Hideki Matsui (New York Yankees) Kei Igawa (New York Yankees) Daisuke Matsuzaka (Boston Red Sox) Hideki Okajima (Boston Red Sox) Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle Mariners) Kenji Johjima (Seattle Mariners) Takashi Saito (Los Angeles Dodgers) Akinori Otsuka (Texas Rangers) Tadahito Iguchi (Chicago White Sox) So Taguchi (St. Louis Cardinals) Tomokazu Ohka (Toronto Blue Jays) Akinori Iwamura (Tampa Bay Devil Rays) Kazuo Matsui (Colorado Rockies) Masumi Kuwata (Pittsburgh Pirates) Discuss them. Ichiro is good as usual. He'll win the batting champion. Okajima or Matsuzaka has a chance to win the Rookie of the Year. Igawa is shit. Three Japanese players (Ichiro, Saito and Okajima) will play the MLB all star game this week.
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 Ichiro was named MVP of the All Star Game, going 3-3 with the first inside-the-park homer in the game's history. Saito pitched one perfect inning for the NL.
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 Ichiro takes MVP with ASG's first inside-the-park homer http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=270710132 Ichiro could make $100M in deal with Mariners http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2932131
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 He's already been with Mariners for 6 years now. If he seals the deal that's 10+ years in MLB. Good for him.
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 Hideki is good too, but if I have to pick one I'd have to say Ichiro. My friends were saying Dice-K, but I just can't picture him staying in MLB for 10 years.
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 um... i don't really watch the mariners unless the yanks play them... i can understand why japanese fans will love ichiro more than hideki, since hideki pussed out of WBC, almost costing them the championship... but i think next WBC, assuming hideki doesn't puss out, he will do more for the japan than ichiro... I can understand why people think Ichiro is the best since he is an outstanding outfielder and he is so good making hits and running bases... whereas Hideki just isn't the best power hitter in a league with tons of great power hitters. but even so, I think Hideki's power hitting is greater than the sum total of ichiro's ability. ok... so hideki didn't really hit a lot of homers... but... he is pretty decent outfielder too. Never afraid of the wall, i saw him break his wrist to ensure an out. well.. like i said, I'm biased. it's also possible, i just hate ichiro. I can't explain it. When i see his stupid bat thing before he bats, I just want to see him get struck out. whereas when i see hideki news like he watches pr0n with japanese journalists or that his favorite bibimbap place is such and such place i go to, well, I want him to outdo a-rod. anyway. it bugs me if ichiro should be named asia's best baseball player.
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 Hideki may have broken his wrist, but Ichiro is athletic enough to make spectacular catches without breaking his wrist. He covers a lot more ground than Matsui, and has a much better arm as well.
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 hey i'm not denying that Ichiro is the superior outfielder. I'm just saying that come next WBC, you will get a lot more dividends from Hideki's homeruns than Ichiro's base running. I think that makes Hideki Japan's best player. but what the hell... that's my yankee heart talking. if you were to ask me if Jonny Damon was better than Sheffield whom the Yankees stupidly traded away, I wouls say no. I just feel like that analogy works for Ichiro vs Hideki...
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 I agree with you I guess when we are talking about Matsui at his best vs. Ichiro at his best. So far this season I would take Ichiro though.
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 yea, so far hideki's homeruns arent' coming. but then again, his driving in a lot of runs, so he hasn't gone for those kind of hits... well at least that's what looks like to me. the real test is in october... here's me hoping that hideki outshines ichiro
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 I took Dice-K 1st pick overall in my routissourie draft this season (Im in a Keeper league). People called me crazy because guys like Peavy, Beltran, and Monreau were stilll available. But I read the SI article on him before the draft and that cinched it for me. Read about his six pitches. Read about the endless games he pitched (avg 125 PC per game). Read about the MRI he took as part of his checkup which showed his elbow ligaments in nearly new condition. This kid is a freak. I think I made a good move still because he's going to prove himself in this league. He already is beginnign to dominate. Ichiro is the best Asian player in the MLB to date no question. I hate his cocky shit-eating grin ass but its true.
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 wow that's something new to hear. nobody really gives shit about wbc and i 've never heard anyone in japan saying above. baseball isn't a sport to decide a winner after winning one or two game against the same opponents. if it's at least a 5-game series per opponent then i agree wbc has some credit but otherwise it's just shit. if anyone likes ichiro over matsui there can be several reasons but not because of wbc
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 today Ichiro didn't get a hit but I don't care as long as the M's win. i feel we have been riding our luck though. I don't know how far we can get with the crap that is Richie Sexson.
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 Actually, even when those two played in Japan, people favored Ichiro over Matsui.
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 are you from seattle or what? because usually people temporary become a fan of a certain team just because they have a player from their country. didn't we have so many dodgers fans back in 95?
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 Ichiro is a better player than Hideki. There aren't that many good CF in the MLB these days. With his speed, he can turn a single into a double or even a triple. Plus, I hate the Yankees.
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 No, from NJ. I was a Yankee fan until they started going spending crazy. But I liked Griffey, Jr. and always played with the Mariners on Sega Genesis back in the day (World Series Baseball).
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 In Seattle, Ichiro is more popular than Shaun Alexander who is 2005 NFL Most Valuable Player.
Re: [NSR]Japanese baseballers in MLB '07 hideki's been hitting well. but i'll stop ruining your ichiro party. i'll just wait till october when your hideki fever will rise.