Chunichi should allow him to go...If MLB is his dream, good luck and hope Kawakami will be better than other J-pitchers in MLB like K. Igawa, K. Yabu, Y. Yabuta... Major to Minor and back to Japan.
Its very uncertain why some pitchers like Okajima (Red Sox) and Saito (Dodgers) and others who were just so-so in Japan can succeed in Japan, while others listed above who were so-so in Japan didn't make it at all in the MLB. The great ones like Nomo, Matsuzaka, Sasaki were great both places. Ishi was so so with the Mets and Dodgers. So you just never know.
Uehara is also going to try. But 33-year old Japanese pitchers, with LOTS and LOTS of miles on their arms is definitely worthy of caution. No long term contracts, that's for sure.
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some14some at 06:46 AM JST - 11th November
Chunichi should allow him to go...If MLB is his dream, good luck and hope Kawakami will be better than other J-pitchers in MLB like K. Igawa, K. Yabu, Y. Yabuta... Major to Minor and back to Japan.
isthistheend at 07:42 AM JST - 11th November
Its very uncertain why some pitchers like Okajima (Red Sox) and Saito (Dodgers) and others who were just so-so in Japan can succeed in Japan, while others listed above who were so-so in Japan didn't make it at all in the MLB. The great ones like Nomo, Matsuzaka, Sasaki were great both places. Ishi was so so with the Mets and Dodgers. So you just never know. Uehara is also going to try. But 33-year old Japanese pitchers, with LOTS and LOTS of miles on their arms is definitely worthy of caution. No long term contracts, that's for sure.