安倍は雇われママ。
６回表の井川の投球
２番 ２飛
３番 オルティーズ １飛
４番 ラミレス 四球
５番 ドルー １ゴロ
７回表の井川の投球
６番 エラーで出塁
７番 左前打で無死１．２塁
井川交替、Standing Ovation
---
ウェブとは便利なものだ。
２番 ２飛
３番 オルティーズ １飛
４番 ラミレス 四球
５番 ドルー １ゴロ
７回表の井川の投球
６番 エラーで出塁
７番 左前打で無死１．２塁
井川交替、Standing Ovation
---
ウェブとは便利なものだ。
Banished to the bullpen, Kei Igawa saved the struggling New York Yankees when they desperately needed him.
Igawa shut out the Boston Red Sox for six-plus innings after replacing injured starter Jeff Karstens in the first, and New York snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory Saturday.
Jorge Posada hit a two-run homer off knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (2-3) and Mariano Rivera earned his first save to help the Yankees avoid their first eight-game skid since August 1995.
The slump had owner George Steinbrenner seething in Florida, and it raised questions about manager Joe Torre's job security. But the Yankees (9-13) got what they needed -- a well-pitched game, even though they lost yet another starter to injury.
Swept at Fenway Park last weekend, New York improved to 1-4 this year against its longtime rival and can win the series Sunday with ace Chien-Ming Wang on the mound. Julian Tavarez pitches for the Red Sox.
Rivera, who entered with an uncharacteristic 12.15 ERA in eight appearances, worked a scoreless ninth for his first save in three chances. One of his blown saves came in the series opener at Fenway.
Igawa (2-1) left with two on and none out in the seventh to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 55,026. The Yankees spent $46 million to bring him over from Japan in the offseason, but the left-hander was skipped in the rotation this weekend after flopping in his most recent start Monday night at Tampa Bay. He was sent to the bullpen to work on his mechanics with pitching coach Ron Guidry.
Brian Bruney came on in the seventh and got three quick outs to preserve New York's three-run lead. Kyle Farnsworth gave up an RBI single to Mike Lowell in the eighth before getting Coco Crisp on a called third strike.
Crisp slammed his bat and helmet to the ground and was immediately ejected by plate umpire Bruce Froemming.
Rivera allowed a leadoff single to pinch-hitter Jason Varitek before retiring Alex Cora, Julio Lugo (on a fine play by third baseman Alex Rodriguez) and Kevin Youkilis.
Derek Jeter had three hits for the second consecutive game, though the Yankees left 12 runners on base. Boston stranded 10.
---
７回表も登板していたのか。
Igawa shut out the Boston Red Sox for six-plus innings after replacing injured starter Jeff Karstens in the first, and New York snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory Saturday.
Jorge Posada hit a two-run homer off knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (2-3) and Mariano Rivera earned his first save to help the Yankees avoid their first eight-game skid since August 1995.
The slump had owner George Steinbrenner seething in Florida, and it raised questions about manager Joe Torre's job security. But the Yankees (9-13) got what they needed -- a well-pitched game, even though they lost yet another starter to injury.
Swept at Fenway Park last weekend, New York improved to 1-4 this year against its longtime rival and can win the series Sunday with ace Chien-Ming Wang on the mound. Julian Tavarez pitches for the Red Sox.
Rivera, who entered with an uncharacteristic 12.15 ERA in eight appearances, worked a scoreless ninth for his first save in three chances. One of his blown saves came in the series opener at Fenway.
Igawa (2-1) left with two on and none out in the seventh to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 55,026. The Yankees spent $46 million to bring him over from Japan in the offseason, but the left-hander was skipped in the rotation this weekend after flopping in his most recent start Monday night at Tampa Bay. He was sent to the bullpen to work on his mechanics with pitching coach Ron Guidry.
Brian Bruney came on in the seventh and got three quick outs to preserve New York's three-run lead. Kyle Farnsworth gave up an RBI single to Mike Lowell in the eighth before getting Coco Crisp on a called third strike.
Crisp slammed his bat and helmet to the ground and was immediately ejected by plate umpire Bruce Froemming.
