From our Daily Sports column (Japanese) / デイリースポーツオンラインの連載コラムから
So the 2022 season hasn’t started as anyone has expected. I mean, the 0-9 record is the worst start in Central League history – that’s 73 seasons times six teams, for those keeping track at home. Many people have lamented the loss of Robert Suarez and the two bad mounds by Kyle Keller as a reason that the team started so poorly. There is no denying that two blown saves and a 33.25 ERA will not win you many fans… and actually, it is rather surprising (and refreshing) that the majority of the comments on social media about Keller seem to be positive and supportive. There are some who have, of course, used their freedom of speech to spew negativity into the eyes of anyone who will give them the time of day… and it really is disheartening to read such hate-filled comments.
It’s gotten me thinking, though. How is it that the media and fans deify foreigners who perform well and demonize those who struggle? The mentality toward imports is so outdated and in need of reform. It seems to me that the original purpose for bringing players in from outside of Japan is to bolster the roster. In other words, players in other countries are superior to Japanese players. So even those who cannot make the major leagues are expected to become all-stars in Japan. You’re American! You’re Dominican! You’re Cuban! You’re better than our average players and we need you to make our team better! And at the same time, the salaries given to these players is much higher than what the Japanese players are given, on average. Perhaps it is because of that discrepancy that fans and the media have such high expectations for the visitors. They are already called gaikokujin, but then they are also tagged with an extra moniker: suketto. This term is less known outside of Japan, but it basically means “helper” and implies a “ringer” type of role – you give us an extra advantage and your job is to put us over the top. But you’re not one of us. Just come in, do your job, and get out.
Nothing wrong with this, you say? Let me remind you that Japan has been ranked #1 in the world in baseball for all but three months of the past seven years! This does not in and of itself mean Japan does not need foreigners in its league, and that is not what I am trying to argue here. There are definitely some parts of the game that westerners do better than the Japanese, on average. Different body types, different skill sets. Different upbringings, different dynamics. No matter how good Japanese baseball is, the presence of foreigners on every team makes the game better for so many reasons.
My beef, though, is the treatment of these foreign players. As I hinted at earlier, players are recruited with the expectation that they will make an immediate impact on the team, and that they will help lead their team to glory. There usually isn’t much of an up-ramp for them, either. Many of them, especially on the Tigers, play on a very short leash, and become either legends or villains way too easily.
I did a little research on Tigers imports. Not including the current imports on the team (whose tenures are still ongoing), the team has signed a total of 35 pitchers and 24 position players since 2001. Their average age on Opening Day of their first season was 29 (pitchers) and 30 (position players). Their average tenure with the team was 2.11 (pitchers) and 1.79 (position players) years. And these figures give a full year of credit to players regardless of their being signed or released midseason, so actually, both of those numbers are a little inflated.
Now, most people agree that baseball players are in their prime between the ages of 26 and 30 (though this varies depending on what skill set is being measured), which means that Hanshin is picking up most imports towards the tail end of their “best years”… and in many cases, these are guys who simply understand that their shot at consistent playing time in the majors is dwindling. Hard to blame them for aiming for glory in a foreign land, especially when a million bucks is being waved in front of their noses.
The problem for Hanshin is that most of these players have not panned out. Of the 35 pitchers, nearly half (17) lasted a season or less. The position players fared even worse: nearly 60% of them left the country less than a year after arriving. Obviously, the reasons for their lack of success are myriad, so it is hard to say it is only because they are already past their primes.
But I want to propose that the team try something new. Find players who are willing to come to Japan earlier in their careers, like around 24 or 25 years old. Guarantee them three years (assuming they do not breach their contract or get into trouble in some way) and develop them. Start them on the farm and get them acclimated with minimal pressure at first. Give them, say, a base salary of $500,000 per season, plus incentives or a chance to have the deal restructured after each year. Bring them in younger and reap multiple benefits.
- The player will be more pliable, coachable, and (hopefully) hungry to succeed
- He would have a better chance of picking up the language: younger minds absorb things more quickly!
- He could be in his prime, instead of leaving it, in Japan
- He might be more likely to stick around for a bit more of the offseason, which would allow him to: enjoy the country more, feel more like part of the team (participating in Fan Appreciation Day, team banquets, and even some extra workouts). Heck, incentivize that stuff! Money talks!
Granted, there are probably some risks to this approach… younger players are likely to be less mature, less stable (younger players would be more likely to come over without a spouse), and perhaps they would feel more tempted to leave Japan after a year if they have enough early success (or struggles). But come on… the current system is clearly not working anymore. Why not try something new that might even result in more acceptance of foreigners among fans, the media, and the country as a whole? It’s 2022, right? As Japan tries to embrace diversity along with the rest of the world, the clubhouses need to do the same, and bringing in foreigners with long-term vision is a good starting point.