[Previous entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Will MLB Chicken Out of Japan Opener?"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Oh Likes Taking it on the Chen"]
02/17/2003 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Were Dragons Victimized by MLB Players Union Blackmail?"
Dragons Feel Humiliated by Millar Episode
A visibly angry Chunichi Dragons team president Junnosuke Nishikawa seethed that his stomach was churning, as his side feels that they were unfairly pressured into a settlement that saw Millar's contract with the Dragons voided. "I hope we can restructure [NPB's agreement with MLB] so that there isn't a repeat of this," Nishikawa grumbled to reporters.
What particularly miffed the Chunichi franchise was an article in the Seattle Post Intelligencer that indicated that the MLB players' union was prepared to cancel the Mariners-A's series in Tokyo in reprisal for what the union saw as hardball tactics employed against Millar. The threat seems to have moved the settlement talks along, as Chunichi was afraid its image at home would be damaged if the Millar matter resulted in the cancellation of the Japanese MLB opener.
Totally absent in all this was leadership by Commissioner Bud Selig, who should have told the union to get stuffed. Selig likes to fancy himself as an able backroom fixer, but, as he has often in the past, dropped the ball and it has hurt the image of MLB and its players in Japan, proving that he is incompetent to hold his job. Now does he care enough to try to smooth things over with the Japanese or will he, in his typical arrogant way, just ignore the bad taste that was left behind?
As for Kevin "the coward" Millar, considering that Alex Ochoa and Chris Brock are going to go over to Japan this week while the U.S. gears up for war, he is exposed as gutless and disingenuous. No matter how much he apologized, and there has been no word in the Japanese press that he actually has, nobody is going to believe that he was sincere. God, what a debacle.
Yomiuri Rookie shortstop Masahiro Nagata, 18, continues to impress, as he wacked a pair of hits in five at bats in a simulated game Sunday. He is making a bid to become the first infielder right out of high school to make it to opening day with the Giants' first team since Sadaharu Oh did it 44 years ago. The last player to do it for the club was catcher Shinichi Murata in 1983. Nagata will start at shortstop and bat second in an intrasquad game tomorrow....Kimiyasu Kudoh is still experiencing discomfort in a calf muscle and it is uncertain when he will be able to take the mound during the exhibition schedule....Closer Junichi Kawahara threw 91 pitches in the bullpen yesterday. He is working on a shuuto....It looks as if Yusaku Iriki and Hiroki Sanada are going to be given first dibs at winning rotation spots while rookies Yuya Kubo and Hiroshi Kisanuki will begin the exhibition season in the pen....Third baseman Akira Etoh has some discomfort in his right elbow, but while it will keep him out of the field for a while, it didn't stop hom from banging out a ocuple of hits in a simulated game Sunday. He might be used as a DH in order to get him some at bats while the elbow recovers....It doesn't look like rightfielder Roberto Petagine will be coming back to the majors. In an interview Sunday over a meal of Chinese food with Hochi Sports, the former Red said that he wants to end his career in Tokyo with the Giants "because they are the greatest team in Japan." He also called Japan "my second home." Petagine disclosed that he had offers from MLB, but that Japan was his first choice. However, he didn't say what kind of offers he was preferred from stateside. The reporter asked Petagine about heckling he may hear at his hold Meiji Jingu stomping grounds: "I don't understand Japanese, so I'll be fine."
Yakult The Swallows were blistered 10-2 by the KBO's SK Wyverns in a practice game Sunday, as Yuya Kamada was touched for four runs while first baseman Todd Betts went 0-3 with a pair of strikeouts. To exacerbate that, Yakult made four errors in an uncharacteristically bad fielding exhibition. Skipper Tsutomu Wakamatsu was noticeably unhappy at what he saw, accusing his charges of lacking concentration.... Southpaw Yuhei Takai threw 54 pitches in a bullpen session Sunday. He will have a longer workout tomorrow where he will throw upwards of 100 pitches in order to see how his control and stamina are coming along.
Chunichi Kenshin Kawakami went two innings in an intrasquad game today and was cuffed around for four runs, including a three run homer by catcher Motonobu Tanishige. Kawakami said his control was off. Manager Hisashi Yamada posited that Kawakami's poor showing was no big deal and that he just needs more work to get sharp.
Hanshin Righthander Taiyo Fujita threw four shutout innings on one hit in an intrasquad game earlier today. Fujita, the team's 2001 number one draft choice, also threw three scoreless frames in a practice game against Hiroshima earlier this spring and is making a serious bid to get into the starting rotation....Third baseman Atsushi Kataoka cranked 14 homers in 60 swings Sunday in front of 10,000 fans who packed into the Tigers spring training camp at Aki, Kochi Prefecture. He commented afterward that the hitting session was the best he's felt since coming to the club last season. He also insisted that he feels no pressure from Kentaro Sekimoto for his job. A rebound to his Nippon Ham form by Kataoka would drastically improve the Osaka nine's chances of contending....40 year old Veteran Katsumi Hirosawa asserted himself in an intrasquad game, as he lashed a bases clearing double to the centerfield fence off of Keiichi Yabu as part of a 2-2 day.