Rivera allowed a leadoff single to pinch-hitter Jason Varitek before retiring Alex Cora, Julio Lugo (on a fine play by third baseman Alex Rodriguez) and Kevin Youkilis.
Derek Jeter had three hits for the second consecutive game, though the Yankees left 12 runners on base. Boston stranded 10.
---
７回表も登板していたのか。
MLB HPより抜粋。
The Yankees spoke about needing a solid pitching performance to get them over a seven-game losing streak. They couldn't have anticipated it would come from Kei Igawa, a floundering hurler who'd been relegated to their bullpen days earlier.
Igawa came in under emergency circumstances, taking over for starter Jeff Karstens, who was hit in the right leg by a line drive on his first pitch. Igawa wound up giving the Yankees their best pitching performance in a week, picking up the victory as the Yankees defeated the Red Sox, 3-1, on Saturday.
Julio Lugo ripped a single up the middle on Karstens' first pitch, and the hurler went down, drawing medical attention on the field. Karstens stayed in to pitch to one more batter, but he was lifted after allowing a hit to Kevin Youkilis.
That brought on Igawa, who had originally been scheduled to pitch Saturday but was passed over in the rotation when a rainout presented an option between Igawa -- who struggled Monday against the Rays -- and Karstens.
Igawa responded to the challenge, coming out of the bullpen to deliver six-plus innings of shutout, two-hit ball. The Japanese left-hander walked four but struck out six, providing the Yankees with the strong starting effort they'd spoken about needing desperately to crack out of their skid.
Jorge Posada provided some of the offense against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield in the fourth. Posada slammed his third home run of the season, a two-run shot to right-center, to give the Yankees the lead.
The Yankees caught a break in the sixth as Melky Cabrera's pop to left fell between three Boston fielders and bounced near chalk and into the stands. That allowed Posada to trot home with New York's third run off Wakefield, who scattered five hits and walked six over 5 1/3 innings in a 118-pitch performance.
Brian Bruney pitched a scoreless seventh and Kyle Farnsworth allowed a run on Mike Lowell's RBI single in the eighth before Mariano Rivera set the Red Sox down in the ninth inning, recording his first save.
---
見る番組がなく、仕方なく、録画放送のＢＳを見ていたら、ヤンキースの先発投手が、初球を脚に当てられ、井川が出たきて、オルティーズを併殺に打ち取り、その後も好投している。ウェブを見ると、６回を無失点で投げきり、勝ち投手になった。レッドソックスの打者がバットを三塁手のロドリゲスまで放ったり、井川が捕手が取れない高い球を投げるなど、久しぶりに野球が面白いと思った。井川はついている。
The Yankees spoke about needing a solid pitching performance to get them over a seven-game losing streak. They couldn't have anticipated it would come from Kei Igawa, a floundering hurler who'd been relegated to their bullpen days earlier.
Igawa came in under emergency circumstances, taking over for starter Jeff Karstens, who was hit in the right leg by a line drive on his first pitch. Igawa wound up giving the Yankees their best pitching performance in a week, picking up the victory as the Yankees defeated the Red Sox, 3-1, on Saturday.
Julio Lugo ripped a single up the middle on Karstens' first pitch, and the hurler went down, drawing medical attention on the field. Karstens stayed in to pitch to one more batter, but he was lifted after allowing a hit to Kevin Youkilis.
That brought on Igawa, who had originally been scheduled to pitch Saturday but was passed over in the rotation when a rainout presented an option between Igawa -- who struggled Monday against the Rays -- and Karstens.
Igawa responded to the challenge, coming out of the bullpen to deliver six-plus innings of shutout, two-hit ball. The Japanese left-hander walked four but struck out six, providing the Yankees with the strong starting effort they'd spoken about needing desperately to crack out of their skid.
Jorge Posada provided some of the offense against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield in the fourth. Posada slammed his third home run of the season, a two-run shot to right-center, to give the Yankees the lead.
The Yankees caught a break in the sixth as Melky Cabrera's pop to left fell between three Boston fielders and bounced near chalk and into the stands. That allowed Posada to trot home with New York's third run off Wakefield, who scattered five hits and walked six over 5 1/3 innings in a 118-pitch performance.
