Cricket is the most American of sports, says Steven Wells. So why has the nation forsaken it for the jumped-up form of rounders that is baseball ?
" Cricket ! ? " spat my American friend, Alix. " I saw a game once. It's heinous. It's like watching something grow. It makes golf look interesting. "
Americans think there's something fundamentally wrong about cricket, something alien, something profoundly un-American. They are wrong. In fact they couldn't be wronger.
Cricket is the most American of sports. If only because of the fact that without cricket, the United States of America wouldn't exist in the first place.
FLASHBACK : Frederick, Prince of Wales, eldest son of George II, was, by all accounts, a bit of an arse. His mum called him a beast and a monster. And his dad seriously reckoned he was "wechselbalg " - a werewolf. And then, in 1749, Frederick got smacked in the head by a cricket ball. Two years later he died of an infected cyst in his head, leaving the way clear for Fred's slightly mad son to become George III.
Four years later the British General Braddock marched on Fort Duquesne (later to be re-named Pittsburgh). So confident was Braddock about kicking French and Indian ass, that he brought heavy rollers with him so he can make a cricket pitch. The resulting massacre - in which Braddock died - was the first time the supposedly invincible British had been defeated on American soil. " Aha ! " thought one of the colonial militia officers who survived the battle.
May 4, 1778 : That same officer is now commander of the American forces who are rebelling against the increasingly bonkers King George (whose dad, you remember, was hit on the head with a cricket ball). Having survived a savage winter in Valley Forge, George Washington is now rebuilding his army's shattered morale with courts martial, drills, theatrical entertainments and...cricket. Amazingly, he even played the game himself.
" This day His Excellency dined with General Nox" wrote first lieutenant George Ewing in his diary, " and after dinner did us the honor to play at Wicket with us. " Thus fortified, the almost entirely British rebel army marched off - and knocked King George's non-cricket playing German mercenaries for six. Huzzah !
So, given that the United States owes its very existence to the game, how come America didn't hug cricket to its breast ? Well, it did. By the middle of the 19th century, cricket clubs were established in every American city. The first ever international game (in any sport) was played by the United States and Canada at the St. George's Cricket Club in Manhattan in 1844. Cricket wasn't an American sport - cricket was the American sport.
So what happened ? Last month I walked through the leafy, super affluent suburbs of northern Philadelphia to catch a game at Haverford cricket club. They've been playing cricket here since 1833. Haverford is posh. Dead posh. There are Indian and Pakistani accents here. And West Indian, South African and English voices as well. There are maybe 30 people watching the match. The air is filled with the hum of insects - and the hubbub that is the unmistakable sound of the rules of cricket being patiently explained to Americans. This is the state of US cricket in 2004 (only one member of the current US cricket team was born on American soil). Last week I went to see the Philadelphia Phillies at the brand spanking new, $346 million Citizens Bank Park mega-stadium. It is enormous. It has to be. It accommodates 43,000 comfortably seated baseball fans - a significant proportion of whom are a tad on the large side. In between innings the crowd are entertained by an enormous green monster called the Phillie Phanatic, who fires hotdogs into the crowd from a huge cannon that is driven round the outfield by a giant pig. We see a Phillies fan (who makes Michael Moore look like Calista Flockhart) heave himself to his feet and start screaming into the terrified face of the New York Mets fan sat behind him. We see blue-collar Americans at their mulleted, flag sporting, weak-beer worst. And their rude, berating-the-preening-millionaire-prima donnas best. In the nice seats are the nice people. The people with health insurance. Entire families of orthodontically perfect uber-yanks. And now the Phanatic has leapt onto a platform and is dancing to raucous rock'n'roll with scantily clad teenage girls. We are - what ? - fifteen miles from Haverford ? But we're in another universe.
But it could - it should - be cricket that we are watching here today. OK, this being America, the game would have mutated slightly. There'd be shorter innings. And more spitting. So why did baseball win out? Not because it's less boring. Trust me on this. The only time baseball gets even slightly exciting is when a batter actually manages to hit the ball. This happens so infrequently that you could read a book between home runs. Dan - the John Travolta faced US sports fan - is explaining the rules to Wendy, an Englishwoman.
