Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
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Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
I just read "Meaning of Ichiro" and I was completely disgusted on what Oh's pitchers did to Rhodes and Alex. I know that Japanese fans wanted a Japanese native to beat Oh, but that was just a terrible display of bad sportmanship.
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Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: torakichi | Posted: May 5, 2004 7:19 PM
| HT Fan
]
Can't say I've read "Ichiro" yet, but I do recall that at the time Oh-kantoku claimed not to have given any such orders to his team or staff, and that it was they who took it upon themselves to do it. If I remember correctly, it was a pitching coach and not Oh-kantoku who said the thought of a gaijin beating the record was "distasteful."
Whether you take that at face value or not is another matter entirely.
Whether you take that at face value or not is another matter entirely.
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: May 5, 2004 8:41 PM
| YBS Fan
]
This was all discussed when the incidents occurred. I'm not going to rehash it. Here are two searches to the relavant information:
Your statement that "Japanese fans wanted a Japanese native to beat Oh" incorrectly infers that Japanese fans were not supportive of Rhodes or Cabrera. That is a false and misleading inference. Japanese fans where holding up "56" boards. Japanese fans were booing pitchers who pitched around the two - and that includes Daiei fans. The Commissioner himself stated what you did, that it was bad sportsmanship. The press was critical of Oh's pitchers (though they did report that Oh had nothing to do with it - it was his pitching coach and pitchers acting independently).
"The Meaning of Ichiro" does tend to emphisize the negative aspects of a number of topics that I thought could have had more balance. Whiting did a great job with the histories of the game and the key individuals that were covered. But there were a number of more contemporary topics that he brushed over that I disagreed with his interpretations of the events.
The 55 matter is one where he presented a subset of the raw data that would make it easy to come to the same conclusion you are inferring. It didn't bother me so much at the time because I filled in the gap that he didn't include in my mind. But after discussing these half told stories with a few other knowledable people who have read the book, I'm wondering if there wasn't a better way of presenting them that isn't as misleading as your statement above - which is what they are.
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: Guest: Stevie | Posted: May 5, 2004 10:31 PM
]
Speaking as a fairly new fan of NPB who has only read "Meaning of Ichiro" out of Whiting's books, I can't say I got the impression that the Japanese fans didn't want a gaijin breaking Oh's record. The only conclusion I came to after reading Whiting's account was that something suspicious was going on at Daiei when these players at 55 HR would come up against the Hawks, but nothing conclusive is stated about who might be responsible.
One thing that Whiting might have overstated (IIRC as I don't have the book in front of me right now) was the implication that the constant walking by Daiei somehow contributed to Rhodes and Cabrera not being able to hit homers off of the other teams they faced during those final runs. In both cases they arrived at 55 with a number of games to play, and not all of the games were against the Hawks. So at most this issue is one of curiosity. Despite the possible controversy, both Rhodes and Cabrera still had plenty of chances to hit #56 and still didn't. That's the impression I took away from the book.
At the rate the Giants are hitting homers this season, we might see a controversy-free run at that record this year.
- Stevie
One thing that Whiting might have overstated (IIRC as I don't have the book in front of me right now) was the implication that the constant walking by Daiei somehow contributed to Rhodes and Cabrera not being able to hit homers off of the other teams they faced during those final runs. In both cases they arrived at 55 with a number of games to play, and not all of the games were against the Hawks. So at most this issue is one of curiosity. Despite the possible controversy, both Rhodes and Cabrera still had plenty of chances to hit #56 and still didn't. That's the impression I took away from the book.
At the rate the Giants are hitting homers this season, we might see a controversy-free run at that record this year.
- Stevie
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: Guest: Gary Garland | Posted: May 6, 2004 2:36 AM
]
For what it's worth, I have a review of Whiting's book at JapanBaseballDaily.com's Library.
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: Guest: Jim Albright | Posted: May 5, 2004 11:40 PM
]
I for one do not buy Oh's hiding behind the fig leaf that he didn't order it. It isn't sporting, to be sure. It doesn't diminish my admiration for him as a player, and it has nothing to do with his success as a manager. Really, I wish he could grasp something Bill James wrote about Babe Ruth's single season and career records, which was to the effect that while he no longer held those records, there was still his overall record. The fact he no longer held the individual records helped put the focus on the overall record, and there's none better in the majors. The same is true of Oh -- take away the single season record, and possibly even the career mark, and still, no one is better in Japan.
