Let's talk about Yoshinobu Yamamoto

[Benjamin Grimm]

We know we're going to, so we might as well start now.

Me, I hope they get this guy! Kodai Senga is reportedly lobbying both sides (the Mets and Yamamoto) to come together.

Rumor has it that the Mets, Yankees, Giants, and Dodgers are the top contenders.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

He's intriguing, just 25 years old. He & Senga have the same agent.

[Edgy MD]

MY SCOUTING REPORT: Has small, soft, creamy, almost effeminate hands, but with really long fingers — almost suspiciously so. Possibly an AI creation.

[A Boy Named Seo]

I'm way into this dude.

[kcmets]

This is from earlier in the week in The Athletic:

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Mets and the factors that could impact a potential pursuit

[A Boy Named Seo]

This is from earlier in the week in The Athletic:

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Mets and the factors that could impact a potential pursuit

This part had me twisted a little:

Regarding Senga, some Japanese players are uncomfortable being major-league teammates with other Japanese players, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal wrote earlier this year, because of the importance of seniority in Japan’s hierarchical culture.

Not Yamamoto. He is believed to have an open mind about the possibility of playing alongside another Japanese player. League sources said that Yamamoto’s experience playing in the World Baseball Classic with other stars from Japan helped influence his thinking in that regard.

What do yall make of that? Would this hierarchy be harder because there are less Japanese teammates and the dynamic would be more pronounced with only 2 dudes? I couldn't quite figure that one out. Seems like having a fellow countryman to help with a new city, new teammates, new culture, new languages would be more helpful than difficulties navigating seniority.

[Edgy MD]

It's like having two singers in a band, I guess. Over here, we may think of them as two key members of a team, but perhaps in the Japanese media, the Angels are Ohtani's team, the Cubs are Suzuki's team, the Mets are Senga's team, and the story of that one team is an extension of the player's brand for Japanese consumption.

I imagine if you're walking around Kyoto with a Boston hat, it's not because you're part of Red Sox nation, but because you're on Team Yoshida.

[Benjamin Grimm]

That surprised me too. I don't recall ever hearing that about Japanese players with Japanese teammates.

Surely there's precedent for an American team having more than one Japanese player at a time? I thought about the Mets, and did a spot-check. Kaz Matsui was a teammate of Shingo Takatsu in 2005. I expect there are other examples.

[Edgy MD]

The Mets had Masato Yoshii and Hideo Nomo in the same rotation. On a good team, too. But Nomo had been traded here, and so, presumably had little control. It was also the earliest years of NPB players breaking through, so they didn't have the same kind of juice.

[metirish]

But most of their teammates in Japan are ????

[A Boy Named Seo]

It's like having two singers in a band, I guess. Over here, we may think of them as two key members of a team, but perhaps in the Japanese media, the Angels are Ohtani's team, the Cubs are Suzuki's team, the Mets are Senga's team, and the story of that one team is an extension of the player's brand for Japanese consumption.

I imagine if you're walking around Kyoto with a Boston hat, it's not because you're part of Red Sox nation, but because you're on Team Yoshida.

The branding part absolutely makes sense. We've had big name Japanese players but none were really that guy in blue and orange.

This would be two actual stars performing (hopefully) like actual stars on the same team at the same time. I'm still way into it.

[DocTee]

The Mariners had two Japanese on the same team---Ichiro and Kaz Sasaki--and each made the AL all-stars during the same seasons IIRC

[Centerfield]

But what if you hate that dude. And now you have to talk to him all the time cuz he's the only one that speaks your language.

"Hey CF. Good news. The Yokohama Baystars will pay you $50 million per year, even though your 48 years old and not good at baseball"

Wait, for real?

"Yes. You'll be teammates with Frank from accounting..."

The Qanon guy?

"He gave me this MAGA hat for you. Says he's looking forward to being your roommate on road trips. Two queens or share a king?"

[MFS62]

MY SCOUTING REPORT: Has small, soft, creamy, almost effeminate hands, but with really long fingers — almost suspiciously so. Possibly an AI creation.

I think it was in the Brosnan book when he saw two veteran relievers shaking hands. The big paw was a fastball pitcher and the the guy with long fingers (Sal Maglie?) was a curve baller. I guess these days, long fingers would make it easier to throw a splitter.
Later

[Frayed Knot]

This is from earlier in the week in The Athletic:

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Mets and the factors that could impact a potential pursuit

This part had me twisted a little:

Regarding Senga, some Japanese players are uncomfortable being major-league teammates with other Japanese players, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal wrote earlier this year, because of the importance of seniority in Japan’s hierarchical culture.

