Marinerds, etc.

Before the May 4th Fighters-Marines game in Chiba, I had an opportunity to chat with Terrmel Sledge for a few minutes. It was coming off of the crazy weekend where the Fighters had three extra-inning games in a row, two of which involved walkoff home runs.

I realize the timing of posting this isn't so great as Sledge is currently rehabbing from a hamstring muscle strain, but he should be back up on the top team soon. He really has been one of the key guys in the Fighters' lineup in the past two years, and he's also a really nice guy, very easy to talk to.

It's odd, the first time I think I saw Terrmel Sledge play baseball was in Tacoma, in the 2006 season, and he hit a home run out of Cheney Stadium. He had great numbers in the minor leagues in general, and his talent combined with his attitude and personality actually make him a perfect guy to play baseball over here -- where a lot of what makes a player successful is not only their skill, but also their "wa" or whatever you want to call it -- the ability to adjust to the group and to fit in with the Japanese way, which Sledge is doing a great job of so far.



So let's start with the amazing series this weekend, every game going longer than nine innings. How was that?

It was pretty crazy, playing three extra-inning games like that, two walkoff game-winning home runs.

Was that your second hero interview on Saturday? I saw the first one at the Tokyo Dome a few weeks back.

Yeah, it was the second one. It's great, the way they do things here.

What do you think of doing hero interviews?

It was a little different at first, but I love it now. On the other side of the world, people leave the game in the seventh inning, but here they stay until after the hero interview. It's awesome.

Now that it's your second year here -- what do you see as the biggest difference about the game here?

They live, die, and breathe it, you know? It's not just what they do on the field, but also what happens behind the scenes. These guys, they just play baseball, it's more than a livelihood. It's their life, it's the way their heart beats.

Are you doing that too?

I'm trying, but it's a different style. These guys have been doing it this way their whole life. I just try to get my work done, not really to be like them. They do what they do, we do what we do.

Do you think it'd be better if people did it this way in the US?

Not better, just different. Here they take infield every day, batting practice every day, it's just their routine. In the states, we'll sometimes take a break no matter what the game is, not take batting practice once in a while. I just think it's a different way of doing things.

How are you adjusting? Did you have to change anything to your approach when you came here?

You have to learn to be a better breaking ball hitter over here. It's very different, you don't see a lot of straight hard pitches going side to side, you see a lot more balls breaking up and down. You don't see forkballs too much in the States.

That's true -- and they throw a lot more pitches here, too.

Yeah, a lot more pitches. The game is longer, so your focus has to be up to par.

Do you find yourself thinking a lot about the breaking balls? Whether to lay off more, or just see if you can hit it?

Well, it's still "see ball hit ball", but it just takes time to figure it out, you're not going to get it right away. There are guys like Tuffy Rhodes over here who gave me a lot of advice, and the biggest thing he told me is, "You're not gonna get it right away. This is different, you just gotta work on it."

Tuffy's got to be a great help to new players here. What do you ask him about?

Well, there's only one Tuffy. He's not like a Barry Bonds or whatever, he's just a TUFFY RHODES over here! There's no better foreign player here -- he's almost to 500 home runs, for someone to do that as a foreigner is amazing. I pick his brain a bit, mostly about the field stuff, the pitchers, what he does.

How long do you think you'll be here in Japan?

I like it here. I wouldn't mind finishing my career here. I don't want to think about the future TOO much, but I like it here, my family loves it here, I could really see staying here a while.

How about defense? Have they gotten on you about that a lot?

No, I get my work done. As long as you get your work done, as long as you give 110%, this management is fine. I only know this team, I can't speak for others, but that's all they want to see -- you give your 110% and you get your work in, it helps your game and it helps the team, that's all that matters.

Your defense has been fantastic this year -- everyone's been really impressed with it.

Thank you. Yeah, that's one of my goals for this year. Last year was disappointing, I was injured, I had to DH a lot. I think that's not really me, I want to be the best player I can be, so I want to show them I CAN play defense.

Where would you rather be playing? Left field? First base?

It doesn't matter.

Really?

Yeah, it doesn't matter. I just try to be prepared. Though right now I'm probably more comfortable in left field since I've been playing there most of the time. I'm DHing today. [laughs]

How do you like standing in front of the fans?

I love it! You can't really explain it unless you're a player in that situation. You kind of feel like a rock star in a sense, you know? Like you're on the stage, it's amazing.

