Subject: Japanese Baseball Stars
With a quick look around the TVs of a sports bar at one point last evening,
one could see Japanese players on all the screens showing baseball: Shigetoshi Hasegawa (Anaheim Angels),
Hideo Nomo (Boston Red Sox), Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle Mariners).
Surreal, but true.
Subject: Re: Japanese Baseball Stars
> Japanese baseball players
The staff of the Japanese American social services agency where I work,
as well as many others in the Nikkei community, have been
following the progress of the Japanese baseball stars playing in the majors.
Ichiro is no fluke and has made a very good accounting for himself --
he has gained a strong following and they are not just Japanese.
People are impressed with his all-around high level of performance.
Nomo just missed a second no-hitter for the year.
Other players have also turned in good performances, so it could be a banner year
for Nikkei in the "bigs". I heard Japan is concerned about the "star-drain" from
Japanese baseball. I guess it could happen.
Subject: Re: Japanese Baseball Stars
> It could be a banner year for Nikkei in the "bigs".
I wouldn`t be surprised if those players from Japan consider themselves
Japanese (Nipponjin) rather than Nikkeijin.
Subject: Re: Japanese Baseball Stars
> It could be a banner year for Nikkei in the "bigs".
>
> I wouldn`t be surprised if those players from Japan consider
> themselves Japanese (Nipponjin) rather than Nikkeijin.
As certainly do the planeloads of Japanese tourists making
their way to Seattle to watch him play. Safeco Field is now
a stop on the Japanese city bus tour, and the concession stands
sell bento, sushi and Japanese beer alongside hot dogs, peanuts
and pretzels. Calls from Japan are coming to some Seattle area
Japanese Americans from long-lost relatives, and to some Japanese
sojourners from OBs and OGs they haven't heard from in years,
asking whether they have a place to stay.
Subject: Re: Japanese Baseball Stars
> Ichiro is no fluke and has made a very good accounting
> for himself -- he has gained a strong following, and they
> are not just Japanese.
There are fans of Japanese professional baseball in America.
I (a sansei working in Japan) seem to recall that there is a chapter of
the Hiroshima Carps Fan Club in Los Angeles. (The Hiroshima Carps
is a team which is a member of the Central League here).
Subject: Re: Japanese Baseball Stars
> There are fans of Japanese professional baseball in America.
With the success of the Japanese stars in the major leagues, American interest in
Japanese professional baseball may be more to see who will be the next Ichiro to
come over.
- JBall: Japanese Baseball
http://ww1.baywell.ne.jp/fpweb/drlatham/
- Information about Japanese baseball in English. Includes "Nihongo: Breaking the language barrier"
-- learn phrases that come in handy at a baseball game in Japan, or when going to see Ichiro and sitting among Japanese fans;
find out how to say, "Can I offer you some delicious dried squid?" and what "home in" and "guts pose" mean.
Last updated 20 May 2001