Balentien's HR record in Japan

[danesei@yahoo.com]

Re: Balentien's HR record in Japan

Well I live in Japan, and I've never met a Japanese person who claimed NPB is on par with MLB. Certainly everyone is proud of Nomo, Matsui, Ichiro, Kuroda, Darvish, etc, but they are equally embarrassed about Igawa, Irabu, Daisuke, Nakajima...

Wondering now about Tanaka...

Exactly. I still don't know who these people are that Roady says claim NPB to be on par with MLB. Igawa was awful when he pitched in Japan, though. From 2004-2006, he was averaging a HR per 9. 2004 was the only year in his career where he had more than a K per inning. As for the others, I don't know. Matsuzaka had three good years when he arrived, and he *should* have been expected to have "dead arm" due to pitching 240 innings as a 20-yr-old (588 innings from 18-20). Irabu was awful, but his K:BB ratio was basically the same in NPB and MLB, so he should have been expected to still suck.

[Misha]

Re: Balentien's HR record in Japan

Well I live in Japan, and I've never met a Japanese person who claimed NPB is on par with MLB. Certainly everyone is proud of Nomo, Matsui, Ichiro, Kuroda, Darvish, etc, but they are equally embarrassed about Igawa, Irabu, Daisuke, Nakajima...

Wondering now about Tanaka...

[Roady]

Re: Balentien's HR record in Japan

Believe what you want to believe.

[danesei@yahoo.com]

Re: Balentien's HR record in Japan

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]

Re: Balentien's HR record in Japan

And AAAA?

[Roady]

Re: Balentien's HR record in Japan

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.

[danesei@yahoo.com]

Re: Balentien's HR record in Japan

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]

Re: Balentien's HR record in Japan

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]

Re: Balentien's HR record in Japan

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.

[metsbats]

Re: Balentien's HR record in Japan

"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.

[Roady]

Re: Balentien's HR record in Japan

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

[joelsabi]

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24408471/wladimir-balentien-arrested-on-domestic-violence-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?