| April 11th
I have been receiving many e-mails and comments about the blog. I want to thank all of you, especially my Japanese friends who seem to enjoy the insight from a foreign player so much. A couple of people have suggested that I find volunteer translators to translate my blog so that more Japanese can read them. I think that is a great idea. I will post something at my web site and on My Space soon and figure out a way that would make it fun, maybe I can give something away to volunteers like an autograph or tickets to a game or something.
I got back on the hill the other day. I pitched two whole innings, increasing my total to 4 on the season. I was glad to be back out there after “the pitch” my last outing and I was really glad I got to face some lefties.
I faced 4 lefties total and got them all out, 2 by strikeout. I mixed in more of my side arm pitches, which has been a small issue here and for the most part they were very effective. I started using my side arm pitches a lot more at the end of the 2006 season in the States and I was getting positive results with them. It’s just one more way to try and keep a hitter off balance and unsure of what’s coming next. Hopefully I will continue to progress with it.
We had an off day on Monday. We are in the market for a new sofa so my wife and I went shopping after the kids went to school. The team provides us with a furnished apartment, which we are very appreciative of, but we would like to get a nicer couch. After all, I need a comfortable place to sleep when my wife is mad at me.
We haven’t had much luck yet. We went to a store called Actus which had some nice stuff but it was a little expensive. When we buy something we know it is just for this season and I don’t plan on taking it home with me, so while we are willing to spend a little for something nice I don’t want to go overboard. We’ll continue to look and hopefully find something soon.
After Actus we went to Costco. Costco is pretty popular warehouse shopping chain in the States. There is one here in Fukuoka and a total of 5 in Japan. It’s a nice touch of home for the foreigners. Costco has many American products which makes living here just a little easier. We do our bulk grocery shopping there. It’s about 25 minutes away so we make a trip every 10-14 days.
While there I decided to buy a mini refrigerator for the bullpen at Yahoo! Dome. In the States many of the bullpens in the newer stadiums have some nice amenities. I bought a couple of cases of Shark (Japan’s version of Red Bull I’m told) and stocked the fridge with it, along with some candy and water. The guys seemed to be appreciative. I’ll get these guys Americanized before the season is over, which means they’ll be overweight and complain a lot.
Later in the day I picked my kids up from school and took them to the Dome. It was an off day and anyone who practiced did it earlier in the day so I knew the clubhouse would be empty. My daughter never gets to go in the clubhouse but my son does, so she was excited to come in and see where daddy “works.”
The kids help me set up the mini fridge in the bullpen. Well, they didn’t actually help, they ran around the bullpen and played with the rakes the grounds crew uses to take of the mounds. We did go out and play Aerobie in the dome after we were done. That’s always fun for them.
Today we travel somewhere an hour and a half away for a “home” game. I guess we play some regular season games in local stadiums during the year. That is a little odd for me, I am not used to such a thing. It will be a new experience for me, how good of an experience remains to be seen.
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April 12th
Have you ever had one of those experiences when anxiety was high, everything was going against you and you might even be a little scared but you’re instantly relieved because you wake up and realize it was just a bad dream? When I woke up this morning I was hoping that was me. Much to my dismay everything that happened to me last night was all too real.
The Hawks took a trip to Kita-Kyushu, a city of about 1 million people that is just under an hour’s drive from the Yahoo! Dome. We were playing the Lotte Marines, at a local stadium, but the game counted as a regular season game.
This is very unique experience for a former major league baseball player from the United States. The conditions of these local stadiums are very amateur. We played a few exhibition games at various local stadiums during spring training and I was surprised then that they would allow major league ballplayers to play at such fields. You can imagine my level of surprise when I found out we were playing a game that actually counts toward the standings at one.
It’s not that the fields are that awful, they’re not. If I was in high school or college I think those place would be great to play in. But as a major leaguer you get a little spoiled. The Yahoo! Dome is a very nice field. Going from there to a local stadium is little eating filet mignon one night and Hamburger Helper the next.
Before the game Sugimoto San suggested I take a look at the mound so I wouldn’t be surprised in case I had to pitch later that night. I did and after standing on it I could only hope I didn’t have to pitch in the game. I thought about pulling the fake sore arm routine, but I decided against it.
I really haven’t had a problem with Japanese pitching mounds. One of the concerns for foreign pitchers is the adjustment to the softer dirt used they use here. It really hasn’t been an issue for me, but this one, I knew might be a problem.
