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 All
of Japan watched pitcher Hideo
Nomo when he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995. He quickly became
a star, winning the Rookie of the Year Award in the National League that
year. A number of other pitchers followed Nomo across the Pacific. This
year, Japan is in a frenzy again as outfielders Ichiro Suzuki and Tsuyoshi
Shinjo become the first position players (non-pitchers) from Japan to play in the Major
Leagues.
Widely considered one
of the best baseball players in Japanese history, Ichiro was a fan favorite
for many years as a right-fielder for the Orix Blue Wave in Kobe.
Ichiro won the batting championship in the Pacific League seven years
in a row, last year with a phenomenal batting average of .387. He is also
known for his superb fielding and strong throwing arm, winning seven consecutive
Gold Glove Awards. Looking for a bigger challenge, Ichiro opted to join
the Seattle
Mariners.
Also on the Mariners is Ichiro's friend Kazuhiro Sasaki,
a relief pitcher who joined the team in 2000. Sasaki is one of the best relievers in baseball.
He is Japan's all-time saves leader and won the American League Rookie of the Year Award last
year. With both of these stars on the same team, Japanese broadcaster NHK has decided to show
every Mariners home game this season on television in Japan.
Although he is under a lot of pressure with so many people
watching his every move, Ichiro has done well so far. In the first game of the season, Ichiro got
two important hits to help the Mariners gain the lead, and Sasaki picked up the save as the Mariners
came from behind to win the game. The baseball season is long (162 games), but so far Ichiro has
adapted well, playing right field and batting in the leadoff position. As of the middle of May, his batting average is .362, and he has made some excellent defensive plays.
Another Japanese outfielder joined
the New York Mets this year. Tsuyoshi
Shinjo was the most popular player on his team in Japan, the Hanshin
Tigers in Osaka, but he was not as well known for his baseball skills
as Ichiro. While Ichiro became a starting player for the Mariners immediately,
Shinjo has sometimes had to sit on the Mets bench. When he has played,
Shinjo has hit well (his mid-May batting average is .295) and has made some fantastic
catches in the outfield. Shinjo makes the most of every chance he gets to play.
 Shinjo
has quickly become popular with Mets players and fans. The fans enjoy
Shinjo's good nature and spectacular play. The players like and respect
Shinjo because of his hard work and his love of baseball. Shinjo wanted
to play baseball in the Major Leagues so much that he turned down a contract
from a Japanese team reported at $3 million a year to play for
the Mets for the minimum salary of $200,000.
While these two outfielders got a lot of attention before the season, Hideo Nomo was somewhat overlooked. After his first few seasons, Nomo suffered injuries and was unable to pitch as well as he had before. But in his first game of the year on April 4, Nomo announced to the world that the old Nomo was back as he pitched a no-hitter for his new team, the Boston Red Sox. Nomo is only the fourth pitcher in Major League history to throw a no-hitter in both the National League (with the Dodgers in 1996) and in the American League. Nomo also won his next game a week later.
With two outfielders and seven pitchers in the Major Leagues, it's shaping up to be an exciting year for Japanese baseball fans.
Photos: (top) Ichiro is smiling in Seattle; (above) Shinjo boots his batting average. (PANA)
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