On Demand
Yankees Win, the Japanese Way?
The ticker tape parade for the Bronx Bombers is today, and the star of the show is World Series MVP Hideki Matsui, who exemplifies a particular brand of baseball that's different from the rest of his team. WNYC’s own baseball fanatic (and softball team co-captain) Rex Doane with Andrew Jenks, director and producer of the documentary "The Zen of Bobby V,” talk about the differences between the American and Japanese baseball.
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The NY Yankees exemplify some of the worst attitudes in our culture: Greed is Good; Might Makes Right; and I’ve Got Mine So To Heck With You. Any system which gives a team the ability to buy a playoff berth year after year is unjust, unfair, and unethical. Baseball needs to enter the 21st century and adopt a salary cap like the NFL, NHL, and the NBA.
Hideki is like Wilbur in Charlotte's Web. His only chance for continuing his life as a Yankee was to become very special during the World Series: to become "Some Yankee!" And the miracle happened, and he did become "Some Yankee!" Now, it's up to Cashman and the Steinbrenners to do the right thing, like the Zuckermanns in the story, and keep him!
hideki matsui: I hike stadium.
Matsui's been a hero of mine.
I got to work 20 minutes late because of the parade.! and downtown is gonna be full of drunks for the rest of the day. Go yankees!
Who cares?! Well, obviously, a lot of people do but WHY? These grossly overpaid people are not "heroes."
My Acronym:
Money-grubbing
A**holes
Totally
Stupid
Useless
Idiots
Brian you are doing too! Yankees are World Champions in a tournament that only American team (ok one Canadian team) participate in!
We are not the world people!
if you want to talk about elaborate, idiosyncratic batting rituals: dave winfield!
By thw way, i saw a Phillies fan on the train going downtown today.
That guy has got one set of cohones.. He was wearing a red phillies jacket and a red phillies hat. He stuck out like a sore thumb. Very brave man.
money and taxes subsidize undue idolatry
Like the Cleveland Indians! Try being a sports fan in that town. Even Lebron hasn't been able to bring home a championship.
I totally agree with Seth in #1--it's easy to win when you can afford to buy the best players. CC should stil be on the Indians! Yankees fans don't know the pain of not being able to keep a great player because you can't afford him.
the yankess winning a world series is about as surprising and exciting as the new york times winning a puliter prize.
My Amazin's To Stay Underdogs Infinitely
It truly is pretty disgusting that baseball players are paid more than teachers. 23.5 million dollars a year to play baseball? And in A-Rod's case, to basically strike out for the season? Big deal. I'd have incredible respect for the players if they donated their salaries to NYC schools or charity. Then they'd be heroes. I'd go to that parade.
On the whole "Godzilla" thing: it's more of a fun nickname than anything. Godzilla is big, strong, powerful, a "crusher." He's a big, strong guy.
There has been a Matsui candy in Japan with a Godzilla-like character dressed in his uniform, with number 55 on it. I've also heard Japanese refer to his pockmarked face in this context.
But it's a playful thing, tongue-in-cheek.
Masterfully Accelerates Tiny Sphere Upward Infinitely
If the world series championship could be purchased, then the Yankees would have won seven from 2002-2008 instead of none. End of subject.
More interesting is what folks think the Yankees owners should do with all that money if they shouldn't spend it on the players. Lower ticket prices? I can't afford seats any more, but the team manages to sell enough to make money, and, last I looked, this is a business. (I do think that people/companies who are not going to use their seats should make them available free to a lottery system.) Do these whiners think the Yankees owners should negotiate worse deals with the broadcasters? Or just hold on to the money and get much, much richer? Or, I suppose, the players should refuse to accept the salaries they are offered?
The theory behind salary caps is that they even things out - but many different teams have played in the WS over the past ten years, and 6 or 7 different ones (I'm guessing) have won. Sure some small market teams haven't made it to the Series for years, but: a) several of them plough the "luxury tax" money they get right back into their owners' pockets and b) and the lack of success of some of the bigger markets (e.g., Cubs and Mets) defies that logic entirely.
The bottom line is that where these critics of the Yankees are coming from may be summarized in one word: jealousy.
Finally, as a teacher I accept that teachers should make more money -- but in what society have teachers ever made more money than entertainers? We can decry misplaced values, but we're just bemoaning human nature.
Most
Awesome,
Terrific,
Star!
Ubermensch
Indeed!
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