Bucky Showalter, former skipper of the Arizona Diamondbacks, made the remark the other day that he didn't think there were any other
non-pitchers available in Japan who could come over and help a big league club. Obviously, he's
totally ignorant about Japanese baseball, but then
again I'm not quite as optimistic as Hosono-san
about the number of those major league ready
players. Many who may have had good major league careers, such as Tomoaki Kanemoto, Yoshitomo Tani
or Ogata are too long in the tooth to draw any
interest. A couple others, like Tomohisa Nishi
or Nobuhiko Matsunaka, need to make a decision soon, since they are on the cusp of being too old.
Will Yokohama allow Kinjo to escape without putting up a big fuss if Kinjo follows his interest in MLB and tries to carve out a stateside
career as a Rafael Furcal-type player? If Shinjo
has success over here it may encourage more players to jump, so we may find that answer out soon.
Nihonjins abroad.
[ Author: moto-dynamitedasen | Posted: May 19, 2001 1:41 AM
]
I agree 100% of what has been written. It is too bad that Americans first start to respect Japanese baseball, because Japanese are playing well there. It says a lot about Japanes baseball but more about American baseball.
Re:Nihonjins abroad.
[ Author: moto-hillsy | Posted: May 28, 2001 3:17 AM
]
Why is that "too bad"? If anything, the success of Japanese players in MLB is GOOD for Japanese baseball, as far as American awareness. It may not be so hot for Japanese baseball in terms of keeping hot players, but that's for another post. I hate to say it, but Yakyu news is hard to come by for those not lucky enough to read Japanese. Most Americans are completely ignorant to the existence of Japanese baseball, and why should they know about it? Most of us who have been following Japanese baseball (until recently) have only been "into it" sice returning from a visit to Japan. There really is no way or reason, until recently, for Americans to follow Yakyu.
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But the reverse is also true. Some Major Leaguers can't hack it in Japan. For anyone to be successful overseas, the most important factor is to get used to the new waters, "Mizu ni au" (this is a Japanese saying). As Shinjo said in the interview with ESPN few days ago, "if you are brave enough, you can make it." Yes he has really become a true New Yorker.