Hiroshima Rookie Katsuhiro Nagakawa sparkled in an intrasquad game before packed house Sunday, as he threw two perfect innings on 23 pitches and racked up three strikeouts. Former Tampa Bay infielder Andy Sheets enthused that the youngster has a vicious forkball "like Kazuhiro Sasaki's." Nagagawa, though, said that his forkball isn't yet as good as it is when he's in 100% game shape. His fastball was clocked at 92mph.... Centerfielder Koichi Ogata tattooed a first inning fastball from Tetsuto Tomabechi into the leftcenterfield seats Sunday in an intrasquad game. The oft-injured outfielder said that he is glad he is feeling so good right now. And you can't start a season any better than with a longball.
Yokohama Yuji Yoshimi has been working on a forkball this spring, but he was dropping his elbow while delivering it during a workout Sunday, so special pitching coach Shigeru Sugishita, after correcting the flaw, told a reporter that Yoshimi isn't making much progress. "He's at about 2-3 percent"....Third baseman Katsuaki Furuki homered for the second time in as many intrasquad games Sunday, as he punished a hanging slider leading off the second from reliever Ryuichi Kawahara into the rightfield seats.....Matt Whiteside threw 60 pitches in batting practice to five hitters, working on keeping the ball down and using his changeup.
Seibu The Lions have appealed to the public to give a nickname to their middle infield duo of Kazuo Matsui and Hiroyuki Takagi, each a Gold Glove winner in 2002. The pair put on a show for the 7,000 fans who showed up to view their Sunday workout during a special 160 ground ball defensive drill, with them executing diving catches and flipping the ball with their gloves while turning double plays....Seibu will have its first intrasquad tilt tomorrow.
Daiei Rookie lefthander Tsuyoshi Wada hurt his left oblique muscle over the weekend and has been given a lighter workout routine. Wada says he will be ready to open the regular season with the big club. However, he will miss a scheduled appearance in an intrasquad game on the 19th...While working upwards of 94mph, reliever Matt Skrmetta blew away three of the five men he faced on strikes in a perfect simulated game outing Sunday. Skrmetta said that he was surprised by how good his velocity was and was satisfied with his control....Hawks owner Nakauchi announced Sunday that his squad will play three games against a local all star team in Taiwan November 14, 15, and 16. The first two matches will be in Kaohsiung (I think, if I'm reading the characters correctly) while the final one will be in Taipei. Last May, Daiei met Orix for a successful series in Taiwan.
Kintetsu Leftfielder Tuffy Rhodes ripped ten homers in 41 swings earlier today, including three that went completely out of the ballpark. The former Cub, who says he wants to focus on posting a higher batting average this coming season, worked with a personal trainer in the offseason to strengthen the muscles around his problem right knee. He will start an exhibition game against Yomiuri on the 23rd. Third baseman Norihiro Nakamura was happy to see the man who bats in front of him in the order: "when Rhodes gets here, the atmosphere changes completely," the burly slugger noted ....Miyamoto had a tremendous afternoon on the mound during an intrasquad game Sunday, striking out five during a hitless three innings.
Nippon Ham Infielder Yuji Iiyama was given a couple of days off by manager Trey Hillman so that Iiyama could be with his wife and their newborn son. That is very unusual in Japanese baseball, where players often skip funerals of family members to play in games....Reliever Kiyoshi Sasaki is working out in the minor league camp of the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he will appear in some intrasquad games. If those go really well, he may even see some game action with the big club. He will then return to the Fighters on March 26th.
Lotte Second baseman Bobby Rose has taken a donut in three intrasquad games so far, saying that he hasn't been able to hit anything that's not a fastball. Manager Koji Yamamoto, though, isn't worried. "Time will solve that problem," he offered. Unfortunately, things got worse than that for the former Angel, as he left for Tokyo for a medical exam after apparently suffering heart palpitations from a case of nerves and may not be back for another two weeks so that he can chill out....Doing much better in Sunday's intrasquad faceoff was first baseman Kazuya Fukuura, who homered and collected a total of three hits in four trips up and is now 4-7 in three such games....Having a better time as well is rookie infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka, who is 4-6 in the spring.
Miscellaneous According to the Orlando Sentinel, the Boston Red Sox have reached a minor league agreement with 18 year old Cuban righty Gary Galvez, a member of that island nations's junior team. Galvez defected last August....Dodgers lefty Kazuhisa Ishii is working on a cutter....Finally, my condolences to the family of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler, who passed away today at 23 from a still unknown cause.
Quote of the Day
This one comes from the Cincinnati Enquirer's Reds email section:
From Tim in Seoul, South Korea: Pro baseball has absolutely no parity, has an idiot for a commissioner, and the overpaid morons known as the players are the ones in charge and they know it. The next time the players threaten to strike, just fire them the way they fired the umpires. The game itself has become dull, boring and overpriced, and instead of being a pastime, it's a waste of time.