What's it like hitting? Is it tough to concentrate with all the noise?

When you've been playing this game for a long enough time, you try to zone out, you try to focus out. You don't really hear the crowd. If you DO, THEN you're in trouble.

So the crazy cheering doesn't help, does it?

Oh, no, it helps! I'm big into bringing energy to the field. We want to perform, we're entertainers after all. We want to perform in front of the fans, we're not here to bore them, so whatever keeps them going keeps us going.

Did you know your cheer song says "North Carolina Power?"

Really?

Yeah -- the lyrics to your song go "North Carolina Power, Homerun Sledge" and all of this stuff about "heating up the hammer" and such.

That's amazing! I didn't know that!

Nobody ever told you? That's crazy!

Nope -- that's the first time I heard it.

But -- why North Carolina?

I was born there.

I think that's a Japanese thing -- your hometown is where you're born no matter where you go after. I thought you were from California.

Yeah, I AM from California. I was born in North Carolina, but I don't even remember it, I'm a California boy. I moved there when I was three or four years old.

A related question: did YOU choose "Sledge Hammer" or did they choose it for you?

It goes with my name, in that sense. It always has since the first time I picked up a bat -- you know, my name is Sledge, the first thing anyone thinks about is "hammer".

So after a year in Japan, what's been your favorite place to play here?

Sapporo Dome.

Heh, of course. Your second favorite?

On the field or off?

Either!

Hard to say. On the field, the fans are diehard fans everywhere. Japan is a nice place to play. Probably, though, the place that was most different for me last year besides Sapporo, was Hanshin.

The fans? Or the stadium?

The fans. The stadium was just big. It seats like 50,000 people, right? It has a different feel, kind of an American-Japanese feel. The fans, they're rowdy, you can't understand them, but you just feel that energy. Like they're true diehards... and you look out there and ALL YOU SEE IS YELLOW. That place was just big, open, really amazing.

What's your best memory here so far?

Probably this year, that walkoff home run in the Tokyo Dome.

Is the Sapporo Dome the hardest to hit home runs in?

This park [Chiba Marine Stadium] isn't easy either, with the wind! Sapporo is a big park, but it IS a dome, with pretty high walls, so you never know if it's going to be a home run or not.

What's the easiest place here to hit a home run in?

Oh, the Tokyo Dome. Definitely.

Who's been the best to work with here, of your teammates?

Everyone's been great to work with, pretty unbelievable. As far as professional hitters, I enjoy watching Inaba. He's just... well, he's the face of the franchise. And watching him play, day in and day out -- you know he's not a 21-year-old, but he PLAYS like he's a 21-year-old!

Who's been the most fun person to work with?

Oh, that'd be Hichori, he's probably the most fun, totally crazy guy.

Does he make you put a glove on your head?

Yeah, he's done that a few times. It was funny.

Have you tried to learn Japanese at all?

少し！日本語が少し分かります。 I'm trying, but Japanese is tough. My vocabulary's probably about 50 words now.


At this point, the chat turned into talking about Japan and Japanese a little, I recommended he talk to Bobby for Japanese language tips, and then thanked him for his time, and asked if we could get a photo together:



I was really surprised when Sledge said he'd like to spend the rest of his career here, but I honestly hope he can make it work out, and I hope he can spend a long time playing for the Fighters!

One of the good things about the Marines-Eagles game raining out on August 17th in Chiba was that I got a chance to sit down and talk to Fernando Seguignol for a while in the Rakuten dugout during batting practice.

Seggy's career has taken him all over the place, making his MLB debut in 1998 with a team that no longer exists (the Montreal Expos) and his NPB debut in 2002 with a team that no longer exists (the Orix Blue Wave). His most successful run with any team was his four seasons spent with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters from 2004 to 2007. In that time he hit 122 home runs and drove in 339 runs, batting cleanup in the Fighters lineup almost every game. He was an integral part of the Hichori-Kensuke-Guts-Seggy order which carried the Fighters to their Japan Series championship in 2006, for the first time since 1962.

After being released by the Fighters after the 2007 season, he played in Mexico and in the MLB minor leagues for a while this year before the Rakuten Golden Eagles signed him and brought him back across the Pacific. He was written into the lineup so soon after arrival in Japan that he was still jet-lagged in his first few games, but he hit the ground rolling and is batting .333 in his first month back here (12-for-36 with two home runs as of this writing).

