To Dear all : Happy Chines new year , I know some guys are interesting in baseball so I search one , if someone have no interest in this ... then , just chat XD Wish everyone a great year!!
Text :
For several years Yu Darvish, an icon of Japanese baseball, has been dominating batters on the other side of the planet, mostly unseen by Americans other than the legions of scouts and executives who yearned for the day when he would test his skills in Major League Baseball.
That day should come this spring, as Darvish will finally get his chance to pitch in the United States and help Texas Rangers fans forget about the departures of Cliff Lee and C. J. Wilson.
With only minutes to spare before a deadline Wednesday, the Rangers and Darvish agreed to a six-year, $60 million contract, allowing the two-time defending American League pennant winners to add a talented and dynamic pitcher, and perhaps match the recent additions of their rivals.
“The Rangers have always shown the most interest in him for years, and have established a real connection with him and his family,” said Arn Tellem, Darvish’s agent. “You hoped they would be the ones to win the posting bid for him, and when they did, he was absolutely thrilled.”
A superstar in his home country, Darvish, 25, was the most highly scouted and sought-after pitcher in Japan over the past several years, with an electrifying fastball and a fiery in-game demeanor.
Including the $51.7 million posting fee, which Texas must pay to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, Darvish’s Japanese team, the Rangers are committing more than $111 million to Darvish.
Last year he was 18-6 with a 1.44 earned run average in 28 games, striking out 276 batters in 232 innings. For the last five seasons, his earned run average has been under 2.00 as he has outclassed hitters in Japan.
The Rangers, in need of an ace after both Lee and Wilson left in free agency in successive years, had long had designs on Darvish.
In December, Texas won the right to negotiate with Darvish after posting a bid, then had 30 days to agree to a contract. If the sides had not agreed by 5 p.m. Wednesday, Darvish would have had to return to Japan to pitch for his old team.
According to Tellem, the negotiations went down to the closing bell. He and his fellow agent Don Nomura had been in Texas since Monday, negotiating with Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels and his staff. The sides held a marathon session Tuesday from early in the morning until past midnight, and resumed talks Wednesday.
“It got done in the final minutes,” Tellem said. “When we called Yu, he was so excited. He said he was happy to stop thinking about contract negotiations and start thinking about pitching and getting ready for spring training.”
Not since the Red Sox spent a little over $100 million to acquire Daisuke Matsuzaka before the 2007 season has there been this much anticipation and spending for a Japanese pitcher.
At 6-foot-5, 190 pounds, Darvish does not fit the physical mold of most of the previous Japanese pitchers who have come to the United States, and his outward expressions of competitive zeal — fist pumps and other gestures after big outs — set him apart from many of his predecessors.
“The Rangers are getting an exceptional pitcher who has both the physical attributes and the mental makeup to be one of the great pitchers in baseball,” Tellem said.
Similar praise was lauded on Matsuzaka before he joined the Red Sox, but his experience has been a combination of success, disappointment, injury and frustration. The Rangers, however, feels that Darvish’s stuff and his temperament are better suited for baseball in the United States.
Q1.In Taiwan , lots of parents do not like child to be an athlete , how do you think about?
Q2.Do you have a dream to be a athlete?Share about that.
Q3.What sports do you like?Why?
留言列表