Jim Albright
Jim Albright
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: PLNara | Posted: May 6, 2004 12:16 PM
| HT Fan
]
- The fact he no longer held the individual records helped put the focus on the overall record, and there's none better in the majors. The same is true of Oh -- take away the single season record, and possibly even the career mark, and still, no one is better in Japan.
Excellent point, Jim. I completely agree.
Excellent point, Jim. I completely agree.
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: Guest: ed | Posted: May 7, 2004 2:30 AM
]
Glad to see my topic created a good conversation. Nice review Gary. Can anyone recommend me a place that sells "You Gotta Have Wa?" My local bookstore doesn't have them in stock. And is the book more centered around a specific era? Or does it discuss Nippon Professional Baseball overall? Thanks.
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: Guest: Tony | Posted: May 7, 2004 11:11 PM
]
The ironic thing here is that Oh-san is not even a Japanese citizen. He holds a passport of Taiwan.
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: Guest: Stevie | Posted: May 19, 2004 12:28 AM
]
I just started reading "Wa," and it seems like the first chapter answers a lot about the philosophy behind what happened to Rhodes/Cabrera. Even though the book is older, I'd imagine much of the thought process is the same.
Bob Horner apparently faced a similar situation in his one season, in that after some successful outings the Japanese pitchers stopped giving him pitches to hit. At that time, the other American players said it had to do with the pitcher losing face by giving up a HR to a gaijin player. I'd figure that the player would probably face a severe chastising at a post-game meeting if that were the case.
Well, I'd imagine that's what the Daiei pitchers might have been thinking when they came up against 55 HR Rhodes and Cabrera. You think it would be a bad post-game meeting after giving up a normal, perhaps meaningless homer? Imagine the post-game Hawks meeting when you gave up #56 to Rhodes, with Oh sitting right there in the meeting.
The point was brought up that Oh isn't fully Japanese. In my mind, this would support Oh's personal contentions that he wouldn't mind if a gaijin player broke that record. But I'd figure there are plenty of other coaches within the Daiei organization that would have the offending pitcher's head. So even with Oh's comments, I'd have to imagine each of those Daiei pitchers were much too intimidated by this system to give either Rhodes or Cabrera any pitch to hit.
It seems to have less to do with any individual being at fault. It's a product of the system Whiting portrays in his books.
- Stevie
Bob Horner apparently faced a similar situation in his one season, in that after some successful outings the Japanese pitchers stopped giving him pitches to hit. At that time, the other American players said it had to do with the pitcher losing face by giving up a HR to a gaijin player. I'd figure that the player would probably face a severe chastising at a post-game meeting if that were the case.
Well, I'd imagine that's what the Daiei pitchers might have been thinking when they came up against 55 HR Rhodes and Cabrera. You think it would be a bad post-game meeting after giving up a normal, perhaps meaningless homer? Imagine the post-game Hawks meeting when you gave up #56 to Rhodes, with Oh sitting right there in the meeting.
The point was brought up that Oh isn't fully Japanese. In my mind, this would support Oh's personal contentions that he wouldn't mind if a gaijin player broke that record. But I'd figure there are plenty of other coaches within the Daiei organization that would have the offending pitcher's head. So even with Oh's comments, I'd have to imagine each of those Daiei pitchers were much too intimidated by this system to give either Rhodes or Cabrera any pitch to hit.
It seems to have less to do with any individual being at fault. It's a product of the system Whiting portrays in his books.
- Stevie
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: Guest | Posted: May 24, 2004 11:28 PM
]
Stevie wrote:
Well, I'd imagine that's what the Daiei pitchers might have been thinking when they came up against 55 HR Rhodes and Cabrera. You think it would be a bad post-game meeting after giving up a normal, perhaps meaningless homer? Imagine the post-game Hawks meeting when you gave up #56 to Rhodes, with Oh sitting right there in the meeting.
The point was brought up that Oh isn't fully Japanese. In my mind, this would support Oh's personal contentions that he wouldn't mind if a gaijin player broke that record. But I'd figure there are plenty of other coaches within the Daiei organization that would have the offending pitcher's head. So even with Oh's comments, I'd have to imagine each of those Daiei pitchers were much too intimidated by this system to give either Rhodes or Cabrera any pitch to hit.