Fernando was amazingly candid with me about many topics, about his career and about his time with the Fighters, and of course, about the bananas. It was refreshing to hear him talk about playing in Japan; he really loves it, and is genuinely happy to be here.

Thanks to the Chiba Lotte Marines for allowing me to stay dry from the rain by hiding out in their visitor's dugout to do this interview, and of course, a thousand thanks to Seguignol himself for being so friendly and talkative, and for letting me grill him with questions for almost half an hour. I wish him all the good luck in the world... except when he's playing against the Fighters, of course :)


So to start, how does it feel to be back in Japan?

Exciting! It feels good to be back at a competitive level. I had good times here, and leaving that behind was kind of tough to do. So coming back is definitely a really exciting thing for me, I really like it here in Japan. It's a different team now, so things are a little bit different, but hopefully I can do the same [with Rakuten] as I did with the Fighters.

What was your best moment here?

The best would be... well, there's nothing that compares with winning the championship with the Fighters. I was with them for four years.

Okay, so... where have you been this year?

Wow. [long pause] Let's start out with Arizona. I did Spring Training with the Rockies. Then I went to Mexico for two months, played with Olmecas de Tabasco... and after that I went to Toledo, Ohio, played there for a month or so for the Tigers AAA team, and then ended up here.

How did you end up back here again?

Well, the process... there were on and off conversations for a while. I got hurt in Toledo, my heel wasn't so good, and they said I would probably be out for anywhere from 6-8 weeks with a heel support. They told me to get some rest, that I wouldn't even get to play the rest of the season at AAA. But in the meantime I was feeling better, so when the Rakuten Eagles contacted my agent, we went back and forth in conversation. They wanted me, and I wanted to be back. We figured they'd give me a week or so of rehab and then I'd come here and once I felt ready to play I would, but the process was a lot quicker than that. It turned out for the better, so I don't take it as a setback, doing that, it was a good transition.

Wait, is your heel okay now?

There's still a little pain sometimes, and once I'm on it for a while it starts getting tight. But it's one of those things you gotta rest and eventually you'll feel better, so... I'm resting, I'm playing. It's one of those things you gotta flip a coin to see how it'll be tomorrow, but so far it's been good and it's getting better with time.

Did your agent contact the Fighters at all about coming back?

There were a few talks here and there, but it was one of those things where early in the season we didn't really know what happened there. It wasn't like, "what will we need to offer you?" or what I need, or what they need. It was more like "Thank you for what you did, let's move on." You know, separate careers, separate lives, one of those things. It wasn't like a bad divorce or anything, you've just got to move on, and I'm definitely moving on, even though I wanted to stay there. I think the fans know I wanted to be back. The team put it out there that my knee was hurt, and I'm still hearing that, I don't know why they keep saying that.

So the knee thing wasn't true, was it?

No, it was not true. As you recall, if you go back to a few weeks before the playoffs, game against the Hawks, I got hit in the knee by a fastball, like 97 miles an hour, hit right in the knee. So the whole week I was bruised and I still played all the playoffs with a hurt knee because I was hit. I think what it really was is that I didn't have such a great season, my numbers were okay but they were down from past years, so the Fighters wanted to move on. But to say my knee was hurt, that wasn't it at all.

I contacted a Japanese newspaper and did an interview but I don't think it helped. I contacted them, my agent did, they asked how I was doing, I said everything was fine. I have proof of going to the doctors, I wanted to make sure everything was right, I didn't want to come back here hurt. We took MRIs, took every test possible, so the idea that I was hurt... I don't know. But, I wish them the best, I had good times there. I just want to throw it out the window, just gotta move on.

Are you looking forward to going back to Sapporo?

Oh, yes. I think we'll be back to the Dome first week of September. I'm definitely looking forward to it, I have good friends there, hearing the fans and all that will be nice, to see that again. As a visitor I don't know what kind of reception I will get but I'm definitely looking forward to going back there to play.

So, you're not hoping for revenge? Extra special home runs against the Fighters?

Oh, no. I mean, Micheal [Nakamura] said he wants to break my back, and I told him I'm gonna get a hit off him, but that's just friends talking, that's what we've been doing. I call them real friends, all those guys. We all wish each other the best, we talk all the time, email each other, it's just a game, I definitely look at it that way. Sure, it's competitive, but it's a game. I want to win, they want to win, but it's really all about going out there and letting the best team win that day.

