Dead Ball (JPN Baseball Thread)

[dimwit]

Stephen Ellsesser of the Japan Times gives an interesting primer for North American fan on the MLB site

College basketball fans in the United States "read" the newspaper when the opposing starters are announced prior to games. For Yomiuri fans, the paper is a kanji-clad expression of love.

And sometimes people won't read any other paper. Especially if it is the Chunichi Shimbun, which owns Nagoya's Chunichi Dragons.

It would be tantamount to a Dodgers fan refusing to park anywhere other than owner Frank McCourt's parking lots, solely out of loyalty to Dodger Blue. Because McCourt's lots were in Boston, it wasn't a discussion to be had, but you get the picture.

Full story here

[Mulboyne]

The article has this to say on Seibu:

A stroll through Shibuya...will lead eventually to a huge, three-tower Seibu department store, one of a chain. Featuring multiple floors stacked high with top-dollar brands, Seibu is a magnet for upscale shoppers. Just wait until the Seibu Lions win the Japan Series again. The Lions dominated Japan in the 1980s and early '90s, winning eight championships from 1982-92, and in celebration of its titles, prices in the stores were slashed post-Series, sending consumers into a frenzy that shot Seibu's revenues through the roof. Fans were happy to get deals, and Seibu laughed all the way to the bank. The store is not even the largest part of Seibu's corporate makeup. A railway company first and foremost, Seibu will take you to the store, take you through the world's busiest train station, take you anywhere its lines go, even to the Lions.

The railway and the baseball team were owned by Yoshiaki Tsutsumi (of Kokudo infamy) while the department store was owned by his half-brother, Seiji, so it's curious that the store traded off the baseball team's success in the past. Now the two businesses have grown even further apart. Seibu Department Store and Sogo Department store came together to form Millenium Retailing and that company was bought last year by Seven & I Holdings (Ito Yokado, 7-11, Dennys etc). Meanwhile Seibu Holdings runs the railway and hotels and is 30% owned by US investment fund Cerberus. You can't rule out opportunism but I wonder whether Seven & I would care about Seibu Lions given that they are entirely different corporate groups.

[cstaylor]

Anybody catch Matsui's painful physics lesson last night?

[dimwit]

Saw it and despite being a big Blue Jays fans and not feeling particularly bad for anything that hurts the Yankees, hope he has a full recovery.

They are saying we'll be out for three months.

[AssKissinger]

Even my hate for The Yankees doesn't make me dislike Matsui.

[kamome]

I saw it. As a Red Sox fan, I'm just happy to see one of the Yankees' better players out of the lineup for a big chunk of the season. The Sox now have a 3-1 advantage in the season series against the Yanks.

[Greji]

Saw it and despite being a big Blue Jays fans and not feeling particularly bad for anything that hurts the Yankees, hope he has a full recovery.

They are saying we'll be out for three months.

They're also saying he will be in a cast for six weeks up to three months (depending on the source). But for a hitter any major break to either wrist is a major problem as that is the transmission for the swing. He may well not be back this year.

What's also shitty from Matsui's side, is a lot of the press here in wonderful, considerate Japan land is more concerned with his loss at a chance of breaking the consecutive games records of Lou Gehrig and Cal Rifken, then his injury. They are approaching it with an attitude that he let then down. Shame. Lost another chance to show Japan excels beyond the bush leaguers. Bad break for nippon yakyu and oh, by the way, maybe for Matsui, also.

[AssKissinger]

Bonds is still looking for home run No. 714.

The wild confrontation began when the seven-time NL MVP led off the fifth inning. Springer's first pitch sailed behind Bonds' back, drawing a warning from plate umpire Joe West.

The next four pitches all came inside, including one that hit Bonds' bat handle on the third delivery for strike one. On the fifth pitch, Springer hit Bonds in the right shoulder as he turned to protect himself.

That's when Springer and manager Phil Garner got ejected -- [SIZE="6"]and the Houston crowd of 35,286 gave the pitcher a standing ovation. [/SIZE]

[AssKissinger]

http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20060518p2a00m0na028000c.html

[SIZE="6"]High school baseball club coach dismissed for hitting captain[/SIZE]
ASAHIKAWA, Hokkaido -- A private high school has dismissed one of the coaches of its baseball club for hitting the team's captain, it was learned Thursday.

