hardboiled

asians in baseball

The game of baseball is seen as quintessentially American. After all, baseball was invented in America (whether by Abner Doubleday or Alexander Cartwright), and the game has long been called “America’s pastime.” However, professional baseball is arguably the most diverse sport when compared to the other major team sports played in America. When someone watches a Major League Baseball game these days, he or she cannot help but see names of players originating from Latin America and Asia.

The 2006 MLB playoffs showcased two starting pitchers from Asia. Hong-Chih Kuo pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series against the New York Mets, while Chien-Ming Wang pitched for the New York Yankees against the Detroit Tigers in the American League Division Series. Both hail from Taiwan, where baseball has had a long history. Baseball continues to be one of the most popular sports in East Asia, especially Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. In this modern age where globalization holds strong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan have separated themselves as major exporters of Asian baseball players. Currently, there are 14 Asian-born baseball players playing in the big leagues, many of them pitchers. The Asian baseball player phenomenon originated with MLB teams importing pitchers.

Growing up in the Los Angeles area as a sports fan in the early and mid 1990s meant witnessing the popularity of Japanese pitcher Hideo Nomo and Korean pitcher Chan Ho Park. Both galvanized interest in baseball to a fever pitch in the Japanese American and Korean American communities in Los Angeles, as well as across the world. This was especially the case with Nomo, who set the first benchmarks of success in Major League Baseball by winning the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1995, playing in the All-Star game, and throwing a no-hitter against the Colorado Rockies in 1996. As time passed, the Asian baseball craze in the MLB only grew with the introduction of Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners. Ichiro became a media sensation in the United States as both the Japanese national media and the American press was fixated on Ichiro’s surprising success in his rookie year. Fans and players were amazed at his unusual batting preparation and stance. They were mesmerized by his speed and his powerful arm from right field. He ended up winning some impressive awards in his rookie year of 2001, earning Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the American League, and led all players in voting for the All-Star game. The fervor with Asian players continues today; the Boston Red Sox outbidded the New York Mets and the notoriously high-spending New York Yankees with a $50 million bid, just for the right to negotiate a contract with Daisuke Matsuzaka. Matsuzaka, the pitching ace for Japan’s World Baseball Classic team, has the talent to become Boston’s ace next year, but perhaps more telling is who is representing Matsuzaka in contract negotiations: Scott Boras, the “superagent” who’s highly paid (and exclusive) clientele include superstars Carlos Beltran and Alex Rodriguez.

The World Baseball Classic held in March of 2006 highlighted the ascendancy of Asian baseball on the global stage. Major League Baseball attempted to both capture baseball’s international audience and create a World Cup soccer type atmosphere where all the best players represented their nations in a tournament. Many baseball pundits predicted that a team like the United States, Cuba, or the all-star packed Dominican Republic would emerge as champions. While Asian nations fielded skilled teams, hardly anyone in the media or in the baseball world picked them to win it all. Surprising most baseball analysts and followers, Japan and Korea advanced to the semifinals, while the United States failed to advance out of group play. Japan eventually beat a strong Cuban national team, 10 to 6, to capture the inaugural World Baseball Classic. The argument can be made that Japan and South Korea were the most impressive squads of the WBC, showcasign impressive fundamental baseball to overcome the star-studded squads. As the WBC grows in popularity and revenue over the ensuing years, all of the baseball world will watch and see if Japan and Korea will continue to post impressive results.

Asian baseball has made its mark in the MLB. As the Asian American community grows in the United States, there seems to be a significant lack of American-born baseball players playing at the highest level. With the exception of players like Johnny Damon, Danny Graves, Jim Parque, and Dave Roberts who all happen to be half Asian, Asian American baseball seems to be lagging behind East Asian baseball. However, for many Asian American baseball fans, seeing people who share a common background competing on the biggest stage is undoubtedly a thrill, as both sports fans and Asian Americans. With respect to Yao Ming and the NBA, professional baseball continues to be the cutting edge for Asian Americans in American major sports. Success in baseball provides a social benefit as well; the stereotype of Asian males being physically weaker and less athletic than other males is severely challenged by the rise of players, like Nomo and Suzuki, and international teams from Japan and South Korea. Finally, the recent fervor over Matsuzaka and his contract negotiations with the Red Sox means that the spotlight will continue to shine on Asian baseball. There are still more innings to be played and ground to be broken to see how this current and recent past success of Asian baseball players will translate for Asian America.