| The final match-up of the World Baseball | | | | are for |
| Classic featured two teams from | | | | |
| | | | the Japanese. The last 20 at-bats of the |
| countries where baseball is a beloved sport | | | | season, I think I only saw one strike."There |
| - Cuba and Japan. Both countries | | | | are aspects of the game with which MLB |
| | | | players have difficulty. Cabrera |
| are noted for producing fine players, some | | | | |
| of whom are enjoying stellar careers | | | | said it very clearly, when he complained, |
| | | | "Here, if you hit a home run your first |
| in America. Presently, Ishiro and Matsui | | | | |
| from Japan are two of the best and | | | | at-bat, they walk you the next three. In |
| | | | America, you get a chance to hit more |
| most consistent players in the majors. | | | | |
| Making it in the big leagues in America is | | | | home runs. They challenge you."In the same |
| | | | article, former Japanese player and present |
| a big deal in Japan, a country that loves | | | | Yankee Hideki Matsui |
| baseball and embraces its own | | | | |
| | | | observed, "In the past there has been more |
| professional teams.American teachers first | | | | of that sort of unfairness," Matsui |
| introduced the game to the island country in | | | | |
| the 1870's, | | | | said, sympathizing with Cabrera. "But it has |
| | | | been decreasing in the last couple |
| and it firmly took root. By the turn of the | | | | |
| century, it was a sport throughout the | | | | years and I just hope that in the future it |
| | | | will get better."Although Cabrera has found a |
| nation and in 1936 the first professional | | | | home with the Lions, he's certainly willing |
| teams were established. The current | | | | to |
| | | | |
| professional structure was created in 1950, | | | | come back and play in America. In fact, he's |
| with teams playing in either the | | | | anxious to prove that he can hit |
| | | | |
| Pacific League or the Central League.The | | | | big league curveballs - something scouts |
| exchange of players between the Japanese | | | | claim he can't do - and pound 40-plus |
| leagues and Major League | | | | |
| | | | round trippers per season in the majors.Lou |
| baseball is not a one-way street. The first | | | | Merloni and Gabe Kapler both did their time |
| American to play baseball in post- | | | | in Japan for the same reasons |
| | | | |
| World War II Japan was Wallace Kaname | | | | and with similar results. Merloni and Kapler |
| Yonamine, a Nisei Japanese | | | | were enticed by the chance to play |
| | | | |
| American who had played NFL Football but | | | | every day, something that had eluded them |
| never had a spot on a Major | | | | when they were both with the |
| | | | |
| League Baseball club. Yonamine had a Hall of | | | | Boston Red Sox.In 2000, Merloni went to the |
| Fame career in Japan.When major leaguers from | | | | Yokohama Bay Stars with the understanding |
| America first started to compete in the | | | | that |
| Japanese | | | | |
| | | | he would be the team's regular third |
| League, they were often at the end of their | | | | baseman. But the player he was supposed |
| careers. In 1962, right-handed | | | | |
| | | | to replace decided to stay with the team, |
| pitcher Don Newcombe became the first MLB | | | | and so Merloni spent much of the |
| player to sign and play with a | | | | |
| | | | season on the bench. Although he found it to |
| team in Japan. During his 10 years in the | | | | be a frustrating season, he also |
| majors, Newcombe posted a 149-90 | | | | |
| | | | thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime cultural |
| mark, with 1129 strikeouts and a 3.56 ERA. | | | | experience.The game is pretty much the same, |
| He is still the only player to win | | | | except there's a rule prohibiting tie games |
| | | | |
| Rookie of the Year, MVP and the Cy Young. | | | | from going more than 3 extra innings, which |
| Newcombe was the first of | | | | means the game ends in a tie. First, |
| | | | |
| many Americans to go to the Far East to play | | | | there are the pre-game workouts and |
| what many consider "the" | | | | warm-ups, lasting hours. Then there's all |
| | | | |
| American sport.In the past decade something | | | | the cigarette smoke - Japanese players light |
| has changed concerning the emigration of | | | | up a lot. Also, there's the fact that |
| | | | |
| professional players from America to Japan. | | | | when the club is on the road everyone has to |
| The men who go to the Japanese | | | | dress for the game at the hotel |
| | | | |
| League are no longer at the end of their | | | | because there are no visiting locker |
| careers. They are now, more often than | | | | rooms.The media never tired of asking the |
| | | | third baseman if he'd like to marry a |
| not, mid-career players who can't seem to | | | | |
| find an everyday role on a major | | | | Japanese woman. When Merloni answered |
| | | | questions, he often felt his translator |
| league team. Often, these players decide to | | | | |
| go to Japan because they will have | | | | was editing his comments along with |
| | | | reporters' queries.Along with the possibility |