Look, I'm a great supporter of Oh generally (heck, I'm touting him for Cooperstown), but on this issue, I can't give him a pass. Sure, it's not the biggest issue in the world, but it sure isn't sporting, either. If Oh can't control his coaches to keep them from "having a pitcher's head," as you put it, if they gave up homer #56 to a gaikokujin, he has no business managing in my book. Not only is it his record, but it's his team to manage (and he's won two Japan Series with the Hawks). If a coach singled out a player for giving up such a homer, Oh ought to have the offending coach's head. If Oh really didn't agree with the way his pitchers and/or coaches handled the situation, why didn't he fine somebody over it?
The Japanese and Oh have a paradoxical relationship from what I can see. When it suits the Japanese, he's a true son of the homeland. On the other hand, at least some of them prefer Nagashima, it's because he's a half-Chinese. Oh's autobiography hints at how he's tried to fit in like a "real" Japanese and how he craves that acceptance. His actions are even more emphatic on the point, IMO. Thus, the fact he doesn't have the Japanese passport is not his choice, as I understand it, but rather the byproduct of an old discriminatory Japanese law or regulation. I get the feeling there's nothing Oh would like better than to be accepted as a true son of his homeland, and thus this aspect of his life winds up indicating to me just the opposite of what you conclude, Stevie.
Jim Albright
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: Guest: Stevie | Posted: May 26, 2004 2:52 AM
]
I competely see where you're coming from on this issue. I've only had Whiting's works (so far) on which to base my speculations.
The point I was trying to make was that Whiting's books (especially "Wa") paint a picture where this kind of event (pitching around gaijin batters to avoid the dishonor of giving up a HR) was almost an everyday occurrence, whether or not records were at stake. Frankly, with a system as depicted there, I'm rather shocked any foreign-born player would even come close to that 55 record.
But the fact that this system does seem to exist competely clouds the issue to the point that there'll never be a true answer to this question. To me, it's now completely believable that Oh's lying when he says he doesn't care about the record, and was ordering his pitchers to walk Rhodes/Cabrera. It's also quite possible to me that Oh really doesn't care if a gaijin broke that record, and an independent-thinking Daiei pitcher would still pitch around Rhodes/Cabrera because they don't want the shame of facing Oh after giving up #56, no matter what Oh may say to the press.
I'd be curious to see what would happen if a pure Japanese player challenged his record. Would he or his pitching staff be able to pitch to a batter like that? If Oh's looking to be accepted as a native son, wouldn't he be just as concerned about a player like Hideki Matsui (if he were still with Yomiuri) breaking his record(s)? Like you say, despite his accomplishments, many fans still gravitate toward Nagashima simply on his lineage. If Matsui or a player like him were able to break his records, wouldn't that be viewed by him as a threat to his acceptance by Japan as well? Perhaps the issue is more complicated than simply a matter of gaijin vs. Japanese players.
But if the system exists as Whiting details in his books, then I don't think I could be confident saying unequivocally that Oh, his coaches, his pitchers, or any combination were really the party at fault during Rhodes' and Cabrera's runs at 56. More than likely, they each have some small blame in those unsportsmanlike events.
- Stevie
The point I was trying to make was that Whiting's books (especially "Wa") paint a picture where this kind of event (pitching around gaijin batters to avoid the dishonor of giving up a HR) was almost an everyday occurrence, whether or not records were at stake. Frankly, with a system as depicted there, I'm rather shocked any foreign-born player would even come close to that 55 record.
But the fact that this system does seem to exist competely clouds the issue to the point that there'll never be a true answer to this question. To me, it's now completely believable that Oh's lying when he says he doesn't care about the record, and was ordering his pitchers to walk Rhodes/Cabrera. It's also quite possible to me that Oh really doesn't care if a gaijin broke that record, and an independent-thinking Daiei pitcher would still pitch around Rhodes/Cabrera because they don't want the shame of facing Oh after giving up #56, no matter what Oh may say to the press.
I'd be curious to see what would happen if a pure Japanese player challenged his record. Would he or his pitching staff be able to pitch to a batter like that? If Oh's looking to be accepted as a native son, wouldn't he be just as concerned about a player like Hideki Matsui (if he were still with Yomiuri) breaking his record(s)? Like you say, despite his accomplishments, many fans still gravitate toward Nagashima simply on his lineage. If Matsui or a player like him were able to break his records, wouldn't that be viewed by him as a threat to his acceptance by Japan as well? Perhaps the issue is more complicated than simply a matter of gaijin vs. Japanese players.
