Kawakami Narrows His List

[DrungoHazewood]

And Bobby Thomson hit a big homer in the "regular" season...

Yep, he sure did. And Maury Wills once played 165 games in the regular season.

[Migrant Redbird]

... Are you all really having a discussion about how nobody from Asia is ever likely to sign with the O's because we don't have as many real places to eat Chinese food?

Actually, the gist of my point was that Kawakami would probably choose the O's if all other factors were equal, over the bustling Nipponese communities in St. Louis or the Twin Cities.

Just like Mike Hampton signed a contract with the Rockies primarily because the region had better schools, right? Sure, and the fact that the Rockies offered him more money had no effect on his decision. "Other factors" are rarely that equal, and money seems to be trump as far as most players are concerned, over all else.

And "Chinese food"? We are talking about a Japanese player, aren't we? Why would he prefer Chinese food over Japanese?

... Really? I wonder how Hideo Nomo ever ended up on the Brewers, or the Royals? Or Iguchi on the Padres or the Phillies? Or Akinori Otsuka on the Rangers or Padres? Or even Ichiro on the Mariners? Did they never eat? Did they spend their off hours crying themselves to sleep for lack of countrymen to bond with?

I suspect that checking their investment portfolios balances took the place of cultural comforts in assuaging their anxieties and homesickness.

... The rest of the stuff falls into the same category, more-or-less, as Mark Teixeira wanting to come to Baltimore for all of those non-baseball reasons: bunk.

For most players, it is "bunk", simply because the "other factors" rarely are equal enough that cultural factors become the tie breaker.

[Ruzious]

This is like saying there is a large European population in city X and a Brit would be delighted to mingle with Germans, Danes and the French. Having traveled through Asia, I can assure you there is a big difference between the Chinese the Japanese and the Koreans and a lot if risidual resentment over WWII.

Yes, you're correct that there is much resentment from WW2 for the Japanese horrendous treatment of Chinese, and I've travelled all through China myself, but my Chinese friend at work tells me there are plenty of Japanese that go to Chinatown in DC, and they are welcome there. There are even Japanese restaurants there http://www.momijidc.com/Momiji_Restaurant_/Home.html .

[DrungoHazewood]

Actually, the gist of my point was that Kawakami would probably choose the O's if all other factors were equal, over the bustling Nipponese communities in St. Louis or the Twin Cities.

Just like Mike Hampton signed a contract with the Rockies primarily because the region had better schools, right? Sure, and the fact that the Rockies offered him more money had no effect on his decision. "Other factors" are rarely that equal, and money seems to be trump as far as most players are concerned, over all else.

And "Chinese food"? We are talking about a Japanese player, aren't we? Why would he prefer Chinese food over Japanese?

I suspect that checking their investment portfolios balances took the place of cultural comforts in assuaging their anxieties and homesickness.

For most players, it is "bunk", simply because the "other factors" rarely are equal enough that cultural factors become the tie breaker.

I think we're largely in agreement. The only reason I mentioned Chinese food was that someone said Baltimore or DC had a large Chinatown somewhere in this conversation, and I thought that was a little funny seeing as how the O's are trying to lure a Japanese player here. Who knows, maybe I'd be more likely to go to Fukuoka instead of Tokyo if they had really good Canadian food...

[Ruzious]

I think we're largely in agreement. The only reason I mentioned Chinese food was that someone said Baltimore or DC had a large Chinatown somewhere in this conversation, and I thought that was a little funny seeing as how the O's are trying to lure a Japanese player here. Who knows, maybe I'd be more likely to go to Fukuoka instead of Tokyo if they had really good Canadian food...

Sigh. Gotta love Baltimor...eans.

[Boy Howdy]

Are you all really having a discussion about how nobody from Asia is ever likely to sign with the O's because we don't have as many real places to eat Chinese food? Really? I wonder how Hideo Nomo ever ended up on the Brewers, or the Royals? Or Iguchi on the Padres or the Phillies? Or Akinori Otsuka on the Rangers or Padres? Or even Ichiro on the Mariners? Did they never eat? Did they spend their off hours crying themselves to sleep for lack of countrymen to bond with?

Are you serious? Nomo came to the USA to play in LA. He wound up in Milwaukee out of desperation after getting released mid-season by the Cubs years into his American experience. The Royals gave him a shot after he'd been out of the majors for years.

Some of the cities you mention weren't chosen at all. Rather, they were the result of trades.

According to this, San Diego's Asian-American population jumped 44% between 1992-2002.

http://www.goldsea.com/Air/Issues/SD/sd.html

The article is entitled "San Diego: Asian American Boomtown?"

It's my understanding that the Mariners have a strong connection with Japanese baseball due to the management's connection with Nintendo.

It's great that we heard (bigbird, was it?) about the Orioles making prsentations about how they'd help potential Japanese signees adapt, because location & environment is absolutely a key factor when some of these imported players have a choice about where to go.

