Mike Nakamura
Discussion in the Nichi-Bei forum
Comments
Re: Mike Nakamura
[ Author: matteo | Posted: May 25, 2004 10:18 PM
]
He has an Aussie mum. Moved from Nara to Japan when he was three and played all his ball there until he was picked up by a college. To play for Australia he can't have dual citizenship. As far as heritage goes, he is half Japanese, half Australian.
Re: Mike Nakamura
[ Author: Guest | Posted: Jun 1, 2004 3:47 AM
]
Thanks for the info on Mike Nakamura. It sounds like you know a lot about him. Do you know if he speaks any Japanese?
I read an article about him on the Internet and it said that fans at ballparks in the U.S. still go up to him and ask him if he speaks any English.
I read an article about him on the Internet and it said that fans at ballparks in the U.S. still go up to him and ask him if he speaks any English.
Re: Mike Nakamura
[ Author: matteo | Posted: Jun 3, 2004 12:54 AM
]
Well, I used to see him as a junior. He was a few years above me and I like to follow the Aussie players. Best to ask through the Twins' web site about the Japanese.
Re: Mike Nakamura
[ Author: Guest: Tony | Posted: Jul 8, 2004 6:17 AM
]
I think Nakamura only speaks English.
Re: Mike Nakamura
[ Author: Guest: null | Posted: Nov 4, 2004 8:36 PM
]
According to Nikkan Sports, the Nippon Ham Fighters are looking to acquire Michael Nakamura through a "draft," whatever the draft is. That would be great if Nakamura ends up here in Japan. Since he was born here and has a Japanese father I bet it would be easy for him to become a naturalized Japanese citizen which would enable him to play here a number of years as a Japanese national.
Re: Mike Nakamura
[ Author: Guest: steve | Posted: Nov 6, 2004 9:40 PM
]
Japanball.com just posted an article saying Nakamura was in a tryout camp with Chiba until Monday. He will then try out for the Fighters.
Re: Mike Nakamura
[ Author: Guest: null | Posted: Nov 7, 2004 8:57 PM
]
I get it now. Apparently, Nakamura has Japanese citizenship which would make him available in the draft. I didn't think that Japan allowed dual citizenship, but I guess Nakamura has both Australian and Japanese citizenship. More power to him. I hope he does well here in Japan.
Re: Mike Nakamura
[ Author: torakichi | Posted: Nov 8, 2004 11:19 AM
| HT Fan
]
- I didn't think that Japan allowed dual citizenship
It doesn't. However, because a passport belongs to the country that issued it rather than the individual passport holder, it is not Japan's place to order anyone to do anything with their non-Japanese passport. Many people in a dual-citizenship situation simply don't tell the Japanese government about it, and it never finds out.
Having said that, surely someone with a profile like Nakamura would get found out. Perhaps he doesn't think he will represent Australia anymore and citizenship isn't an issue anymore. Just speculation.
It doesn't. However, because a passport belongs to the country that issued it rather than the individual passport holder, it is not Japan's place to order anyone to do anything with their non-Japanese passport. Many people in a dual-citizenship situation simply don't tell the Japanese government about it, and it never finds out.
Having said that, surely someone with a profile like Nakamura would get found out. Perhaps he doesn't think he will represent Australia anymore and citizenship isn't an issue anymore. Just speculation.
Re: Mike Nakamura
[ Author: Guest: null | Posted: Nov 8, 2004 11:17 PM
]
Interesting. It says in an earlier post that Australia doesn't allow dual citizenship, so if Australia and Japan both don't allow dual citizenship, I guess it means Nakamura pulled an Alberto Fujimori and conveniently obtained Japanese citizenship just like that.
I'd like to see him do well though. It's not very often that you see a big leaguer who was born in Japan, grew up in Australia, attended college in the U.S., played for Australia in the Olympics, then played in the big leagues in Canada. Maybe he should have a nickname like Mike "3 Continents" Nakamura.
I'd like to see him do well though. It's not very often that you see a big leaguer who was born in Japan, grew up in Australia, attended college in the U.S., played for Australia in the Olympics, then played in the big leagues in Canada. Maybe he should have a nickname like Mike "3 Continents" Nakamura.
