63 Responses to “Slate on Ichiro”

1. BP on August 3rd, 2007 3:53 pm

   He’s so funny.

2. PeterCampbell on August 3rd, 2007 3:55 pm

   I also love Ichiro, but I’m pretty annoyed at most of the media coverage of his quotes. For example, that Salon article’s question about is he crazy or what? parallels a lot of other comments I’ve read (and I’m sure you have also), painting him as some kind of zany, zen-like, quizzical individual: this is textbook Orientalism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientalism); Ichiro as this exotic oriental other who we admire but as someone who is outside of our own experience and who we are bemused by. Personally I think that Orientalism is not a good thing. I mean, come on. The press coverage of baseball, particularly in terms of quotes, is textbook Bull Durham: questions like “what was your motivation when you hit that double” are ridiculous – it was that player’s job to do so. It seems to me that the more accurate, less racialized way to cover these quotes is as Ichiro making fun of the stupid and mindless American baseball media (it would be interesting to look at parallel examples of Japanese media coverage). Geoff Baker is the only writer I’ve encountered (actually I think Keith Law also) who was like, this is funny, Ichiro is making fun of us.

3. Jeff Nye on August 3rd, 2007 4:06 pm

   Yeah, Jim Moore (not that we expect real journalism out of him, but still) had a really bad Ichiro as Charlie Chan article the other day in the print version of the P-I. I was pretty irritated by it.

   I didn’t think the Salon article was too bad, but yes, I’m waiting hopefully for sportswriters to figure out a different angle to write about Ichiro.

4. ralphie81 on August 3rd, 2007 4:09 pm

   I don’t know, it’s a tie between the Cleveland one and

   “Having Felix back I’m sure allowed us to give the opposition major mental damage”

5. lailaihei on August 3rd, 2007 4:56 pm

   Ichiro is a smart and funny guy.
   “Yesterday, I had two ice creams. Usually I only eat one.”
   I prefer his witty responses to stupid questions, such as that one, to other responses. Like “Um… I was feeling good and saw the ball well.”
   Yeah, Ichiro isn’t crazy, he isn’t a loon, he’s just witty, and if he was American, the sportswriters would actually realize it. =/

6. PeterCampbell on August 3rd, 2007 5:17 pm

   53 – Yeah – or someone who is not percieved through the filter of American Orientalist stereotypes – like, for example, Miguel Batista.

7. Notor on August 3rd, 2007 6:32 pm

   I think sometimes Ichiro likes to have a little joke at the media’s expense and they take him way too seriously due to the language barrier.

8. Notor on August 3rd, 2007 6:33 pm

   Or he could be nuts (I doubt it) but who cares? Gary Sheffield is nuts too, at least Ichiro doesn’t run his mouth off about every little thing.

9. davepaisley on August 3rd, 2007 6:38 pm

   57 – Bingo.

   The whole thing with his dog telling him to stay was totally tongue in cheek if you heard the interview live. It was hilarious, and he was chuckling while he said it.

   Transcribed it may have come off as weird, but that’s why you have to see/hear it in context.

10. Tropics iRE on August 3rd, 2007 7:38 pm

    I just want to see Ichiro pitch… i just have a feeling that he would be an amazing hurler from the mound.

    …he has been quoted as wanting to pitch.

    (As i type this i am imagining him practicing secretly with ninjas during the off season… waiting for his 40th birthday)

    is this considered rosterbation?

11. Stuck-In-Chicago on August 3rd, 2007 8:12 pm

    That’d be super cool, having Ichi hit 40 y.o., get his 3000 hits and in one of his last games in the MLB, come trotting out of the bull pen in the 9th inning to mop up a laugher. I bet he’d say something like, “My dog told me to throw a curve ball.”

12. MKT on August 3rd, 2007 10:43 pm

    15: There have been some great ones this year, but my favorite was Bavasi’s on the teachings of his mother.

    True, Bavasi might have the best Mariner quote this season.

    (expletive) Dave Samson.

    Not just this season, I think Bavasi’s quote instantly goes up there with the best of the all-time baseball quotes. So does Ichiro’s Cleveland quote, but I think Bavasi’s quote beats even the best of Ichiro!’s.

13. Notor on August 4th, 2007 2:14 am

    If only his management could match his wit.

    Although, he does seem to finally be making the right moves. If Sexson is around for 2 more weeks with the same results we’ve seen lately, though, I’m going to hate him again. I’m pretty sure I could put the bat on the ball more than Sexson just out of swinging and praying…

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