松坂ＵＰＤＡＴＥ、MLB HPの記事 -- シリング日本語勉強中

With the signing of lefty reliever Hideki Okajima and the ongoing talks to ink ace Daisuke Matsuzaka, Schilling is learning Japanese.

Catcher Jason Varitek will have the responsibility of speaking another language with Matsuzaka if the right-hander takes the hill for Boston every fifth game.

"I've had [Mac] Suzuki in Seattle when I first broke in and we came up in the Minor Leagues together when he didn't know any English, and then he became a very good friend and a teammate," Varitek recalled.

"Here, I've had Nomo and Ohka. Nomo was extremely quiet and probably understood more than he said. We've had quite a bit [of Japanese players]. It's not like it's a first. Baseball is still its own universal language. We're going to have to do a lot to communicate and learn the differences in the baseball language in Spring Training to allow us to make those adjustments during the season," he added.

Varitek realizes how much of an impact Matsuzaka could have on the Sox staff.

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捕手のバリテックは、野茂と大家とバッテリーを知っているので、松坂と岡島には心強い。

MLB 2006年年俸ベスト２５

USA TODAYより抜粋。

New York Yankees (7人)
1. Alex Rodriguez - $21,680,727
2. Derek Jeter - $20,600,000
3. Jason Giambi - $20,428,571
6. Mike Mussina - $19,000,000
11. Randy Johnson - $15,661,427
24. Johnny Damon - $13,000,000
25. Hideki Matsui - $13,000,000

以下、次ブログで。

藤原紀香と陣内智則が結納

本当に結果するとは思わなかった。藤原紀香は、ある時期からサイボーグや、鉄腕アトムのイメージを持っていて、女性のような気がしない。

アメリカの人口が３億人になる

USA TODAYより抜粋。
The USA's population will reach an estimated 300 million next week, but little public fanfare will greet the milestone.

The Census Bureau, the official population counter, issued a brief news release Thursday predicting that the nation will hit the number at about 7:46 a.m. Tuesday. There will be no news conference, no administration officials celebrating in front of the cameras.

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人口の多い国ランキング（２００６年国連人口基金より）
１位　中国　１３億２千万人
２位　インド　１１億人
３位　アメリカ　３億人
４位　インドネシア　２億３千万人
５位　ブラジル　１億９千万人
６位　パキスタン　１億６千万人
７位　ロシア　１億４千万人
８位　バングラディッシュ　１億４千万人
９位　ナイジェリア　１億３千万人
１０位　日本　１億３千万人

世界の人口は６５億６０００万人。

「ふぞろいの秘密」石原真理子の相手の人気度

Googleの件数が多い順。

１位　石原真理子　１,８６０,０００件
２位　玉置浩二　１,３５０,０００件
３位　松田優作　７８６,０００件
４位　明石家さんま　７８１,０００件
５位　吉川晃司　６６０,０００件
６位　郷ひろみ　６４９,０００件
７位　中井貴一　４８５，０００件
８位　近藤真彦　４６２,０００件
９位　田原俊彦　３３８, ０００件
１０位　時任三郎　２１３，０００件
１１位　石黒賢　１７６,０００件
１２位　木村一八　６５,４００件

井川ＮＥＷＳ、USA TODAY記事 - クレメンスはどこへ行く

Now that pitcher Andy Pettitte is returning to the New York Yankees, can his buddy Roger Clemens be far behind?

Randy Hendricks, the agent who represents both Clemens and Pettitte, said that Clemens will likely wait until next spring to determine if he will pitch next season. He said that if Clemens does pitch, it will be for the Yankees, Houston Astros or Boston Red Sox.

Clemens came out of retirement in 2004 to join Pettitte in pitching for their hometown Astros. A month ago, Pettitte, 34, wasn't sure he was going to play in 2007, but Friday he signed a one-year contract worth $16 million with the Yankees, who also gave him a player's option of $16 million for 2008.

Pettitte, who won 149 games for the Yankees from 1995 to 2003, said at a press conference Friday that he hasn't talked to Clemens about his future. Last season, Clemens signed late with the Astros and didn't pitch his first game until June 22. He went 7-6 with a 2.30 ERA.

Clemens, 44, pitched for the Yankees from 1999 through 2003. With the Astros, Clemens wasn't required to attend games, home and away, that he didn't pitch. The Yankees will not say if they would make that agreement with him. Clemens has a 10-year personal services contract with the Astros after he retires.

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先発投手の年齢

４３歳　Randy Johnson
３８歳　Mike Mussina
３４歳　Andy Pettitte
３０歳　Carl Pavano
２７歳　Kei Igawa
２６歳　Chien-Ming Wang

ジョンソンとムッシーナは普通の投手なら引退する年齢。
井川は若さで勝負。

松坂ＵＰＤＡＴＥ、MLB HPの記事 -- 年俸契約難航

The Red Sox path to signing Japanese ace Daisuke Matsuzaka has apparently hit a bump in the road.

The Boston Herald reported Sunday that talks have cooled off for the time being, with just a precious few days left before the midnight ET deadline at the end of Thursday.

The paper reported that, according to a "well-placed" source, Matsuzaka's agent Scott Boras has acted disinterested and has been frustrated with the financial impact of the Japanese posting system on negotiations with the Red Sox.

It should be noted, however, that both sides still have every motivation to get a deal done and there is still time to accomplish that goal. Matsuzaka has basically already said all his goodbyes in Japan and is eager to pitch in the Major Leagues.

And as for the Red Sox themselves, they have constructed much of their offseason blueprint around Matsuzaka anchoring their 2007 rotation, along with Curt Schilling.

Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein has said all along that he will have no further comment on the Matsuzaka situation until "the process is complete."

Boras, aside from offering plenty of complaints about the posting system, hasn't discussed any details of the negotiations with Boston.

The Red Sox won the exclusive negotiating rights to Matsuzaka with a record $51.11 million bid on Nov. 14 and were granted a 30-day window to get a deal done with Boras.

The Seibu Lions have had financial troubles of late, and wouldn't be pleased with the prospect of giving the Red Sox their posting fee back.

Should a deal not get done by midnight Thursday, Matsuzaka would not be able to play in the Majors this season and would likely have to return to Japan to play in 2007. He isn't eligible for outright free agency until after the 2008 season.

Though both sides have kept the negotiations intensely private, reports have indicated that Boston's initial offer was between $7 million and $8 million annually over four to six years, while Boras was seeking an average annual value of approximately $15 million.

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ボラスの主張する1500万ドルは妥当な価格ではない。

「チョイワル」ブームは終わった！？

livedoorニュースより抜粋。
「チョイワル男は自分のナルシシズムを満たすため、恋人にも“高級”を要求する人が多いんです。『髪形は巻き髪にしろ』『寝起きも化粧を怠るな』とうるさいと、女性は疲れてしまう。そもそも多くの日本人はチョイワルに向かない。陽気なイタリア人だから似合う。シャイな日本人が外見で無理をすると、性格との間にギャップが生まれます。チョイワルは第一印象がいい半面、付き合った後のマイナス面でどんどん減点されていく。ダメ男は長所が上積みされていくため、交際は長続きします」

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チョイワルとは、そういうことだったのか。妻に何も要求しない私は、チョイワルの反対、つまり、ダイブヨイ。

桑田パイレーツ入り決定的！

サンスポより抜粋。
すでにメジャー昇格時の年俸を含めたマイナー契約の書類を送付されており、あとは本人のサインを待つだけの状況。一部で報じられた就労ビザの問題もクリア。桑田の前に米大リーグ挑戦の道が開かれた。

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2006年パイレーツの成績
ナ・リーグ中地区
１位　カージナルス　８３勝７８敗
２位　アストロズ　８２勝８０敗
３位　レッズ　８０勝８２敗
４位　ブルーワーズ　７５勝８７敗
５位　パイレーツ　６７勝９５敗
６位　カブス　６６勝９６敗

投手成績
Ｄ投手　１０勝１５敗、４．４７
Ｓ投手　１４勝１１敗、４．７４
Ｍ投手　８勝１０敗、４．７６
Ｔ投手　３勝６敗１５Ｓ、３．２８
Ｍ投手　９勝１敗１０Ｓ、３．７９
Ｇ投手　３勝４敗２４Ｓ、２．１７

リリーフ陣の防御率は悪くない。

松坂ＵＰＤＡＴＥ、Boston Heraldの記事 -- 年俸交渉決裂

Negotiations between the Red Sox and Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka have essentially broken down, a source familiar with the talks said late last night, adding that unless there is an abrupt change of course, Matsuzaka will not be signing with the Red Sox before Thursday’s midnight deadline.

Attempts to reach Matsuzaka’s agent, Scott Boras, were unsuccessful last night. However, the well-placed source blamed Boras for stubbornly being unable to get over the flaws in the Japanese posting system, saying that he has been unwilling to negotiate and that he has acted disinterested in even making a deal.

With five days left to negotiate, this high-stakes process still has plenty of time to take any number of twists and turns and it should be noted that the source conceded there is still time for things to change. Still, the mood is dire enough that the Red Sox want to temper fans’ expectations over their ability to land the lavishly praised 26-year-old right-hander.

The Red Sox’ winning $51.11 million bid to the Seibu Lions last month gained them exclusive negotiating rights with the player.

His acquisition would represent a tremendous coup on many levels for the Red Sox, from a strictly on-the-field aspect of making their rotation one of the best in the game, to keeping him from the Yankees, and not to mention the revenue streams that would be opened up with the club’s increased presence in the Far East.

The U.S.-Japanese posting system is a complex and poorly understood process ripe for an overhaul. Still, it is the reality that both sides have to deal with right now and, among other things, it leaves Boras in the unusual position of having to negotiate with only one team.

Long accustomed to negotiating with “multiple teams” in order to garnish rich contracts for his extensive client list, Boras has chafed from the beginning about the inequities of this system and has hinted repeatedly that the process will end either in Matsuzaka signing with the Red Sox or with Matsuzaka declining and having to go back to Japan.

The Lions will not receive a penny of the $51.11 million if Matsuzaka does not sign. The Red Sox sent their president and CEO, Larry Lucchino, to Japan to speak with the Lions last month, and Lucchino spoke then of the “comprehensive” offer the Red Sox had made to Matsuzaka. Lucchino also spoke of his desire for the Red Sox to strike a long-term working relationship with the Lions.

It is believed that the Red Sox’ initial offer was for somewhere between $7 million and $8 million a year for between four to six years, while Boras was asking for approximately $15 million a year. It is unclear if counterproposals have been exchanged yet but if they have, the source told the Herald last night that neither side has made a significant move toward a common ground.

At the winter meetings last week in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Boras spoke of the challenges of the posting system:

“For that system to operate,” he said, “there has to be participation among all the parties and if the situation is looked at in one direction or selfishly by any of the parties, then it’s not going to work.”

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ボラス次第。今更ポスティングシステムが、どうのこうのとは腑に落ちない。