Dead Ball (JPN Baseball Thread)

[Bucky]

PS. That was his first walk off HR, not game winning hit, of which he has had many before, just not four baggers.

My understanding is that it was if first (and only) game ENDING hit. I mis-spoke in my previous post. Indeed he has had many game WINNING hits, just no walk-offs --until this recent one.

Being a Mariner fan (and IN Seattle) I can tell you most M's fans are glad to have him. Additionally he has given Seattle a tourist attraction for Japanese. Seattle tourism honchos have marketed the city to Japanese for years (since '83) trying to get more Japanese to visit. Ichiro was an instant attraction. (Just add water!)

This last weekend with the Yankees in town and Matsui playing, they had their best attendance of the year at Safeco Field.

[Greji]

My understanding is that it was if first (and only) game ENDING hit. I mis-spoke in my previous post. Indeed he has had many game WINNING hits, just no walk-offs --until this recent one.

Being a Mariner fan (and IN Seattle) I can tell you most M's fans are glad to have him. Additionally he has given Seattle a tourist attraction for Japanese. Seattle tourism honchos have marketed the city to Japanese for years (since '83) trying to get more Japanese to visit. Ichiro was an instant attraction. (Just add water!)

This last weekend with the Yankees in town and Matsui playing, they had their best attendance of the year at Safeco Field.

And even Johjima (that nobody wants) is a big attraction to the J-fans. If they would take Johjima home with them, it would be a bigger help to the M's.

[Gilligan]

Ryohei Tanaka and the rest of the 2009 Bowie Baysox pitching staff

[Bucky]

[Behan]

Nice indirect find, Bucky! If I were teaching a translating class I would give any student who translated like that an A+!

[Bucky]

Ichiro is generating quite the news crush in Japan right now, where a nation is enthralled by the fact he's five hits away from becoming the first player to ever have nine consecutive 200-hit seasons. They've sent the entire Japanese press corps to Angel Stadium to cover it.

The Seattle Times is reporting that Ichiro Mania is gripping Japan. I just left Tokyo last week and I really did not get the impression that everyone was breathlessly waiting word on #51's next hit, but, then, it has been a little over a week since I was there. I mean there was interest, but . . .

Aside from the herd of media following Mr. Suzuki, (the M's happen to be playing in L.A. this week so he is convenient to the Japanese media based there) is anyone noticing elevated interest in Ichiro's exploits?

[GuyJean]

I like his caption for this photo: "Kusso! It is only Jason Vargas!''

GJ

[Behan]

I just hope none of this gaijin ball players get in the way of the cameras when Ichiro gets his 200th hit.

[Gilligan]

The Orioles are reporting that Koji has been shut down for the remainder of the season--they had expected to bring him off the DL and have him work from the 'pen once rosters expanded, but he just isn't ready for that.

I guess it's time to find a new avatar.

[Bucky]

Back in the Bigs

The moment of truth has arrived for Daisuke Matsuzaka.

The right-hander, who has been on the disabled list since June 21, was activated from the 60-day disabled list prior to Tuesday's game against the Angels. Infielder Chris Woodward was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket after Sunday's nightcap against Tampa Bay in order to make room on the roster.

Prior to straining his right shoulder in June, Dice-K was 1-5 with a 8.23 ERA despite leading Japan to its second straight World Baseball Classic title in March. During his rehabilitation efforts, he made four starts with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, Single-A Salem, Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket. He went 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 16 innings.

In parts of three seasons with Boston, Dice-K is 34-20 with a 4.11 ERA.

[Bucky]

In his return to the rotation after almost three months on the DL, Daisuke Matsuzaka looked not just healthy but strong, blanking the first-place Los Angeles Angels for six innings and earning only his second win of the season, 4-1.

It was not only his first clean slate of the season, it was the first time he'd gotten past the sixth inning all year long, and he held the Angels hitless through the first four innings.

Matsuzaka's line:
IP 6.0 H 3 ER 0 BB 3 K 5

[Greji]

Matsuzaka's line:
IP 6.0 H 3 ER 0 BB 3 K 5

His control continues to be spastic although he did better this time. Still the averages of a walk every other inning and total walks being more than half of total Ks is an attention getter.

Still getting the win and allowing no runs, earned or otherwise, gets a step further outside of the dog house. Now if he just keeps his mouth shut!

[Behan]

Now if he just keeps his mouth shut!

People just assumed he was badmouthing his team but it was all just a cultural misunderstanding.

[Greji]

People just assumed he was badmouthing his team but it was all just a cultural misunderstanding.

It always is. People don't speak Japanese outside of Japan, so no one could ever understand what was said in a J-press interview.

Right! All gaijins look alike, the checks in the mail and I won't cum in your mouth....

[Bucky]

Ichiro just hit his second walk-off hit of the season (and his career.) M's 4 - White Sox 3 in 14 innings.

[Bucky]

Ichiro hit his first walk-off home run beating the Yankees 3-2. He's on a roll. Two walk-off hits in two games.

[Behan]

Anyone have any thoughts on Ichiro being tossed for 'arguing' a call with his bat? Maybe he just wanted to experience everything once in MLB.

