Comments on: WBC title game thread

By: mkd

mkd — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:45:08 +0000

you can also just scream out â€œwalk himâ€ in any language he might understand

Totally. If I’m the manager and I want my pitcher to intentionally walk Ichiro and I see my pitcher NOT intentionally walking Ichiro, don’t I get up on grass and start yelling? Do I really just sit there and think “Dang, they must not have understood me. If only I could somehow reach them…”

Stay classy Korean manager.

By: joser

joser — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:43:29 +0000

So is it actually possible for Ichiro to be more popular in Japan?

A friend in Japan texted me to say that somebody there (I guess a commentator?) said “Before, Ichiro walked in Heaven. Now, he is Heaven” Though I’m not sure that translates exactly (maybe it’s walked on air? On water? I don’t know. Me know no Nihongo)

NY Times:

In Sik Kim, the South Korean manager, said the team had signaled to Lim that he was supposed to pitch around Suzuki. If Suzuki did not bite at a bad pitch, Lim was supposed to walk him. But Lim apparently did not get those signs or did not obey them.

â€œI donâ€™t know why the pitcher tried to pitch directly to Ichiro,â€ Kim said.

Suzuki diplomatically said that he was not surprised that the South Koreans pitched to him because walking him would have loaded the bases. But even Kim said that he regretted not walking Suzuki. During the memorable at bat, the usually focused Suzuki said his mind was cluttered.

â€œI really wish I could be in a state of Zen,â€ Suzuki said. â€œI kept thinking of all the things I shouldnâ€™t think about. Usually, I cannot hit when I think of all those things. This time I got a hit. Maybe I surpassed myself.â€

Now, this is kind of interesting. Now Ichiro can hit when he is the sound of one hand clapping, as well as when he isn’t. How does an Ichiro who has surpassed himself play during the regular season?

By: Breadbaker

Breadbaker — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:23:28 +0000

I believe if the four fingers don’t work, you can also just scream out “walk him” in any language he might understand. Or walk out to the mound and say it in plain Korean.

By: Tek Jansen

Tek Jansen — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:07:35 +0000

I guess “In-Sik Kim” is Korean for Jarrod Washburn.

By: Lantern

Lantern — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:01:06 +0000

How did Ichiro get a piece of that 5th pitch? Unbelievable. I think it bounced before it hit the bat.

By: Lantern

Lantern — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:56:47 +0000

“They did not convey signals well,” Korean manager In-Sik Kim said. “The catcher understood the signs, but the pitcher didn’t understand it very well. It was not to try to walk him, but to throw him a ball. If it did not work, then we would walk him. That was the strategy. So the pitcher and catcher did not communicate well. That hurt us in the end.”

“Oops, did that bus just roll over you? I didn’t mean to throw you under there.”

The Koreans could not intentionally walk Ichiro for pride’s sake, but they could throw around him.

By: DizzleChizzle

DizzleChizzle — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:51:29 +0000

Exactly. I don’t understand this confusion between the catcher and manager. Sounds like he’s throwing his player under the bus to save face. Just say you made a mistake pitching to the awesomeness of Ichiro.

By: georgmi

georgmi — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:42:29 +0000

Isn’t the MLB signal for “intentional walk” just holding up four fingers? Is that really a signal that needs to be secret?

By: DizzleChizzle

DizzleChizzle — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:31:27 +0000

Correct me if I’m wrong but this isn’t a rookie catcher for Korea. I think it would have been almost common sense to walk Ichiro in that situation after 2b was stolen. Korea’s strategy and style of play throughout the tournament would also support this. If the catcher was in any way confused by the decision to pitch to Ichiro, shouldn’t he have called time to confirm the signs?

By: Ralph_Malph

Ralph_Malph — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:15:14 +0000

Korea’s manager claims he meant to walk Ichiro but the “inexperienced catcher” didn’t get the sign.

Ichiro’s comment was classic:

“I really wished that I could have been in a state of Zen,” he said. “I kept thinking of all these things that I shouldn’t think about. But I was able to hit.”