She didn't change her citizenship, she has dual citizenship.
USA Basketball had the chance to sign Hammon, and they decided not to.NPB had their chance to sign the guy and they decided not to.
I maintain the situations are similar
παραλία
She didn't change her citizenship, she has dual citizenship.
USA Basketball had the chance to sign Hammon, and they decided not to.NPB had their chance to sign the guy and they decided not to.
I maintain the situations are similar
Registered User
USA Basketball didn't want Hammons from the start, leaving her off the list of 23 trying out for the team. That is despite having career seasons in 07 and 08. The Russian team offered her a spot when one of their players turned up pregnant. She filed for citizenship and was given a passport. She's Russian as Russia does not legally recognize dual citizenship as told to me by my Russian gf.Originally Posted by filihok
And I believe therein lies the difference.
E=I*R
I'm not the person to ask, since I'm not Japanese (or even really know anything about their culture)!
All of the reasoning for MLB teams to make bids makes perfect sense to me, but again... I'm not Japanese.
You insist that there is something a machine cannot do. If you will tell me precisely what it is that a machine cannot do, then I can always make a machine which will do just that! -J. von Neumann
Registered User
You stated the cultural clash so matter of factly, I figured you had some insider information or perhaps were of Japanese ancestory.I'm not the person to ask, since I'm not Japanese (or even really know anything about their culture)!
All of the reasoning for MLB teams to make bids makes perfect sense to me, but again... I'm not Japanese.
I think this is purely a money thing ... the NPB doesn't get a cut from Major League teams to just talk to the guy and they lose face because they now have the beginning of young Japanese players leaving Japan to play elsewhere without anything positive coming out of it.
You won't find the problem going the other way because Japanese teams don't offer the same kind of money, have rules against foreigners and generally play the game differently. Read Slugging it Out in Japan by Warren Cromartie.
E=I*R
I'm fairly certain that the "they loose face" part is the largest factor, here. Not being Japanese it's hard to really say, but that's the impression that I get from reading the news about this.
That's the gist of what makes it a tough argument really, is that money isn't nearly as primary a motivator for most Japanese as it is for Americans (based on my very limited knowledge of their culture).
You insist that there is something a machine cannot do. If you will tell me precisely what it is that a machine cannot do, then I can always make a machine which will do just that! -J. von Neumann
Registered User
When you're talking several tens of millions of dollars just to talk to a player, I'd say that is a pretty big motivator.
I'd say one young undrafted guy that no one in Japan really seemed interested in and was again undrafted when he asked the teams not to draft him when they had a second chance at him speaks volumes about the league's interest.
They had no interest in the guy and now they'll get nothing for him.
Master of Ale!
ohms is quite correct. Certainly, the fact that they won't get anything for him irks the LEAGUE AND TEAM. However, the FANS would be most upset because they sort of look at it as the guy abandoning them. Might sound ridiculous, but it's no sillier than the way fans here react when a player goes to a different team.
E=I*R
Just keep in mind that we're all looking at this from our cultural perspective, as well. This:
"When you're talking several tens of millions of dollars just to talk to a player" makes perfect sense to us, but it's really not more important then other issues are in some places of the world (including Japan).
But, who knows. Maybe it really is just the money... I doubt it, though.
You insist that there is something a machine cannot do. If you will tell me precisely what it is that a machine cannot do, then I can always make a machine which will do just that! -J. von Neumann
Registered User
While that is a wonderful notion, the fact of the matter is the guy pitched in an industrial league. No one even knows he exists. It isn't like he was a National Team hero and suddenly decided to jump ship because he wasn't making alot of money. This isn't an 18 year old Wayne Gretsky going to Sweden to play professionally. This guy isn't a national hero worshipped by a country.
Here is a guy who was originally overlooked, pitched in an industrial league and his manager, a former NPB player, said he has some talent and should go play where he can challenge himself the most.
Master of Ale!
However, as ohms has also pointed out, things like this are looked at VERY differently by the Japanese public than they are here. We are much more accustomed to players being multi-million dollar mercenaries than they are.
Registered User
Okay, I can understand that point and won't even try to dispute it but I will say we are discussing a player in Tazawa who has NEVER played for the Major Leagues of Japanese Baseball, not a single inning, doesn't play for the National Team and pitches for an Industrial League team which ranks where exactly compared to Minor Leagues here? Yet, for some reason, Japanese NPB executives are all up in arms because the guy wants to play in the US ... we're not talking about the average Japanese fan on the street who probably has never heard of the guy.
I thought it was funny that Brian Cashman is the sole defender of this "agreement" that is suddenly being bandied about between US and Japanese baseball considering the Yankees have a "working agreement" with the baseball executives who are screaming the loudest.
When you get right down to it, the only people killing Japanese Baseball are the Japanese.
E=I*R
That, I certainly agree with.When you get right down to it, the only people killing Japanese Baseball are the Japanese.
The "for some reason" part is the only thing that I'm talking about. Like I said earlier, there seems to be a Japanese notion of Honor at work here which we don't completely understand.
You insist that there is something a machine cannot do. If you will tell me precisely what it is that a machine cannot do, then I can always make a machine which will do just that! -J. von Neumann
Registered User
And like I said earlier, I don't think this is an honor thing, this is pure and simply a money deal.
Just like the Hiroshima Toyo Carp sued Alfonso Soriano's manager when they realized they were not only losing a player but also weren't being compensated in any way, shape or form. Why did Soriano leave, no honor involved here, the Carp turned out to be a cheap team and refused a raise.
Unregistered User
The MLB is like the Yankees of world baseball. They can get anyone who is willing to go there, if they want him.
Except it's even worse, because there's more choices of places to go.
And in both cases, the hesitant can often be swayed by the money involved.
Registered User
More choices but not nearly the money being thrown around as here in the MLB and certainly not the competition level. There really are very few choices if you are looking for top dollar and a high competition level.
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