" Ah ! " she says, " So it's like rounders ! "
She's wrong. Baseball isn't like rounders. Baseball is rounders. And rounders is baseball. Same game. Different name. A few baseball historians still cling grimly to the tired old patriotic lie that baseball in an entirely American invention. Despite the fact that the game was mentioned in Jane Austen's 1798 chick-lit bonkbuster Northanger Abbey. And that the first rules of the game - Ball mit Freystäten (Oder Das Englische Base-ball) - were published by Guts Muths in the town of Schnepfenthal in the Duchy of Gotha in 1796.
So how did it happen ? How did dumb ole rounders kick regal cricket's ass ? The answer, perhaps unsurprisingly, is that American cricket shot itself through both kneecaps to avoid physical contact with the working classes. When the rest of the cricketing world embraced professionalism (cricketing code for " let the oiks have a go " ) , the American cricketing establishment remained stubbornly elitist. Many clubs abandoned the game altogether and turned to golf and tennis. This happened all over the USA. Except, bizarrely, in Philadelphia. Which brings us back to leafy, idyllic Haverford college. In the second half of the 19th century, with rounders on the rise everywhere, Haverford became the heart of the cricket resistance.
Baseball was a " growing evil ", " a trysting place for all sorts of immorality ", a " game for boys and ragtags ". Worse than that, it was a game increasingly played by Irish and German immigrants. This wasn't just a matter of sporting aesthetics. This was class hatred tinged with racism.
" Anybody can play baseball " wrote one scholar, " And the result is that anybody does play. " In 1911 Haverford cancelled a cricket match against a West Indian team when it was learnt that some of their opponents might actually be (oh my golly gosh) black Americans, Meanwhile Haverford proudly sent touring teams to England where they fared well against the posher universities and top public schools. But back home, they were running out of people to play.
But it was the MCC that finally did for American cricket. After World War I, the sport underwent a revival in the USA.. And then along came the Imperial Cricket Conference (an MCC front organisation) and shut the Americans out from the international game. Isolated, American cricket finally withered and died. And baseball took over, as easy as that.
It was the British Empire that finally did for American cricket. Which was fitting, given that it was cricket that lost Britain its American colonies in the first place.
Takeshi Sato new Head Coach of Malaysian National Team
Friday, October 28, 2011
Press Release Baseball Federation of Malaysia (BFM) and Baseball Federation of Japan (BFJ)
Baseball Federation of Malaysia (BFM) and Baseball Federation of Japan (BFJ) announce the appointment of Takeshi Sato (72) as a coach for the Malaysian National Baseball Team which will participate in the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia in the middle of November.
Coach Sato was a player of the University of Tokyo Baseball Club where he was selected as one of the best nine players of the prestigious Tokyo Big-6 League in 1961. During his tenure in Toray Industries, Inc., a leading international chemical industry group, he was stationed in Penang, Malaysia for 3.5 years to set up the currently thriving manufacturing complex. Coach Sato will continue to assist BFM’s ongoing initiatives to develop baseball in Malaysia after the completion of the SEA Games.
Both BFM and BFJ are members of Baseball Federation of Asia, as well as International Baseball Federation.
PETALING JAYA : The Malaysian baseball squad – long known as the whipping boys in the SEA Games – have set themselves a high standard, targeting at least a bronze medal in the Games, which will begin in Palembang next month.
This will be the third time that baseball will be featured in the SEA Games. The first was back in 2005 in Manila, followed by Korat in 2007.
And both times Malaysia fared poorly – finishing last in 2005 and fifth in 2007.
But this time, Baseball Federation of Malaysia (BFM) secretary general Nahar Johari believes they have a “ highly committed” bunch of players in the squad and that a bronze medal is an “ achievable target ” .
Malaysia will also be boosted by news that regional powerhouse the Philippines have pulled out from the Games.
“ Back in Manila and Korat, the national team only trained on an ad-hoc basis and they only competed for exposure, ” said Nahar.
“ This time, however, we have a proper training system and half of the players have been in the team since 2009.
“ There is a great team spirit among the players and the fact that Philippines are not participating has also given us much hope. ”
With the Filipinos’ exclusion, hosts Indonesia look a safe bet for the gold medal, leaving Malaysia to compete with Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia for the other spot in the final.
