Dead Ball (JPN Baseball Thread)

[Bucky]

Once you go red. . .

In an international twist in the Dodgers' ownership saga, Frank McCourt has been offered $1.2 billion to sell the team to a group indirectly financed by the government of China.

The bid was presented on behalf of the Burke group by Signal Capital Management of New York. The firm has offices in Beijing, according to its website. Shane Rodgers, its chairman and chief executive officer, said in an email that the firm would not comment "on any potential or proposed transactions."

The letter did not specify who would finance the Burke bid, other than to say the money would come from "certain state-owned investment institutions of the People's Republic of China" and unidentified American investors. Foreign investment is not necessarily an obstacle to MLB ownership; the Seattle Mariners' ownership group includes a significant Japanese presence.

[Bucky]

[canman]

Looks like the Toronto Blue Jays have won the right to negotiate with Yu Darvish. I hope they sign him, so we get to see more of the Jays on NHK. Even though the price tag was somewhere between 40~50 million, they will make that back with merchandise and ticket sales, and even a tourist boom, I expect.

[Greji]

Looks like the Toronto Blue Jays have won the right to negotiate with Yu Darvish. I hope they sign him, so we get to see more of the Jays on NHK. Even though the price tag was somewhere between 40~50 million, they will make that back with merchandise and ticket sales, and even a tourist boom, I expect.

They gotta come up with acceptable contract money first. It'll probably cost them more than and additional 100mil or close to it for a multi-year contract. Hopefully, he's got a good agent.

[Bucky]

Looks like the Toronto Blue Jays have won the right to negotiate with Yu Darvish. I hope they sign him, so we get to see more of the Jays on NHK. Even though the price tag was somewhere between 40~50 million, they will make that back with merchandise and ticket sales, and even a tourist boom, I expect.

Yeah but he will only be pitching every 5th day or so. So it ain't like he's a position player that will be on the field 9 out of 10 games. It is harder for travel agents to promise tourists a chance to see Darvish play. The tour bonanza might not be as big as one may hope.

Of course, the Jays have to sign him first.

[tone]

reeeally interested in seeing how he does in the bigs

and yeah it will be cool because it will kind of get another division more TV play in japan which is nice to keep up with

go mariners

[canman]

Oops! Spoke too soon. the Rangers won the right to negotiate with Darvish. There is going to be hell to pay in TO, for the way things have been handled with the Jays this off season. A lot of fans thought this was a chance for the Jays to spend some of Rogers' money and make a splash, but as usual they were too cheap to pony up the big bucks to get Darvish. Now we are going to see Texas Ranger games every 5th day!

[Bucky]

Hey Greji, the Mariners just increased their Japanese population by 200 percent

[dimwit]

Whether Iwakuma is A) able to get over his injuries or B) still able to compete is a bit of the question after last years 6-8 record. My guess is that Ichiro will be gone after this year unless his numbers recover significantly in 2012.

[Bucky]

Whether Iwakuma is A) able to get over his injuries or B) still able to compete is a bit of the question after last years 6-8 record. My guess is that Ichiro will be gone after this year unless his numbers recover significantly in 2012.

The M's seem to already have penciled Iwakuma in the #3 starter slot with no MLB experience. Quite optimistic if you ask me. Apparently he has been in the US working out and has been shopped around by his new agent. His contract with the Mariners is apparently significantly less than was offered last year by the A's. Ooops.

[TennoChinko]

The M's seem to already have penciled Iwakuma in the #3 starter slot with no MLB experience. Quite optimistic if you ask me. Apparently he has been in the US working out and has been shopped around by his new agent. His contract with the Mariners is apparently significantly less than was offered last year by the A's. Ooops.

The main reason Iwakuma was so desperate to sign any deal (which is why he got rid of his previous agent, Don Nomura, who correctly advised him that the deal the A's were offering last year was crap) is that he got caught with his pants down with another woman (he's married) by the tabloids. As a result, Iwakuma was desperate to get out of Japan at any cost. The Mariners, of course, understood his situation and bid accordingly. And, Iwakuma, with his new shit agent, accepted. Everyone got what they deserved.

[Mike Oxlong]

[ythd]2MnPEm0Yul0[/ythd]

[Coligny]

damn... I know this girl... can't remember her name though

EDIT:

Kirara Asuka ? certainly lookz like her...