The school's principal was apologetic about the incident. "Violence is never permitted at schools regardless of the reason. We are sorry for the parents of students and the regional community," said Tetsuya Kano, principal of Asahikawa Meisei High School.

The 33-year-old coach hit the captain of the school's baseball club in the face about 20 times on April 19 at its indoor training facility after telling him off for failing to properly train his teammates, school officials said.

The victim immediately underwent a medical checkup at a hospital but doctors diagnosed him as not suffering any injury.

Sounds like that coach needs to work on his followthrough.

[Blah Pete]

http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20060518p2a00m0na028000c.html



Sounds like that coach needs to work on his followthrough.

Sounds like he needs some jail time.

[Mulboyne]

NJ.com: Mets: Patience gone, they give up on Matsui

Once upon a time, the Mets thought so much of Kaz Matsui that they moved Jose Reyes to second base for an ill-fated season to make room for the Japanese All-Star. Yesterday, the Mets dealt Matsui to the Colorado Rockies for a utility player who Willie Randolph admitted would be a "24th or 25th guy" on his roster. The Rockies immediately announced that Matsui, a seven-time All-Star with Japan's Seibu Lions, would be assigned to Triple-A Colorado Springs...more...

[Greji]

NJ.com: Mets: Patience gone, they give up on Matsui

The only surprise to this IMHO, is that it took this long for them to dump him! It must have been money gained by Japanese media contracts and attendance pluses!

When he went over, the insiders were already saying that where "Little Matsui" brought advantages as a switch hitter with occasional power, who had good basepath speed, he was the original "Dr. Stoneglove" on defense, that did not have the arm for a major league shortstop. This proved spot-on as the Mets soon converted him to a second baseman.

It will be interesting to see if he has the balls to stick it out in the minor leagues and try for a comeback. Nakamura couldn't and came dragging tail back home, other try to make a position for himself after the Dodgers sent him down. Nomo is doing it, but just may be to old. L. Matsui is in for a big let-down when he sees what the minors are all about and the desease-like avoidance that the J-media is about to level on him. I hope his over-stuffed igo will let him have a go at it and that he can work back up to the show.

[Mulboyne]

Bloomberg: Valentine Says Japan's Baseball Owners Need to Pay Players More

Bobby Valentine, the only man ever to manage in both the World Series and Japan Series, said Japanese baseball owners have to raise salaries to reverse the trend of stars like Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui leaving for the U.S. "The owners of these teams must meet the demands and meet the wants of the players to keep them here," Valentine, manager of last year's Japan champion Chiba Lotte Marines, said in a June 12 interview in Tokyo with Bloomberg News. Players leaving "is bad for Japanese baseball"...more...

[Mulboyne]

[floatr][/floatr]Mainichi: Youngest ever Japanese player signs minor-league contract with Atlanta Braves
A 16-year-old boy from Osaka's Chuo-ku signed a minor-league contract with the Atlanta Braves, becoming the youngest Japanese player to sign with a Major League team. "I have been admiring the Major Leagues since my childhood," said Ryohei Shimabukuro, who has dropped out of Okayama Sanyo High School. "I think only a part of my dream has come true. Anyway, I am glad that I have become a professional." Shimabukuro, who is 185 centimeters tall and weighs 93 kilograms, was mostly a pitcher when he played baseball as a sixth grader at an elementary school and first year student at a junior high school. But Braves international scout Hiroyuki Oya discovered Shimabukuro's batting talent when he was a third year student at junior high school. "I think his skills will develop three times faster than other players," Oya said. Shimabukuro plans to take part in a Major League baseball academy and, depending on his progress, also plans to play in an educational league event in autumn. Shimabukuro is also practicing to play as a catcher for the first time. The minimum age to sign with Major League baseball clubs is 16.

[dimwit]

While Ichiro makes the all-star team for the whateverth time, Kazuo Matsui is on a another type of team.

