Kei Igawa's Return

I thought he pitched very well expect for the last inning where Torre took him out.

It does look like Igawa-sama did well enough to earn confidence from his manager and additional starts. In today's (June 24) New York Times, there is an article by Tyler Kepner entitled "More Starts Are Planned For Igawa."

No need to paraphrase the whole thing, but basically it seems that Kei-san was dissatisfied with his efforts (according to his interpreter Yumi Watanabe) and was continuing to work on his mechanics.

After Igawa walked Barry Bonds to force in a run with two outs in the fifth inning, he did not stay in the dugout to watch reliever Luis Vizcaíno get out of the jam - which earned Igawa a rebuke from his veteran teammates.

Still, Igawa's performance for the first four innings showed Torre enough to give Igawa more starts. He had excellent control for his first four innings, not allowing any of the San Francisco Giants hitters to reach second base. He retired Bonds twice, including once on a strikeout.

"I think he's going to get a couple of starts, and we'll see where he's at," said Joe Torre-kantoku. Igawa-san will probably skip the upcoming series at Baltimore and make his next start against the Oakland A's in the Bronx.

Ganbatte Igawa-san! Hito hata agemashou!

On Saturday morning, WFAN radio sports host Evan Roberts, in New York, declared (and I quote) "Kei Igawa stinks." Another shining moment for the well educated and insightful New York sports media, who would like you to believe that they are smarter than everybody else. I, for one, find the New York sports media's anti-Japanese slant in their "reporting" to be disgraceful and ignorant. Who hired these people, anyway? Wasn't it Imus?

I feel bad for Igawa having to pitch for the Yankees. If you're shy, there is no one to talk to. Matsui knows he can't talk with him. Igawa is too smart and comes from a different place.

As a fan in California my advice is ignore American news unless you know how to read between the lines. It's best for Igawa to just be himself, stay in his own world, and to dominate from there because he can. I'm cheering for him.

Actually, the Wankees are being protective of Igawa, worrying he will suffer the same fate as K. Matsui, R. Cedeno, Mo Vaughn, C. Pavano, and Hapless Weaver who were mercilessly booed and run out of town. (Do I note bias against Japanese, Dominicans, Black Americans, Italian-Americans and white bread Californians?) They shipped him to the minors fast so he could work on his mechanics in obscurity, not in the spotlight where he might be savaged.

Reading between the lines is not a NY trait. Igawa has an interpreter who trails him 24/7. He can talk to anyone. I think at least one starter also speaks Japanese on the Wanks, Hideki Matsui.

Staying in his own world will not increase his comfort or his adjustment as long as he chooses to play here. He needs the support of his team mates.

I feel bad for Igawa. That was a victory sitting there waiting for him. One more out. Argh. At least his team won another of his starts.
By the way, notice how the Giants pretty much owned the rest of the Yankees (including Clemens)? And that Igawa was the only pitcher to do well? Four innings of good stuff until the 5th.

I think Igawa is fine. He just needs to be himself and dominate from there. Unfortunately, since he is so special it is difficult to communicate certain things to him, such as try a bit more on certain hitters, keep the ball down on this guy, and so forth. But I think the Yankees will just have to trust his judgment. I would. I saw that game against Boston where he owned them for 6 innings.

I don't now. I don't see Igawa looking to his teammates in New York for advice. MLB is pretty much all individualist anyways, and did Igawa even talk much to his teammates in Japan?

Anyways, all the players on the Yankees are too into their own thing. Not to mention he seems too awkward. But I also think he has a lot going for him.

The Yankees are desperate for pitching and Igawa could have a lot of room to work with, if they decide to give it to him, instead of handling him like he's going to fail. They want him to be great enough to make them a winner, but not great enough so that he gets any attention or credit. If I were Igawa I'd just do my own thing and own.

But I hope he starts throwing shutouts and stuff because New York won't let him get away with saying "I thought I pitched OK" even when he actually does when he gives up some runs in 5-6 innings.

Also there is a certain flow to each game, and I hope he can get himself in sync with it because you cannot be special throughout an entire ballgame and expect hitters in MLB to just bow to your will. They adjust. And to me that game against Boston was more like the comfortable dominating pitcher he can be in MLB.

