Jeremy Powell Speaks Out

Just a complete cultural misunderstanding here.

Anyway, we all know what happened last time when a foreign player badmouthed the Giants to the press, though. Powell will have to try and catch on with an MLB team next year. He should be just fine.

I would have said it had more to do with Hara's style of management. It doesn't work for some people.

I would have said it had more to do with Hara's style of management. Yeah, even Uehara spoke out early in the season about his unhappiness in the closer's role. I think Hara's response was akin to, for him Uehara was like a puppet on a string. Nice encouraging words to hear from a manager. Still, JP doesn't have history on his side, and it's hard to imagine him in a Giants uniform next year.

Well, I think Hara still looks at things from a senpai/kohai point of view. He's the senior, so Uehara should take any demands from Hara with a smile. That still works well in Japan, but it weakens when your kohai is in his 30s, one of the top Japanese starters of the past decade, and makes millions.

As for expecting that same kohai level of respect from a foreigner, that would just be foolish.

Cultural misunderstanding? Where? What? Huh!? I can culturally understand how he was mad. The only thing cultural here was that he whined in the press and historically that's his arse. Happened twice in the J-League this year and they both got culturally fired. I'm not seeing much of a cultural misunderstanding at all here.

P.S. I'm back!

You aren't Japanese, though, so how could you understand where I'm coming from? Seems like a typical western response to a cultural misunderstanding. "Blame yourself, because you're a jerk! You're the only one in the wrong."

That said, I'm not planning on making this a debate, so this is the last time I'm posting in this topic.

Right, fair enough. But don't pout on me yet. Could you explain it to me from your point of view? From mine it's a simple case of yeah, I'd be a bit pi**ed off over it if I were him. Towards the end of the season, you want to get to the playoffs, you've worked your a** off all year, and then the manager says, "Nope. Not this year." and you can't do anything about it. Yeah, I kinda understand if he's got a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

Don't get mad about it though! I think that was more of a cultural misunderstanding!

If Powell wants to take money from the Japanese, he has to know what he is signing up for. Follow the rules and accept that you are an outsider. Another rule is to suck it up and never go public with dissent or unpleasantries. He was the protruding nail. He got hammered down. Combine that with a manager with totalitarian management techniques and Powell wrote his ticket home.

You also should get used to "You westerners can't possibly understand our culture." It is used quite liberally for a multiple of occasions.

First of all, yes we can understand them - perfectly in fact. On the other hand we don't have to live by them. He has been here long enough, and he knew perfectly well what he was doing. He probably felt he was on his way out as it was, so why not go out with a couple of parting shots of his own. Seems perfectly fair to me. And it's not because I'm not Japanese. I know how it works, there and to be perfectly honest, so what? You've got two cultures coming together and that's what happens. Should foreigners respect Japanese culture? Yes. Should the Japanese likewise respect the culture where the foreign players come from? Yes. And vice versa for Japanese players in America.

Don't get me started on the equality of foreign players here and there. Can you say suketto?

It sucks being American and hearing all the time in your own country "respect my culture" blah blah blah, and then when you go to another country they want you to be just like them. It has happened often to me and I just got to the point where I said enough is enough. This is who I am, and if you don't like it, so be it. Fire me if you want to, but I'm not going to change for someone else's sake. I digress.

All in all, I salute Powell for having the balls to make those comments and know what's coming his way. Good on him for that.

Jeremy does have balls, and I hope he feels good about his parting shots. What he has accomplished, however, is to humiliate himself in front of the Japanese (he probably doesn't care) and reinforce their stereotypes of foreigners in terms of cultural inferiority and loutishness (which is why Americans in Japan can get the bums rush in a restaurant and the various other situations or worse (aka Jim Crow) you rail about). So hip-hip-hooray for Jeremy. Nice job, sluggo!

On your other comments: There is no equality regarding foreign players or foreigners in Japan. Foreigners are outsiders - "soto." Here is an explanation in Wikipedia for you. All you are concerned about will be clear.

On culture, I believe in the home court rule; aka, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. If you don't want to conform a bit and don't want to suffer the consequences, don't go to Rome.

Suketto? The hired gunslinger? If one doesn't shoot straight, one isn't of much help. If the gunslinger who can't shoot straight makes a commotion in the saloon, don't you think the townsfolk will ask him to leave?

Sometimes, people should just smile, say thank you, and leave with their thoughts to themselves. That is the Japanese way, anyway, and I might add, part of the obscure and under-appreciated American art of civility.

It was just announced that the Giants will not offer a contract to JP for next year. Of course nothing in the news report mentions his speaking out, so we won't know 100% for sure the reason.

I haven't heard whether someone else is interested, but the Buffaloes brought Tuffy back after his troubles with the Giants, so there's hope.