Brian Bruney pitched a scoreless seventh and Kyle Farnsworth allowed a run on Mike Lowell's RBI single in the eighth before Mariano Rivera set the Red Sox down in the ninth inning, recording his first save.
---
見る番組がなく、仕方なく、録画放送のＢＳを見ていたら、ヤンキースの先発投手が、初球を脚に当てられ、井川が出たきて、オルティーズを併殺に打ち取り、その後も好投している。ウェブを見ると、６回を無失点で投げきり、勝ち投手になった。レッドソックスの打者がバットを三塁手のロドリゲスまで放ったり、井川が捕手が取れない高い球を投げるなど、久しぶりに野球が面白いと思った。井川はついている。
斉藤 １０試合 １０．２回 ２自責点 １．６９ ７安打 ２四球 １３三振
大塚 １０試合 ８．２回 ０自責点 ０．００ ６安打 ３四球 ９三振
岡島 １１試合 １０．２回 １自責点 ０．８４ ４安打 ３四球 １３三振
---
日本でもこんなに良い成績は出せない。
大塚 １０試合 ８．２回 ０自責点 ０．００ ６安打 ３四球 ９三振
岡島 １１試合 １０．２回 １自責点 ０．８４ ４安打 ３四球 １３三振
---
日本でもこんなに良い成績は出せない。
４月 ５日 ７．０回 １０８球 １０三振 １四球 １自責点 １．２９
４月１１日 ７．０回 １０３球 ４三振 １四球 ３自責点 ２．５７
４月１７日 ６．０回 １０５球 １０三振 ３四球 ２自責点 ２．７０
４月２２日 ７．０回 １０８球 ７三振 １四球 ６自責点 ４．００
４月２７日 ６．０回 １１７球 ７三振 ４四球 ４自責点 ４．３６
-----
５試合計 ３３．０回 ５４１球 ３８三振 １０四球 １６自責点 ４．３６
４月２２日と２７日はヤンキース戦だから、まずまずの成績といえる。次の試合に快投を期待。
４月１１日 ７．０回 １０３球 ４三振 １四球 ３自責点 ２．５７
４月１７日 ６．０回 １０５球 １０三振 ３四球 ２自責点 ２．７０
４月２２日 ７．０回 １０８球 ７三振 １四球 ６自責点 ４．００
４月２７日 ６．０回 １１７球 ７三振 ４四球 ４自責点 ４．３６
-----
５試合計 ３３．０回 ５４１球 ３８三振 １０四球 １６自責点 ４．３６
４月２２日と２７日はヤンキース戦だから、まずまずの成績といえる。次の試合に快投を期待。
MLB HPより抜粋。
Following his roughest inning as a member of the Red Sox, Daisuke Matsuzaka ducked through the dugout tunnel at Yankee Stadium, cooled off in the comfort of the clubhouse and came back sleeveless for the first time all night.
Just like that, Matsuzaka went into no-sweat mode, setting down the final six batters he faced en route to a topsy-turvy 11-4 victory over the Yankees on Friday night.
Pitching atop the mound at historic Yankee Stadium for the first time, Matsuzaka (six innings, five hits, four runs, four walks, seven strikeouts) ultimately prevailed, adding to the ongoing woes of the Yankees, who have now lost seven in a row.
Matsuzaka is 2-0 against the Yankees after beating his rivals for the second time in six days. Not that he was thumping his chest over that.
"I wouldn't say that there's any personal satisfaction in beating the Yankees," Matsuzaka said. "But as a team, I'm very, very happy that we won."
Everything seemed to fall apart for Matsuzaka in a four-run fourth inning. He faced nine batters in the unsettling frame, threw 41 pitches and walked the bases loaded, putting Boston in a 4-2 hole. No wonder those red sleeves were feeling so toasty on a night Matsuzaka went on to throw 117 pitches.
"If I got into all the things that happened in the fourth inning, that would be a very long story and it would sound like a lot of excuses," said Matsuzaka. "To keep a long story short, I'll just say that there's a few things technically that I still need to work on."
Because of the whopping pitch count alone, Matsuzaka came harrowingly close to a shower that had nothing to do with the misty weather. Manager Terry Francona was getting antsy on the bench. Lefty J.C. Romero was warming up in the bullpen.