Who was your favorite guy to play with on the Fighters?

Every guy... had a unique thing about them. That's what separated us from other teams. Just by the chemistry we had, teams would already feel like they had already lost the game just by looking at our dugout, every guy had something to do. Once the game started we were on a roll, and that was huge, very important. Friends... well, definitely the other foreigners on the team, because of the language barrier and all that. But I mean, we had a good time no matter what, EVERY guy on that team had something special going on. It was a great four years I had there.

What was it like playing with Shinjo, or Hichori, the crazy people?

To be honest with you... I think Shinjo coming into the team, to spark something up, that was huge. We came at the same time, arrived the same year, and for him to bring what he brought, he made the younger Japanese players relax and play at their potential. He did that in so many ways. Everything he does is special. The biggest thing about him was that he would take younger guys, like Hichori, under his wing, and teach them the right way about going about things, defense-wise, or other things that would help the team. He did that, and he would bring a lot of good things out of a lot of the younger players, so they weren't shy about being themselves. That's what Shinjo was, being himself. A lot of people didn't like that, but at the same time it was great for us. He had this great energy that we'd feed off of.

There could never be another Shinjo in this league. Shinjo is one. Shinjo is unique. There's no other Shinjo. A lot of other guys might try to be Shinjo, but he's special in that way. He got along with foreign players, he got along with Japanese players, he respected younger players, that's something older guys here normally don't do, you know, "I'm older so whatever I say goes," but Shinjo was open to a lot of guys, to everyone, to the fans. The way he'd take over the Dome with the things he did, he helped us out a lot.

How did it feel to make such an impact on the city of Sapporo, coming there with the team?

You know, I remember the first day of practice in Sapporo Dome, in what, 2004? I said, "There's no way we're gonna get fans to fill this place." I looked around, said "No way. This place is HUGE. It's the biggest dome in all of Japan, we'll never get this place full." Trey [Hillman] looked at me, and said, "Seggy, you know what? This is a nice place. We just need to win some ballgames and build the right team," and sure enough, that's what we did, we won some ballgames and built a great team, and the next year, we were getting sellouts, 45,000 people in that place. It was amazing to see that, from the day we started to the day we ended, the fans came from everywhere.

Do you think the fan support is what made a big difference for the team in Sapporo then?

Oh, fan base, yeah, definitely. I mean, they're great. At times, we'd be going up against a tough pitcher or a really good team, and just to feed off the energy the fans would bring to the stadium was unbelievable. The guys would feel that and we'd go out there like "Hey, let's just go do this, the fans will support us no matter what happens," so we'd just try to relax and play a good game. The fan support made us relax and play the game the right way.

I gotta ask. How did the bananas thing start?

It kind of... I mean...

Well, that is, did you start it or did the fans?

Okay, so I was a guy that always had leg muscle problems. Hamstring problems, quads problems, you know, cramps in my legs. When I was younger I was the big guy with little legs, you know, and I used to dehydrate a lot. So they recommended me to always keep potassium in my body so I wouldn't break down so fast. Potassium, you know, so it's one banana here, two bananas there, while I was in the minor leagues. Next thing you know that's all I would eat before the games, bananas and a protein shake. I came here and started doing it, and of course my teammates started noticing, and the front office too, I think they put it out in the newspaper. "All he eats is bananas." And the fans listened, of course.

I've always liked bananas, I'm from a banana place, from Panama, we EXPORT bananas. The town I grew up in has a LOT of bananas too, everyone really loves bananas, sure. I like plantains, ground food, but you know, it's not like I eat bananas every day, not at home. I eat lots of other fruits too! [laughs] Watermelons! Mangoes! Pears, strawberries... no, I don't eat bananas every day. But when I play, that's the food I have here, and it's good for my body. So that's where it kind of started. The real story is that I don't want my muscles to break down.

So do you like the banana wave?

Oh, yeah. I enjoy it. The fans are having fun, and that's what matters. Most of the time, we're putting on a show for the fans.

I think what's great about Japan is how much the fans have a relationship with the team.

They really get into it. They appreciate the game, and we appreciate them doing it. I think sometimes it's good to give back. There's only so much you can do, but when you give back, an autograph here, a handshake there, just saying hi to someone... I think they like that, it makes a difference.

Hm, so then how is it in Sendai so far?