From CBC sports:

2B: Kazuo Matsui, Mets
You can probably make it three years in the majors, three All-Dud appearances for the Japanese veteran. He just seems to be intimidated by the big league game. Despite hitting well after starting the season on the DL, he's since frozen up and lost his everyday job.

Complete list of team here.

[Mulboyne]

Boston.com: Japan documentary is a home run

Kenneth Eng's fascination with Japanese baseball began long before last March. But when Japan defeated Cuba to win the World Baseball Classic in the spring, Eng really wasn't surprised. Over the past 3 1/2 years of researching the sport for the documentary he and Alex Shear produced, Eng had come to learn about the seriousness of baseball in Japan, especially in high school...``Kokoyakyu: High School Baseball," is the first English language film to explore the phenomenon and baseball has become a national rite of passage for the country's youth...The hour-long film, part of PBS's ``P.O.V." series, will air Monday on WGBX at 10 p.m...more...

[kurohinge1]

[SIZE="3"]Baseball's keg carrying babes hit a homerun with fans[/SIZE]

Baseball's beer backpack babes . . . are one of the highlights of going to watch a professional baseball game in Japan.

And although the beer babes may brighten the lives of baseball fans as they weave their way through the stands happily doling out beverages with a customary smile, Shukan Post (7/14) notes that pouring pints between pitches is a cutthroat world.

. . . The beer backpack babes are expected to lug around a 15-kiliogram keg of beer as they traipse up and down stadium stairs over the course of a game lasting about three hours.

Each time their keg runs out, which is after about 20 beers, the beer backpack babe has to run to the back of the stadium for a refill.

. . . Despite the grueling work, the pay is hardly what you'd call lucrative. Though the sums differ according to the ball club, the average backpack babe can expect a basic daily fee of 3,000 yen, then a commission of around 20 yen for each beer she sells. Sales topping certain figures, like 100 beers, earn bonuses of around 2,000 yen. Worked out at that rate, then, the average beer seller can expect to take home about 7,000 yen for the first 100 beers she sells. The women are instructed to pour beers at a 70-30 ratio -- 70 percent of each plastic cup devoted to liquid and the remaining 30 percent foam forming a head atop the glass.

Shukan Post notes the girls try all manner of strategies to boost their sales, but the vast majority are simply variations of being polite and friendly. Some, however, do go the extra yard.

. . . Mind you, being quick on your feet is no guarantee of success, with about 150 women selling beer at the average game. The sheer number of backpack beer babes not only makes sales hard but usually means a great day is pouring somewhere in the vicinity of 200 brews.

There are, however, exceptions, like Yoshiko Nakano, who also works at Miyagi Stadium. Nakano has poured as many as 403 beers a day and averages 350 brews.

"My key is being polite to customers. I smile whenever our eyes meet. I've got my regulars and even fans from visiting teams are getting to like me and want me to pour their beers," Nakano tells Shukan Post, adding that she has a policy of always being lower than her customer when pouring a beer, even if that means she has to get down on her knees to do so . . . more

I was going to whinge about the 70-30 ratio but then I realised that these girls are prepared to get on their knees for you and give you head 30 percent of the time. ]http://smilies.sofrayt.com/sae/baseball1.gif[/IMG]

[kamome]

[quote="kurohinge1"]I was going to whinge about the 70-30 ratio but then I realised that these girls are prepared to get on their knees for you and give you head 30 percent of the time. ]



Truly ladies after my own heart!

[Blah Pete]

[floatr][/floatr]Mainichi: Youngest ever Japanese player signs minor-league contract with Atlanta Braves

Saw this story on TV. The Braves scout was at a batting cage to watch another player. Shimabukuro-kun was in the next gage swinging away. The scout thought that he was a college player when he was at that time only a junior HS student.

Any guess to how many years he will spend in the rookie and Class A league?
His mother is from Argentina. Would figure he would turn out to be the next start CD on the J-futbol/soccer team.

[AssKissinger]

As I Braves fan I hope they put him on the big boys' squad asap only so I can watch The Braves in Japan.

[(1VB)freels]

His mother is from Argentina. Would figure he would turn out to be the next start CD on the J-futbol/soccer team.

