r/SFGiants • u/tjn1126 • 11h ago

Opinion What this Ball club needs are some fun Japanese players in the lineup

It’s so obvious what a seismic void there is not having any of the awesome NPB guys that have posted,choosing our ball club over literally any other ones in recent years.

We have a proud history of Japanese ball players, from Masanori Murakami in the 60’s, to guys like Shinjo, and Aoki in the aughts years. The issue is that though lovable, those guys weren’t among the best and most talented.

With a huge Japanese community in the bay, and being the storied ballclub that we are, it’s such a sincere failure we’ve not been able to entice any of the recent NPB imports to sign with us. I know Farhan made concerted efforts to sign Yoshinobu and Ohtani, juries still out if he ever made more than a tepid run at Senga, but I guess that contracts been a bit of a disappointment for the Mets.

I was heartened to read that Buster was scouting at least two potential Japanese players heading into this offseason, and know he was heavily after Roki before he signed with the fraudsters down south. I just really need it to happen. I know we have a logjam at first and love Devers and Eldridge, but let myself daydream about Munetaka hitting bombs into McCovey cove last offseason. Not asking for much here, but having some Japanese ballers would make this team so much more fun to root for. Please Buster; make it happen.

0 Upvotes

43% Upvoted

43 comments sorted by

19

u/NicoyaSF415 10h ago

They need pitching, pitching and more pitching

16

u/trer24 5 Shinjo 10h ago

Travis Ishikawa is an American. He was born in Seattle, WA.

2

u/roguerunner1 6 Snow 8h ago

Yeah, right. And Grizzly Adams had a beard.

1

u/LossAppropriate862 Kruk & Kuip 4h ago

the price is wrong, btch! haha

-12

u/tjn1126 10h ago

ya, no shit

7

u/ElderberryRoutine 28 Posey 10h ago

You never specified and also when you say Japanese players its assumed you meant players born in Japan lol

7

u/heyodern 10h ago

Also, the Giants HAVE a player that was born in Japan. He's just not Japanese.

12

u/Coffee13lack 12 Panik 10h ago

Our lineup isn’t the problem, whatsoever.

1

u/DigilentD 3h ago

Last in walks is a MAJOR PROBLEM

1

u/Coffee13lack 12 Panik 3h ago

Pretty sure we were top 10 in almost every other offensive category

-10

u/tjn1126 10h ago

ok, thanks

-1

u/OriontheNomad san francisco giants 10h ago

Ur a casual

2

u/tjn1126 10h ago

wtf are you talking about. What does your original comment even mean? You’re saying we don’t need any additional hitters? Yes I’d agree with you. By lineup I meant team in general, because a starting pitcher or available bullpen arms would be written into a lineup headed into a game, no?

2

u/goodkinkfun 55 Lincecum 9h ago

lineup ≠ roster

but also, you shouldn't take internet strangers seriously

9

u/Lord_Sean_G 25 Bonds 10h ago

I want good ballplayers, doesn't matter where they are from. Additionally, the Bay Area Japanese population has significantly dwindled over the years.

5

u/DSWYO 22 Clark 10h ago

Upvote for the Murakami reference. First Japanese player to appear in an MLB game.

4

u/Tronn3000 18 Cain 9h ago

Sure, sign them if they're good.... but this team shouldn't sign someone because they are from a specific country if they're not going to make the team better. I don't care where the players come from, just win

1

u/tjn1126 9h ago

obviously everyone is in agreement with you man. I literally said "the high end NPB guys". I want players that will help the team, I also cool good players to root for, which a lot of the top Japanese players simply are.

3

u/Ok_Lingonberry_1629 10h ago

It’s the curse of Hideo Nomo

3

u/JReese88 29 Schmidt 10h ago

Can these fun guys pitch? Because we need PITCHING.

2

u/tjn1126 10h ago

Itoh and Taira are the most obvious fits there:

https://www.justbaseball.com/international-baseball/evaluating-2026-27-npb-free-agent-class/

3

u/musicisalluneed 24 Mays 8h ago

I'm sure that the Giants' international scouts have done their due diligence. I read that they were over there watching a few players. And, I'm sure that they have more data on any of those players than what the public has access to. If Hairo or Itoh will really move the needle. Great. I hope the Giants make an offer to one of them.

Keep in mind that the ball used in Japan is different. They also don't pitch as frequently as MLB pitchers. And they don't have quite the grueling season, which also includes a lot of travel in the US.

Who was that Japanese pitcher that everybody wanted last winter? Imai? He didn't exactly light up the box score, did he? Especially for that $54 million 3 year deal. At this point he's an expensive middle reliever. It only makes sense to sign those guys if they're absolutely worth it. The Giants need relievers who throw strikes and can punch out their opponents. They also need two bonafide (#2 & #3) starters in their rotation. They don't need a gamble on unproven talent.

2

u/JohnDowd51 san francisco giants 8h ago

What this team needs is good players

1

u/tjn1126 8h ago

Yes I surely agree

2

u/gamerEMdoc 5h ago

The Giants need good players. Not players of a specific race or nationality. They need good baseball players.

-5

u/tjn1126 4h ago

Please educate me person from the internet

2

u/Trick_Sector5900 9h ago

Just what the Giants need, another Shinjo

1

u/ericthelostman 8h ago

Giants should also consider Japanese vets like Imanaga or Sugano to build some history if they are unable to get them when they directly come over from Japan.

2

u/tjn1126 7h ago

I think Imanaga in particular could be a good signing for us if he’s willing to compromise on the amount of years on the deal. Hes biggest flaw seems to be his propensity to give up dingers (led the league in homers allowed), but that’s neutralized a bit by playing in our ballpark.

0

u/sugarwax1 3h ago

No, the idea Japanese players are fun and deserve a roster spot is problematic. Aoki wasn't great. We have a Korean player who is not putting it together in mlb and it has been borderline the way fans prop him up. We need great platers, many of whom are international signings

-2

u/tjn1126 3h ago

You sound like a really fun person to hangout with

1

u/sugarwax1 3h ago

You're a bad judge of character.

1

u/tjn1126 37m ago

I know, I was kidding. I’d never hang out with you

0

u/parkside79 san francisco giants 10h ago

Fun Japanese are too expensive and high profile. Gonna have to shoot for their slightly less fun nonunion Korean equivalent.

3

u/tjn1126 10h ago

I love Jung Hoo and our Korean players equally ofc. I don't think its an issue of being too expensive seeing that we offered Roki, Shohei, and Yoshinobu big contracts. We just haven't been competitive or desirable enough as a destination to have any of them really consider us as viable.

2

u/parkside79 san francisco giants 10h ago

Ah ah ah—I said expensive AND high profile. We can match the money but we can’t match the bright lights of La La Land.

Also, those guys really seem to want to win. Like their American counterparts, they’re passing on the opportunity to play for an organization (I’m talking about our Giants now) that has amply demonstrated that winning is not the top priority. Which is why we’ve been getting the Adameses who will happily accept overpayment for their marginal talent.

-4

u/dumb1029 10h ago

Ok racist

0

u/Trick_Sector5900 10h ago

You mean a guy who hits .150 in the playoffs?? No thanks

2

u/tjn1126 9h ago

Whatever you say man

0

u/Trick_Sector5900 9h ago

Just providing the great Ohtani's current number

-1

u/tjn1126 9h ago

You’re insane if you’re going to act like signing him the year he went to the dodgers wouldn’t have completely transformed this current moribund version of the giants. But go off I guess.

He remains one of my favorite players in the history of the sport, irrespective of playing for them or the fact he’s finally looked mortal over the last couple of months.