If you are a baseball fan, this quote needs very little set-up. It is by far the best baseball quote I have ever heard. However, for those of us who are not as interested in or do not follow America’s pastime, I must give some cursory background information.
Parallel to our baseball league, Japan has a thriving system that is quite popular. Over the last several years, some of the biggest Japanese stars are being courted and signed by our baseball teams. Some players pan out, others do not. The most prolific player has been is Seattle for several years, Ichiro Suzuki. This year, Boston Signed a pitcher named Daisuke Matsuzaka (pronounced “Dice-K”) for an obscene amount of money. Early indications are that he is going to be worth every penny (I am not saying that baseball players “deserve” the paychecks they get, however, financially it is going to be a great investment for the Red Sox when you consider merchandising in Japan, Japanese support of everything Red Sox, etc.).
On of the highly anticipated early match-ups this year is between the Seattle Mariners and the Boston Red Sox, as it pits the two biggest Japanese stars against each other. Now, let me get to the quote, which is the whole point of this message. (Another aside, it should be noted that Ichiro did not speak any English prior to coming to Seattle. He has progressed over the last 6 years.)
When Ichiro was asked about his match-up with Dice-K and what he thought of the Japanese slinger, he responded…
‘I hope he arouses the fire that’s dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul,’ he says. ‘I plan to face him with the zeal of a challenger.’
Parallel to our baseball league, Japan has a thriving system that is quite popular. Over the last several years, some of the biggest Japanese stars are being courted and signed by our baseball teams. Some players pan out, others do not. The most prolific player has been is Seattle for several years, Ichiro Suzuki. This year, Boston Signed a pitcher named Daisuke Matsuzaka (pronounced “Dice-K”) for an obscene amount of money. Early indications are that he is going to be worth every penny (I am not saying that baseball players “deserve” the paychecks they get, however, financially it is going to be a great investment for the Red Sox when you consider merchandising in Japan, Japanese support of everything Red Sox, etc.).
On of the highly anticipated early match-ups this year is between the Seattle Mariners and the Boston Red Sox, as it pits the two biggest Japanese stars against each other. Now, let me get to the quote, which is the whole point of this message. (Another aside, it should be noted that Ichiro did not speak any English prior to coming to Seattle. He has progressed over the last 6 years.)
When Ichiro was asked about his match-up with Dice-K and what he thought of the Japanese slinger, he responded…
‘I hope he arouses the fire that’s dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul,’ he says. ‘I plan to face him with the zeal of a challenger.’
No comments:
Post a Comment