Re: Mike Nakamura
[ Author: Guest: John Brooks | Posted: Nov 18, 2004 9:52 AM
]
Re: Mike Nakamura
[ Author: Guest: Guest | Posted: Mar 27, 2005 6:57 PM
]
Yes he only speaks English and will be considered a Japanese player for the Fighters.
For those that need further clarification on what that means, he will not be affected by the Japanese baseball rule that only a certain amount of "gaikokujin" (foreigners) can be on the active roster.
For those that need further clarification on what that means, he will not be affected by the Japanese baseball rule that only a certain amount of "gaikokujin" (foreigners) can be on the active roster.
About Citizenship and Sports
[ Author: matteo | Posted: Nov 10, 2004 10:07 PM
]
Replying to guest: null-san
It's not that Australia doesn't allow dual citizneship. To play for your country, you have to have full citizenship of that country. Don't qoute me, but I'm pretty sure this is across the board in all sports. Just like when John McEnroe applied for Irish citizenship after retiring and then had to renounce it when he became the captain of the US Davis Cup team.
It's not that Australia doesn't allow dual citizneship. To play for your country, you have to have full citizenship of that country. Don't qoute me, but I'm pretty sure this is across the board in all sports. Just like when John McEnroe applied for Irish citizenship after retiring and then had to renounce it when he became the captain of the US Davis Cup team.
Re: About Citizenship and Sports
[ Author: Guest: Kenny | Posted: Feb 8, 2005 11:12 PM
]
Has anyone heard anything about Mike Nakamura? All I see on the sports highlights is Shinjo hamming it up for the cameras at the Fighters' camp. I haven't seen one report or even one clip of Nakamura. He's an ex-big leaguer for crying out loud. He's also got an interesting background, so it'd be nice to see something on him one of these days.
Unusual Spelling
[ Author: Guest: null | Posted: Feb 14, 2005 9:33 PM
]
I saw a picture of Nakamura recently and it looks like Nakamura will be registered as "Micheal." He spells his name with the "e" before the "a", like former Pistons' PG Micheal Williams.
Re: Unusual Spelling
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Feb 14, 2005 10:34 PM
| YBS Fan
]
Yes, one article I read said that his father wrote it wrong on his birth certificate forms and that's how it remained.
For those looking for an update, he threw one perfect inning in a scrimmage game against Hanshin yesterday (February 13), striking out the first two batters he faced. The Fighters went on to win that 15-0.
For those looking for an update, he threw one perfect inning in a scrimmage game against Hanshin yesterday (February 13), striking out the first two batters he faced. The Fighters went on to win that 15-0.
Re: Unusual Spelling
[ Author: Guest: Kenny | Posted: Mar 4, 2005 7:09 PM
]
There is an interview with Micheal in the new issue of Shukan Baseball ("Weekly Baseball"). In it he says that he only speaks English and that he has renounced his Australian residence permit. He says that he always wanted to play in Japan, although that's what everyone says when they first come to Japan. Even the foreign players all say that when they first arrive. Call me a cynic, but a lot of the foreign players want to come to Japan not because they always wanted to, but because making between $300,000-$500,000 a year sure beats making $50,000 or less playing in the minors.
Re: Mike Nakamura
[ Author: torakichi | Posted: May 7, 2005 1:31 PM
| HT Fan
]
I noticed in last night's inter-league game between the Ham Fighters and Hanshin that Micheal has chosen to have Men at Work's "Land Down Under" played over the PA as he takes to the mound, though I imagine the significance is lost on the crowd.
Jeff Williams used AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" in his first season in Japan, but he changed it last year. The Hanshin official site still lists that as his "theme song," but I haven't seen him at Koshien yet this season and it's hard to pick up the songs on TV, so I'm not sure whether he's reverted back to Australia's hardest rockers or the Hanshin site is a couple of years out of date.
Jeff Williams used AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" in his first season in Japan, but he changed it last year. The Hanshin official site still lists that as his "theme song," but I haven't seen him at Koshien yet this season and it's hard to pick up the songs on TV, so I'm not sure whether he's reverted back to Australia's hardest rockers or the Hanshin site is a couple of years out of date.
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Also, does anyone know if he has dual citizenship? The media here in Japan has been slow to pick up on the Mike Nakamura story. I guess they figure he's Australian and doesn't count as a Japanese national, although if he was born in Nara to a Japanese father, that would qualify him as being Japanese to me.