Heh, heh, you just don't understand New Yorkers, and especially some blow-hard on WFAN. Maybe Roberts is right, but the way he says it is blunt. Imus would have ranted about Igawa stinking as a result of his heritage, not that his stuff is barely adequate. Kaz Matsui stank in NY, too. H. Matsui is loved. Shinjo was well liked even though he pretty much stank also.

The NY press and NY fans love winners. Losers, of all nationalities, stink. This is, after all, pro sports, not a nurturing little league game. You can rail away at the disgraceful and ignorant treatment of mediocrity by the NY media, but IMHO, there isn't much to your purported claim of anti-Japanese bias.

By the way, Shinjo didn't stink. He gave the Mets some good stuff, and considering he looks like a girl, he did amazing. Clutch hitting, great defense. And then he helped Nippon Ham win a championship in 2006.

In reality Matsui ain't so loved. I like him as a baseball fan, but as soon as he stops producing New York will demonize him. Thank George and the New York media puppets for that. Even after all the seasons Matsui has given the Yankees, watch.

I don't know if the words "nurturing" and "little league" go together, especially at the top levels. I always got boo'd and razzed, even as I was owning =/. I felt no love and did it on my own, so I know I feel confident saying that Igawa can own by being himself.

- After Igawa walked Barry Bonds to force in a run with two outs in the fifth inning, he did not stay in the dugout to watch reliever Luis Vizcaíno get out of the jam - which earned Igawa a rebuke from his veteran teammates.

This is typical Igawa - he doesn't mean anything by it. He just lacks certain social skills.

Yeah, totally understandable. Igawa is awesome.

Two personal issues to address here, one being the double-digit IQ of WFAN radio and the other being the trenchant wisdom of NY sports fans.

Though there are a few decent hosts on WFAN (I always liked Joe Benigno), often it is the intellectual sports equivalent of Jerry Springer.

The station proudly began its day with Don Imus for many years, drawing high ratings in a market that deserves much classier entertainment. Imus often bantered with the sports hosts who apparently had no problem whatsoever with his racist, homophobic, and sexist commentary. It was only when someone had the savvy to videotape the MSNBC video version for YouTube that suddenly Imus' shtick appeared unpleasant and embarrassing to sponsors in the light of day.

I doubt any of the WFAN hosts knows a thing about NPB, and the callers would know even less. They are usually just the worst, most impatient of NY sports fans who expect a home-run with each at-bat and a perfect game from every pitcher.

Kei Igawa does not "stink," but some numskull sure enjoyed sounding tough using that word on WFAN (impressed his buds, I bet). The NPB stats say that Kei Igawa does not stink, and I notice he is still one of the only Yankee starters with a winning record, despite the high ERA.

Yup, New York is a tough town and New Yorkers only like winners. That's why I've heard Don Mattingly, Dave Winfield, and Randy Johnson all booed at Yankee Stadium. Because New Yorkers are the smartest of all sports fans and they know losers when they see them. I sure hope Kei Igawa ends up joining their company.

The radio call-in shows do show fans at their worst, and of course most of the radio personalities find ratings to be better with some controversy. Most of the tabloid papers do the same.

NY fans generally are very knowledgeable and can pick the star from the poseur. I personally get annoyed when some NY fans will boo a stud who might have a small slump or bad day. Things got out of hand in NY with Beltran in his first year.

The flip-side is they will turn on a dime when things turn around. Instant gratification indeed. Most guys who play in NY say it is a great stage, has great fans, and have to take booing with the accolades.

The pathetic condition of the Yankees' rotation should take some pressure off Igawa and Yankee fans would welcome some solid performances out of him. Hopefully he is on the right road, though I loathe the Yankees myself.

The jury is out on Igawa. David Wright faced him in the off season and told the Mets' brass in a nice way that he wasn't impressed. I'm afraid what Igawa did in NPB is irrelevant. Just as a winning record last year doesn't keep you from being the goat when you falter. Such is the life of a highly paid athlete/entertainer.