To be honest, the couple days I've been there has felt like a road trip. I'm just staying in a hotel, so it was just like going back and playing there before, like a visiting team member, only now I'm a local guy. I haven't had enough time to go around and know the stadium and city area yet, whatever I know about it is from prior years going there to play. The surroundings, the restaurants I visit, the places I was always going to then. But, I'm looking forward to knowing more about the area, hopefully I can enjoy it.

Do you like... cow tongue? They made me eat it when I visited Sendai.

I love it! It's really good! We had good times at those restaurants, one of those times you can sit down and enjoy a good conversation with your teammates. I don't know if you made restaurants like that in Latin countries if it would kick off, you know, people wouldn't see the reason for a place where you can cook your own food like that. It's kind of weird but I love the idea. It's really relaxing, and they have really good food, you get really full eating something like that.

On another Sendai note, the Eagles have a lot of, well, first basemen. Would you rather be a DH or a 1B? Where do you prefer?

I like to be on the field, definitely. I like to play first base if I can. When I'm on offense that day I can help out the team, sure, but I want to contribute to winning any way I can, either offensively or defensively, that's what I want to do. I know here they bring a lot of foreign guys and they want us to hit home runs. That's cool too. I tell them I'm here for that, I know my role, and that's what I'm gonna try to do, hit a lot of home runs, help them out. But I like being on the field defensively as well.

How does that change your approach here? Going for home runs all the time, is that different than how you try to hit in Mexico or the States?

Well, in the States... I'm a big guy, so they expect me to drive the ball, drive in runs, that's one of the things I'm there to do. But in the States being a good hitter, getting your hits here and there, and having a high on-base percentage is sometimes what's more important. It depends on who you play for, the team situation, the manager, see what he likes, go from there. But I guess wherever I go, with my frame... [laughs] They don't see me as a runner or bunter no matter what, you know? No matter where I go, I'm gonna have the same kind of approach.

What's it like playing for [Katsuya] Nomura?

So far? Well, what I used to see of him, when we'd have matches, Fighters vs. Eagles, I'd watch him talking to Trey Hillman. It was one of those times I could see they had something in common, they're really devoted and really enjoy the game and have a lot of knowledge. So as a player it's my job to pick his brain, try to get more information so I can be better, one of those things. You gotta listen sometimes and pick up stuff that can help you out. Nomura, he's a lot of fun to play for. He's managed a lot and seen a lot, so he's low-key, says what's on his mind. He says what he wants to say, doesn't beat around the bush. As a player that's good, we love getting the real thing, not just hearing something and still making the same mistake every day anyway. You hear it from him once and that's it, I gotta change. So far it's been good, and we've been winning a few games so that's good too.

I actually thought this team would make 3rd place this year.

There you go! We're gonna make the postseason. We've got what, 40 games left? That's a lot of games, we just gotta try to win some of them. We're what, 4-5 games out of third?

Yeah. The Pacific League has almost everyone at .500 or so except Seibu.

Exactly, it can be anyone's game. We'll see how it goes.

What's your plan for next year?

I've only got a deal for this year right now, so we'll see what happens. I guess [Rakuten] would have the rights to sign me back or release me. At the moment I'm just kind of focusing on these two months to do my best. I'm happy to get this opportunity to come back to Japan.

You *really* like it here in Japan!

I do, they really take baseball seriously here. Going to the games, at times it can be really tough because of the schedules and the travelling but whatever. You play, you really want to win and the fans are into it, and it's a completely different atmosphere.

Yeah, I know as a fan I would rather be here. It's a lot more fun.

Yeah! They enjoy the game. Always out there clapping, supporting us, talking, singing. You don't get that back home. In the US you might feel that kind of atmosphere in the playoffs, lots of noise and stuff, but here, from day one they get into it, it's amazing. Back home, it's almost kind of dull. You're out there doing your job, playing the game, but it feels like you don't hear anything.

What was it like the first time you heard the cheers here?

[Laughs] It was different! It's a process... when I first came here with Orix, getting used to the cheering, getting that out of the way, it helped me in the long run. I tell guys who come here for the first time that they have to get used to it, get it out of the way, try to understand what it's like here. Different place, different language, you need to learn so many things right away, try to understand the Japanese, it makes you a better player, a better citizen.

Are you studying Japanese?

I was before, but not anymore. Whatever I learned, nobody really understood me. What I was reading out of books, and studying off the internet, it was formal Japanese. The guys would tell me, "You're too proper!" I think I learn more by just listening here. I just try to talk with everyone.


