Yankees in Japan

Among baseball afficianados in Japan, Jeter, Giambi, and Clemens are also well known. But I don't think they will ever become "popular." The Japanese have their own baseball stars to follow and idolize.

If Matsui is covered in Japan like Ichiro was, this is what will happen: At any time when the ball is not in play, the camera will focus on Matsui. Any dead time when the pitcher has the ball, or there's a conference on the mound, or any time the pitcher is not pitching the ball and the batter is not hitting the ball, the camera will focus on Matsui. Between innings, when the U.S. broadcast is going to commercial, the Japanese broadcast (which will be on NHK Satellite, and probably occassionally on Nihon TV), the cameras will focus on Matsui as he runs to the outfield, or runs into the dugout, or steps into the on-deck circle or whatever. The camera will rarely show other Yankees unless the ball is hit to them, or they somehow interact with Matsui.

It's a common misconception in the States. Mariners games weren't broadcast to Japan. Ichiro games were broadcast to Japan. Which is why I thought it was hilarious when some writers like Rob Neyer accused Japanese fans of voting for David Bell for the All-Star team in 2001 because Mariners games were being broadcast in Japan. Most people in Japan, even those watching the games regularly, probably didn't even know who David Bell was.

Have you been to Japan recently? All Mariner games are shown in Japan on satellite TV. The feed is from MLB. The announcers are Japanese. The entire game is shown. The announcers relate the whole game. You must be thinking about the sports highlight news where they only show the at bats of the Japanese players. Believe me the Japanese fans that watch the games know who the players are.

Yes, Sonoda-san, I have been in Japan recently. I watched almost all of Ichiro's 2001 games. I'm not describing a highlight show. I am describing the NHK-BS broadcast of Mariners games. I am trying to get across how Ichiro-oriented the Japanese coverage of the games were.

The feed was not from MLB. Safeco was wired for NHK's cameras, which are always on Ichiro. The only time the Fox Sports Net feed was used was for Spring Training games and away games. Even then, NHK had one camera in the stadium it used to focus on Ichiro whenever there was a lull in the game.

Well I watched the games in 2002 in Kobe and Osaka.
They were the broadcast of the Mariner's game with commentary by the Japanese announcers. And the announcers described the action. Of course they spoke mostly about Ichiro, but they also pointed out the other players. Besides, when they were on the road they picked up the feed of the other team so you cannot say the camera was always on Ichiro the entire year. You seem to leave out important facts to exaggerate your points.

Nope, not at all. Several times NHK was able to set up a camera at road venues for the express purpose of focusing on Ichiro in between commercials.

Yankee 2nd Baseman Alfonso Soriano played for the Hiroshima Carp.

It is a true fact that Soriano played for the Carp in Japan. What people don't realize is that it was for only 9 games and 17 AB in 1997. He was signed at the Carp's baseball academy in Dominican Republic and was being trained in Japan, but it was not like he achieved star status while here. The agent Don Nomura, with the help of current Yankee assistant GM Jean Afterman, got him out of Japan and signed with the Yankees. And it took him a few years before he made MLB for good in 2001.