Tier 1 - Superstars: Ichiro, Darvish, Nomo
They have the talent. They might have the visual appeal (really, Darvish is the only one who's considered in the Statue of David sort of way). And they do what they like.
Ken Griffey, Jr. Derek Jeter. David Ortiz. That sorta dude.
However, Darvish is pretty down to earth on Twitter...
Tier 2 - Almost Superstars: Tanaka, Sasaki, Uehara
These guys are up there, but they're more accessible and are more widely media-friendly as well. Both appear on TV shows during the off season and have widespread appeal based more on personality and pure talent than the glam and looks of the Tier 1 dudes. Kinda like Felix Hernandez, Evan Longoria, Andrew McCutchen, etc.
Tier 3 - Stars: Kuroda, Iwakuma, Aoki, Iguchi
These guys are the types that are more from the more boonies teams of the NPB, like Hiroshima, Sendai, Fukuoka, second Tokyo or Kansai team, etc. They're generally well respected and are immensely talented, but more or less are just guys that fans would know. Think along the lines of Edgar Martinez, Kyle Seager, any Oakland A's player, etc.
Tanaka will guarantee that the M's will be broadcast when Tanaka starts. Right now, it's hit or miss with Iwakuma. If Ichiro & Kuroda starts or Davish starts, the M's game would probably be bumped.
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