Igawa: Optioned To AAA Scranton

I'm not surprised given his form, but I still hold out hope for him to play a big role down the road.

I'm not surprised at the demotion, and in truth I think Torre-kantoku and the Yankees have been extraordinarily patient with Igawa. Torre and pitching coach Ron Guidry feel that Igawa's issues are about consistency and mechanics, and Igawa himself owned up to something obvious from viewing his last outings: not knowing the hitters. In my own humble opinion, I think that's just one aspect of feeling shaky all around on a cultural basis.

Not once this year have I seen Kei Igawa looking like the pitcher I saw mowing down hitters in Japan. It's been puzzling and disappointing. I had hoped he would have a fine success in MLB.

Hard to know where he will end up now. I doubt he has the ability to change into a short-term reliever or closer, so the Yankees had little choice but to send him to Scranton. My guess is that he'll get another start or two this season, but the Bronx Bombers are probably already thinking up some way to trade him, hefty contract and all.

Here's a comment from Mike Lupica in his "Shooting from the Lip" column in today's (July 29) NY Daily News:

"If you're keeping score at home, the Yankees paid $6 million more for Kei Igawa than they did for Carl Pavano. You know why they were willing to pay $46 million for Igawa? Because the Red Sox beat them to Daisuke Matsuzaka, that's why."

There is talk that the Mariners are interested in Igawa. He would apparently be quite a good deal.

As a Mariners fan, I am all for this. I just hope the Yankees pick up a lot of his contract and Seattle doesn't have to give up any decent young player.

Interesting proposition. I can imagine that having Kenji Johjima behind the plate would be a big help to Igawa. But Kei-san's admission that he has had trouble learning the players in MLB would seem to indicate that, regardless of where he plays, there is a long upward learning curve to conquer.

Yes, well it doesn't look as if he can even handle Canadian minor league players, if his latest outing is any guide.

Last-place Lynx prevail over listless Yankees

From timesleader.com:

Igawa, setting foot on Canadian soil for the first time in his life, never seemed to get on track in his first experience in the Great White North, allowing nine hits before heading for the locker room after the fifth.

Just because the team is located in Canada, does not mean the players are Canadian. Aside from that, as a Canadian myself, I resent the notion that Canadian baseball is inferior. Remember that Team Canada humiliated the USA in the inaugural WBC tournament, and the names Jason Bay, Rich Harden, Jeff Francis, Eric Gagne, Russell Martin, and Justin Morneau may ring a bell as some of the premier talent in MLB (all Canadians). Matt Stairs and Ryan Dempster are also solid Canadian players, and there are several top prospects in the minors of Canadian descent.

Sorry to get off-topic. Back to Igawa!

- Just because the team is located in Canada, does not mean the players are Canadian.

Sure, but are you saying the majority are not Canadian?

- ...as a Canadian myself, I resent the notion that Canadian baseball is inferior.

Well it was a lighthearted jab at Igawa actually, not Canadians, many of whom are fine ballplayers as you rightly point out. I'm an Australian myself, and not many would call us a baseball powerhouse. Yet we're the current Olympic silver medal holders in the sport. So I'm not sure how Team Canada's exploits against the USA proves anything other than they were the best team on the day.

Way off the original topic here, but it's an interesting question about who plays on the Canadian minor league teams. The Ottawa Lynx are an affiliate of the Phillies; here in Vancouver the single A Canadians are an affiliate of the Oakland A's. I'd make a rough guess that 1/2 of the VanCans are Americans, so I'm guessing it may be so also of the Lynx. I think the minor league teams in North America are not particularly regional, player-wise. But I'm no expert, despite being an American ex-pat in the Land of Maple Syrup who sees an occasional VanCan game.

- Sure, but are you saying the majority are not Canadian?

In fact, there isn't a single Canadian born player on the entire Ottawa Lynx roster.

You're right to say that "Team Canada's exploits against the USA proves nothing other than they were the best team on the day." I wouldn't dare try and imply that Canadians are better ballplayers than Americans, just very underrated. Hopefully Igawa was merely experiencing the same thing (Ottawa was the better team on the day), and his fortunes will turn soon.

- Hopefully Igawa was merely experiencing the same thing (Ottawa was the better team on the day), and his fortunes will turn soon.