The game started and from the beginning I could tell we were going to be in for a long night. Sugiuchi, one of our best starters took the hill for us. He was working on a 39 inning scoreless streak that he started in spring training. In short, he has been “lights out” for us this year.
It was a rough start for Sugi. He lasted just 4 innings and gave up 4 runs, not very typical of him at all. To compound the problem we had a very tight strike zone. I have been pleasantly surprised at the strike zone here in Japan, I had been told before I came that it was very tight. Up until this point I would have disagreed.
The conditions at Kita-Kyushu are what I would call the perfect storm for pitchers. The variables: low mound, small stadium, tight strike zone on somewhat of a travel day.
The game went back and forth. Buck hit 2 HR’s in his first two at bats and said to me after the second one, “If we were playing in the Dome I’d be 1 for 2 right now with a single.” Instead he had 2 homers, the park was that small.
The game seemed to take forever. I got my chance down by 2 in the 8th with runners on first and second. I walked my first hitter after throwing some pretty good pitches but got the next guy to ground out to end the threat.
I was furious about my walk. I’ve worked hard to improve my command these past couple of years and if I walk a guy now I get really mad at myself.
I started the 9th and walked the number 9 hitter on 4 pitches, an absolute atrocity in pitching. I knew I wasn’t feeling right but I was trying hard to focus and just get outs. The next hitter tried to bunt but he missed it and the catcher got crossed up on the signs. He was expecting a cutter, I threw a fastball. This was the first time he and I were working with each other, he just came up from the minor leagues the other day. The pitch hit his throwing hand. We had already pinch hit for our other 2 catchers so he was our last one, he stayed in the game.
The runner on second stole third and the hitter blooped a single over a drawn in infield. Had the infield been back it was a soft liner to short. The next hitter walked. I was struggling both mentally and physically. My focus was down and I was getting more and more angry with each pitch. I walked another hitter later in the inning, hit a batter and was called for a balk. The game was an absolute nightmare for me.
I walked 1 batter in spring and had only 1 unintentional walk through 5 games this season. To walk four in 1 game was infuriating to me. I was arguing with the umpire and I was getting no help on check swings. I felt I could have been out of the inning a couple of times had the umpire been more aggressive. It was a complete mess. I ended up allowing 2 runs, 1 earned in an inning of work, walking 4 striking out 1 with 1 hit allowed. They were the first runs I allowed this season.
I want to be very clear about something. A pitcher, like any other person, has to face challenges and obstacles in pursuit of a goal. I knew going in to this game, like everyone else, that the mound was bad and the umpire was tight. There was no getting around that. I am more disappointed in myself for allowing external factors to get me off my focus. I expect better of myself.
When I woke up the next morning I was really hoping that didn’t just happen. I was thinking maybe this was just a bad dream and I really didn’t walk 4 batters in one outing. No such luck.
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April 15th
Another first in my life in baseball, I have never even though about this happening before. In a rubber match with the Orix Buffaloes today the game finished in a tie.
In Japan the games go a maximum of 12 innings. We were leading 4-1 in the 9th but gave up 3 runs. No one scored for the next three innings and the game ended in a tie. We split a 3 game series, 1-1-1.
I once heard someone say a tie is like kissing your sister. I was really curious to see how the team was going to react after the game. Would we celebrate? I really had no idea. It was about what you would expect I guess. Kind of middle of the road expressions and a “nice game” here and there. It was really awkward. Buck seemed the most disappointed, it was a first in his life as well.
To make matters worse the tie took over 4 hours. The games here and really long and we still had to get back to hotel, shower, eat and make our 7:40 flight to Sendai.
We arrived in Sendai and it was pretty cold. With Monday being an off day it seemed like a good night to check out the town, but cold rain on a Sunday was making things look bleak.
We settled on Italian for dinner with some darts afterward. Someone told me that people in Sendai aren’t exactly like the folks in Fukuoka. People in Fukuoka are really nice and really outgoing. When we are out and about in the city we are always met with smiling faces and people willing to help. Sendai I am told is different.
Darts was fun. We actually made two stops. The first was a place right next to where we ate dinner. A couple of guys challenged Buck and I to a game. I was having a tough night and although the game was close we lost. I don’t if I’ve met as many strangers since I have been in Japan, as I have over the past few years in the States.
I guess there is something about being in a foreign country. People are interested in you because you are so different and the feeling is the same for us. It is really interesting to see to people in a different culture and how they live.
We took a cab to another part of town and eventually found another darts place. The bonus was they had karaoke also. We walked in to the basement bar that had two dart boards, a 3 seat bar and about 5 small tables. There were 2 people in the place hanging out with one singing karaoke.