[Editor's note: At this point we degenerated into a talk about language learning for a bit and shortly after that, batting practice ended anyway. The rain never stopped, and the game was cancelled after only one inning.]



For the record, Seguignol is TALL.

Unfortunately, in the ten days or so since the interview, the Eagles have had two more rainouts and gone 2-4 in the games they did manage to play, so I'm not sure how bright things are looking for them at the moment. Next weekend, September 5-7, they head up to Sapporo to play against the Fighters, so we'll see what the fan reaction is like when he gets there.

I was fortunate enough to get a few minutes to chat with outfielder Hiram Bocachica of the Seibu Lions before Monday night's Lions-Fighters game at the Seibu Dome, where Seibu got their 4000th victory as a franchise.

The first time I saw Hiram Bocachica was in Seattle in 2004; I had partial season tickets to the Mariners that year, and to put it mildly, the team sucked. One day, in the midst of the revolving door that was the Seattle-Tacoma roster transaction list, this outfielder came out of nowhere, wearing Mike Cameron's old #44 and guarding the wide expanse of Safeco Field's outfield as if he WAS Cameron. He had a cool name and he was fun to watch in the outfield. I still remember one game where Ichiro was DH, Bocachica was playing right field, and there was this long fly ball to right. The ball was FIRED in, and the runner on second stayed. We were all joking, "Rule #51 -- Don't go on Ichiro!" until about five minutes later when it was like "...WAIT. Guys... remember that AWESOME Ichiro throw? That wasn't Ichiro! That was HIRAM BOCACHICA!"

Now, after a few years bouncing between the majors and minors in America, he's here in Japan, giving the same all-out effort and impressing the fans on this side of the Pacific!

(You can learn more about him on hirambocachica.com, a fan site dedicated to him, or on Baseball-Reference.)

Thanks to Hiram for taking the time to talk to me, and to the Seibu Lions for letting me on their field :)


What do you think of Japan so far?

It's been a new experience, something different. It's pretty nice, you know, the fans are awesome, and the food is pretty good. Sometimes the weather is pretty cold and then pretty hot, with no inbetween, which is difficult. But it's been pretty good for me here, for my career. I'm just looking forward to finishing this year strong, and see what happens next year.

I was going to ask about the fans, actually. Do you think it's good or bad with all the cheering?

It's pretty good! They don't care about what the score is, they always cheer, they never boo you. They don't look at the bad stuff, they only think of the good stuff, and I think that's something the American fans could learn from the fans here in Japan.

What's been your favorite place to play at over here?

Hmmm. I've played in a bunch of different places here, and they've all been good. Been to Sapporo and Osaka, down to Fukuoka where Softbank plays too. I think overall Japan is a really nice country and we've been able to play in a lot of nice cities, it's ben great.

Yeah, and you guys are doing awesome this year too!

We're doing pretty good. We have a really good offensive team and we have good pitching. We'll see what happens this year.

How does it feel to come to a championship team like this?

Well, I did a bit of research before I signed, heard a lot about the team. You know, what players came out of this team, guys like [Daisuke] Matsuzaka and [Kazuo] Matsui, and I think that's one of the reasons I signed with them. I knew it was going to be a pretty good team and was going to compete, so that helped to make my decision a lot easier.

How's it been adjusting to the game here?

I won't lie, it took me a while to adjust, you know, a few months. They said it might be weeks, but... I'm still adjusting! I'm learning. I don't know if I'm going to come back next year, but at least if I do I'll have an idea of what to expect. It's now almost the end of the season, and I'm feeling pretty good about the way I'm doing.

How was the minor leagues here?

[long pause]

[Laughs] Okay, nevermind...

Actually, you know what? It helped me to work on a few things I had to work on and to get away from all the stuff going on up here. But now I'm here, and I'm looking forward to finish strong and help the team go to the playoffs.

I ask everyone, but have you been studying Japanese while you're here?

Not really. I know a few words, but not enough to have a conversation with somebody. It seems like a pretty interesting language.

You mostly talk to teammates with an interpreter?

Yeah, we talk a lot, I answer a lot of questions, it's been a nice experience.

Who's your favorite teammate?

All the guys are nice. [Hiroyuki] Nakajima, I think we've been the closest, thoguh he's in China right now playing for the Olympics. Overall the team is pretty nice. Pretty nice guys, pretty great teammates, we play really well together.