But if the system exists as Whiting details in his books, then I don't think I could be confident saying unequivocally that Oh, his coaches, his pitchers, or any combination were really the party at fault during Rhodes' and Cabrera's runs at 56. More than likely, they each have some small blame in those unsportsmanlike events.
- Stevie
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: torakichi | Posted: May 28, 2004 12:34 PM
| HT Fan
]
Well, at his current pace, Shinsuke Abe might give the record a good run for its money.
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: Guest: Stevie | Posted: May 29, 2004 4:45 AM
]
That's true, so the point may end up being moot. But in Abe's case, we won't be able to see him come up against Oh and the Hawks late in the season, being in the Central League. So if Abe does it (or Rhodes, who isn't far behind his teammate), this theory about Oh's managing won't end up being tested.
- Stevie
- Stevie
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: CFiJ | Posted: May 28, 2004 9:46 PM
]
Hypothetically, if a Japanese player was going to break Oh's record, and we didn't have the Bass, Cabrera, and Rhodes incidents forcing the issue, I think Oh's pitchers would still pitch around him. That's the aspect people seem to miss on these stories. They always want to make it into a gaijin vs. Japan thing, but it's not really about that. Japanese players have done, and still do, this kind of thing to each other all through NPB history.
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: Guest: bob Whiting | Posted: May 29, 2004 10:18 AM
]
I should have responded to this much earlier, but it's hard enough for me to keep up with the flood of e-mails that come to my own address, let alone particpate in web site disucssions.
It's easy enough to accept the argument that Japanese deprive each other of records and titles in order to protect teammates. It's perfectly logical, because indeed, that's what they do do. But, in my experience, it has been Japanese who turn attempts by foreigners to surpass NPB marks into "Japanese versus gaijin" set pieces. Not the other way around.
In 2002, it was a Daiei Hawks' coach named Wakana who said he didn't want a foreigner to break Oh's single-season record of 55 in front of him. After the series of walks that prevented Hanshin Tiger Randy Bass from tying or breaking Oh's mark, it was former Giant star Shigeru Chiba who spoke of a "special aversion" to an American breaking the mark, while Koichi Tabuchi, who, as a former Tiger alunnus should have been rooting for Bass under the above-expressed logic, would say, "I played in the same era as Oh and we felt strongly about his record. At the time, I would confess that people didn't want anyone other than a Japanese to break this record."
Before that, in 1965, there was Hankyu Braves' Daryl Spencer, making an attempt to become the first gaijin to win a home run title in Japan, while in a neck-and-neck race with Nankai Hawk catcher Katsuya Nomura, finding himself walked intentionally eight straight times in a meaningless double-header with the Lotte Orions down the stretch. Orions' ace, Masaichi Koyama, a pitcher noted for his masterful control, threw Spencer 16 consecutive intentional balls, then was quoted as saying, "Why should we let a foreigner take the title? If we (the pitchers) are to give the title to anybody, why not give it to Nomura?" That quote was widely reproduced in the nation's sports pages.
I'm quite willing to say there's no prejudice. It's just that everytime I do, someone like Koyama or Tabuchi or Wakana opens his mouth and blows the argument.
The situation has not been helped by the presence of NPB commissioners like Takeso Shimoda, a former ambassador from Japan to the U.S., who said openly during his tenure in the 1980's that "foreigners do not belong in the Japanese game."
Bob W.
It's easy enough to accept the argument that Japanese deprive each other of records and titles in order to protect teammates. It's perfectly logical, because indeed, that's what they do do. But, in my experience, it has been Japanese who turn attempts by foreigners to surpass NPB marks into "Japanese versus gaijin" set pieces. Not the other way around.
In 2002, it was a Daiei Hawks' coach named Wakana who said he didn't want a foreigner to break Oh's single-season record of 55 in front of him. After the series of walks that prevented Hanshin Tiger Randy Bass from tying or breaking Oh's mark, it was former Giant star Shigeru Chiba who spoke of a "special aversion" to an American breaking the mark, while Koichi Tabuchi, who, as a former Tiger alunnus should have been rooting for Bass under the above-expressed logic, would say, "I played in the same era as Oh and we felt strongly about his record. At the time, I would confess that people didn't want anyone other than a Japanese to break this record."
