BY WES ARMSTRONG – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
Starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (or “Ma-kun” as he is affectionately known by his fans) is putting up amazing stats in the NPB this year. From week to week, his NPB record winning-streak continues to grow as opponents scratch their heads. With a 20-0 record and a 1.24 ERA this season, it’s hard to imagine an MLB general manager that would not be chomping at the bit to acquire Tanaka. This is no fluke, one-off season either.
The 24-year-old native of Itami, Japan is a proven winner. In 2005, he pitched his high school baseball team to a highly-coveted baseball tournament victory at Koshien Stadium. In 2008, “Ma-kun” became the youngest professional player to ever pitch for an Olympic baseball squad, and Tanaka helped the 2009 Japanese team to a World Baseball Classic title.
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Tanaka holds the Japanese high school record for strikeouts in a career with 458, easily eclipsing Daisuke Matsuzaka’s previous mark of 423. Not to mention, he is presently pitching the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles towards a Pacific League title in the NPB. They currently hold a 6.5 game lead over the second place Chiba Lotte Marines (formerly managed by Bobby Valentine).
The 6’2″ right hander has posted double-digit victories in all but one of his seven professional baseball seasons, and he has had a sub-2.00 ERA for the last three seasons. He can also pitch a full nine innings (14 CG in 2011) which would provide a tired MLB bullpen with much needed rest. Not bad for a 24-year-old, right? And if there is a blemish on his current season, it’s that his strikeout rate is down from previous seasons. But is that much of a consideration when given his obvious success?
En route to the Hanshin Tigers/Yomiuri Giants game (played at Koshien stadium outside of Osaka- the same stadium where Tanaka pitched his high school team to victory in 2005) I attended Saturday, I tried my best to converse in Japanese with a Tigers fan standing next to me about baseball. I had no idea that a story had been posted on www.sportsnet.ca that the Jays may be scouting Tanaka at the time of conversing with this fan.
When I asked him how “Ma-kun” would fare in the MLB, he gave me a big enthusiastic thumbs up and a smile and said, “No problem”. He called the Rakuten Golden Eagles’ star as a legend with a world-record winning streak (in reference to his current streak of 21 consecutive wins). The fan described Tanaka as a “technical pitcher” as he mimicked his grips with an invisible baseball and told me that he likes to change speeds and locate his pitches. Although he did mention that Yu Darvish, a power pitcher, may adjust to the MLB game more quickly, he said quite confidently that Tanaka will be successful as well.
Judging by the fantastic seasons that Japanese pitchers have enjoyed in the MLB this year, this fan may be right on the ball. If the Blue Jays are indeed in the mix for Masahiro Tanaka, this is something that the baseball fan community in Toronto should get excited about. Although the cost of acquiring an international star like Masahiro Tanaka is quite dear, it is an investment worth making.
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The Jays have been playing very well lately, fielding a lineup that boasts exciting young players like Ryan Goins and Kevin Pillar, and look to be in the midst of closing out their year on a positive note. Signing Masahiro Tanaka may not electrify the fan base as the shocking trade with the Marlins did last year given the Blue Jays performance on the field this year. However, it would carry over the excitement from the Jays current play into next season and hopefully translate into a successful on-field product in 2014.
In winning-starved Toronto, where many fans believe that the atmosphere produces mediocre teams regardless of the sport, Tanaka could be what the doctor ordered. Let’s hope the Blue Jays put in a winning bid for his services and keep this fan base excited.