Not Yamamoto. He is believed to have an open mind about the possibility of playing alongside another Japanese player. League sources said that Yamamoto’s experience playing in the World Baseball Classic with other stars from Japan helped influence his thinking in that regard.

What do yall make of that? Would this hierarchy be harder because there are less Japanese teammates and the dynamic would be more pronounced with only 2 dudes? I couldn't quite figure that one out. Seems like having a fellow countryman to help with a new city, new teammates, new culture, new languages would be more helpful than difficulties navigating seniority.

It's mostly an age thing with the Japanese. The culture dictates always deferring to elders.
I remember there was a case of two Japanese opponents meeting in an MLB game for the first time. I even forget now which players were involved, but when
one of the two was asked if he was going to speak to the other prior to the game if he got the chance his reply was, 'Oh no, as the younger player it would not
be proper for me to approach him. As the elder it would be up to him to decide if he wanted to initiate any conversation' [not an exact quote].

So, translated to the case of two players being the only Japanese teammates on an MLB team, the younger one might not want to be in a situation where he's
disconnected to his western hemisphere teammates by language and culture while at the same time feeling he has to constantly remain deferential to his one
countryman strictly due to age and out of respect to homeland manners and of not wanting his parents back home to feel they've raised an uncouth lad.

As far as this particular and hypothetical case of Senga and the younger Yamamoto being teammates, perhaps the part about Y^2(*) 'having an open mind'
about playing with a fellow countryman translates into him perhaps being bolder about not always clinging to old world customs in a new world environment.
If he does show up here he'll come with a more highly touted pedigree, will almost certainly be better compensated than Senga and quite likely will be more
accomplished (see below). He might take all that and be just brash enough to think: 'Maybe it's You who best be deferential to Me, Ghost Boy!'


With the Japanese WS still yet to wrap up, Y^2 pitched the Orix Buffaloes into a Game 7 (presumably tonight) with a 14 K, 0 BB, 138 pitch CG 5-1 win over
the Hanshin Tigers last night. Nice way to hit his expected FA period running.




* Copyright Pending

[roger_that]

With the Japanese WS still yet to wrap up, Y^2 pitched the Orix Buffaloes into a Game 7 (presumably tonight) with a 14 K, 0 BB, 138 pitch CG 5-1 win over
the Hanshin Tigers last night. Nice way to hit his expected FA period running.

Be a pisser if he blew his arm out with that performance, wouldn't it? Kinda reminds me of Santana pitching his no-hitter.

[Frayed Knot]

In a way, I kind of like that hs threw that many pitches.
One doesn't train for longer games by throwing fewer pitches.
And, again, he's 25.

[roger_that]

And the fact that he threw four more pitches than Santana did doesn't give you pause?

I just googled this https://www.northjersey.com/story/sport ... 453024001/ to look up Santana's number and it's a little scary. I wonder if that game began the now-widespread practice of prioritizing pitch-counts over no-hitters? Santana went directly from pitching heaven to pitching hell from that point on, and while it may have been a coincidence, and Collins and Santana each insists he wouldn't have done a thing differently, you gotta wonder.

The really fascinating part to me, though, is the fact that he threw so many pitches immediately before entering free-agency. IOW, there's no way to get the slightest shred of assurance, like a decent game pitched in his next outing, that it did him no harm. I suppose a medical checkup is something, but Santana probably could have passed a medical checkup immediately after his no-hitter.

[Edgy MD]

The Mets can avoid the two-Japanese-stars-on-a-team issue (which may or may not exist), by going all in and signing Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani, and thereby making it three.

[metirish]

[metirish]

What now ?

[metirish]

Posted , window opens tomorrow at 8am ( Eastern time)

[MFS62]

OE: Met Irish beat me by a nanosecond. The negotiating period lasts 45 days.
Later

[metirish]

Bring it on

[Fman99]

The Mets can avoid the two-Japanese-stars-on-a-team issue (which may or may not exist), by going all in and signing Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani, and thereby making it three.

I'm not going to say I find this idea arousing but my pants are filling up with Ham Fighters at the very notion.