Yu Darvish – Boom or Bust in the MLB?

When we last posted a photo of Yu Darvish, the comments weren’t about baseball, they were by females enjoying his looks. Yet, the reasons behind Yu Darvish news these days isn’t just about looks or baseball. It’s about his quandary. To get Japanese players to America requires high fees. Just to talk to player there’s a cash deposit to the Japanese team, about 25 million, then there’s the salary negotiation, especially for a blue chip player like Yu Darvish. It’ll be high. The problem for him isn’t his ability, but it’s his predecessors, who in recent years haven’t fared so well. Daisuke Matsuzaka is one. Darvish’s record is quite stellar in Japanese baseball. The WSJ writes, “In 232 innings for the Nippon Ham Fighters, Darvish struck out 276 batters, posted a 1.44 ERA and won 18 games to only six losses.” The site also explains how MLB teams are evaluating players. It’s not just speed of pitch, record, and so forth. It’s how they can translate lifestyles in the clubhouse, how they can handle the US baseball itself which is a bit different, the strike zone, and the field conditions. (WSJ – Yu Darvish)