"That was a difficult inning," Francona said. "I think he threw 41 pitches. That's almost an alarming number of pitches. We were in the duguout thinking, 'We don't know how much longer he can go.' He ends up giving us two more clean innings. And the fact that we come right back after they had that long inning was huge. He got to sit and rest a little bit, and we put some runs on the board."
Matsuzaka also ran into a bit of the Murphy's Law that can happen in baseball. Jorge Posada blooped an RBI single just in front of a diving Manny Ramirez. Johnny Damon fought off a tough 3-2 pitch and hit what looked like a check-swing two-run single to right.
"Johnny just had a typical Johnny at-bat," said Varitek. "[It was a] good athletic at-bat, put the ball in play. We just got ourselves into some trouble with some walks."
Matsuzaka's first month as a Major League pitcher now complete, he is 3-2 with a 4.36 ERA. Adjusting from one baseball culture to another, Matsuzaka knows his progress will be gradual.
"Even though I've studied opposing lineups on DVD and having held pitchers meetings, it's still different from actually facing them in reality," Matsuzaka said. "I think that overall I've been a little bit too cautious, but I do think that it's sort of a natural phase that I do need to get over."
This night wasn't just a struggle for the rookie starting pitcher. Andy Pettitte had his own meltdown, and the timing couldn't have been better for the Red Sox. Just after Matsuzaka finished his laborious fourth, Pettitte lost control in the fifth.
As for Matsuzaka, he was candid about the fact that there are still things he needs to figure out.
"I don't think there were too many things I actually did improve upon from my pervious starts, but there are some things that I have been working on," Matsuzaka said. "The sort of pitching you saw today might be what you see for a few more starts as I get used to the opposing lineups. But that being said, it's the type of pitching I would like to avoid."
---
４月の成績、３勝２敗、防御率４．３６。
防御率の割には、中身は悪くない。全て６回以上投げているのは、安定している証拠。
Following his roughest inning as a member of the Red Sox, Daisuke Matsuzaka ducked through the dugout tunnel at Yankee Stadium, cooled off in the comfort of the clubhouse and came back sleeveless for the first time all night.
Just like that, Matsuzaka went into no-sweat mode, setting down the final six batters he faced en route to a topsy-turvy 11-4 victory over the Yankees on Friday night.
Pitching atop the mound at historic Yankee Stadium for the first time, Matsuzaka (six innings, five hits, four runs, four walks, seven strikeouts) ultimately prevailed, adding to the ongoing woes of the Yankees, who have now lost seven in a row.
Matsuzaka is 2-0 against the Yankees after beating his rivals for the second time in six days. Not that he was thumping his chest over that.
"I wouldn't say that there's any personal satisfaction in beating the Yankees," Matsuzaka said. "But as a team, I'm very, very happy that we won."
Everything seemed to fall apart for Matsuzaka in a four-run fourth inning. He faced nine batters in the unsettling frame, threw 41 pitches and walked the bases loaded, putting Boston in a 4-2 hole. No wonder those red sleeves were feeling so toasty on a night Matsuzaka went on to throw 117 pitches.
"If I got into all the things that happened in the fourth inning, that would be a very long story and it would sound like a lot of excuses," said Matsuzaka. "To keep a long story short, I'll just say that there's a few things technically that I still need to work on."
Because of the whopping pitch count alone, Matsuzaka came harrowingly close to a shower that had nothing to do with the misty weather. Manager Terry Francona was getting antsy on the bench. Lefty J.C. Romero was warming up in the bullpen.
"That was a difficult inning," Francona said. "I think he threw 41 pitches. That's almost an alarming number of pitches. We were in the duguout thinking, 'We don't know how much longer he can go.' He ends up giving us two more clean innings. And the fact that we come right back after they had that long inning was huge. He got to sit and rest a little bit, and we put some runs on the board."
Matsuzaka also ran into a bit of the Murphy's Law that can happen in baseball. Jorge Posada blooped an RBI single just in front of a diving Manny Ramirez. Johnny Damon fought off a tough 3-2 pitch and hit what looked like a check-swing two-run single to right.