| a chance to contribute every day.Some | | | | of being an everyday player, there's the bump |
| players find a home away from home in Japan, | | | | in |
| while others go and get | | | | |
| | | | salary a player who's been in the states |
| some daily experience and come back to | | | | realizes. Usually they're making six to |
| parlay that into a starting role in | | | | |
| | | | 10 times what they made in MLB! That's quite |
| MLB. Still, others struggle in their foreign | | | | a payday. After Japan, Merloni |
| environs and come back looking to | | | | |
| | | | came back to the Red Sox and played for them |
| play in the big leagues, even if it's as a | | | | and the AAA team for the next |
| utility player.Alex Cabrera is an example of | | | | |
| the first type of player, while Lou Merloni | | | | three seasons before going to various other |
| | | | major league clubs. He seemed like |
| seemed as though he might fit the bill for | | | | |
| the second category but didn't quite | | | | he might have found a starting role with San |
| | | | Diego part way through the 2003 |
| get a break in Japan or make the cut when he | | | | |
| came back to his homeland. | | | | season, but after 65 games, they dealt him |
| | | | back to the BoSox.Gabe Kapler was offered a |
| Gabe Kapler illustrates a player in the | | | | similar opportunity in 2005, and like |
| final and least desirable of the three | | | | Merloni, he |
| | | | |
| groups.First baseman Alex Cabrera, who spent | | | | took it. With a contract valued at |
| nine seasons in the minors with the | | | | approximately $2 million, the utility |
| | | | outfielder |
| Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and | | | | |
| Arizona Diamondbacks, finally got | | | | was excited about getting to play every day |
| | | | and experience an entirely different |
| his chance to play Major League Baseball in | | | | |
| 2000. In 31 games he hit 5 homer | | | | culture. But after being a part of Boston's |
| | | | first World Series winning team in 86 |
| runs, scored 10 runs, knocked in 14 RBI and | | | | |
| accumulated a .262 BA. Then, in | | | | years, Japanese ball seemed to lack the |
| | | | spark of the game played in his |
| 2001, the Seibu Lions of the Japan Pacific | | | | |
| League bought his contract from the | | | | homeland.Missing were the overly expressive |
| | | | fans, the rich heritage, and the knock 'em |
| Diamondbacks. For Cabrera it was the | | | | |
| perfect move at exactly the right | | | | down rivalries. Kapler also didn't perform |
| time.Cabrera immediately became a star in | | | | up to expectations and found himself |
| Japan. In his first season he hit .282 with | | | | |
| | | | sitting on the bench by the second-half of |
| 124 RBI and 49 HR. In 2002, his second | | | | the season. When he got back to the |
| season, he won the Pacific League's | | | | |
| | | | states and was signed by Boston for the rest |
| MVP award and tied the single season homerun | | | | of the 2005 season, he was |
| mark (55) set by the Babe | | | | |
| | | | overjoyed as were many Red Sox fans, who |
| Ruth of Japan, Sadaharu Oh. (Tuffy Rhodes, | | | | always admired Kapler's hustle, |
| another former MLB player also | | | | |
| | | | work ethic and intelligent play.In a strange |
| tied the record in 2001.)In 2004, Cabrera | | | | twist of fate, the outfielder, who was on |
| hit two homeruns in game three, including a | | | | first base when Tony |
| grand slam, and a | | | | |
| | | | Graffanino hit a homer, ruptured his |
| massive dinger in the seventh game of the | | | | Achilles tendon after rounding second. As |
| Japan Series to help the Seibu Lions | | | | |
| | | | Kapler lay in the base path unable to get up |
| defeat the Chunichi Dragons 7-2, leading his | | | | and in agonizing pain, it was clear |
| team to their first championship | | | | |
| | | | that his 2005 season was over.In 2006, he |
| since 1992.Cabrera totes a .308 BA with 413 | | | | was no longer on a major league roster and |
| RBI and 147 HR in his first four years with | | | | neither was Merloni, |
| | | | |
| the Lions. Life is great for the first | | | | who had played a utility role with Cleveland |
| baseman and he loves Japanese ball. Except | | | | in 2004. For both players, Japan |
| | | | |
| for one thing. In an interview with he | | | | never panned out, while Alex Cabrera has |
| acknowledged his frustration | | | | achieved more than most Japanese |
| | | | |
| at not being allowed to break the record set | | | | players. The irony for Cabrera is that |
| by Sadaharu Oh.Cabrera noted, "All my | | | | despite his winning ways, the Japanese |
| teammates wanted me to break the record. A | | | | |
| lot of the | | | | League will never accept him. That |
| | | | non-acceptance, which seems to affect |
| players on other teams wanted me to break | | | | |
| it, too. The pitchers want to throw | | | | every foreign player, is one thing that |
| | | | definitely separates baseball in Japan from |
| me strikes but the managers and coaches | | | | |
| don't let them.""They didn't want me to get | | | | baseball in America. |
| the record," he acknowledged. "All records | | | | |