Koji! Koji! Koji!
by Stacey on Apr 8, 2009 8:30 AM EDT
in Commentary & Analysis
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PrintKoji Uehara makes his major league debut tonight. It's actually not going to be bad weather for a night game in April with temps in the low to mid 50s, but I'm guessing the crowd will be small and Yankee-centric. It's a shame for Koji to make his debut that way, especially after the packed house on Monday.
I am feeling unusually optimistic about Koji. I know he's no spring chicken and I know he was a reliever the past few years, but just something about him gives me a good feeling. Time will tell, I suppose, but in the meantime I'm excited to see him pitch.
Dan Connolly of the Sun wrote a good article about Koji and how he's fitting in around the clubhouse. It's your typical feel good piece, but I like it because I have thought about how isolated Koji must feel, only being able to speak Japanese to his translator. It must get lonely, although it doesn't appear so from the article. Here are some good bits:
Without throwing a regular-season pitch, though, he has made his mark. When he arrived in spring, he put a copy of the club's roster on his locker and made notations about his teammates so he would remember everyone's name.
He also began posting the "word of the day" on a clubhouse wall, translating simple words and phrases such as "hello" and "good job" into Japanese and English.
I love word of the day!
Smiling widely, Uehara acknowledges he's also rather versed in the international bawdy language of baseball, participating in locker-room talk with colorful terminology courtesy of American linguists Zaun and Walker.
ZAUN and Jamie Walker, boy are the ones teaching Koji phrases in English? I can't even describe how happy that makes me. I mean, my imagination just runs wild.
"I like hanging around him. I told him we'd drink some beers, sake, for sure. ... He's a good dude, a good teammate."
That quote is from Mr. Walker himself. I wonder if he's told Koji yet that if it fits in a skillet, he eats kills it?
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This brightened my morning considerably
Like you I get giddy even thinking about what ZAUN and Walker are teaching him. Even if Walker stinks this year let’s keep him around as Koji’s official English tutor. Hear that Andy?
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
by zknower on Apr 8, 2009 12:10 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
yes!
"If they pitch to you, make them pay."
--Diamond Dave to the Phenom
by j.q. higgins on Apr 8, 2009 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Today's CC WORD OF THE DAY (spoken in loud, boisterous, voiceover mode)
Torirando
or
Toririku
or
Toririkujou
literally translated (per my English/Japanese Dictionary)—- Birdland
Jioe Flaacco, Hon!!! "He’s like a live JUGS machine."
+1
And fyi, Vanya wants people to know that here Birdland is Птичья земля [Ptich’ia zemlya].
OK, let’s be good international fans: somebody pony up the Spanish, French, Chinese, Icelandic, etc— oh, and and Pig Latin for PHN…
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.
patrie des oiseaux
en francais
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
spanish i presume?
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
Burrlan Hon
Dundalkese
"Daddy, is Hevan like BIRDLAND?"
"No son, Hevan is BIRDLAND."
by BENNY BIRDMAN on Apr 8, 2009 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Irdland-bay for, well, we all know who.
But then, whom cares?
"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." Churchill,1942-- a rebuilding year.
KOJI!!
頑張れ！！
For Birdland, I’g go with 鳥の国（tori no kuni）。May be a more natural translation.
Go Os.
Hit the one in the middle.
I am so looking forward to a season of Blingee O's
"Believe it or not, I read the paper." - Nick Markakis
slow work day, dayzd? ;)
It's 4 in the morning. Too much to drink. All the girls look hot. So, the Nationals are Jennifer Lopez to me. —Julian Tavarez
Some beers, sake..
Now that sounds like a fun evening.
"Any guitar solos you hear on the record where it sounds like one note, sounds like Meg White playing guitar -- that's me. Any real guitar solo where a guitar comes in and you go, 'F--k, that sounds awesome!' -- that's not me." - Josh Freese
Remember, Koji
Jamie doesnt drink generic beer. He drinks Budweiser, man!
"I’m sure glad he didn’t try to bunt." - DD on Melmo's game winning double, 6/17
go Koji
Danny’s about to take the bump vs FL. He’s just the guy to calm things down after disastrous outings by Lannan and Olsen.
by Dingbat Charlie on Apr 8, 2009 12:33 PM EDT reply actions
cutting DC was a big mistake
Who anyone here not rather have him than Hill, Hendrickson, Eaton, or Simon in the starting rotation
It really doesn't matter
All are proven commodities of suck. Danny was getting more money in arb. You’re talking about an ERA of 6-6.5 versus 5-5.5, in a season that’s basically written off at this point. At least with Hendrickson/Eaton I expect nothing, whereas Danny always seemed to be a victim of his own brain rather than just a guy who couldn’t hack it.
I enjoyed watching danny
not so much with Lurch
by NickMarkaces on Apr 8, 2009 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions
I will miss Daniel
because when he took the mound anything could happen. From walking 10 batters to hitting 10 batters to fanning 10 batters. He was always a fastball “up and in” away from a full scale brawl or a no hitter with 7 walks sprinkled in the 9 innings. We will miss you Danny Boy!
And sometimes
he could walk 10 AND fan 10 in the same game.
I always routed for Danny but it was probably time for him to move on.
Always trust your cape. -Guy Clark
Yeah I'll miss the kid
and I loved how he never seemed to back down…even when it was in everyone’s best interest. I wonder if the Nats can teach him how to swing a bat…
"When they get drafted by the Baltimore Ravens, we expect them to play like that. Are we surprised? No."
by UMBC Oriole fan on Apr 8, 2009 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions
check out his game before that
i was at that game. 7 walks in 1.1 innings. it was awesome.
I love word of the day!
Me too. I was going post this tidbit. We should offer suggestions for Koji for every one’s of his starts.
Uehara also has a certain flair for fashion. His glove’s webbing has a silhouette of his pitching motion. He wears orange shoelaces in his spikes, a carry-over from his days with the Giants. And his uniform belt, with a striking gold buckle (my emphasis), has been nicknamed “The Show Belt” by Walker.
Koji, today’s word of the day is bling bling.
"Your wife told you to play in New York.
Well, my wife told me you look like a dork." Boo Teixeira guys.
Pretty soon he’ll be cursing blue streaks like Ichiro.
"If they cut my bald head open, they will find one big boxing glove. That's all I am. I live it." -- Marvin Hagler
I'm excited for this start.
I’ve been studying Japanese for this year and am going to be traveling there in about two years, so its cool to have Koji on the team. Also, I’m excited because I really hope he is a competent starter to add to our list of 1 competent starters!
I bet, if you really wanted to
That Koji might appreciate a Japanese-speaking O’s fan. Like if you just yell “Koji you are a really cool pitcher” in Japanese to him before the game, you could get a nod from him.
The stock market will never recover, our armies will never again be #1, and our children will drink filthy water for the rest of their lives - HST
by the fix is in on Apr 9, 2009 9:55 AM EDT up reply actions
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