Fantastic Article in SI

[moedrabowsky]

If you can get your hands on it, buy this issue for this article alone. Written by Robert Whiting.

One passage dealt with the way Japanese players appreciate setting their own practice schedule after years inthe regimented Japanese system, they believe it creates and "unfinished" player, unrefined in the basic fundamentals like bunting and base running, because fundamentals aren't stressed here to the same degree in Japan.

Whiting writes:

The constant emphasis on power, they believe, is a detriment to equally important parts of the game, such as advancing the runner. As Ichiro put it to startled St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa during an offseason dinner discussion, "You Americans would be much better if you practiced like you should."

No doubt startled that Ichiro thought teaching the fundamentals was his job.

[kah2523]

Bunting and baserunning as important as power?

Billy Beane won't be happy to hear that.

[Indu WangZi]

Has as much to do with Japanese culture as anything...

This just highlights to glaring differences b/w japanese and american culture..

Japanese...very detailed oriented...fundamentals driven...

American...more stragtegic driven...succesful criteria driven...

BTW...Ichiro is correct...

[The Pocket Rockets]

Ichiro is dead wrong.

Something to consider: Hideki Matsui is the Barry Bonds of Japan.

Hideki Matsui is incredibly mediocre here.

Keep telling us how we should practice Japanese.

[TTB]

Originally posted by The Pocket Rockets@Mar 17 2004, 09:23 PM
Ichiro is dead wrong.

Something to consider: Hideki Matsui is the Barry Bonds of Japan.

Hideki Matsui is incredibly mediocre here.

Keep telling us how we should practice Japanese.

Perhaps the Japanese are just not as athletically inclined.

Practicing never hurt anyone.

Whitey Herzog would agree that moving runners is important. The inability to do it shows up huge in big games vs tough pitchers.

[moedrabowsky]

Keep telling us how we should practice Japanese.

That wasn't the point of the article.

You touch on it -- in a roundabout way -- because the writer then goes on to say that many Americans believe the rigorous practice schedules of Japanese players wear those players out.

The writer then gives example after example of Japanese players that started hot and burned out. Ichiro only hit .243 after the All-Star Break last year, which I think we can all agree is abysmal.

But I diagree that Matsui is "incredibly mediocre."

He clearly doesn't have the same power over here, but he is an outstanding hitter.

He's facing the best in the world here.

[kah2523]

106 mediocre runs batted in.

[moedrabowsky]

106 mediocre runs batted in.

Lost in Translation.

been waiting to type that,.

[Fishbone]

RBIs are the most overrated statistic..................Matsui's OPS was seven points higher than Tino's last year, to put it in perspective. Matsui is obviously a better hitter than Tino, but his RBIs were out of circumstance.

[OldSchoolStroker]

Originally posted by The Pocket Rockets@Mar 17 2004, 09:23 PM
Ichiro is dead wrong.

Something to consider: Hideki Matsui is the Barry Bonds of Japan.

Hideki Matsui is incredibly mediocre here.

Keep telling us how we should practice Japanese.

1st year in the league with superior pitching, and he's got 16 HRs, 106 RBIs and bats .287...I wish our left-field was going to be mediocre like that... :rolleyes:

[OldSchoolStroker]

w/RISP--AVG--RBI
Hideki: .335----90
Tino: .210----53

-------HITS--DOUBLES--HRs--RBI--
Hideki: 179--42--16--106
Tino: 130--25--15--69


OPS is obviously not a very useful statistic here...

[Fishbone]

Well, yes it is a useful statistic because it gives a players value over the whole season and not just over a sample size that may have statistical noise in it.

Matsui with men on second and third:
BA of .167 and 9 RBIs.

Like I said, I'm not arguing that Tino is a better hitter-- Matsui clearly showed the propensity to put the ball in play and not ground out to second in the late stages of a ballgame. I think he will show a little more improvement this year as far as his isolated power goes, but stick him on any other team besides the Yankees and those 105 RBIs dwindle down to 75 or so. Hitting behind OBP machines like Giambi, Jeter, Posada, etc.