The squad will be undergoing intensive training, which began at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) on Saturday, until Nov 10.
The New York Times has a fascinating article about how the Nippon Professional Baseball league decided to adopt a Mizuno baseball as their official game ball. Up until recently, different teams used different balls, often from regional manufacturers.
The new standard may have to do with a desire to make Japanese players familiar with the type of ball used in the American Major Leagues and in the WBC :
Although Japan’s new ball is not meant to replicate the American major league ball, a conscious effort was made to make it much more similar than before. That is a crucial point in Japan, where performance in international competitions like the quadrennial World Baseball Classic, which uses the American ball, weighs on the national conscience. Kato, the commissioner, said as much at a news conference when he unveiled the new ball before the season.
“ Certainly, an impetus for the uniform ball was seeing with my own eyes the difficulties Japanese pitchers had with the different ball at the W.B.C. , ” he said of the 2009 tournament, which Japan won. “ By unifying our approach to the domestic game, we can lessen such discomforts that arise for our players on the international stage. ”
Baseball lovers make sacrifices to compete in Indonesia
Tuesday November 8, 2011
By KNG ZHENG GUAN
PETALING JAYA : It would be no exaggeration to say that baseball has struck out big time in Malaysia.
In fact, the All-American favourite is largely anonymous here, barely getting a peek in the sports pages except when the World Series are on and even then buried deep, next to the obituary pages.
Committed trio : (from left) S.Saravanan, Lee Keat Seng and Mohd Rashidin Mohd Ridzuan are three passionate and commited members of the Malaysian baseball squad.
For the uninitiated, baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of nine players each. It is hugely popular in the US and to a lesser extent in Canada, Mexico, Cuba, some parts of Central America, Japan , Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines. That’s about it and yet they have the temerity to call the US Major League Baseball (MBL) finals the World Series. But that is another story. US baseball is of course full of legends like Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Derek Jeter, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa. Who? You may well ask.
DiMaggio is better known in the civilised world, which worships football, as Mr Marilyn Monroe while Bonds is that chap in the steroids scandal. That’s about all most Malaysians know about these so called superstars.
JAKARTA – Tim Baseball Indonesia sukses melewati dua laga pertamanya dengan kemenangan dalam SEA Games 2011. Indonesia menang telak 14-0 atas Malaysia dan 7-5 atas Thailand.
Dengan hasil tersebut, Indonesia hanya butu* satu kemenangan lagi untuk mengantongi satu tempat di Grand Final. Laga Indonesia berikutnya adalah melawan Vietnam, Rabu (16/11/2011) esok.
“ Kami masih buta kekuatan lawan (Vietnam) karena mereka kan baru pertama kali turun di ajang baseball SEA Games. Di atas kertas, Vietnam bisa kita kalahkan,” kata pelatih baseball, Gilberto Sajogo saat dihubungi Okezone, Senin (14/11/2011).
Gilberto mengungkapkan bahwa kemenangan atas Thailand mesti diraih dengan susah payah. Dia memang sudah menduga bahwa Thailand dan Filipina akan menjadi lawan terberat Indonesia di kawasan Asia Tenggara.
“ Kita bisa lewati (Thailand) meski dengan susah payah. Kami mesti melakoni inning tambahan yakni inning 10 karena hingga inning kesembilan skor masih seimbang 5-5, ” kata Gilberto.
Gilberto menambahkan kunci kemenangan atas rival Indonesia tersebut adalah persiapan dan disiplin. Gilberto menekankan pentingnya disiplin karena pihaknya sudah mengetahui laga kontra Thailand akan berlangsung alot.
“Kita sudah briefing bahwa kita harus mampu mengontrol emosi. Kuncinya adalah tampil disiplin, baik disiplin strategi maupun disiplin emosi, ” kata Gilberto.
Baseball Tournament at 26th SEA Games in Jakarta-Palembang are held from November 13 to 20
Monday, November 14, 2011
The baseball tournament at the 26th South East Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang, Indonesia started on Sunday with a pair of games. Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam have sent teams to participate in the event. Before the action started on the field, Mr. Gugun Yudinar (President Baseball Indonesia) threw out the first pitch to Mr. Lee, Sang Hyun (Secretary General BFA), who got the first hit.