Do you think you want to stay here for another year?

I don't know. Right now I'm just thinking about this year, going year to year now. I don't want to worry about what will happen next year, just want to focus on finishing this year strong, and then see what happens next.

You've been doing great. You're really popular.

I'm doing all right. The fans are great, and like I told you, they only look at the things that you do positive, and that helps a LOT.

What's it like playing for a Japanese manager? Does it change the game for you?

It's a little bit different. They don't say much, they make a lot of faces, so you don't know what he's thinking exactly but you can imagine what's going on in his mind. My manager is a pretty nice guy, pretty quiet, but when he does talk, he lets you know what he thinks. I think that says a lot about him.

[switches off recorder]


I thanked him for his time, and my Seibu Lions friend who let me on the field in the first place was nice enough to take a picture of us:



Believe me when I say it's been really neat to see so many former Mariners players who are now in Japan. I wish Hiram all the best of luck... except when he's playing against the Fighters, of course :)

Just like last time, I'm still working on learning how to do this whole interviewing thing, and I thought of a whole bunch more questions while I was transcribing it, but I hope people enjoyed reading it anyway!

(Next, I will have to talk about the rest of my adventure at the Seibu Dome today, but I wanted to do this first as a thank you to the Seibu folks. I get the impression they sometimes get the short stick in terms of English-language coverage of the team, although I suppose it makes sense right now in the midst of the Olympics.)

I was lucky enough to get a few minutes to talk with Dragons first baseman Tyrone Woods before Wednesday's Marines-Dragons game.

Tyrone has played baseball all over the world, pretty much, moving to Japan in 2003 after 5 years of playing in Korea. He has been generally terrorizing opposing pitchers in Japan by hitting home runs all over the place (he has 219 homers in his NPB career as of this moment, and by the time you read this blog entry, he will probably have more). He came to the Chunichi Dragons in 2005, and was a big part of their recent success and their Japan Series victory in 2007.

As it turns out, he's also a pretty nice guy, and he put up with my asking him lots of stupid questions.

Thanks to Larry Rocca and the Chiba Lotte Marines for letting me hang out on the field for batting practice, and thanks to Tyrone, of course, for taking the time out to chat for a bit.


What do you think of interleague so far? Like or hate it?

It's all right so far, but it takes a toll on your body. There's a lot of travelling, a lot of days off. I guess it's good for the fans, you know, because we get to see so many different fans in different stadiums.

What's your favorite place to go to?

Favorite place to eat? Sapporo. I love Sapporo's seafood.

[We degenerate into a conversation about food. I tell him about Hillman's Hangout and how he MUST GO THERE.]

Are there any pitchers you're looking forward to facing in interleague?

No, not really. All of the pitchers are tough because you don't know them, you don't know their habits, their tendencies, what stuff they throw.

Do you guys have video?

Yeah, we have video, but it's just not the same as facing a pitcher live.

Do you like DHing?

No, not really. I like to be into the game. DHing requires a lot of walking around and a lot of extra swinging, just to stay loose. You have to keep your concentration level up.

With Morino out of action, who would you rather have batting in front of you, Lee or Norihiro?

Well, right now, I'm hitting 3rd.

Oh, right, the last few days. Do you mind that?

It really doesn't bother me. Because the 3- and 4-hole hitters are basically the same. We're there to drive in the runs when the first and second guys get on base.

You're still supposed to hit a home run, so it's the same thing?

Yeah.

Okay, I was curious... do you have a rivalry with Alex Ramirez?

No.

No? Not at all?

No. Not at all.

Do you guys ever talk like "I'm gonna get you..."

All the time.

Okay.

But, actually, it's never really about how we're gonna get each other. It's all "Good luck", "Have a good game", "Do your best", you know, that's what it's all about for us. We didn't come over here to have anything against each other, we're still both gaijin, we still want each other to do well.

That's great!

That's the name of the game.

Who's been your best teammate in Japan?

I've had a LOT of them.

Like...

[Long pause.] Kaz Sasaki, Alex Ochoa. Steve Cox was cool. There's been a lot of the Japanese guys who are unbelievable. Now I have [Tomas] De La Rosa, unbelievable guy. Stand-up.

Do you talk to the Japanese guys a lot?

All the time. What's so funny is, some guys actually talk to me about hitting, you know... what are they doing wrong, how can I correct the problem?