"Johnny just had a typical Johnny at-bat," said Varitek. "[It was a] good athletic at-bat, put the ball in play. We just got ourselves into some trouble with some walks."
Matsuzaka's first month as a Major League pitcher now complete, he is 3-2 with a 4.36 ERA. Adjusting from one baseball culture to another, Matsuzaka knows his progress will be gradual.
"Even though I've studied opposing lineups on DVD and having held pitchers meetings, it's still different from actually facing them in reality," Matsuzaka said. "I think that overall I've been a little bit too cautious, but I do think that it's sort of a natural phase that I do need to get over."
This night wasn't just a struggle for the rookie starting pitcher. Andy Pettitte had his own meltdown, and the timing couldn't have been better for the Red Sox. Just after Matsuzaka finished his laborious fourth, Pettitte lost control in the fifth.
As for Matsuzaka, he was candid about the fact that there are still things he needs to figure out.
"I don't think there were too many things I actually did improve upon from my pervious starts, but there are some things that I have been working on," Matsuzaka said. "The sort of pitching you saw today might be what you see for a few more starts as I get used to the opposing lineups. But that being said, it's the type of pitching I would like to avoid."
---
４月の成績、３勝２敗、防御率４．３６。
防御率の割には、中身は悪くない。全て６回以上投げているのは、安定している証拠。
英語の速読の練習に良いかもしれない。当然だが、バレンタインは、最初にアクセントを置いて、バ！！レンタイン、と読む。
Valentine is introduced. "In Japan he's taken the status of rock star," the host says. "He not only raised the status of baseball to rival that of the United States, but he's a master of human chemistry." Valentine nods at the compliment, takes the stage, makes a couple jokes in Japanese and opens with the anecdote about being the only person to manage in the AL, NL and Japanese pro ball and also be fired in all three leagues. He thanks the crowd, then addresses the subject of Matsuzaka. Only 24 hours earlier the Red Sox successfully bid $51.1 million for the right to negotiate a big league contract with him.
"Here, the day after the great 26-year-old pitcher Matsuzaka, from the Seibu Lions, took that bridge that I'm trying to build -- he took that bridge over to play in the United States -- I have to say that I have very mixed feelings," Valentine says. "One is the joy, for him, his family and my team, because he won't pitch against us again. But also one of sadness and disappointment in the professional league of Japanese baseball for allowing him, a great national treasure, to in fact leave their league. I think that this audience here, which is building many bridges of commerce and industry between two of the greatest economic countries in the world, must be reminded at this time that Japan has a sport that is their national sport. There are 150 million people there and the true national sport is baseball, the only industrialized country in the world that the national sport is baseball."
Valentine pauses to let his words sink in before he resumes. "And that in itself is a great resource. And it should be looked at as something that should be treasured and kept and cherished and cultivated and nourished, just as your companies are developing and growing. And the same type of synergy that's in this room should be involved in making Japanese baseball a world power. Not only on the field, because the players can play, but also in the front office and the ownership level so that the players can be paid what they should be paid and stay in Japan to keep that league as strong as it can possibly be, so that my dream of a true World Series will in fact come true in the very near future."
The crowd cheers politely, but the real audience for Valentine's comments, the world baseball community, does not hear them. Despite the event's location in New York City, I am the only member of the U.S. media present.
So Valentine slips off into the night, neither harassed nor feted in his home country. All of the major league managerial openings have been filled. As a result Valentine will spend the 2007 season, which began on March 24, as the Marines' manager, an increasingly invisible figure to baseball fans in America. Perhaps it is the price he must pay for his nearly perfect life in Japan. Since Japanese baseball is not considered world-class, his accomplishments there do not carry much weight at home, and since the best Japanese players keep leaving for the States, he cannot make Japanese baseball world-class, no matter how many bridges he builds or box lunches he sells.
Thus Bobby Valentine remains stranded somewhere in the middle of his own bridge, a man caught between two worlds, a hero in the wrong country.
