Derrek Lee/Tomo Ohka
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Re: Derrek Lee/Tomo Ohka
[ Author: Guest: John Brooks | Posted: Jun 19, 2005 6:52 AM
]
This article on MLB.com summarizes Derrek Lee's childhood in Japan and the influences of Japanese baseball on him, as his father, Leon, was a star for many years in Japan.
D. Lee said that "I watched more Japanese baseball than American baseball growing up" and "that I learned more over there than I did here."
Lee went on to say that the rigorous and disciplined workouts in the Japanese game benefited him. He also said, "I think {I learned} more their respect of the game, they respect the game and I think they play it the right way, so I think that's where I learned to play." About baseball in Japan Lee said, "I don't think they take the game for granted, and they really respect it."
Lee also said that as a child he was allowed to run all over the clubhouses in Japan and could speak Japanese well as a child.
D. Lee said that "I watched more Japanese baseball than American baseball growing up" and "that I learned more over there than I did here."
Lee went on to say that the rigorous and disciplined workouts in the Japanese game benefited him. He also said, "I think {I learned} more their respect of the game, they respect the game and I think they play it the right way, so I think that's where I learned to play." About baseball in Japan Lee said, "I don't think they take the game for granted, and they really respect it."
Lee also said that as a child he was allowed to run all over the clubhouses in Japan and could speak Japanese well as a child.
Re: Derrek Lee/Tomo Ohka
[ Author: Guest: Kenny | Posted: Jun 19, 2005 8:12 AM
]
That article on MLB.com about Derrek Lee was pretty interesting. There's a similar article on him in this week's issue of Sports Illustrated. It seems like everyone is jumping on the Derrek Lee bandwagon. It says in SI that Derrek spent the last few years of his father Leon's career year-round in Japan.
BTW, I don't mean to state the obvious, but Tomo Ohka's behavior got him a first class ticket out of Boston and now he's in Milwaukee because of basically the same behavior. He's either got to grow up or he'll end up like Mac Suzuki - a MLB journeyman with nowhere else to turn but NPB at the end of the day.
BTW, I don't mean to state the obvious, but Tomo Ohka's behavior got him a first class ticket out of Boston and now he's in Milwaukee because of basically the same behavior. He's either got to grow up or he'll end up like Mac Suzuki - a MLB journeyman with nowhere else to turn but NPB at the end of the day.
Re: Derrek Lee/Tomo Ohka
[ Author: Guest: John Brooks | Posted: Jun 21, 2005 1:07 AM
]
To be fair to Ohka, he pitched a complete game in his first start with the Brewers. Also, Ohka has been more consistent than what he have gave him credit for this year.
Second, this isn't the first time this has happened with Frank Robinson. It happened with HOF pitcher Gaylord Perry in the late 1970s.
Third, granted this isn't the way you act with Frank Robinson, but I think it was a mistake when the Nationals traded Ohka for Spivey (who will be sitting the bench when Vidro returns). Ohka was a constant pitcher throughout it all this year.
Finally, let me state that I hold no ill opinion of Frank Robinson either. He was one of Baltimore's favorite players in his time here who won the 1966 AL MVP and Triple Crown. He was a coach, manager who brought the Orioles back from the disappointing 1988 (0-21 start) to pennant contenders in 1989, and was a assistant GM for the Orioles. While I think Frank Robinson is a great manager, I think it was a mistake to trade Ohka.
An interesting opinion on Ohka can be found here [Asahi-Herald].
So far this year he's 5-3 with a 2.86 ERA. Ohka has been a consistent pitcher throughout all this year and his career in the majors. This is something that can't be ignorned, even given his attitude. [Stats - MLB.com]
Second, this isn't the first time this has happened with Frank Robinson. It happened with HOF pitcher Gaylord Perry in the late 1970s.
Third, granted this isn't the way you act with Frank Robinson, but I think it was a mistake when the Nationals traded Ohka for Spivey (who will be sitting the bench when Vidro returns). Ohka was a constant pitcher throughout it all this year.
Finally, let me state that I hold no ill opinion of Frank Robinson either. He was one of Baltimore's favorite players in his time here who won the 1966 AL MVP and Triple Crown. He was a coach, manager who brought the Orioles back from the disappointing 1988 (0-21 start) to pennant contenders in 1989, and was a assistant GM for the Orioles. While I think Frank Robinson is a great manager, I think it was a mistake to trade Ohka.
An interesting opinion on Ohka can be found here [Asahi-Herald].
So far this year he's 5-3 with a 2.86 ERA. Ohka has been a consistent pitcher throughout all this year and his career in the majors. This is something that can't be ignorned, even given his attitude. [Stats - MLB.com]
Re: Derrek Lee/Tomo Ohka
[ Author: Guest: Kenny | Posted: Jul 8, 2005 9:05 PM
]
Derrek Lee is on the cover of the newest issue of ESPN The Magazine. There's a big article about him in the issue and it basically regurgitates everything that we've already read about him - he learned humility while growing up in Japan, his father is a "legend" in Japan, he's got a chance to win the Triple Crown, etc.
Every article on Derrek Lee talks about the same thing. Can't sports writers in the U.S. write something different about him for a change?
Every article on Derrek Lee talks about the same thing. Can't sports writers in the U.S. write something different about him for a change?
Re: Derrek Lee/Tomo Ohka
[ Author: Guest: Skinz | Posted: Jul 9, 2005 1:09 AM
]
Obviously you don't know that the U.S. media are the kings of repetition.
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I always thought that Derrek Lee and Kobe Bryant had similar backgrounds in that they were both raised overseas by their ball-playing fathers and both surpassed their father in terms of career success, but obviously Kobe became a superstar while Derrek failed to live up to the hype. Now it seems that Derrek is on his way to superstardom at last.
BTW, Kobe's father, Joe Bryant, is the head coach of the Tokyo team in the newly formed professional basketball league in Japan, the BJ League.
Also on CBS Sportsline [link?], it said that Tomo Ohka was fined by the Nationals for his demeanor during his last start when Frank Robinson came to the mound to take him out. This is the same guy who threw a hissy fit when he was with the Red Sox and then-manager Jimy Williams removed him from a game at Oakland. The Red Sox released him right after that. Does this guy have any brains whatsoever?
I heard from a sportswriter friend of mine that Ohka is also nasty towards the Japanese press. This guy has to grow up and get with the program.