Before that, in 1965, there was Hankyu Braves' Daryl Spencer, making an attempt to become the first gaijin to win a home run title in Japan, while in a neck-and-neck race with Nankai Hawk catcher Katsuya Nomura, finding himself walked intentionally eight straight times in a meaningless double-header with the Lotte Orions down the stretch. Orions' ace, Masaichi Koyama, a pitcher noted for his masterful control, threw Spencer 16 consecutive intentional balls, then was quoted as saying, "Why should we let a foreigner take the title? If we (the pitchers) are to give the title to anybody, why not give it to Nomura?" That quote was widely reproduced in the nation's sports pages.
I'm quite willing to say there's no prejudice. It's just that everytime I do, someone like Koyama or Tabuchi or Wakana opens his mouth and blows the argument.
The situation has not been helped by the presence of NPB commissioners like Takeso Shimoda, a former ambassador from Japan to the U.S., who said openly during his tenure in the 1980's that "foreigners do not belong in the Japanese game."
Bob W.
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: PLNara | Posted: Jun 3, 2004 3:31 AM
| HT Fan
]
The thing about this situation is that because only non-Japanese born players have challenged Oh's record, you can't really speculate what the reaction would be like if a Japanese player came close to 55. Because of this, I'd point out a somewhat parallel situation that is currently playing out with Giants.
Last year, the Giants fielded Akira Etoh at third base, and Kazuhiro Kiyohara at first. Both aging stars who are clearly on the downside of their careers. This season, the Giants added Hiroki Kokubo to play third, and Tuffy Rhodes to play in the outfield, thus shifting Roberto Petagine to first. Kokubo and Petagine are both clearly more productive players than Etoh and Kiyohara, respectively. I think everyone understands that.
But while no one has expressed any objection to Etoh losing his job in favor of Kokubo, the Petagine/Kiyohara situation has developed into a huge controversy, and it, I think, will likely lead to one of the players leaving the team. My guess is that the Giants will probably let Petagine walk at the end of the year (but I could be wrong, they are the Giants).
This situation suggests, to me at least, that if the Giants came up with a Japanese first baseman with Peta's numbers, the press and Giants fans wouldn't have as much sympathy for Kiyohara. No one cares that Etoh lost out to Kokubo.
The idea of a foreigner taking the place of a native hero can be unappealing. Shu-Be had a survey a few weeks ago (May 10, the newest one available in San Francisco) about the Peta/Kiyo convroversy, and I think one reader summed it up well: "Kiyohara loves the Giants, but Petagine is all business, to the bitter end." I never really understood why any Giants fan would want to have the less productive player in the lineup until then. I still don't agree, but I understand.
The same logic probably applies, to some degree, to the idea of a foreigner breaking Oh's record.
Last year, the Giants fielded Akira Etoh at third base, and Kazuhiro Kiyohara at first. Both aging stars who are clearly on the downside of their careers. This season, the Giants added Hiroki Kokubo to play third, and Tuffy Rhodes to play in the outfield, thus shifting Roberto Petagine to first. Kokubo and Petagine are both clearly more productive players than Etoh and Kiyohara, respectively. I think everyone understands that.
But while no one has expressed any objection to Etoh losing his job in favor of Kokubo, the Petagine/Kiyohara situation has developed into a huge controversy, and it, I think, will likely lead to one of the players leaving the team. My guess is that the Giants will probably let Petagine walk at the end of the year (but I could be wrong, they are the Giants).
This situation suggests, to me at least, that if the Giants came up with a Japanese first baseman with Peta's numbers, the press and Giants fans wouldn't have as much sympathy for Kiyohara. No one cares that Etoh lost out to Kokubo.
The idea of a foreigner taking the place of a native hero can be unappealing. Shu-Be had a survey a few weeks ago (May 10, the newest one available in San Francisco) about the Peta/Kiyo convroversy, and I think one reader summed it up well: "Kiyohara loves the Giants, but Petagine is all business, to the bitter end." I never really understood why any Giants fan would want to have the less productive player in the lineup until then. I still don't agree, but I understand.
The same logic probably applies, to some degree, to the idea of a foreigner breaking Oh's record.
