Japan Blog

Weeks 19 & 20: June 3rd - June 16th

Entries completed: June 6th, 7th, 11th, 16th

June 6th

My apologies for disappearing for nearly a month. I had a minor detour to the minor leagues and despite the increased free time I wasn't feeling motivated to write. I did actually put together one entry about a week into my demotion but decided not to publish it. I was a little angry about being sent down but letting off some steam in this forum was probably not the best idea.

I actually enjoyed the minor experience quite a bit. You have heard me say I want to experience all of what Japan has to offer and this was certainly part of it. Two things that really stick out that I liked. First, I got to meet the rest of the guys in the organization. In Japan you are allowed a 70 man roster, 28 are in the majors, the rest in the minors. We also have different spring training camps, major & minor, so a lot these guys I was meeting for the first time. It seems the same in Japan as it is the States, you always have a few more characters in the minors than the majors. The minor leagues are always less stressful than the majors so guys are more relaxed and having fun. I met some great guys and hope to only see them again in the major leagues.

The second thing that was good for me was I got to pitch. We played 10 games while I was there and I threw in 8 of them. I have always been a guy that has been more effective the more I pitch. It is easier to stay sharp when you get regular work in games. I had gone through a couple of stretches with the Hawks where I went 7 days in between games. That is a challenge for me. It may happen again and I'll find a way to make it work but getting those consistent games pitched helped me to get my pitching back to where it needs to be. There are some other things that were nice about the minors. The schedule is really family friendly. We play all days games and on non-game days we practice in the mornings. With my kids in school I was getting home at a good hour where I could spend more time with them. When I have night games at home I don't get to see them as much. They are off to school in the morning and are usually asleep when I get home from the Dome. School ends soon so we'll get the mornings to spend together soon.

Working with the minor league pitching coach was really helpful too. Fugita San is a good coach and has an approach that works well with foreign pitchers. Working with him played a part in me getting back to where I need to be mentally.

A bit of news from the Hawks: we signed another foreign player that will be here soon. Jason Standridge is a RHP and a good friend of mine. He and I were roommates last year in spring training. We shared a house together with 2 other guys. I am really excited he is coming here. The downside is that we will now have 5 foreigners meaning one of us will always have to be in the minors. Japan rules allow a maximum of 4 foreigners on the major league team at one time. I figured they were going to add at least one more foreigner and I am glad it is a someone I know well and like.

Your first instinct in a situation like this is to worry about who will get sent to the minors. I have gotten to a point in my life where I do my best to eliminate as much worry as possible, it gets you nowhere. Ultimately I have control of one thing in this game and that is how I prepare myself to pitch. I don't have control on results and I don't have control on whether or not I get sent to the minors. I had a 1.46 era the first time I got sent down so anything can happen. At the end of each day I have to be able to look myself in the mirror and say I did everything I could to give myself a chance to succeed. That is all I can do. My outlook has everything to do with my faith. As a Christian you put your life in God's hands. My job is to work hard and prepare to play the game, what happens after that is up to Him and I have to be willing to accept that no matter what the outcome.

I promise to do a better job of keeping the updates current.

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June 7th

Massage is a big part of the routine here in Japan. We carry 4 trainers at the major league level, 2 more than we do in the States. Each is well equipped with the massage skills that just about every player utilizes.

Massage therapy has become as much apart of my training program as throwing and working out. There is a place for it in the game and players in the U.S. are starting to incorporate it more and more into their schedules.

As I said the trainers do a nice job here but every 2-3 weeks or so at home I always liked to get an hour to an hour and a half full body massage. One thing about them is you found out very quickly, with a good therapist, places you never even realize were sore. It is a nice release for sore muscles that get overworked playing this game for a living.

I told you about my Thai massage in Sendai a while ago. It was great but still not what I was used to. I recently ran across an article in a health and wellness magazine that had an article for an “oil” massage in Fukuoka at a place called La Heal. At first glance the name “oil” massage sounds a little shady. But the picture in the article assured me that this place was legitimate. I booked my appointment through Taka, one of our translators. I had to cancel my first one because I was recalled to the major league team the day I was supposed to go. Luckily they had a spot open on our next team off day.

When I arrived there was a little confusion as to exactly how the process worked but after a few Taka and Monna (another translator) phone calls with my therapist I was all set. I received a 90 minute massage and I left wishing it had been 390 minutes. I am officially hooked on the Japanese version of the “oil” massage.

