A record for the ages

Sumo is the national sport in Japan, however, like in India where field hockey is the national sport and cricket is the most popular sport, baseball would arguably be the most popular sport. 20 years ago I wouldn't have used the word arguably but the professional baseball game has lost some of it's popularity with many of the best players in Japan going stateside to try their luck in Major League Baseball with carrying degrees of success,

Since Hideo Nomo blazed a trail to Major League Baseball immortality, many Japanese players have followed. Names like Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui have become household names in the United States. Ichiro has in fact beaten a few records and just recently posted his 4000th professional baseball hit. For cricket fans, I think that is probably the equivalent of 35 test centuries.

The role of the foreign player in Japanese professional baseball hasn't been so glorious with the odd exception. Until today the record in NPB for home runs in a season was 55. This is one of the most revered records in the Japanese game. It was set in 1964 by the Japanese batting legend Sadaharu Oh. It was always thought that a Japanese player would break the record. In fact when Hideki Matsu signed with the Yomiuri Giants, he was given the number 55 jersey. American Randy Bass threatened in 1985 but was walked every time he came to plate when he got to 54. Two other foreign players, Tuffy Rhodes and Alex Cabrera hit 55 home runs in the 2001 and 2002 seasons respectively but were also walked or not challenged when they came up against the Fukuoka Hawks who were ironically managed by Sadaharu Oh.

The above situation was dramatized in the movie starring Tom Selleck called Mr.Baseball in which Tom's character gets to 54 and then is thrown garbage. Once again for cricket fans, think the leg spinner bowling into the rough from around the wicket all day or the fast bowler bowling it down leg all day out of reach of the batsman but not to be called a wide.

However, today the record was finally broken and it was broken by a guy from the the tiny Caribbean island of Curacao. Wladimir Balentien hit two home runs to get to 57 home runs and break the 49 year old record. The fact that he did it with 18 games left in the season means that he could quite possibly smash the record and become a legend of the game.

The whole idea of a foreign smashing the record may be unpalatable to some diehard fans but it would be as bad if it happened 10 years ago. What is the reason for this? I think it is the fact that many Japanese players have done well in the United States and they are treated with respect that a quality professional baseball player deserves. Quite possibly the Japanese fans have seen this and realized that this is global sport, it is global market place and unlike beforehand it is easier to apply your trade in another country and to contribute. Quite possibly they are realizing that because of the success of the aforementioned Suzuki and Matsui, that they are watching some world class athletes on their back door step and that they can go and represent themselves and their country in another land and break their records and not be considered a foreign but another quality player.

I think what has happened today is a great thing for Japanese baseball and for society in general and I hope that this kind of tolerance continues. With the Olympics coming up tolerance of foreign culture will be high on the agenda but I think that is the topic for another post along the line.

Congratulations Wladimir, well done. And to Mr. Oh, just because you have lost your record to a Netherlands Antillean doesn't make your record or achievements any less special.