Balentien's HR record in Japan

[joelsabi]

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-...olence-charges


With the strong association of domestic violence and steroid usage in the studies, do you think Balentien's record will now come into question as to being steroid assisted?

[Roady]

I don't know about that but it sure should shut up people who actually think Japanese baseball is on par with MLB.

[metsbats]

"shared by Sadaharu Oh (1964), Tuffy Rhodes (2001) and Alex Cabrera (2002)."

Probably the only league where you can mention Tuffy Rhodes in the same breath as Sadaharu Oh.

[danesei@yahoo.com]

I don't know about that but it sure should shut up people who actually think Japanese baseball is on par with MLB.

No one has ever claimed that NPBL is on par with MLB. The claims have been that the best players in the league could be among the best in the world. The WBC has reinforced that particular notion.

[Roady]

No one has ever claimed that NPBL is on par with MLB. The claims have been that the best players in the league could be among the best in the world. The WBC has reinforced that particular notion.

A lot of people claim NPBL is on par with MLB. Maybe not on this board, elsewhere they certainly do.
And to the notion that they could be among the best in the world.
Maybe a very few, maybe. Ichiro is the only one in history that has come over to MLB and had a HOF career. And even his battting average averaged a .30 point drop in his prime here.
All the rest of the best of them have not lived up to the hype.

Do I believe their are Japanese players who can play MLB? Of course.
Do I believe all the hype about how great they are? No

A good Japanese players stats are on par with a AA or AAA players stats here. And you have to account for a drop off when they play MLB.

[danesei@yahoo.com]

Do I believe their are Japanese players who can play MLB? Of course.
Do I believe all the hype about how great they are? No

A good Japanese players stats are on par with a AA or AAA players stats here. And you have to account for a drop off when they play MLB.

The Ichiro comment is irrelevant. Not many players who play in MLB make the Hall of Fame, either. As for level of play, the general consensus is that NPB is the equivalent of AAAA, not quite MLB-level, but definitely better than AAA clubs.

If you look at the players who have come over from Japan, about 2/3 have been average or better players. Given that the "average" for MLB is based upon players promoted from AAA, 2/3 seems better than the 50% produced by AAA.

[Roady]

The Ichiro comment is irrelevant. Not many players who play in MLB make the Hall of Fame, either. As for level of play, the general consensus is that NPB is the equivalent of AAAA, not quite MLB-level, but definitely better than AAA clubs.

If you look at the players who have come over from Japan, about 2/3 have been average or better players. Given that the "average" for MLB is based upon players promoted from AAA, 2/3 seems better than the 50% produced by AAA.

And how many players have come from Japan?
You are comparing a player making it from Japan to the MLB to a player making from AAA to the MLB. Laughable.

[Roady]

And AAAA?

[danesei@yahoo.com]

And how many players have come from Japan?

Not many, which by your logic, makes it amazing that Ichiro is going to make the Hall of Fame.

BTW, to answer your own question:

How many players get to AAA and don't sniff the majors?

[Roady]

Believe what you want to believe.