"A New York Treasure" --Village Voice

Counter Pernt

Of course there’s another side to this and it is understandable that not everyone is pleased with Ichiro in pinstripes.

Check this out from Oyl in Tokyo.

 

 

Categories:  1: Featured  Baseball Musings  Yankees

Tags:  ichiro  oyl in tokyo

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13 comments

1 Shaun P.   ~  Jul 24, 2012 10:22 am

I can understand where its coming from, and on some level, I sympathize.

But this . . .

"New York is where players go to retire before they retire. To cross off the achievement of winning a championship in a very technical way. Devoid of emotion. Devoid of struggle. Devoid of story.

New York wins championships like clockwork."

. . . I can't let this pass. That's a giant crock of B.S. I have never seen ANY team win a championship in any sport that was devoid of any of those things. To claim that's true is to either be completely ignorant of how sports work and what sports are, or its classic "let me put down a wildly successful team to make myself feel better about my team that was a laughing stock for the first decade of its existence, hasn't been relevant in almost the last decade, and has never even made the World Series."

I'm betting on the later.

I'm almost 35, and in my lifetime, the Yanks have won 7 Seriouses. If that qualifies as clockwork, that's a seriously out of whack clock.

2 ms october   ~  Jul 24, 2012 10:26 am

[1] yeah i didn't understand some of those statements either.

3 Alex Belth   ~  Jul 24, 2012 10:36 am

It was horseshit, but what are you gunna do?

4 Chris   ~  Jul 24, 2012 10:56 am

The only "evil empire" Mariners' fans need to worry about is their own: The faceless corporate suite at Nintendo Corp who refuse, year after year, to spend the money it takes to create a competitive ballclub because they love profit more than winning. Mariners' fans gullibly suck it up, gleefully paying top dollar to enjoy endless last-place finishes, all the while wearing "Yankees Suck" t-shirts.

Get a clue. The reason Ichiro wanted to be traded (and has for a few years now, BTW) is that he -- unlike the Mariners' owners (and apparently the fans) actually wants to win. And he knows winning isn't part of the business plan.

Ichiro was the cornerstone of Nintendo's "pay as little as possible to generate revenue" strategy, creating tons of fans on both sides of the Pacific. Maybe now they will have to find a new tact. I sure hope so, for the sake of the franchise.

5 The Hawk   ~  Jul 24, 2012 11:15 am

[1] Putting aside everything else, averaging a championship every five years does seem pretty much like clockwork.

6 Alex Belth   ~  Jul 24, 2012 12:01 pm

The concessions Ichi made: http://es.pn/PTCLjb

7 Chris   ~  Jul 24, 2012 12:20 pm

[6] Dude wants to win (for a change)! It actually reminds me a little bit of what brought ARod to the Bronx.

And I'd be willing to bet a substantial sum that we see something approaching the Ichiro of the mid-00s rather than what he's been doing the last two years.

I must say, I have loved watching Ichiro in Seattle. He almost single-handedly made me a Mariners fan. He is an amazing ballplayer. My only critique is that I think he could have come close to hitting 400 back in his prime if he would have only been a more selective hitter.

8 RagingTartabull   ~  Jul 24, 2012 1:23 pm

Ichiro is going to hitting 8th for the Yankees tonight vs. King Felix...that just feels WEIRD.

9 oncewent3for2   ~  Jul 24, 2012 2:16 pm

In the press conference yesterday this botched translation was a bit much:
"I went from a team that's had the most losses to a team having the most wins, so it's been hard to maintain my excitement in that regard."

What Ichiro really said was more like: "I went from a team that's had the most losses to a team having the most wins, so I thought to myself: 'what's the best way to psych myself up?'"

「一番勝っていないチームから、一番勝っているチームへの移籍。テンションの上げ方どうしようかな、と思った」

10 OldYanksFan   ~  Jul 24, 2012 2:42 pm

[6]
1) Ichiro would be asked to switch positions.
2) hit at the bottom of the lineup.
3) possibly sit against left-handed pitching.

"He was fully educated on all our requirements," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told ESPNNewYork.com. "One by one, every box got ticked off."

I think it's a great move, GREAT mostly because their is no downside. $2m? Ichiro migh generate that in attendance.

My only issue is bat him 9th (like Gritner). Leadoff in front of Jeter, where he will score more runs, open up the right side for Jetes when he's on base, and where his speed plays better.

11 phil_bonanno   ~  Jul 24, 2012 3:54 pm

whinging agency expat scum. "ptew" I spit on the ground - oh by the way, this mug is a creative hack for Weiden & kennedy, agency of record for Nike - you know, the company that combs middle schools for the next big talent they can put into their clockwork marketing machine - counting many bloodless mercenaries, including King James himself, as celebrity athlete endorsements.

I don't like inaccuracy, but I effin' hate hypocrites.

12 Mr OK Jazz Tokyo   ~  Jul 24, 2012 6:20 pm

[11] Yes!

13 Boatzilla   ~  Jul 24, 2012 7:05 pm

I hope I meet that guy at a networking event when I've had a few.

Then, again, maybe not...

BTW, the Wieden people out here are pompous bastards.

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"This ain't football. We do this every day."
--Earl Weaver