Before the World Baseball Classic, if you told me Japan was going to win the whole thing, I would have laughed in your face. I mean, come on. Did you see that Tom Selleck movie Mr. Baseball? Ichiro is an extra terrestrial, and unless they had a bunch of Ichiro’s they would have no chance. America had Derek Jeter. Roger Clemens. A-Rod. These guys were getting money and some of them never even played for the Yankees. Chase Utley, Vernon Wells, Matt Holliday, Joe Nathan, Dontrelle Willis… I mean alot of these guys are the future of the sport, coming into the prime of their careers. We even had living legend Hall of Famer and championship manager Buck Martinez to lead the way.
Japan had Ichiro and Otsuka, who became the closer for a team that can’t pitch. Their manager was Sadaharu Oh. 868 career homeruns? Ste-roids. He couldn’t even stop his team from getting victimized from an overturned call on a sac fly that was worse than anything in the NBA Finals.
Japan, of course, won the whole thing. Why do I bring this up now? Because I don’t know anything about the team Japan is sending to compete in the basketball tourney which includes the much hyped Team USA. The only Japanese NBA player is Yuta Tabuse, and he’s not even playing, nor is he currently on an NBA roster. They have no Ichiro this time.
Why should that stop them? For a report on the Japanese team that isn’t being completely ignorant, click here. It says they are focusing on three-point shooting and defensive pressure. What if they get hot? What if? Like America has never been caught sleeping and overconfident before.
Also, I am looking forward to watching this movie very soon. Baseball is serious in Japan. Like how it used to be here and how football is now. Even if they’ve got Bobby Valentine on the homepage.