[matsuki]

damn... I know this girl... can't remember her name though

EDIT:

Kirara Asuka ? certainly lookz like her...

Whoa, good for him Now the ex can be more of a bitch and be all like "whore" and she'll be like "Get it right, well paid whore!"

[dimwit]

Ouch! Darvish is getting shelled. 5 runs in 2 innings so far.

[wuchan]

Darvish needed 42 pitches just to get out of the first inning, issuing two four-pitch walks, and throwing just 22 strikes.

Japanese star Ichiro Suzuki personally welcomed him to baseball in the United States with a single and double in his first two at-bats. Kyle Seager had three RBI in his first two plate appearances.
...

Darvish, who gave up six hits and five earned runs in his first two innings, permitted nine of the first 15 batters he faced to reach base...

here

dam, no mercy for the new guy.

[Mike Oxlong]

Lunch chat at work today is going to be a blast!

[Samurai_Jerk]

[Coligny]

awesome...

[Greji]

Ouch! Darvish is getting shelled. 5 runs in 2 innings so far.

He did settle down and go 5 and 2/3rds, retiring ten in a row at one point. It looked like he was just over throwing the ball in the first two innings, probably nerves. His top was around 96-6mph and his breaking stuff looked good.

I'd say it was a pretty good outing; however, it's a bit early to say. He has to do at least one round of the league and after everybody has had a chance to say him, the second round will tell whether he will be in the US, or back in Japan next year.

[canman]

There seems to be a mini-controversy going on relating to Darvish's first game. When he was pulled from the game the crowd gave him a standing ovation, but Darvish's didn't tip his cap to the fans in appreciation. I giro commented that Darvish's was right in not acknowledging the fans since he didn't pitch well!
What an idiot! The fans in the US are not stupid, they understood that Darvish was nervous or amped up about his major league debut and that he wasn't sharp, but they still were willing to show him some love! All he had to do was wave to them or tip his cap. No wonder Ichiro is such a loner and wants to play for a losing team, because he is a big loser who has lived in the US more than ten years but still doesn't understand the fans of MLB.

[Mike Oxlong]

That's not quite the way it was reported in the NYT:

Ichiro Suzuki was impressed by Yu Darvish, even after the Japanese ace struggled early in his debut for the Texas Rangers.

Suzuki and the Seattle Mariners jumped out to a quick four-run lead before Darvish settled down and got some help from his powerful offense as the Rangers went on for an 11-5 victory Monday night.

"My impression was good, not his pitching but just in general after he was taken out of the game, you saw the crowd did a standing ovation and he didn't tip his cap," Suzuki said. "He wasn't very happy or satisfied with his pitching, and that shows pride. That's a good mentality, that's what I liked about him."

After giving up four runs while throwing 42 pitches in the first inning, then allowing another run in the second, Darvish (1-0) later retired 10 in a row while pitching into the sixth.

Darvish walked leadoff hitter Chone Figgins on four pitches to start the game before striking out Dustin Ackley.

Suzuki then blooped a single just over third base, and Justin Smoak lined a single to right before Kyle Seager's two-run single. Another walk and an RBI single by Miguel Olivo reloaded the bases before Munenori Kawasaki, an eight-time All-Star in Japan who was the only Mariner to previously face Darvish, walked on four pitches and put Seattle up 4-0.

There was also a wild pitch thrown so hard that it ricocheted off the brick backstop right back to Napoli.

And the Mariners still couldn't beat him after jumping out to a 4-0 lead before Texas even batted.

It wasn't the first time Seattle manager Eric Wedge watched a pitcher give up four first-inning runs and still get a win after avoiding being knocked out of the game early.

"I'm not crazy about it when it's against us. We were about to that point," Wedge said. "They're going to be careful with him and they had somebody up. We were close to getting that done."

Darvish insisted he had a feeling of calmness when he took the mound for his much-anticipated major league debut. He just had to settle down his big right arm to match how his mind felt.

"Mentally, I was very calm, but my body felt like it wanted to go and go and go," Darvish said through his translator. "At the beginning of the game, my mind and my body kind of weren't on the same page. ... It was pretty much a battle all night. Just knowing my offense, if I could string those zeroes together, they would answer for me."