A: I've got a question for you, Tim. Why are you reading about baseball and taking time to e-mail about it?
Today's Pictures
Tuffy Rhodes Puts the Red Wood to the Ball
Masahiro Nagata During Simulated Game
Koichi Ogata Just Has to Leave
Ochoa Signs With Chunichi
See story at: St. Louis Post-Dispatch Article
Chris Brock Signs With Hiroshima
See story at: Japan Today Article
Matsui's Followers Not Tame
See story at: Hartford Courant Article
See related story at: North Jersey.com Article
Matsui and Me
See story at: NY Post Article
All Eyes on Matsui
See story at: MLB.com Article
Jersey Guy Speaks for Matsui
And it looks like I mistransliterated his last name the other day. Oops! See story at: New Jersey.com Article
Matsui Latest Star to Don Yankees Pinstripes
See story at: Winston-Salem Journal
What if India Adopted Baseball?
See a, uh, rather different take on India and cricket at: Hindustan Times Article
From Hicktown to Taiwan by Way of Baseball
See story at: Penn State Collegian Article
Off Topic: Minorities Don't Feel One Another's Pain
See story at: Seattle Times Article
Replies: 5 comments
Not only has the Baseball Guru derailed, he has missed the real story. Rather than dwell on the motivations of Kevin Millar, the Chunichi Dragons, and Bud Selig, the Baseball Guru should ask a few very simple questions:
Why does NPB have an agreement with MLB? Why is an agreement necessary? How can such an agreement be enforceable given the current labor laws in the U.S.?
The collusive nature of the MLB-NPB agreement should be recognized as such. Why should a Japanese baseball team need permission from an MLB team in order to offer a contract? This is the equivalent of GM and Toyota agreeing not to compete for prospective autoworkers. Why do we accept this?
While the major league minimum salary far exceeds even the best-paid autoworkers, many of the MLB-NPB exchanges are for guys at the AAA level with only limited time in the majors. We are not talking about the next set of superstars leaving the U.S. to go to Japan. We are talking about guys whose best shot at securing their financial future rests on the prospect of one or two good years in Japan. By the time a good AAA player with limited major league experience reaches his early thirties, he is no longer welcome by most organizations. One or two years in Japan can financially make up for the college education that was sacrificed at the Baseball Alter.
Why not give these guys a chance?
Posted by Hayek @ 02/19/2003 06:01 PM EST
The way it all played out at the end was disgusting.
Marlins won big because they ended up getting more money for the same player through what is essentially guzzumping. That's bad faith.
Red Sox got the player they wanted for cash only, which is something Bud Selig shouldn't like, but chooses to close his eyes to. Not to mention Theo Epstein breaking the gentlemen's agreement.
Millar got to go where he chose like a Free Agent, setting a precedent for not complying with a contract. Think about the ramifications of that one!
Chunichi ended up with zip for their troubles because what? They're just a Japanese baseball team? It's not a love for Japanese baseball that would make one infuriated with this, but the smug, self-serving logic of all those parties who won.
As for Millar, his 'war excuse' is lame as they come. For a start, it's not like he was asked to go to a war zone, but Japan. He wasn't asked to fight a war, like those players who lost years to previous wars, but to play baseball. All he had to do was do as he agreed to do in the contract. Instead, he says, "no, screw the contract, Changed my mind, it's too dangerous there; it's my dream tom play in Boston."
Which part of this is NOT cowardly? *Ugh*. It's nauseating. Ted Williams will be spinning in his cryo-tank!
The MLBPA are stupid to set a precedent where they went to bat for a player who backed out of his contractual obligations. What happens the hypothetical next time when a player refuses to be traded to the Devil-Rays and cites Millar and Florida's proximity to Cuba? What's going to be their position then?
The Guru is right. Chunichi deserved a lot better support out of the MLB office.
Posted by Art T @ 02/18/2003 08:11 PM EST
The Baseball Guru has derailed. I think there might be too much sake in your blood or maybe the Dragons are a major supporter of the web site. Calling Millar a "coward", siding with the Dragons and their threats, ripping on MLB and the Union, Dude... you've lost it. I think your jockstrap might be a little too tight or something, but you seriously need to check yourself. With all of the good insider stuff that you can bring to the table, don't lose it all by making some naive comments about what "you" think is right and wrong.
Report the news, don't create it!
The Hammer
Posted by Hammer @ 02/18/2003 05:32 PM EST
Chunichi didn't strongarm Millar - the Dragons just wanted Millar to honor his contract.
Millar shouldn't use international events to justify not standing by his commitments.
Posted by Robert Kiyoshi Shalow @ 02/17/2003 10:46 PM EST
yeah God forbid the MLBPA standing up for the rights of a player (even if he was a scab at one point to boot!) -- yet it's somehow ok for the Dragons to strong arm Millar with threats to destroy his career? Are you kidding me? Are you so blind not to see the parallels?
And libeling Millar with the coward label is ripe with stupidity. Your love for Japanese baseball has blinded you.
Posted by Will H @ 02/17/2003 06:26 PM EST