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: Guest: Pezcore | Posted: May 24, 2004 10:24 AM
]
It won't matter now that Fernando is there, he is awesome!
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: Guest: null | Posted: Jun 3, 2004 10:51 AM
]
Let's look at this whole argument logically. If I, as a Japanese national, was pitching for the Daiei Hawks and I had a great deal of respect for Sadaharu Oh, I wouldn't want to be on the mound serving up homer #56 to either Tuffy Rhodes or Alex Cabrera and hold the dubious honor of being the pitcher that gave up the home run that broke my manager's record. Granted, I wouldn't intentionally walk those guys or throw balls 5 feet wide of the plate, but I certainly wouldn't be eager to challenge those guys either.
Let's put this into perspective. In 1998, both Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were pursuing Roger Maris' single season home run record. Guess who most Americans were rooting for? The white superstar McGwire? Of course-not, the black Dominican superstar Sosa. Now I know that the Cardinals' pitchers actually played fair and pitched to Sosa during that time, but I don't know if Sosa would've gotten pitches to hit if he had been the only one pursuing the record, and he was sitting on 61 HRs and he was facing a team managed by Roger Maris.
I guess we'll never know since we haven't seen anything similar to that, but if Hank Aaron received death threats during his pursuit of Babe Ruth's record back in 1974, who knows what would happen in MLB if a similar situation occurred?
Let's put this into perspective. In 1998, both Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were pursuing Roger Maris' single season home run record. Guess who most Americans were rooting for? The white superstar McGwire? Of course-not, the black Dominican superstar Sosa. Now I know that the Cardinals' pitchers actually played fair and pitched to Sosa during that time, but I don't know if Sosa would've gotten pitches to hit if he had been the only one pursuing the record, and he was sitting on 61 HRs and he was facing a team managed by Roger Maris.
I guess we'll never know since we haven't seen anything similar to that, but if Hank Aaron received death threats during his pursuit of Babe Ruth's record back in 1974, who knows what would happen in MLB if a similar situation occurred?
Re: Is Oh Really Trying to Protect 55 that Badly?
[ Author: Guest: Stevie | Posted: Jun 4, 2004 12:23 AM
]
You bring up a good point, and I think this is pretty illustrative of the "system" being described in Whiting's books (and I don't mean to be putting words in your mouth, Mr. Whiting, if what I'm saying is incorrect).
If a similar situation happened to Sammy Sosa during his pursuit of Maris' record, how do you think the sports press would react? There would be immediate and appropriate cries of racism and calls for the offending pitchers, coaches, managers, owners to resign. The press and the fans wouldn't tolerate that kind of behavior.
However, when these events happened in Japan, there wasn't any outrage over what happened in the press (at least it appeared that way). There wasn't much outrage at all, and therefore, the system has no impetus to change. The fans were booing Oh's team when the walks were issued to Rhodes and Cabrera, but it was probably less motivated by a perceived injustice and more the disaapointment of not having the chance to be present for history to be made.
It doesn't seem like the NPB fan has any problem with a gaijin breaking records, but they also aren't completely indignant when unsportsmanlike behavior deprives a player of a record either - and I'd imagine it goes for both Japanese and non-Japanese players alike. Like many people have already said, this behavior's been going on fairly often for a long while. Until something happens to force a change, I'd figure inertia would keep this system in place.
- Stevie
If a similar situation happened to Sammy Sosa during his pursuit of Maris' record, how do you think the sports press would react? There would be immediate and appropriate cries of racism and calls for the offending pitchers, coaches, managers, owners to resign. The press and the fans wouldn't tolerate that kind of behavior.
However, when these events happened in Japan, there wasn't any outrage over what happened in the press (at least it appeared that way). There wasn't much outrage at all, and therefore, the system has no impetus to change. The fans were booing Oh's team when the walks were issued to Rhodes and Cabrera, but it was probably less motivated by a perceived injustice and more the disaapointment of not having the chance to be present for history to be made.
It doesn't seem like the NPB fan has any problem with a gaijin breaking records, but they also aren't completely indignant when unsportsmanlike behavior deprives a player of a record either - and I'd imagine it goes for both Japanese and non-Japanese players alike. Like many people have already said, this behavior's been going on fairly often for a long while. Until something happens to force a change, I'd figure inertia would keep this system in place.
- Stevie
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