Cheers to the Land of the Rising Sun

Anyone who knows me knows that I have some strange appreciation of the Japanese and there culture. Not saying that I know everything about the people and the lands but I do know who Iron Chef Chinese is.

I think I might be the only one the Lodge who really enjoyed the WBC. I’m not the biggest baseball fan per say but I am a huge fan of world competition. The Japanese team was vindicated last night after that horrible hose job given to them by team USA. If I remember correctly I said Oh would have the last word.

You could not have asked nor had a better championship game then the one you had last night. Such a dichotomy between two nations and fundamentals, on one had you have the Cubans who play with the Latin flavor. They are about power at the plate and an aggressive style only Fidel could love. With the Japanese you have precision and patience. Proving that the best comes to those who wait, extending pitch counts making pitchers over work and sweat out an inning. Every batter looking like an Ichiro clone, just call him the Jengo Fett of Japanese baseball. I just hope I see some of that fire and passion in the Safeco dugout that he displayed in the tournament.

I can’t leave out the fielding which like always was amazing on both sides. The Cubans have so much athleticism it makes you wonder what they could do against a real MLB team. Also make you sad to see there talents wallow in the Havana but who am I to be the judge cause I am sure those men are gods to there fans back home. The Cuban team were gracious in there defeat. They met the champs on the field to shake hands a true class gesture. Something that makes me think why can’t I get some Cuban cigars in this country. What is the problem? We have a cold war relic embargo on a nation that needs all the help it can get. Inevitable this rant would turn into a political debate. I question why is it that all Communist governments turn to dictatorships? Really I am just mad I can’t go to Cuba and I can’t get a box of Cohiba’s at the corner market. I digress, the game was great and I loved the whole concept and it gets me excited to watch 162 games of mediocrity here in Seattle.