I talk about it a lot now and I am sure my wife is a little suspicious but if I had the time and the money I would try and get one everyday, it was that relaxing. I will certainly be looking for places on the road throughout the remainder of the season.

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June 11th

My first road trip back in the majors has been a fun one. We are in the middle of interleague play so I am seeing some stadiums the team only goes to once. We played 2 in Hiroshima against the Carp and won both games. We need those.

I didn’t get to see a lot of Hiroshima, we don’t have the free time on the road. It would have been interesting to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. One of the interesting things about Hiroshima on the baseball side is how we get to the stadium. The hotel is less than a block away from the Carp’s field so we walk to the stadium. It is a little unusual for an American player to walk outside of the hotel in full uniform, carrying his equipment bag to the stadium where we will play later that night. There were lots of fans lined up along the walk and with all the waving I felt like I was in the Little League parade back in my hometown of Suffern, NY.

I enjoyed it though, I really like meeting baseball fans here in Japan. I have met a lot of nice and interesting people. They love baseball here and it is a privilege to meet these fans on the other side of the world. Late in my career I came to the realization that the opportunity I have to do something special like this is not at all about me. So while I cannot meet every demand of my time I have been making better efforts over recent years to put more time in, when it is possible, with the fans. My moment in the sun will pass one of these days and I would be remiss if I didn’t use this opportunity to be an encouragement to as many people as possible.

The Carp’s stadium was old, a new one opens in 2009, but it had a lot of character and great, enthusiastic fans. That seems to be the theme of this road trip as our next stop was to Koshien to take on the Hanshin Tigers. Tigers fans are know as some of the most animated and devoted in the game. They did not disappoint. It is quite a site to see the left field bleachers filled with Tigers’ fans during the game. We had multiple rain delays but it seemed as though every fan stayed through the entire 10 inning contest that ended with a walk off homerun for the Tigers.

Koshien is an historic stadium, the most famous in Japan I am told. Each year a high school baseball tournament is held there for approximately 3 weeks. It is the equivalent to the Final Four in the United States. The noise and cheering is non stop for however long a game takes in Japan. It is amazing to see the support your team gets both at home and on the road. It is much louder than a game in the States.

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June 16th

Jason Standridge has arrived in Fukuoka. Jason is a RHP pitcher who the Hawks signed to be a reliever or possibly a starter. I met Jason last year, he and I were roommates in spring training. He was playing for the Reds and I was in camp with the Pirates, both camps are close to each other and a mutual friend set it up so we could all share a house.

Coming to Japan in the middle of the season must be overwhelming. I had always thought that if I came here to play I would want to do it in the middle of the year so I could skip Spring Training. I had heard how difficult Japanese spring training could be. Now that I am here I am glad to had gone through spring camp. Two months was a lot of time but it was good for me. I was able to get a sense of how things work here and even though I still have to make adjustments as I go I have a pretty good idea of what I need to know both on and off the field to be comfortable.

Jason doesn’t have that luxury. He is jumping right in to not only playing in Japan but living here as well. His wife is with him so they have a lot to learn together. I am trying to give him as much information as possible to make the transition easier. It can be a lot though for an American. One of the great things about Japan, and especially Fukuoka, is how patient people are with us. The Japanese really treat foreigners well, at least in my experiences here, and that makes life a little easier. He is really excited to be here and to be playing for the Hawks. I am excited for him and hope that I can help get both he and his wife comfortable so they can enjoy Japan as much as me and my family do.

Since I have been back from the minor leagues I have getting more regular work than before I left. This game is about production and ultimately you have to get the job done if you want to play. I have been fortunate to have a few good outings since I have been back and hope that I can continue to contribute to our team’s run at a championship. I was upset with the move at the time but I can tell you that my trip to the minor leagues was exactly what I needed. I am seeing the benefits from the mental readjustment I made while I was there.

The schedule is really unusual as we wind down interleague play. Our last 8 games in interleague come over the course of 16 days. The league leaves at least 1 off day in between interleague games as well as 4 off days at the conclusion of interleague play in case of rainouts. We won’t have any rainouts to make up so we’ll have 4 off days at the end of interleague play next week. Most likely we’ll practice in 3 of them and have 1 off. At least I am hoping we get at least one off.

For an American it is really weird to have more than one consecutive off day during the season. So when we have 4 after next Sunday and most likely 2 after our series in Yokohama I’ll feel a little out of sorts.

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