Actually I don't think they will. At the moment I think he'd have a hard time beating a team of Aussies.

Lol. Well, there's certainly nothing wrong with Ryan Rowland-Smith or Justin Huber. And of course my favorite all-time Aussie, Dave Nilsson.

Not to worry by the way, my feelings weren't hurt or anything, I just wanted to clear up a misconception.

Looks like Igawa could be headed to San Diego, where I feel things could turn around slightly for the better. Petco Park is a great pitching environment. Let's hope the Yanks deal him!

With your logic. I suppose whoever plays for the Scranton Wilkes Barre other than Igawa must be from Pennsylvania/Scranton area.

Before this discussion gets out of hand, I just wanted to clarify what I meant to say with my first post. It was more that Igawa couldn't handle Canadian minor leaguers, as in players playing in Canada - citizenship being irrelevant. More of a comment of the standard of play up there in the wilds of the Great White North. It was a lighthearted comment on how far Igawa had fallen.

Obviously this upset at least one Canadian, and I apologize for my lack of sensitivity. It hit a raw nerve I suppose. Next time I'll restrict my comments to the standard of English cricket or something. (Uh oh - did it again.)

So as for not knowing the hitters, were the scouting reports not translated into Japanese? Did Guidry not put in the time with him? Was Igawa having trouble remembering the English names? Is he a slow learner or was he just too busy to put in the hours learning the league and the hitters, watching the videos, reading (or listening to the reports) as other rookies or league transplants must do? Not knowing the hitters at this point in the season is, well, inexcusable. Regrettably, he may just be over matched.

Igawa, plain and simple, is not a Major League pitcher. At best he is AA, maybe AAA. The Yanks wasted money on him.

Igawa was never your New York kind of guy. Playing in New York and Boston just doesn't suit some players. Forget the Koshien/Tokyo Dome atmosphere. Fans and the press (especially the latter when playing for Boston) are just brutal when you don't produce.

Igawa choked in big games in his last couple of years in Japan. He's simply not suited to New York. I still believe he'd be a good number 4 or 5 pitcher in a small market team with the crowd off his back. Just like Kazuo Matsui who has really produced since escaping the New York spotlight.

If it's true that he's going to San Diego he'll be a good fit. Petco Park is arguably the most pitcher friendly park in the Majors, and it looks as though Wells is done for good! Step up Kei!

Buster Olney reports in this morning's (August 14) ESPN news that a deal to send Kei Igawa to the San Diego Padres appears dead.

Apparently the New York Yankees intend to withdraw Igawa from trade waivers by Tuesday's (August 14) 2 p.m. trade deadline, ending conversations between the teams about a deal involving the left-handed pitcher.

The Yankees had the option of withdrawing Igawa from waivers, which seems to be what they will do, in the hopes of rebuilding the left-hander for 2008.

In an interview on NHK this morning Nomura (the famous one) commented that Igawa had no power or control so he had better come home. Ouch!

Not much power and even less control being practiced by Nomura-san's jaw these days, apparently.

Come home, Igawa! Hanshin needs those last 2.5 games!

That's not surprising to me, Nomura-kantoku seems insistent on shooting his mouth off whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Although the rosters expanded as of September 1, and the Yankees called up a bunch of players, Igawa has not been brought back up. Perhaps when the AAA season is over?

Igawa most likely isn't in the Yankees' plans for the future. He's probably going to be traded this off-season, especially with the emergence of young arms such as Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Ian Kennedy. Igawa is so far down on the depth chart at the moment.

According to Japan Baseball Daily numerous MLB teams were looking at him in his last game against Pawtucket. Igawa [Minor League Baseball] has risen his stock with a good performance with AAA Scranton so far. He's 6-5 with a 3.49 ERA in 13 starts so far. The Padres and Yankees could re-discuss the talks for Igawa this off-season. In my opinion, Igawa would be served better in the NL and the pitching friendly PETCO Park.

I certainly hope Kei-san goes to a west coast team (as he had originally wished, I believe) as clearly, something is not kosher for him in the Bronx; the fans there will never take to him now, regardless of how he pitches. My own selfish wish is to see him in Seattle, where I think both Ichiro and Kenji Johjima could be a terrific help to him. But there has been little if any word about Igawa's doings for some time in the MLB press. Seems like he has done OK at Scranton, however.