They want to get more power? Or just hit better?

No, just, if they're struggling, they ask me, "what am I doing wrong?"

That's really awesome! Do you still need a translator to talk to them?

My interpreter does it all, yeah. Right now, Ochiai-san wants me to teach De La Rosa how to hit.
Well, not too much how to hit, just how to stay back and swing down on the ball.

Because of how they pitch here in Japan?

Yeah.

Okay, I gotta ask. Is Ochiai scary to talk to?

No, he's not.

Really?

No.

Everyone tells me he's crazy.

No. He's just... well... to me, he's very quiet, very polite. He just lets you go out there and do your job. And that's the type of manager I like to play for. Not somebody who's always talking and always nagging you. Just go out and play your game. If I'm struggling a little bit, Ochiai-san always tells me what I'm doing wrong, he helps me correct it. Then the next couple of games, I'm cool again, feeling good at the plate. I do my work, I speak to him about it.

Were they really controlling in Yokohama, or in Korea?

They weren't too controlling, but you had a lot of players and coaches talking at you in different ways, you're supposed to do this, you can't be late, everything is strictly by the book. But here, it's all about your performance on the field. If you perform at 6:00 the way you're supposed to perform, you can do whatever you want here. Some days, sure, if the team has to stretch at 3:30... I get there at 3:30.

What's your routine like?

It's unbelievable. I basically don't have a routine. I come out, take my batting practice, go back inside, listen to music, go and sit in the sauna and sweat, just as long as I'm ready to play at 6:00.

What's your favorite pregame music?

I like some 2Pac, and a little R&B. [Laughs.]

What did you do yesterday with the rainy day?

We practiced. We practiced in an indoor facility.

What do you usually do on game days?

Well, every day that we play away, I go weight train. 9:30am, I meet the guys downstairs, we go to the gym. We work out until roughly 12pm, eat lunch, get a massage at 1, and get dressed and come to the stadium.

Really?

Yeah, a lot of the people that I see in the gym, just regular people, they act like "You have a game today?"
"Yes."
"You at the gym? You don't relax?"
"No, there's no time to relax. I relax on the days off."

You go to a gym with normal random people?

Yeah, I go to Gold's Gym.

There's Gold's Gym in Nagoya?!

Yeah, they're everywhere! I go to the ones in Yokohama, Osaka, Tokyo...

Do you ever have a problem with fans being like "Tyrone! Tyrone!"

Not at the gym, no.

How about outside?

A lot of them come up and speak to me, you know, they probably ask for an autograph here and there, but overall want to sit and talk and hold a conversation? No.

There's no "Can we take a picture? Can we take a picture?"

Every now and then you get that. I don't mind because it's real quick, I have my translator and the coaches there too, so... if it's just one or two of them I don't mind, but if it's a whole bunch it can get irritating.

Okay, one last question. What do you think of Doala? Does Doala ever mess with you?

All the time.

What do you do?

I always ask if he's a boy or a girl. And he always goes like that [makes a fist]. So I guess it's a guy.

[laughing] So...

Okay, so the reason why I ask that question is, my translator told me that sometimes it's a girl in there. And a lot of the guys used to hit him down low. So I was saying, "Hey, man, that could be a GIRL on the inside." That's why I always ask, boy or girl. I think it was a boy that day.

I've heard that everybody abuses Doala.

All the time. If I see him in the back or whatever, I slap him on the side of the head, throw a ball at him when we are home, etc.


[switches off recorder]

Larry showed up at that point and I got him to take a picture of me with Tyrone. Which was kind of funny considering that I had just been asking Tyrone whether he's bothered by fans asking to take pictures with him, but hey, whatever, I actually AM a Chunichi fangirl.





A bit later Larry even outed me as a huge Dragons fangirl and I showed Tyrone how I had a Morino #31 charm on my cellphone strap. "You like MORINO?" he said, cracking up. I probably turned some bizarre shade of red, but then asked what the heck was up with Morino, and he said just the same things I knew already: Morino hurt his left calf muscle and is still recovering. Sigh. Fortunately, at that moment, Julio Zuleta and Benny Agbayani showed up, and so I didn't have to look like an even bigger dork by asking more about Morino's status.

Anyway, I hope people enjoyed reading this, and I hope I can do some more player interviews in the future (assuming I'm ever allowed back on the field after they read this one, of course).