In the morning matchup on Sunday the Philippines scored seven runs in top of fifth inning en route to a 9-2 victory over Thailand. Saxon Omandac had four hits, a run and a RBI in the winning effort. Darwin Dela Calzada struck out 11 in a complete game win. Kamolphan Kanjanavisut took the loss.
In the second game in the afternoon host Indonesia crushed Malaysia 14-0 in seven innings. Six runs in the first decided the outcome early. Donny Trisnadi and Andika Arlistianto issued just one walk apiece in seven no-hit innings. Mario Insamodra went 3-for-4 with four RBI, while three players scored thrice for Indonesia. Saravanan Subramaniam was charged with the loss, pitching four innings for Malaysia.
Results :
13 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 PHI vs THA 9-2
13 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 MAL vs INA 0-14
Schedule :
14 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 INA vs THA
14 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 VNM vs PHI
15 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 THA vs VNM
15 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 MAL vs PHI
16 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 INA vs VNM
16 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 THA vs MAL
17 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 PHI vs INA
17 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 VNM vs MAL
18 Nov 2011 Off Day
19 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 RANK 3 vs RANK 4 FOR BRONZE MEDAL
20 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 RANK 1 vs RANK 2 FOR GOLD MEDAL
Thailand and Philippines win on Day 3 of Baseball Tournament in Indonesia
Tuesday, November 15
Day three of the baseball tournament at the 2011 South East Asian Games in Indonesia featured a pair of no-hit shutouts. Thailand defeated Vietnam 12-0 in seven innings. Stellar pitching by Kuakun Aoyama was the key to the victory. He allowed just two walks in seven scoreless innings, while striking out six. On offense Chidsanu Janrak and Jittiphong Chongh-On combined for three hits, three runs and five RBI.
In the second game of the day the Philippines prevailed 10-0 against Malaysia. Romeo Jasmin Jr., Jon-Jon Robles and Charlie Labrador gave up just one base runner through seven otherwise perfect innings. Fulgencio Rances Jr. and Fernando Laurel drove in two apiece. Muhammad Abdul Wahab was charged with the loss, throwing five innings for Malaysia.
Results :
13 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 PHI 9 vs THA 2
13 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 MAL 0 vs INA 14
14 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 INA 7 vs THA 5
14 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 VNM 0 vs PHI 10
15 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 THA 12 vs VNM 0
15 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 MAL 0 vs PHI 10
Schedule :
16 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 INA vs VNM
16 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 THA vs MAL
17 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 PHI vs INA
17 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 VNM vs MAL
18 Nov 2011 Off Day
19 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 RANK 3 vs RANK 4 FOR BRONZE MEDAL
20 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 RANK 1 vs RANK 2 FOR GOLD MEDAL
Thailand and Philippines win on Day 3 of Baseball Tournament in Indonesia
Thursday, November 17
The Philippines and Vietnam prevailed on the fifth day of the competition at the baseball tournament during the South East Asian Games in Indonesia on Thursday.
In the morning the Philippines celebrated a 4-0 shutout over host Indonesia. Leadoff hitters Fulgencio Rances Jr. and Ruben Angeles combined to collect five hits and two RBI to lead the offense of the Philippines. On the mound Charlie Labrador, Jon-Jon Robles and Darwin Dela Calzada issued just two hits in nine scoreless innings.
In the second game of the day, Vietnam scored eight runs between the third and fifth innings en route to a 10-4 victory over Malaysia. It was the first win in the tournament for Vietnam.
With the two matches on Thursday, the preliminary round robin ended. The Philippines won this group stage and have the gold medal game, where they will face Indonesia on Sunday. On Saturday the bronze medal game between Vietnam and Thailand will take place.
