Mets in Japan (Fame)

I know you won't like this, but here the media are almost 100% Yankees and Mariners-centered. Even when Matsui was injured, it seemed to me all they broadcast on BS1 (one of NHK's satellite channels) was Yankees games. I was really curious about the race for the AL Central this year, but instead of Twins and Tigers games I was treated to a steady diet of Yankees-Devil Rays and Yankees-Orioles series.

Firstly, you have to understand that these are different versions of the same game, played in different ways. Thus a lot of players find it difficult to adjust to the different styles of each. In both directions there are long lists of players who have been unable to make it in the other league. Whether Matsuzaka can make it in MLB remains to be seen, though he is certainly a quality product.

As for MLB teams being generally known, this means two teams, Yankees and Mariners - Matsui and Ichiro. Hideki Matsui is the major star to Japanese fans, and they might follow the Yankees because of him. Ichiro, in recent years, has also begun to become massively popular, but with him the following is more personal and not much attention is paid to the rest of his team. If Japanese baseball fans do talk about MLB, it will be these two players (or who is likely to be posted), but other players tend to drop off the radar screen once they've been posted and seem only to be of interest to the press.

As for the Japanese media, NHK broadcasts MLB games throughout the season (but with a Japanese player bias), but viewing figures are not high. The rest of the general press concentrates on the players, with Ichiro and Hideki Matsui receiving the major share of attention. Any reporting of the MLB teams is done in that context. Sports dailies put their teams first and relegate MLB information to the inner pages, but do report it. The Mets do not receive much attention at all, particularly now that they've disposed of Kaz Matsui and always suffered from being in the shadow of the Yankees.

- ... [T]hey might follow the Yankees because of him. Ichiro, in recent years, has also begun to become massively popular, but with him the following is more personal and not much attention is paid to the rest of his team.

... "in recent years" ...?

Grasshopper. Read through the archives of Kaz Matsui posts and you shall find your answer.

I will add that the amount of coverage the Mariners get in Japan is huge. Watching three or four replays in a row of an Ichiro play (even a pedestrian play) is almost comical, though this isn't a rap on his greatness. The Mariners have had more than a few Japanese players. They are owned by Nintendo. Perhaps so much viewing of a second rate team like the Mariners has taken the "luster off MLB."

We here in New York were told Kaz Matsui would be something amazing, so big that we'd have to move Reyes over to second. We heard he could run faster than Reyes (no), will win multiple gold gloves (uh uh), and would be the perfect leadoff hitter (...).

I realize NPB and MLB are very different brands of baseball, but how different is it really? I've heard the baseballs in Japan are smaller, so are the ballparks. But what is really the difference? Is it the mentality, or game approach? Some MLB teams, (Yankees) feel they have to try for home runs every game, while others (Dodgers) hit for average and use smart ball, bunting when right, stealing, etc. Do all Japanese clubs use smart ball technique?

The major defensive difference that Kazuo faced was playing on grass. Most stadiums in Japan are artificiall turf, and those that aren't, have all-dirt infields - no grass. (Green Stadium Kobe used to have a grass infield, but I think they've gone the artificial route in recent years. Can anyone verify?) His speed had greatly receded the previous two seasons before going over, so that wasn't much of a surprise.

As for baseball tactics, some would argue about the word "smart," but bunting, stealing, hit and running, etc. are all a big part of the game here. It's usually called Small Ball here.

Hillman-kantoku, who took over for the Nippon Ham Fighters four years ago, refused to bunt that often until 2006, when he more than doubled the number of sacrifice bunts from the previous year. The results was that he led the Fighters to the franchise's first Japan championship in 42 44 years. The one-run strategy worked well for the Fighters this year. It also did for the Seibu Lions in the 1980s and '90s, the Lions' Golden Age - of which Kazuo was a part.

[Corrected number of years since last Nippon Series Championship - should have read 44 years, not 42 - on Nov 14, 2006 10:18 AM JST]

Since Kazuo left the Mets, the Rockies get more coverage than them. No regular (or even injured) Japanese players, no coverage.

But does having a Japanese player mean one gets more coverage? Not necessarily. Taguchi has been with the St. Louis Cardinals for how many years now? Yet until he had those crucial pinch hits in the playoffs in October, it would have been hard to know he was even playing for the top team. But judging by the coverage he did get in October, Taguchi was the MVP of the the Cards' post season.

Iguchi got coverage for the World Series in 2005, but the White Sox didn't really get much coverage otherwise. They just suddenly appeared out of nowhere in October.

Since Hideki Matsui went to the Yankees, the Yanks have gotten a ton of coverage. Hardly a day went by without a note on how Matsui did in the paper, even off days. But after his injury this past season, the focus on the Yankees went way down. How Matsui was doing in rehabilitation came up often, but that NY logo all but disappeared from the daily newspaper.

I expect to see a lot of news about which ever team signs Matsuzaka next season. But the only mention of Matsuzaka's team mates will be about how so-and-so helped Matsuzaka to a win.

In short, when the Mets traded Kazuo Matsui away, they lost their relevancy in Japan. Fame is a fickle mistress, and she's moved out of New York.

Kaz, Kaz, a free man now, but the Rockies would like to re-sign him. His problems were greater than grass, but I wish him well. The subject has been beaten to death.

On Westbay-san's comments, I would also say that the Japanese fans therefore may follow a favorite or star player, rather than an MLB team.

Lastly, as a Mets fan, one might follow Scott Kazmir in Tampa Bay (though it is painful to do), but that doesn't mean one must become a TB fan. Japanese have their own players and teams at home; their own favorites and loyalties from childhood. It is unreasonable to expect they should suddenly become overly interested in MLB and a particular team, and for U.S. fans to suddenly become overly interested in NPB or a particular team. Some interest is natural as we are all baseball fans, but one can't make the assumption that all fans world wide must keenly follow MLB. Perspectives are very different.

Did Kaz switch from a Sluggers glove to Rawlings because he said Sluggers were not made to field infield or something like that?