Wednesday, April 4 Updated: April 5, 5:00 PM ET Ichiro, Nomo make it great week for Japan By Jim Caple Special to ESPN.com |
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This may be the greatest week in Japanese baseball history. Or at least since Tom Selleck left the country after finishing up the filming of "Mr. Baseball." Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese position player in major-league history Monday, going 2-for-5 and scoring a run in a game Kaz Sasaki closed out. A day later, Tsuyoshi Shinjo became the second Japanese position player (and the 12th player overall) in the majors, delivering a key single in the Mets' 6-4 victory over Atlanta. Wednesday brought the most extraordinary performance of all when Hideo Nomo, the man who started the recent Japanese craze, pitched the second no-hitter of his career in a 3-0 victory over the Orioles. What's next? President Bush issues a formal apology on behalf of the United States for "The Bad News Bears Go to Japan'"? "I'm just one of the players; you would have to ask the people in Japan how they feel about it," Ichiro said after watching the final innings of Nomo's no-hitter on the clubhouse TV in Seattle. "But I'm sure there is a lot of excitement over it. "I didn't feel any pride out of the ordinary, but there were some good things happening this week. I was proud of what I accomplished this week." And well he should. In addition to becoming the first Japanese position player in the majors, he became the first Japanese player to draw an intentional walk. The barriers, they keep tumbling down. "My first game was very special but the two games after that were just games," Ichiro said. "It's probably going to be like that for the rest of the season. It's the way baseball is." Yes, it is, and with each passing season, a sport that used to be no more global than an International House of Pancakes, touches a few more countries, spreading as steadily as the annakournikova virus. In addition to Japan, the U.S. and Canada, there are players from Korea, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezeula, Panama, Australia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Curacao in the majors this season. There hasn't been this much of a potential language problem since Harry Caray was in the broadcast booth. Two of the game's best prospects in the minors are from Taiwan. Another is from New Zealand. The Mariners have a player in their farm system from Rome (the wonderfully named Francsco Imperiali) and the Brewers just signed a player from Germany. The Mariners have a baseball academy on mainland China. And there is talk of starting a true World Cup of major leaguers from around the globe, possibly as early as 2003. This is all exciting but there is another side to bear in mind. That's because America's gain is Japan's loss, particularly so in the less successful Pacific League which struggles to keep up with the rival Central League (where the enormously popular Tokyo Giants play). The league lost Nomo, Ichiro and Hideki Irabu to the majors in recent seasons, and there is speculation the league could lose more in the future if Ichiro performs well enough to turn general managers' heads as if they were bobblehead dolls. As it is, Ichiro's old team, the Orix Blue Wave, drew perhaps a thousand fans the same day the outfielder made his debut with the Mariners. That would be a low turnout for a postgame riot in Tucson and the concern is real that the league could lose further popularity if any more star players depart for the U.S. Ichiro shrugs such concerns off, saying no one went to Blue Wave games when he was there, so his departure won't have much of an effect. Based on Orix's attendance the day of Ichiro's Seattle debut, I'm not so sure. I sat next to two 12-year-old fans at Japan's national high school baseball tournament early this week. They said they were big fans of Ichiro and would tape his first game to watch it following a mandatory school ceremony. One of them, Daiki Kawano, said his goal is to play professional baseball one day. Asked whether he dreamed of playing in Japan or in the United States, he paused and gave the question consider thought. "Both," he said finally. "I want to be like Ichiro. Play here and then move to the U.S."
One final item from Japan For instance, according to a report in the Japan Times while I was over there, an entrepreneur in Lithuania just opened a theme park based on an old Soviet prison camp. Visitors enter "Stalin's World" by walking past guard towers and barbed wire fences where actors dressed as Stalin and Lenin greet them. "It combines the charm of a Disneyland and the world of the Soviet Gulag," boasted the park's owner, Viliumas Malinauskus. Bet you can't wait to stand in line for that "Dissidents of Siberia" jungle cruise.
Box score line of the spring But this week's award unquestionably goes to Nomo for throwing Boston's first no-hitter since 1965. Some speculated before the season that the alleged high strike would benefit Nomo significantly and such speculation proved true Wednesday. Nomo's line: 9 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 11 K Nomo's no-hitter is the earliest in the season by date (April 4) but not the earliest in a season. Bob Feller no-hit the White Sox on Opening Day, 1940 and Red Ames pitched nine no-hit innings Opening Day, 1909, before losing in extra innings.
Lies, damn lies and statistics
From left field
Win Blake Stein's money Q. Who was the first player to homer on the very first pitch of the season? (Answer below)
Power rankings
A. Dwight Evans homered off Jack Morris on the first pitch of the 1986 season. Jim Caple is a Senior Writer for ESPN.com. |
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