Message from T-Ray: Just for fun this offseason (and maybe into 2017 and beyond), I will be accepting writing pieces from outsiders who want to share their thoughts on the Tigers. If you’re interested, send your thoughts my way! t-ray@thehanshintigers.com Of course at first, all submissions must go through me, but I also want your writing to be as unfiltered as possible. I just ask that you keep things clean is all. So here’s a guest writer and his opening words. Enjoy!
Hello fellow Tigers fans! My name is Andy, and I’m from the United States. I talked with T-Ray about the possibility of starting a unique feature here on the website, and this is the very first installment. Over the offseason and all throughout next season, I will be writing my opinions on the Tigers’ performance. The unique part is that I’m just starting to follow the Tigers and I know next to nothing about the current team. As of right now, I’m pleased to tell you that I know the difference between Fukuhara and Fukudome, so it’s a start. I welcome you all to follow me on this journey of discovery, where hopefully I’ll soon be able to know the difference between Takamiya and Takayama.
First, I’ll introduce myself. I’m originally from upstate New York in the USA, but I moved in order to accept a behind-the-scenes position at my dream job – ESPN. Because I work overnights, Japanese baseball games came on either while I was at work or just after I left. I was undecided for a little while on which team I wanted to follow at first. It was a choice between the Tigers and the Lions, but after reading about the Tigers’ rich history, it was an easy decision. Over the 2016 season, I was able to find the Toratele streaming service and was able to follow the Tigers a little bit closer.
I won’t pretend to know exactly what I’m talking about, and I’ll give bold offseason predictions that will either be obvious to everyone or wildly off the mark. I will be following the news just as closely as you will be. I hope to provide my unique insight and my sense of humor to the latest Tigers news. My first bold prediction is that the player I first followed, Matt Hague, will not be back next season. I’m pretty sure that I could hit two home runs as a gaijin. Granted, it would need a few lucky bounces in the outfield while I run around the bases. Sure he only played in 31 games, but I’ll put money on a footrace with him.
Anyway, I will be updating this feature as much as I can over the offseason, and if Tigers news breaks, I’ll give you my opinion. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have in the comments section below, and I look forward to continuing this feature. Go Tigers!