He could do both, as long as the seasons don't overlap. Pull a Deion Sanders or a Bo Jackson!

[kamome]

As I Braves fan I hope they put him on the big boys' squad asap only so I can watch The Braves in Japan.

The Braves need an influx of young talent - they suck this year.

[mr. sparkle]

:o

Truly ladies after my own heart!

[floatr][/floatr]
Hilarious. I've been to only one J-Ball game in my life. And it is really true that for a gaijin, watching the beer babes in action is all part of the fun of going to a J-ball game.

Me 'n Pongi took a lot of footage of the "beer babes" and GOD are they cute!. We got extra wasted to get more footage of more beer babes. An expensive game though, with brews at Y800 each. Ouch. But hopefully Rob can locate the tape and blast it for the rest of the world to see. That was one crazy night. I think the Yakult Swallows beat up on the Giants, but I'm not sure. I was too busy watching the beer babes and cheerleaders. ]how[/i] the beer barrels are swapped out, check out this vid on YouTube. It pretty much captures the behind the stadium action away from the kawaii smiles and peace signs. Almost looks like a pit crew swapping out tires on an Indy car.

[Yorik]

Good stuff.. I recently purchased tickets for Sept 8 Giants vs Swallwos at the Dome. Got 2 tickets, so I will be trying to find someone to come along with me. I am thinking I will put a note up in the hotel/hostel that I am staying at. I am pretty certain someone will take me up on the offer of a free ticket.

If it is half as good as the write ups are, then it will be a lot of fun.

[mr. sparkle]

I hope you got the tickets from a friend. They put us noisy Gaijin in the nose bleed seats.

But don't root for the Giants while they're on defense; only offense. Not unless you don't want 400 people turning around and staring at you. WHOOSH.

[Yorik]

Actually I got my tickets through a mob in the US, here is the link http://www.japanball.com/tickets.htm... I did this as I am just trying to arrange things in advance and this looked like a good way to get a ticket guaranteed. Apparently the seats are between the foul poles.. I am under the impression that the outfield seats are reserved for the hardcore cheering, so I guess I won't be in on all of that. I have never been to a ball game before, so this will be an experience I am sure. That is also the reason that I am going to try and take some one else with me, so that I can enjoy the experience with someone else, rather then looking like a confused, lost, lonely FG (which is pretty much how I am assumiong I will look for the rest of my time in J..)

[(1VB)freels]

Well the foul poles are mighty big in between. Are you in Left or right field? When I went to a game I sat in Right field At a giants game that is. And that is where the majority of the fans were. But it may have shifted, yet highly doubt it, to the middle or right side. You may just want to be a netruel(sp) fan as of now. Just enjoy it and take it all in. Also make sure you get a good buzz on before you go in then finish off with the beer chicks inside!!!

[Yorik]

They try to get seats as close to home plate as possible, which is nice.. I will try to be as impartial as possible, which should be easy as I have no ties to any team. I just want to experience it for what it is. If it is as insane as I am told it is, then I am going to have a ball. Of course a heap of Beer will be consumed, it is the Aussie way...

[Captain Japan]

The Braves need an influx of young talent - they suck this year.

Nope. Young talent they have. The team just stinks. Marcus Giles can't get the offense rolling from the leadoff spot and the bullpen melts down consistently. Though they wound up winning in extras, they blew a 5-run lead in the 9th last Thursday.
Braves' playoff run is finally reaching an end
SF Chronicle

Although the Braves played 18 rookies last year, and many were instrumental in the latest division crown, a couple of stars are past their prime: John Smoltz, 39, is 4-5 with a 3.89 ERA, and Chipper Jones, 34, was hitting .270 with seven homers and 35 RBIs. Smoltz, whose contract runs out this season (the Braves have an option for 2007), said he wants to finish his career in Atlanta but is "open" to being traded. Also, Andruw Jones' contract expires after next season, and he could be involved in trade discussions.

[AssKissinger]

I wish they still had Leo Mazzone. But I kind of like the new loser Braves. I was getting sick of watching them choke in the playoffs. I'm nostalgic for the Niekro days.

"Trying to hit him is like trying to eat Jell-O with chopsticks."
— Bobby Murcer