Nelson Cruz hit a three-run homer in the third for Texas to tie the game at 5, then Mitch Moreland and **** Hamilton both went deep in the fourth to give Darvish an 8-5 lead. Ian Kinsler added a three-run blast in the eighth.

Darvish was Japan's top pitcher before the Rangers committed more than $107 million to acquire him, including his guaranteed $56 million, six-year contract. Despite the early struggles in his first start, the 25-year-old right-hander is undefeated in Texas.

"Going through warmups and everything, he felt fine," said catcher Mike Napoli, sporting a "Yu is my Homeboy" T-shirt after the game. "He got out there and was over-amped. I don't think he was scared, he was excited to be out there."

When manager Ron Washington replaced Darvish with Alexi Ogando — who struck out Smoak to end that inning — Darvish got a loud ovation from the crowd that was also chanting "Yuuuuuuu!" as he walked to the dugout without acknowledging the cheers.

Darvish, who struck out five and walked four while throwing 59 of 110 pitches for strikes, called it moving to get that kind of reaction after his tough performance. He said he wasn't aware it was customary to tip his cap to the crowd.

"I guess we'll tell him," Napoli said with a smile...

[canman]

Right, Mike! He congratulated him on not tipping his cap saying" it showed pride. I like that"
Well I don't agree with Ichiro's attitude at all! Darvish's should have shown some humility and accepted the ovation, and not act like a spoiled kid, or a selfish idiot, much like Ichiro is!

[Mike Oxlong]

I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill. While Ichiro interpreted the lack of a tip of the cap as Darvish not feeling worthy, Darvish himself explains just a little later in the article, and you can see it right at the bottom of the section I quoted:

Darvish, who struck out five and walked four while throwing 59 of 110 pitches for strikes, called it moving to get that kind of reaction after his tough performance. He said he wasn't aware it was customary to tip his cap to the crowd.

"I guess we'll tell him," Napoli said with a smile.

He said he didn't know. The catcher said they'll tell him. No.big.deal.

[matsuki]

So Darvish didn't know...but exposed Ichiro haha. I've met Ichiro on more than one occasion and can attest to his douche attitude

[Coligny]

I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill. While Ichiro interpreted the lack of a tip of the cap as Darvish not feeling worthy, Darvish himself explains just a little later in the article, and you can see it right at the bottom of the section I quoted:

Darvish, who struck out five and walked four while throwing 59 of 110 pitches for strikes, called it moving to get that kind of reaction after his tough performance. He said he wasn't aware it was customary to tip his cap to the crowd.

"I guess we'll tell him," Napoli said with a smile.

He said he didn't know. The catcher said they'll tell him. No.big.deal.

Usually, when you screw up and are cheered by your supporters, isn't it more normal to show humility and stay head down rather than go all "i'm'a za king of the world " ?

/Don't know anything aboot bazeball...

//But knows aboot cheering for the losing team...

///Renault F1 team season 2010
////Renault F1 team season 2011

---Don't get me started for 2012...---

[Mike Oxlong]

Usually, when you (feel like you maybe) screw(ed) up and are cheered by your supporters, isn't it more normal to show humility and stay head down rather than go all "i'm'a za king of the world " ?

Yup. Seems to go double here in j-sports. Which Ichiro knows. So it's natural for him to respect an athlete for not virtual fist-pumping a sub-par performance. He may or may not be a douche, but his comments that day were pretty tame in support of a fellow former npb leaguer.

[Coligny]

I phrased it simply because I only considered easily clear cut situations...


(Petrov driving his F1 like a stolen Lada)
(it ain't gonna buff out...)

[Greji]

Yup. Seems to go double here in j-sports. Which Ichiro knows. So it's natural for him to respect an athlete for not virtual fist-pumping a sub-par performance. He may or may not be a douche, but his comments that day were pretty tame in support of a fellow former npb leaguer.

Got agree with you Mike. Besides it is fairly normal for a J-player being taken out of a game at which he has not done well, to not acknowledge well wishers applause, or cheers. It's considered in bad form. That's how the J-press views it. However, they also view Ichiro's ex-TV announcer Yumi-chan, as a class one Bijin. I wonder......

[matsuki]

However, they also view Ichiro's ex-TV announcer Yumi-chan, as a class one Bijin. I wonder......

...Bijin as in almost anyone standing next to her ends up looking like a bijin compared to that!