Darvish Musing, December 19

I watch a lot of baseball in Japan.

I’ve been to several games live, and I frequently turn it on when the season is going on. It’s fun, but it feels to me like watching college or top level high school baseball. It doesn’t generally have the shock value or alarming depth of talent that a major league baseball game can have.

The game in Japan is taught and played very conservatively. Teams will bunt EVERY TIME a runner is on first and there are no outs. They will bunt MOST of the time with a runner on first and one out. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this in the FIRST inning of a game. This is a very different type of baseball than I’m used to.

But like I said, it’s baseball so it’s nice to watch. It’s just nothing special.

Except when Yu Darvish pitches. Those are the games I don’t dare turn the channel on.

Yes, he is throwing to conservative batters who are easily coaxed into making outs, but the actual quality of the pitches is phenomenal. I’ve experienced the same thing merely watching someone like Freddy Garcia warming up in the bullpen.

Darvish basically feels like he’s in the bullpen warming up when he is pitching to competition in Japan. I think this is what creates those otherworldly statistics that can’t be trusted like five straight seasons with a sub 2 ERA. But man, I can’t wait to see how this bullpen pitcher does in the big leagues. Those pitches are incredible. 

Darvish’s five year long bullpen session is just about over. He should be nice and warm now.