Results :
13 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 PHI 9 vs THA 2
13 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 MAL 0 vs INA 14
14 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 INA 7 vs THA 5
14 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 VNM 0 vs PHI 10
15 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 THA 12 vs VNM 0
15 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 MAL 0 vs PHI 10
16 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 INA 15 vs VNM 0
16 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 THA 17 vs MAL 0
17 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 PHI 4 vs INA 0
17 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 VNM 10 vs MAL 4
Schedule :
18 Nov 2011 Off Day
19 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 RANK 3 vs RANK 4 FOR BRONZE MEDAL (VNM vs THA)
20 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 RANK 1 vs RANK 2 FOR GOLD MEDAL (PHI vs INA)
Thailand has won the bronze medal at the baseball tournament during the 2011 South East Asian Games in Indonesia. In the game for third place on Saturday morning they defeated Vietnam 12-4, turning around 1-4 deficit in the process.
Sek Sitthikaew and Teerasak Kongsabai collected three RBI each to lead the offense of Team Thailand. Five players scored twice. Nam Ha Vu had given Vietnam a three-run lead with a bases clearing double in the third.
It was the lone hit for Vietnam in the game, as pitchers Siraphop Nadee, Nattapong Meeboonrod and Kamolphan Kanjanavisut otherwise held their offense in check. Dang Phuong Vu Le went the distance to take the loss.
The Gold Medal Game between Indonesia and the Philippines will be played on Sunday morning.
Results :
13 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 PHI 9 vs THA 2
13 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 MAL 0 vs INA 14
14 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 INA 7 vs THA 5
14 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 VNM 0 vs PHI 10
15 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 THA 12 vs VNM 0
15 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 MAL 0 vs PHI 10
16 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 INA 15 vs VNM 0
16 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 THA 17 vs MAL 0
17 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 PHI 4 vs INA 0
17 Nov 2011 14.30-17.30 VNM 10 vs MAL 4
19 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 THA 12 vs VNM 4 (BRONZE MEDAL)
Schedule :
20 Nov 2011 10.00-14.00 RANK 1 vs RANK 2 FOR GOLD MEDAL (PHI vs INA)
Taipei, Nov. 29 (CNA) The Samsung Lions from South Korea defeated the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Japan 5-3 to win the team's first title of the Pro-Baseball Asia Series Tuesday in Taichung, central Taiwan.
Starting pitcher Jang Won-sam of the Lions gave up a walk and a hit in the first inning and allowed one run. He and relief pitcher Jong Hyrn-wook then limited their Japanese competitors to six scoreless innings.
Kwon Hyuk and Oh Seung-hwan of the Lions allowed two more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. But the Koreans managed to retire all the batters in the ninth to close the game.
Although Japan's starter Sho Iwasaki had a firm outing in the first four innings, the Korean batters hit two singles and a double off him in the fifth to score three runs. The Lions added two more runs in the same inning with an error.
The Lions were runners-up in 2005 in the inaugural tournament. The Asia Series was suspended in 2009 and 2010. Japanese teams won all previous titles.
The 2011 Pro-Baseball Asia Series was held in Taiwan from Nov. 25-29, with the local and Australian teams being eliminated in the preliminary round.
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Japanese ace Yu Darvish will be pitching in a Texas Rangers uniform in 2012, agreeing to a six-year deal worth approximately $60 million on Wednesday.
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Thursday morning on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM that Darvish can opt out of the sixth year if he hits two different performance thresholds. Both involve the Cy Young voting.
Daniels said if Darvish wins the Cy Young and finishes in the "top three or four" of the balloting a second time in the five years, he can opt out of the sixth year of the contract. He can also get out of it if he finishes second in the balloting and then in the top three or four in two additional years.
" He wanted five years and were weren't going to do that for a variety of reasons, " Daniels said. " It was important to him to at least have the possibility of being free. If he finishes in the top three or four of the Cy Young three out of the five years, we probably got our money's worth. "
Darvish agreed to the deal, which according to a source includes $56 million guaranteed, just before Wednesday's 5 p.m. ET deadline. The agreement comes 30 days after the Rangers won the right to negotiate with Darvish and his representatives, Don Nomura and Arn Tellem, by submitting a record $51.7 million posting bid.
The club will now send the Nippon-Ham Fighters that payment and Darvish will come to the United States to pitch in the big leagues for the first time.
"He's really thrilled to be coming here," Tellem said. "This is where he wanted to be."
Darvish was home in Japan, where he returned for offseason training after his first and only visit to Texas two weeks ago. The Rangers plan to formally introduce Darvish on Friday night.
