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Random thoughts while watching Japan vs Tapei

  • Why aren't the Asian team uniforms lettered in Asian characters? Wouldn't that have looked cooler than "Japan" streaked across the front in cheesy lettering? Don't the Japanese refer to their country as Nippon?

  • These dudes are all taking hacks like Ichiro. I love the Japanese batting stance. Hold the bat slightly in front of you and higher than normal like it's a samurai sword and the baseball is the Adam's apple in the neck of your hated enemy. Banzai, Daniel-San! Banzai!

  • Since the U.S. squad in general probably can't speak any Asian languages, could one of these Asian teams get away with just shouting their instructions from the dugout when they play us? They wouldn't have to worry about missing signs, and anybody who could understand what they're saying is probably rooting for them. If I were a major league manager, I'd send all my signals via bird calls and farm animal noises.

  • The basepaths aren't dirt in Asia. They're grass with just an area of dirt around the bases. That seems like it would be distracting to me if I were running the bases. Like I'd get lost along the way.

  • I didn't catch his name, but one player's nickname is "Prince of the Jungle" because his name translates literally into Tarzan. First, how backwards is it that in Japan, a nickname is five syllables spread out over four words? Second, is it seriously possible for anything to translate literally into Tarzan? I'm so close to calling bullshit.