She offered the mic and remote control to the karaoke machine and Buck and I dominated it for the rest of the night. Some other people came in and I can’t imagine why they stayed, it had to frustrating listening to Buck and I attempt to belt out Axl Rose lyrics in between dart tosses.
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April 16th
I was anticipating sleeping in late since we had an off day today. 10:00 am was OK, but I was hoping for about 1:00 pm. It was another cold and rainy day in Sendai but things picked up a little bit for us.
I met Monna (translator) and Buck in the lobby for a trip to the mall. I have been thinking about getting a pocket digital camera. I bought a pretty nice 8 mega pixel Nikkon a couple of years ago, which we love, but it is big and I’ve noticed I’ve been a little lazy lately about taking pictures, especially when I am out on the road. A pocket size would be perfect.
Monna took me to a store called Labi and I found exactly what I was looking for. I no longer have excuses for not adding pictures to my web sites. I was a little overwhelmed by my options. I decided to stick with what I know. I like the Nikkon we have so I bought another.
Shopping was going kind of slow otherwise. It was just a cruddy day out. I have been wanting to get a massage and this was shaping up to be the perfect day for it.
I have been getting massages for the past 10 years. They have become every bit as important to my training routine as throwing, running and lifting weights. I have become a little particular with what I need but I knew I had no chance of being picky here in Japan.
Monna set up a Thai massage for me. I had never been and didn’t know much about it. I figured why not? I had nothing better to do.
We took a cab over the to the place and when we walked in we had to fill out some paperwork and decide exactly what services we wanted. We went with a 90 minute treatment.
As we were filling out the paperwork another therapist made her way from the back. She was talking to Monna and she had told him that she remembered me from the dart place last night. I was pretty surprised. The dart place was just a tiny joint that we randomly selected and this massage place was much of the same. How in the world a person I saw at a random dart bar ends up being my therapist at a random tiny Thai massage place the next day in Sendai, Japan was pretty unbelievable. I asked her if she had a headache from karaoke singing.
The massage went pretty well. They ask you to put on a loose pair of yoga pants and a tee shirt they provide. It was a little weird because we started off with her washing my feet. I am not much of a foot person, I don’t really like people touching my feet, I don’t like seeing other people’s feet close to me and I don’t like anyone’s feet touching me. It wasn’t all that bad though for a guy with a foot phobia, it was pretty relaxing.
The massage room had a traditional Japanese feel to it. I asked Monna to ask the therapist what I needed to wear under the yoga pants. When I get a massage at home it is birthday suit as you lay under sheets. The therapist got a good laugh out of that and asked that I keep my underwear on.
There was some good stretching involved in the Thai massage. Overall it was a nice experience. I still miss the skin on skin deep tissue massage which I don’t think I’ll be able to get here. So far it seems like all the massages are done over your clothes.
After the massage we called Buck and he met us out for yakiniku. We stumbled upon this mom and pop restaurant that was in a basement off a main street. Buck was skeptical at first but I think it was pretty good.
Massage and an early dinner wasn’t a bad way to spend an off day. I am shot and hitting the sheets early tonight. I’m betting we get rained out tomorrow. If not it looks like it will be a miserable day for baseball.
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April 20th
This road trip is not going too well for the Hawks. After a three game split against Orix (1-1-1) we were swept by the Rakuten Eagles in a three game series. For the first time since opening day we are below .500 at 10-11.
It’s been a frustrating time for our team but I don’t think we have reason to panic just yet. We haven’t been losing terribly. Which is to say that in most of these games we have been competitive.
On back to back nights in Sendai rookie pitchers for the Eagles got their first professional wins versus us. The more impressive of the two came courtesy of 18 year old Masahiro Tanaka who struck out 13. We had faced Tanaka earlier in the season and we hit him around pretty good. He seems to have made an adjustment that is impressive to see from such a young pitcher.
There are a lot more young pitchers here in Japan at the major league level than you would see in the States. An 18 year old in the majors is a rarity, even a 20 year old is unusual. Here in Japan a young pitcher is more likely to get a chance to pitch in the majors. The thinking in the U.S. is that young pitchers need time to develop and they usually do that in the minor leagues for at least 2-3 seasons. Most guys make their big league debut around age 23 or 24.
We go to Tokyo today to start a 3 game series against the Fighters in the Tokyo Dome. Although I have been to Tokyo 3 times already since I have been in Japan this will be my first time in the Tokyo Dome. Let’s hope we start to turn things around with a win tonight.
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