Valentine is introduced. "In Japan he's taken the status of rock star," the host says. "He not only raised the status of baseball to rival that of the United States, but he's a master of human chemistry." Valentine nods at the compliment, takes the stage, makes a couple jokes in Japanese and opens with the anecdote about being the only person to manage in the AL, NL and Japanese pro ball and also be fired in all three leagues. He thanks the crowd, then addresses the subject of Matsuzaka. Only 24 hours earlier the Red Sox successfully bid $51.1 million for the right to negotiate a big league contract with him.
"Here, the day after the great 26-year-old pitcher Matsuzaka, from the Seibu Lions, took that bridge that I'm trying to build -- he took that bridge over to play in the United States -- I have to say that I have very mixed feelings," Valentine says. "One is the joy, for him, his family and my team, because he won't pitch against us again. But also one of sadness and disappointment in the professional league of Japanese baseball for allowing him, a great national treasure, to in fact leave their league. I think that this audience here, which is building many bridges of commerce and industry between two of the greatest economic countries in the world, must be reminded at this time that Japan has a sport that is their national sport. There are 150 million people there and the true national sport is baseball, the only industrialized country in the world that the national sport is baseball."
Valentine pauses to let his words sink in before he resumes. "And that in itself is a great resource. And it should be looked at as something that should be treasured and kept and cherished and cultivated and nourished, just as your companies are developing and growing. And the same type of synergy that's in this room should be involved in making Japanese baseball a world power. Not only on the field, because the players can play, but also in the front office and the ownership level so that the players can be paid what they should be paid and stay in Japan to keep that league as strong as it can possibly be, so that my dream of a true World Series will in fact come true in the very near future."
The crowd cheers politely, but the real audience for Valentine's comments, the world baseball community, does not hear them. Despite the event's location in New York City, I am the only member of the U.S. media present.
So Valentine slips off into the night, neither harassed nor feted in his home country. All of the major league managerial openings have been filled. As a result Valentine will spend the 2007 season, which began on March 24, as the Marines' manager, an increasingly invisible figure to baseball fans in America. Perhaps it is the price he must pay for his nearly perfect life in Japan. Since Japanese baseball is not considered world-class, his accomplishments there do not carry much weight at home, and since the best Japanese players keep leaving for the States, he cannot make Japanese baseball world-class, no matter how many bridges he builds or box lunches he sells.
Thus Bobby Valentine remains stranded somewhere in the middle of his own bridge, a man caught between two worlds, a hero in the wrong country.
As Valentine chastises, he also tries to teach. He obviously likes Koga; he is just frustrated by him. So Valentine hammers home the Bobby way. Koga asks about a Marines prospect who's afraid to steal because he's not 100% sure he'll be successful. "You must allow him to get picked off first base without saying he's stupid or a rookie, so he knows how far to go without getting picked off -- so he has freedom," says Valentine. "It's like skiing. If you always ski the easy run, you never learn. You must fall down to learn."
At one point Valentine offers the team president job -- currently held by Ryuzo Setoyama -- to Koga. "Hide, why don't you be my G.M.," Valentine says, pointing his Kirin at Koga. "Think about it. I know you like to teach, I know they need you. But the food's a lot better up here than in the minor leagues. Go on the road with me, have nice dinners."
Koga is reluctant -- he likes working with players -- but Valentine says he'll come back to him on it. More food comes, followed by more Kirin, and Valentine can't help himself. "I'm not one to brag often ... O.K., all the time," he says. He has to preach his gospel. He sits, legs spread, an alpha male in a position of power, and holds forth: on old teams, old grudges and his players.
About his starting shortstop, Tsuyoshi Nishioka: "He sucks this year. He's s---."
On Mitchell, the former Giant who played briefly in Japan: "A great guy but the worst gaijin ever to play here."
On why Kenji Johima, the catcher for Mike Hargrove's Seattle Mariners, is platooning behind the plate: "Because his manager's an idiot."
Three months late the season is over and the U.S. is crazy about Japanese baseball, but not about Valentine. Matsuzaka, the star pitcher for the Seibu Lions, dominates the news. Valentine? He is mentioned as an outside candidate for the Giants and the Washington Nationals jobs. But he is interviewed by neither team.
