Asians In Baseball Asians in Baseball

First, a huge thank you to Nikki Kay for featuring Asians in Baseball on Spectrum Sportsnet!!

This week, we welcome 6 new players into the Asians in Baseball Universe, bringing us to 8 new guys this season and 46 known Asians in Baseball on MLB 40-man rosters!!! Welcome Matt Bowman (P - Twins), Joey Cantillo (P - Guardians), Freddy Tarnok (P - As), Cheng Tsung-Che (SS - Pirates), Riley O’Brien (P - Cardinals), Teng Kai Wei (P - Giants).

Then, in position player news, we discuss the (now confirmed) Tommy Pham rumors, Volpe stays raking, multiple guys flash Gold Glove-caliber leather, and Kim Ha Seong hopes to play in Petco Park “for years to come.”

In pitching news, Imanaga has a glorious 0.00 ERA through 15.1 IP, Yu Darvish lacked run support but his bud Yuki Matsui came in clutch, Brennan Bernadino proves he deserves more playing time, and Asians in Baseball get (sent) down, but we know they’ll get back up again.

Finally, we discuss the updates from the Feds’ investigation into the Ippei case. 



Seiya Suzuki’s new Cubs commercial: https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2024/04/14/seiya-suzuki-and-willie-harris-got-together-on-a-must-see-commercial/

Kim Ha Seong’s post game interview: https://twitter.com/SammyLev/status/1774594685383905758

Stuart Fairchild’s sick diving catch: https://www.mlb.com/reds/video/gavin-sheets-lines-out-to-right-fielder-stuart-fairchild

Alika Williams’ backhanded grab: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mlb.com/pirates/video/javier-baez-grounds-out-shortstop-alika-williams-to-first-baseman-rowdy-t&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1713332327193311&usg=AOvVaw1HeIMmfiIs945BkkUMTIc7

Corbin Carroll’s smooth sliding snag: https://www.mlb.com/video/brandon-pfaadt-in-play-out-s-to-nolan-gorman


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Asians in Baseball are ready to ECLIPSE the league!

First, welcome Naoyuki Uwasawa and Jahmai Jones to the AiB Cinematic Universe! 

Then, position players: Anthony Volpe and Conner Joe are off to hot starts,Travis d’Arnaud walks it off already, Kim Ha Seong and Lee Jung Hoo adjust to their new roles, and Steven Kwan and the Guardians play in the path of totality. 

After the break, Kenta Maeda shuts down his former team the Twins, Shota Imanaga and Yoshinobu Yamamoto showcase their nastiest pitches, Dane Dunning tries to prop up the defending World Series Champs, and Mitch White is BACK, BABY! 

Finally, a little plea to lay off Ohtani, we check in on the Tommy Pham rumors, and big congrats to Arjun Nimmala for his first career homer! 


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What in the KDrama is going on here?! It’s been a shocking week for Asians in Baseball, to say the least.

Let’s start from the Seoul Series: a false threat at the Sky Dome, the unceremonious demotion of Go Woo Suk, Asians show up for the first official games of the season (on the field and in the stands), and Yu Darvish has still got it at 37.

After the break, of course we have to talk about Ippei. The timeline that was - and is still - moving at a dizzying pace, the Ohtani press conference, and what this means from a cultural standpoint. 

And finally, Will the Thrill is back like he never left (because he has been working for the Dodgers this entire time!)

Tisha Thompson’s ESPN Timeline: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39784809/dodgers-shohei-ohtani-mizuhara-theft-line

Ohtani press conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnlYgPCv438


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New season, new look, same us! We’re back for our third season of Asians in Baseball, and although the season hasn’t even officially started yet, we’re off to the races.



First up: trades! (Or lack thereof.) Tommy Pham remains a Free Agent with Opening Day looming, Ryu Hyun Jin returns to the KBO, the Mets and minors gain some of our faves, and Where in the World is Kim Ng?!



Then after the break: The Dodgers and Padres have landed in Korea! We talk exhibition games, Seoul Series, which MLB team belongs to which country, the significance of Korean representation on AND off-field, and some trolls are mad about Ohtani’s finger heart.



Lastly: RIP NAOMI’S NOTIFICATIONS. Ohtani announces he got married, and all hell breaks loose on the internet and our group chat.


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It may be the offseason, but Asians in Baseball are still putting in work!



2:55 - Ohtani STAYS BUSY. We discuss his introductory press conference (including Decoy, of course), his side gig as a GM in pulling Glasnow and Yamamoto, and his new Big Market Team persona.



41:08 - Free Agents have been flying! Lee Jung Hoo solidifies himself as the MLB version of a Kpop Idol, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and his plaid suit make their Dodgers debut, and is it somewhere in these Asian free agent contracts that you also have to have a dog?!



1:22:14 - Ooh baby are we ready for the Seoul Series! The first game sells out in 8 minutes, Kim Ha Seong’s been doing promo in Korea, the Dodgers and Padres are set to face off against KBO teams and the Korean national team in exhibition, and…are the Padres the Most Asian Team in MLB???


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We did it, Sho!!!!



0:28 - YEAH WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT OHTANI! The rumors, the Dave Roberts Press Conference Heard 'Round the World, the Toronto madness, the enormous contract, the enormous contract deferral, what this means for the Asian/Asian American community, and more. (Though we recorded this on Wednesday 12/13 before the press conference, so we don't get to that yet!)



1:04:00 - Ohtani's not the only Asian in Baseball making moves: Kyle Higashioka comes home to SoCal with the Padres, Kenta stays in the Midwest to join the Tigers, Lee Jung Hoo holds down the Bay Area Asians in Baseball, plus many more free agent moves yet to come!



Keep your eyes peeled, this wild ride isn't over yet...



Lars Nootbaar's op-ed in the Player's Tribune: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/lars-nootbaar-st-louis-cardinals-mlb-japan-world-baseball-classic?utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-playerstribune&utm_content=later-39782451&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkin.bio


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