Matsui World Series MVP

[canman]

I was a little surprised by this. He did have a monster game 6, but he played such a limited role in the 3 games in Philly. Anyway good for him. I wonder if he will be back with the Yankees next season. The only unfortunate thing, is for the next month all we will see on TV is Matsui's World Series, oh yeah and the rest of those Yankees they won as well. Typical Japanese Mass media overkill.

[FG Lurker]

I think it was deserved. If it wasn't for him the Yankees would be looking at playing Game 7 -- he drove in 6 of their 7 runs.

It might be enough to get him another season, but quite possibly not. It looks like his knees are both fucked, unless that can be fixed by surgery in the off season then he's only useful as a DH...

[canman]

I just saw the awarding of the MVP to Matsui, and had hoped he would have accepted using English. I know it wouldn't have been perfect, but he has been there for 8 years. Oh well. I wonder where he will play next year. He said he wants to be an everyday right fielder, but I don't think his knees will allow it. Perhaps he could play once in a while and DH the other days, that way prolonging his career.

[(1VB)freels]

I was watching him too and I noticed that he knew all the stuff that the guy was asking him and I wanted to hear him speak in English so bad. I know that he can and I don't know why he didn't just say something. Oh well. He's still my favorite player. I felt so proud that he won it. Well deserved!!!

[Mike Oxlong]

Do you wonder if it's because they don't give a rat's ass about the fans in the US, and are solely on ego-quests to prove something to the folks back in Japan?:confused:

[Gilligan]

Most of the stuff I've read recently. including this one, figures that Matsui won't be back next year.

Matsui, 35, will be a free agent this winter. Although he remains a productive offensive player, the Yankees appear to be heading in a different direction. They want to get younger and more athletic, and they might choose to take a more flexible approach to the designated hitter spot and divvy up the at-bats among Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Jorge Posada and the boys.

[Mulboyne]

I can't get too fussed about him not speaking English. It was an emotional moment for which he had no time to prepare.

A few overseas baseball players might pick up some Japanese but there are still quite a few who do their post-match interviews in English even if they've had a few years in-country. English footballers aren't known for their linguistic skills and rarely give interviews in a second language when they play in other European leagues. Here's Beckham giving it a lash in Spanish in his last interview playing for Real Madrid. If he'd been asked to do it off-the-cuff, I doubt he'd have managed it.

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[Mike Oxlong]

Fair point Mulboyne.

I guess I've been spoiled by this sort of scene...

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[terrandabo]

The soccer player Hide Nakata learned to speak Italian when he played in Serie A. I don't speak Italian but I saw an interview he did and it was obvious that he was fielding questions and answering them himself fluently. But that guy is also hella smart and studies hard. Baseball players mostly go from high school to the big leagues directly... perhaps they aren't the brightest as a group. I don't know any of the big time Japanese players who regularly speak English w/o a translator except for Nomo and he made his life as a Major Leager in the States.

[Netherlander]

Wow Yeah, Congradulations Yankees. You are better than all the teams in the US and Canada so naturally that makes you champion of the world:confused: And some say Japanese suffer from an island complex:rolleyes:

[IkemenTommy]

Wow Yeah, Congradulations Yankees. You are better than all the teams in the US and Canada so naturally that makes you champion of the world:confused: And some say Japanese suffer from an island complex:rolleyes:

Jesus fuckin Christ, do we have to have this debate all over again?

[Mulboyne]

I guess I've been spoiled by this sort of scene..

There's always this sort of scene

[Greji]

I can't get too fussed about him not speaking English. It was an emotional moment for which he had no time to prepare.

A few overseas baseball players might pick up some Japanese but there are still quite a few who do their post-match interviews in English even if they've had a few years in-country. English footballers aren't known for their linguistic skills and rarely give interviews in a second language when they play in other European leagues. Here's Beckham giving it a lash in Spanish in his last interview playing for Real Madrid. If he'd been asked to do it off-the-cuff, I doubt he'd have managed it.

Bad example Mulboyne. Since Beckham doesn't speak English, his use of other languages is exceptable....

[Greji]

Wow Yeah, Congradulations Yankees. You are better than all the teams in the US and Canada so naturally that makes you champion of the world:confused: And some say Japanese suffer from an island complex:rolleyes:

Do I detect a complex with you. Should I remind you that the MLB is not a "national league," or "national teams" of either Canada or the US. Owners can be from any country as approved by the league. Japan owns a large chunk of Seattle. Close to 50% of the ball players come from countries other than Canada and the US. This even includes players from The Netherlands (a country that BTW does play a good brand of baseball) and elsewhere. Take a look at the team rosters for the WBC and note how many players from every team are affiliated with an MLB team. Then figure how those teams would fair in that tournament if those players were removed from those rosters.

The winner of the world series is the world champions and if you do not understand why that is true, than you do not know enough about baseball to argue the game.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

Coming from a country where baseball is the most minor of sports, I can see where Netherlander is coming from....to an extent.
As Greji notes, MLB teams' rosters are packed with gaijin and, after a 162 (I think, or is it 164?Or 154? Where is the asterix on Roger Maris' name when you fucking need it?)-game roster and hefty round of post-season playoffs where teams are given a chance to clearly show which is the best, there can be no dispute that the two clubs that make it to the World Series each year are the two strongest ballclubs on earth. That's more than enough to justify calling it the World Series in my book.

[FG Lurker]

Do I detect a complex with you.

After your post Greji one could say much the same thing!

It is very likely that the 2009 Yankees are the best baseball team in the world. I was happy to see them win it, and I wish them much luck for 2010.

That said, the World Series isn't a world tournament in the same way that the World Cup is, and I think that is Netherlander's point. Whether it should be or not (I would say not) is a different point, but as long as it continues to be called the World Series people will take jabs at it.

[Greji]

After your post Greji one could say much the same thing! ]

I suppose that could be construed. But I say that has a broken down ex-ball player that never had it to begin with and has looked at ball on a couple of continents.

I think that MLB is the standard against which all baseball is measured at least at this point in time. The Dutch of been playing ball for sometime and have a respectable league. The Italians and the Dutch generally dominate European baseball. But there are up and comers, the Africans and the Chinese who are already producing pro-level ball players (don't forget that the Homerun super star that Japan so prides itself in, Sadahara Oh is Chinese).

Yet even with all of the interest in other countries, it is still the MLB that one is measured against. It is therefore only right that their championship should be considered the World Series.

That said, the World Series isn't a world tournament in the same way that the World Cup is, and I think that is Netherlander's point. Whether it should be or not (I would say not) is a different point, but as long as it continues to be called the World Series people will take jabs at it.

It is just symantics when phrased that way. This topic has long been a point of view taken by certain people, who for the most part, are either unfamiliar with the game at the highest level, or are just using it to propagate an anti-US agenda.

Maybe some day there will be a world wide tournament in pro ball; however, until there is a sufficient level with the MLB, there is no comparison, or competition, that could make the present series not the world series.

This is why the WBC was introduced (and with that this year Team Netherlands was fabulous with two major upsets), but to say that the WBC as a World tournament was the true world series, would leave a lot to be desired. The players won't even tell you that.

[Bucky]