Valentine has come back to New York City. The Japanese Chamber of Commerce is honoring him with its Eagle on the World Award, given annually to prominent figures who further Japanese-American relations. The other honorees are former Deputy Secretary of State Dick Armitage and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi. The awards presentation is at the New York Hilton in midtown Manhattan. It is a swank affair: black tie, filet mignon, stylish Japanese women on the arms of powerful executives from companies such as Sony, Panasonic and Sumitomo. A popular Japanese singer, Yosunake, opens the evening with a couple of rousing numbers in his native tongue, then finishes by singing New York, New York decked out in a glittering sequined floor-length coat.
At one point Valentine offers the team president job -- currently held by Ryuzo Setoyama -- to Koga. "Hide, why don't you be my G.M.," Valentine says, pointing his Kirin at Koga. "Think about it. I know you like to teach, I know they need you. But the food's a lot better up here than in the minor leagues. Go on the road with me, have nice dinners."
Koga is reluctant -- he likes working with players -- but Valentine says he'll come back to him on it. More food comes, followed by more Kirin, and Valentine can't help himself. "I'm not one to brag often ... O.K., all the time," he says. He has to preach his gospel. He sits, legs spread, an alpha male in a position of power, and holds forth: on old teams, old grudges and his players.
About his starting shortstop, Tsuyoshi Nishioka: "He sucks this year. He's s---."
On Mitchell, the former Giant who played briefly in Japan: "A great guy but the worst gaijin ever to play here."
On why Kenji Johima, the catcher for Mike Hargrove's Seattle Mariners, is platooning behind the plate: "Because his manager's an idiot."
Three months late the season is over and the U.S. is crazy about Japanese baseball, but not about Valentine. Matsuzaka, the star pitcher for the Seibu Lions, dominates the news. Valentine? He is mentioned as an outside candidate for the Giants and the Washington Nationals jobs. But he is interviewed by neither team.
Valentine has come back to New York City. The Japanese Chamber of Commerce is honoring him with its Eagle on the World Award, given annually to prominent figures who further Japanese-American relations. The other honorees are former Deputy Secretary of State Dick Armitage and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi. The awards presentation is at the New York Hilton in midtown Manhattan. It is a swank affair: black tie, filet mignon, stylish Japanese women on the arms of powerful executives from companies such as Sony, Panasonic and Sumitomo. A popular Japanese singer, Yosunake, opens the evening with a couple of rousing numbers in his native tongue, then finishes by singing New York, New York decked out in a glittering sequined floor-length coat.
There is a Japanese phrase that Valentine likes to quote: Chisai kuni desu kara. It means "because it's a small country." "People ask why there are no garbage cans," he says, "and they answer, 'because there's no litter.' Ask why there is no litter and they say, 'because it's a small country.'"
Japan is not, of course, a small country.
It has 127 million people. But its customs can be intractable. There is a Japanese axiom, "The protruding nail gets beaten down." Valentine refuses to be hammered down. Rather he is the claw grip, trying to yank free whatever he can. He wants to exact big change -- change his franchise's operations, the way the league promotes itself, the way its minor league functions -- and, as he did in the States, he has little regard for those who come between him and progress.
It is a fall evening near the end of last season, and Valentine has left his apartment to go out to dinner with his minor league manager, Hide Koga, and a Mets foreign scout, Isao O'Jimi, who worked with Valentine in New York and now serves as an informal adviser and drinking buddy. Koga, 66, has a white flattop and a mustache that perches like a thin white caterpillar on his upper lip; he played with Sadaharu Oh and coached in the U.S. minor leagues. Valentine is involved in a struggle with Koga over how to teach the game. He wants Koga to do it the American way -- the Bobby way -- but Koga can't help himself: He still believes in bunting runners over, in trying for slap hits.
In 2005 that wasn't a problem, but in '06, as the Marines struggle -- they are a .500 team at the time of this dinner -- men like Koga can't help but wonder whether the Japanese way isn't better after all. Even the phrase Bobby Magic belies a popular skepticism. "That magic stuff, what s--- is that?" says Ramppen. "They don't want to credit the gaijin here."
Valentine has set up this dinner in part to talk about the upcoming draft with O'Jimi and in part to have a sit-down with Koga. The food is extravagant -- lobster, abalone, goose liver, filet mignon -- washed down with pints of Kirin and glasses of sochu, a potato liquor similar to vodka that, the Japanese claim dubiously, does not cause hangovers. It doesn't take long for Valentine to get into it with Koga.