On his website, Darvish posted a note acknowledging his new team.
"I will have a press conference first in America and then come back to Japan at which point I will express my gratitude to my fans here in Japan," he wrote.
Including the posting fee, the Rangers paid more than $111 million to sign Darvish, which is more than the $103 million that the Boston Red Sox gave up to negotiate with and sign Daisuke Matsuzaka.
The 25-year-old Darvish was 18-6 last season in Japan with a league-best 1.44 ERA and 276 strikeouts. He walked just 36 batters in 232 innings. Scouts have raved about Darvish's fastball command and what some say is a seven-pitch repertoire, which includes about everything but a changeup.
"We saw a guy that we felt was built to pitch innings and has a classic pitcher's build," Daniels said. "He has a real commitment to his conditioning and work ethic. We think he can pitch innings at a high caliber for a large amount of time."
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Darvish pitched in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was 18 when he began his pro career and, after an average rookie season, was 12-5 with a 2.89 ERA and 115 strikeouts in his second season (2006). He's been consistent since, going 93-38 with a 1.99 ERA in his career in Japan.
Daniels, who described the move as a "step-out deal" for the team, said negotiations were never contentious. He said there were good reasons for Texas to want a six-year deal.
" How often do you get a chance to sign a 25-year-old free agent ? It's a pretty unique opportunity, so you tend to look at things a little differently when you look at somebody that age and the years of the deal take him into his prime, " Daniels said. " And secondly, with the nature of the posting process and the size of the post, size of our bid, it made sense to amortize it out over a longer period. "
The Rangers believe he will be a critical upper-rotation starter for years to come and will do so as he hits what should be the prime of his career. It's an important addition for a Rangers staff that does not have a true No. 1 after C.J. Wilson left to sign a five-year, $77.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels in December.
It's unclear where Darvish will slot in the Rangers' rotation when the season starts, but manager Ron Washington has already said that veteran Colby Lewis will start Opening Day. The rest of the rotation will be decided during spring training. The first three games of the season are against the Chicago White Sox, followed by three at home against the Seattle Mariners -- and Ichiro Suzuki.
" We're not going to spring training with these great expectations that he's going to shine over everybody else, " Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan said. " We want him to come in and fit in and make the adjustment of being over here, being in major league baseball for the first time. As we go through spring training and the early part of the season, he'll start showing what he's capable of doing. "
But when asked if Darvish was an ace, Ryan said: "I think he certainly has the potential to be. "
" It's not fair of me to say that I see him as our No. 1, but I certainly think he has the potential, " Ryan said. " He's very unique. "
The Rangers' interest in Darvish dates back a few years. They had a scout at nearly every one of his starts in 2011, and Daniels watched him in person last summer. The club has increased its Pacific Rim operations in recent years, with Lewis as its biggest success story.
" The Rangers, more so than any other team, showed not only great interest in scouting him, but spent a lot of personal time developing a relationship with him over the last couple of years through scouts that visited him in Japan, " Tellem said. " There was an instant connection between Yu and his family with the Ranger organization. "
Darvish visited Texas for the first time earlier this month to get a feel for the place. He took a tour of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, watched a special video the club put together for him that included some of his pitching highlights, clips of the Rangers' postseason runs and messages from Josh Hamilton and Ryan, among others. Darvish also met several players, including Hamilton and Ian Kinsler, and talked with Ryan and Rangers manager Ron Washington. He also had dinner with pitching coach Mike Maddux.
" The biggest impression I got, or the most surprising thing that I saw, was how big he is, " said Maddux, echoing the sentiments of Hamilton, Kinsler and Ryan. " He's big. "
The big question for Darvish is whether, unlike some of the recent Japanese pitchers who have posted in the past, his stuff can translate to the big league level. The Rangers' scouts believe they will and so does Lewis, who beat Darvish in 2008 when Lewis was pitching in Japan.
" If you're able to throw strikes, pound the strike zone and get guys out, it doesn't matter what league you play in, " Lewis said last week. " If you can command the fastball and do what you need to do to get guys out, you can have success here too.
" He has overpowering stuff, especially in that league over there. The big thing that stood out to me was his fastball command. If he can do that here, he'll have success. "
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