[BO-SENSEI]

I saw the footage, he was right, the ball was just outside, but what he did was draw a line with the bat and that is a big no-no in the bigs. He might have been steamed about the bad call but that should be no reason to show up an ump especially in a game against Toronto that has no impact on the rest of the season.

[Mike Oxlong]

Looks like he was telling the ump something about his codpiece with that gesture after he got tossed...

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

that is a big no-no in the bigs.

Sorry...question from a non-native baseball fan.
Seems to me people get away with doing a lot of worse stuff...why eject him for that? Disrespecting the umpire? Something else?
I was really surprised. Seemed a pretty petty reason to me, but I confess to having absolutely no knowledge of the subtleties of the game.

[wuchan]

Sorry...question from a non-native baseball fan.
Seems to me people get away with doing a lot of worse stuff...why eject him for that? Disrespecting the umpire? Something else?
I was really surprised. Seemed a pretty petty reason to me, but I confess to having absolutely no knowledge of the subtleties of the game.

fucking with the fans........... ok
fucking with other players.... usually ok
fucking with the umpires...... usually ok
fucking with home plate = instant ejection.

Once in a while a manager goes a bit crazy and covers the plate with dirt in some kind of ritualistic way in protest. Always ends up getting the guy ejected and usually fined.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

fucking with the fans........... ok
fucking with other players.... usually ok
fucking with the umpires...... usually ok
fucking with home plate = instant ejection.

Once in a while a manager goes a bit crazy and covers the plate with dirt in some kind of ritualistic way in protest. Always ends up getting the guy ejected and usually fined.

Kinda figured it'd be something like that!
Thanks wuchan!

[Gilligan]

Sorry...question from a non-native baseball fan.
Seems to me people get away with doing a lot of worse stuff...why eject him for that? Disrespecting the umpire? Something else?
I was really surprised. Seemed a pretty petty reason to me, but I confess to having absolutely no knowledge of the subtleties of the game.

It's OK to argue (within reason) an out/safe call by any umpire. But you are not allowed to argue balls and strikes. Check out the line in the box score:

MARINERS RIGHTFIELDER ICHIRO SUZUKI WAS EJECTED BY HOME PLATE UMPIRE BRIAN RUNGE IN THE TOP OF THE FIFTH INNING FOR ARGUING BALLS AND STRIKES.

If a player/manager is just screaming from the dugout, he may be able to get away with it for a while. Or if the player says something to the ump in a nonobvious way, he may be able to get away with it for a while, but if you do what Ichiro did, you're basically asking the ump to throw you out of the game immidiately.

[Greji]

It's OK to argue (within reason) an out/safe call by any umpire. But you are not allowed to argue balls and strikes. Check out the line in the box score:



If a player/manager is just screaming from the dugout, he may be able to get away with it for a while. Or if the player says something to the ump in a nonobvious way, he may be able to get away with it for a while, but if you do what Ichiro did, you're basically asking the ump to throw you out of the game immidiately.

They also have a list of "suggestive" words, most are four letters, that a immediate ticket to the shower room.

[Bucky]

Regular season's over.

Ken Griffey Jr. and Ichiro Suzuki were carried off the field by their teammates after the Mariners beat the Rangers in their last game of the season. It was pitcher Felix Hernandez's 19th win and final shot to prove his worth for the Cy Young award.

[Bucky]

Choo Shin-soo of the Cleveland Indians on Sunday became the first Asian player in Major League Baseball to have a 20-20 season, meaning 20 home runs and 20 steals.

Choo Shin-soo

Many of the news stories I see about this feat are starting off, or at least mentioning the fact that even Ichiro Suzuki has not achieved this milestone.

Neener neener.

[IkemenTommy]

Choo Shin-soo

Many of the news stories I see about this feat are starting off, or at least mentioning the fact that even Ichiro Suzuki has not achieved this milestone.

Neener neener.

NJR

[canman]

Skyperfect TV is broadcasting the MLB playoffs at the same time as BS is. It is so much better to watch the actual feed from TBS, they show the pitch zone thing, they don't constantly pan to Matsui sitting in the dugout scratching himself. They show the highlights again and you can see what they are talking about. I wish they would do that on the BS feed as well.

[Greji]

Skyperfect TV is broadcasting the MLB playoffs at the same time as BS is. It is so much better to watch the actual feed from TBS, they show the pitch zone thing, they don't constantly pan to Matsui sitting in the dugout scratching himself. They show the highlights again and you can see what they are talking about. I wish they would do that on the BS feed as well.

Today was another great example. A-Rod jacks one in the body of the 9th to tie the game and Mark Teixeira hits a walk off in the 11th, a great game, with huge air time to Masui working on his crouch rot, which was the closest he got to a hit.

[Bucky]

Catcher Kenji Johjima has told the Mariners he is exercising the out-clause in his contract, allowing him to opt out of the final two years of his deal.
Johjima signed a controversial three-year extension in April 2008, a $24-million deal that paid him $8 million this past season and was to pay him $8 million in each of the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Instead, the 33-year-old Johjima will return to Japan.

Now the Mariners have one-year veteran who is have surgery on both hips and on one wrist and a raw rookie with about a dozen game's experience penciled in for catchers next year.