Agree with many of your points Doc.
There are a great many foreign ball players in MLB, the majority of them speak spanish. They to must overcome a cultural shock too (I will concede the pt here that there is more of a social support group here, due to number of Latin players which does help abate the cultural differences).
It would have been difficult for Ichiro to declare that he is one of the teams leaders the first few years in the league and even more so during the Hargrove debacle, that being said he currently has the overt support of both his Manager and Griffey. This is the time he should begin taking more of the mantle of leadership - not that he needs to carry it all by himself but he should accept at least a portion of it.
I believe by doing so he will further gain the respect of his teammates. In Japan, it may be required that a foreign play know his place; however in the states I still believe that we have traditionally a much more egalitarian society - where if you are a proven expert in your field you have the right to speak.
Q: More examples?
A. We've discussed the idea that in major league baseball, the fastball is "the coin of the realm." Not so in Japan. There, the pitch that achieves an out for one's team is the coin of the realm.
Here, the barrel-chested, 96-mph Roger Clemens is prototypical. There, Daisuke Matsuzaka, with 6 different pitches and a brainy aura, is prototypical.
A few American pitchers refuse to accept the idea that macho should rule the pitcher-batter matchup. Jamie Moyer and Mark Buehrle don't pitch that way. Greg Maddux obviously didn't.
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One of the most exteme examples of this is the Griffey shift, not because it's so important, but because it is one of the reductio ad absurdums of the MLB-NPB divide in attitude.
As noted in another SSI article today, the MLB attitude is "the star's job is to hit the ball hard. If he tears the first baseman's mitt off, he's done his job."
This attitude would be preposterous in Japan, and it underlines the different cultural perspectives.
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Q. Why is MLB baseball generally better than NPB baseball, then?
A. I never quite got this until I asked a native European: why don't you guys have NFL-style football? His reply, "we don't grow 'em that big over here." :- )
There aren't a lot of NPB players who physically look like Alex Rodriguez at SS, Prince Fielder at 1B, Sabathia, Zambrano, Putz, Dunn, etc. America is a melting pot of diverse genetics, of incredible talent, of a huge pyramid of young boys who grow up living sports. The minor-league structure is impressive, as well.
The depth of physical talent in (North and South) America is overwhelming. It's a tribute to Japan's technique that their players are almost as good as America's, IMHO.
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Q. Leaving Ichiro where?
A. As the semi-tolerated Jackie Robinson of the NPB-MLB divide.
Ichiro can't talk about superior ways of doing things. He literally can't sit down next to an American player and begin teaching him how to hit.
But ML players watch Ichiro, and they understand that there's something to his 4,000-hit parade, and it could be that the next wave will be listened to. Some day, some ML team will implement Japanese baseball knowledge to their advantage.
In that sense, Ichiro is an heir to Robinson. His entire MLB playing career has occurred in, IMHO, a semi-hostile work environment, and he has played through it in quiet dignity and grace. Future generations will enjoy more comfortable work environments.
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My $0.02,
Dr D
Comments
I agree it's a beautiful sight watch a team execute there game plan with precision, but really what give any game its suspense is the possibility of the sudden explosion of power.
Power must be controlled though and just not thrust out there in a flailing way to constantly hit in to shift.
You need to set up your power, a la George Forman (45) knocking out Michael Moorer(27). Everyone new George had power, but in order to use it correctly and win the championship he had to get Moorer to start think about his left hand, when really he was sitting him up for his right.
That's why having a power threat is needed especially in baseball - it's the equalizer. The M's are attempting to play a precision game this year, but they do not have any power to put fear into the other team. The opposing pitcher is comfortable know that it will take the M's three hits to score a run, so all he needs to do is throw strikes and let the M's get themselves out.
As of 5/6, the Ms are dead last in BOTH OBP and Slugging. Blaming the failure of the offense on power just doesn't fit the facts.
The WhiteSox have the #1 HR hitter in the AL at the moment - and stand 3rd in total team HRs at the moment. But, their .310 OBP is only ahead of Seattle and Baltimore, so they aren't even league average in runs scored, (they're 10th in runs scored).
After thinking about this for awhile, I've come to this final thought.
Yes, Ichiro comes from a different cultural background where social norms and expectations are decidedly different.
Ichiro has shown outward leadership on the field before (Japan WBC), but I have not heard of much evidence that he has taken this position on his current team - even though this type of leadership has often been lacking on the M's throughout his tenure.
He has had adequate cultural immersion stateside to at least on an occasion speak out, if only on a limited basis to indicate on an personal/emotional level that has a vested interest in the team (his teammates).
Not to cast aspersion but I'll name a few ball players that I feel have been current baseball greats but poor teammates. Bonds, Sosa (So did Kerry Wood's actually take a ballbat too Sosa's boombox on his last day as a Cub), Randy Johnson - yes they were all excellent players, who took care of business on the field of play (and when it comes right down to it that's what they get paid for). However when things went south for their respective teams how did they react. Were they there to help pick up the remaining 24 players, as I recall there attitudes/actions were such that I did my job and that's enough.
Ichiro has always shown character and has continued to excell even during some of the worst M's teams, I would just personally like him to outwardly express his feelings even if its thru his interpretter.
Do I expect this to turn the M's season around? NO. But if Ichiro is a believer in team Chemistry and Wak's belief system it's time that he becomes a catalyst.
... longer than everybody else.
But he hasn't been in Seattle longer than "playing baseball the MLB(TM) way" has been here. ;- )
true that the M's are last in everything.
If they're *attempting* to do one or the other, though, the Mariners right now are going for precision, pro AB's, per the Wakamatsu Doctrine.
They're taking a lot of pitches, but not doing anything with them once they get their pitches. What do they have, 1 HR in 12 games? Wotta joke.
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So there's the catch-22 -- much harder to get a BB when everybody's glad to tube the pitches on 3-1.