[DrungoHazewood]

Are you serious? Nomo came to the USA to play in LA. He wound up in Milwaukee out of desperation after getting released mid-season by the Cubs years into his American experience. The Royals gave him a shot after he'd been out of the majors for years.

Some of the cities you mention weren't chosen at all. Rather, they were the result of trades.

According to this, San Diego's Asian-American population jumped 44% between 1992-2002.

http://www.goldsea.com/Air/Issues/SD/sd.html

The article is entitled "San Diego: Asian American Boomtown?"

It's my understanding that the Mariners have a strong connection with Japanese baseball due to the management's connection with Nintendo.

It's great that we heard (bigbird, was it?) about the Orioles making prsentations about how they'd help potential Japanese signees adapt, because location & environment is absolutely a key factor when some of these imported players have a choice about where to go.

You really think that environment is a key factor? I can buy it if you mean that the O's need to provide translators and language instructors and help adjusting to the area. But Asian population of the metro area and food choices? C'mon. Would you pick Milan over Munich because you heard they had more hamburger joints and American expats? I don't think I'd even look that stuff up. Those would be like 56th and 87th on my priority list.

I think most of this stuff is a lot of nothing. Uehara and Kawakami will sign with the teams that give them the best opportunity and dollars as long as they have a reasonable belief that the community isn't a bunch of anti-Asian crazies, and that their team will reasonably help them adjust to the area.

Money and position in the organization are all that really matter. It's not like Baltimore is some town of 3200 in the middle of WVA, and that Uehara would be cast out of the ballpark after games to fend for himself at the local country store.

[Migrant Redbird]

... location & environment is absolutely a key factor when some of these imported players have a choice about where to go.

I've emphasized the important point in your sentence above. Every player is different, and Asian players come from a very different culture than we grew up in. I spent 17 months in Korea, 13 months of it as the company commander of a unit which included about a dozen Korean soldiers and a hundred Korean civilian employees. One of the first things I learned was that I didn't really understand how Koreans think. One of the next things I learned was that most American GIs in Korea believed they did know how Koreans think.

What's most important for one American isn't necessarily most important for the next American. Factor in people who grew up in a very different culture, and you can multiply that.

So Taguchi apparently adapted very well to American baseball, despite being very uncomfortable speaking English, at least when he arrived. However, he brought along his wife, who was extremely fluent in English, to act as his translator. I imagine the fact that she could also establish a Japanese home for him, where ever he was assigned, helped him to endure the rigors of playing minor league ball at the AA level in a strange country.

Earning a million dollars a year for playing ball at the AA level probably didn't hurt either. But what surprised me was that Taguchi didn't seem to let the ignominy of having been demoted get to him. "Face" is very important to Asians, more so than it is to most Americans.

I used to have my American GIs tell me that Koreans would lie through their teeth to us, telling us what we wanted to hear even though they knew perfectly well that it was untrue. What they missed is that telling someone bad news was regarded as "rude", and Oriental courtesy placed greater importance on being courteous than on being truthful. We do the same thing when we tell "white lies" to our family members and friends about "how great they look" when we don't actually believe that.

[Boy Howdy]

You really think that environment is a key factor? I can buy it if you mean that the O's need to provide translators and language instructors and help adjusting to the area. But Asian population of the metro area and food choices? C'mon. Would you pick Milan over Munich because you heard they had more hamburger joints and American expats? I don't think I'd even look that stuff up. Those would be like 56th and 87th on my priority list.

I think places to eat, women to chat up and places to buy your newspaper of choice, etc. --while obviously less important than translators, et al-- are absolutely very real factors for most (as opposed to Migrant Redbird's choice of 'some') Japanese players looking for a home in MLB.

I really believe that, but then again, I put up with horrendous rent per square foot here in NY because I'm hooked on good pizza.

[JTrea81]

The Twins don't seem to be actively negotiating with Kawakami according to this entry...

[SilentJames]

The Twins don't seem to be actively negotiating with Kawakami according to this entry...

Wow, I guess Twins fans have been held hostage for like a year now huh.

[Os84]

Roch mentioned in his latest blog that the O's are still negotiating with Kawakami and Uehara.

Which of the two does everyone prefer?

Are the O's still one of the favorites for Uehara since they view him as a starter?

I personally like Kawakami better. I really like his curve from what I've seen of it on the video Roch posted before.

[clapdiddy]

Roch mentioned in his latest blog that the O's are still negotiating with Kawakami and Uehara.

Which of the two does everyone prefer?

Are the O's still one of the favorites for Uehara since they view him as a starter?

I personally like Kawakami better. I really like his curve from what I've seen of it on the video Roch posted before.

I need to find one of Kawakami...but it looks to me as if Uehara has awesome stuff....

[Peace21]

Yeah Uehara sees the O's as a good fit because of a chance to start.

[YaBoyTopher]

I dont know which guy I actually prefer, probably Uehara because he would be cheaper, but Uehara probably has a higher chance to be a complete flop. I would like to see us sign both of them, why not?