"We've had this conversation a thousand times," Valentine says. "The Japanese f------ way. You've got our hitters not swinging through the ball. All your hitters suck."
"But I was Don Baylor's interpreter," Koga replies, "and he said -- "
Valentine cuts him off. "I don't care," he says. "That was 20 years ago, Hide. Besides, Don Baylor's an idiot." Valentine is just getting warmed up. "A lot of things can happen if you teach them to bunt for a hit, like I keep telling you. The last three years it was a good play, but this year, well...."
O'Jimi joins in: "Bubby, I hear your fourth hitter, the catcher, bunts by himself."
Valentine nods. "Nine times ... because he wants to show his teammates he's unselfish."
Koga wants to blame the Marines' hitting woes on Robson, the American hitting coach, but Valentine won't let him. "He's a lazy gaijin, O.K., he is," Valentine says of his friend, "but it doesn't mean that what he did last year was wrong." He pauses. "This year no one wants to make a mistake. What the f--- is that?"
Koga has no answer. He frowns. Valentine frowns back. "Hey, we could go back to being mediocre, I don't care," the manager says. "It's only my life's work."
Japan is not, of course, a small country.
It has 127 million people. But its customs can be intractable. There is a Japanese axiom, "The protruding nail gets beaten down." Valentine refuses to be hammered down. Rather he is the claw grip, trying to yank free whatever he can. He wants to exact big change -- change his franchise's operations, the way the league promotes itself, the way its minor league functions -- and, as he did in the States, he has little regard for those who come between him and progress.
It is a fall evening near the end of last season, and Valentine has left his apartment to go out to dinner with his minor league manager, Hide Koga, and a Mets foreign scout, Isao O'Jimi, who worked with Valentine in New York and now serves as an informal adviser and drinking buddy. Koga, 66, has a white flattop and a mustache that perches like a thin white caterpillar on his upper lip; he played with Sadaharu Oh and coached in the U.S. minor leagues. Valentine is involved in a struggle with Koga over how to teach the game. He wants Koga to do it the American way -- the Bobby way -- but Koga can't help himself: He still believes in bunting runners over, in trying for slap hits.
In 2005 that wasn't a problem, but in '06, as the Marines struggle -- they are a .500 team at the time of this dinner -- men like Koga can't help but wonder whether the Japanese way isn't better after all. Even the phrase Bobby Magic belies a popular skepticism. "That magic stuff, what s--- is that?" says Ramppen. "They don't want to credit the gaijin here."
Valentine has set up this dinner in part to talk about the upcoming draft with O'Jimi and in part to have a sit-down with Koga. The food is extravagant -- lobster, abalone, goose liver, filet mignon -- washed down with pints of Kirin and glasses of sochu, a potato liquor similar to vodka that, the Japanese claim dubiously, does not cause hangovers. It doesn't take long for Valentine to get into it with Koga.
"We've had this conversation a thousand times," Valentine says. "The Japanese f------ way. You've got our hitters not swinging through the ball. All your hitters suck."
"But I was Don Baylor's interpreter," Koga replies, "and he said -- "
Valentine cuts him off. "I don't care," he says. "That was 20 years ago, Hide. Besides, Don Baylor's an idiot." Valentine is just getting warmed up. "A lot of things can happen if you teach them to bunt for a hit, like I keep telling you. The last three years it was a good play, but this year, well...."
O'Jimi joins in: "Bubby, I hear your fourth hitter, the catcher, bunts by himself."
Valentine nods. "Nine times ... because he wants to show his teammates he's unselfish."
Koga wants to blame the Marines' hitting woes on Robson, the American hitting coach, but Valentine won't let him. "He's a lazy gaijin, O.K., he is," Valentine says of his friend, "but it doesn't mean that what he did last year was wrong." He pauses. "This year no one wants to make a mistake. What the f--- is that?"
Koga has no answer. He frowns. Valentine frowns back. "Hey, we could go back to being mediocre, I don't care," the manager says. "It's only my life's work."