The difference in covering baseball - Japan to the USA

The Hartford Courant ran an interesting comparison by Gaku Tashiro, a Japanese media member who covered the major leagues in both Japan and the US. I worked with dozens and dozens of Japanese media members who covered the NBA over the years. They were all fantastic people and a real pleasure to work with and a joy to get to know.

I have not has the pleasure of meeting Tashiro-san but I look forward to the day I meet him. Here is his take on the Majors:

Gaku Tashiro is the senior baseball reporter of Sankei Sports, an all-sports daily national Japanese newspaper. He is the first Japanese member of the BBWAA (Baseball Writers' Association of America). This is his eighth season covering Major League Baseball. Based in the U.S. he was home when the Red Sox and Athletics were in Japan.

As the Red Sox and Athletics played against the Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers in exhibition games at the Tokyo Dome, it was interesting to observe the differences between the U.S. and Japan.

First of all, batting practice was quite different. In the majors, one cage is used, whereas in Japan, two cages are simultaneously used side by side, with the plate between the cages. Several nets are placed around the mound to protect the batting practice pitchers. Tall nets are placed in the infields by the stands so even if balls are hit from two directions, it would be rare that a ball would hit a fan in the stands.

Batting practice pitchers tend to be former players who have been hired by the team, so their fastball can be about 85 mph or so. It is not rare to find a batting practice pitcher who has several different offspeed pitches.

As you may know, batting practice in Major League Baseball usually means coaches throwing from the front of the mound. Hitters hit one at a time, so the time allowed is shorter than Japan. The reason probably is because in yakyu (Japanese for baseball), practices are elaborate, and the focus is placed on simulating the game as much as possible, as opposed to the majors, where emphasis is placed more on warming up and checking over mechanics.

The media is another difference between Japan and the majors. In the majors, the media can freely interview the players in the clubhouse before and after games. In Japan, no media is allowed in the clubhouse. When I used to follow the Giants in Japan, I didn't see the clubhouse until 2004 when the Yankees came to play.

During these exhibition games, the major league teams' clubhouses were open before and after the game, but the Japanese teams' clubhouses were closed. In Japan, the only time we can interview players is when they are in the dugout or on the field before or after the game, or the walkway from the clubhouse to the parking lot. So when I first started working in the majors eight years ago, I envied the American media.

The Japanese media, whose time to ask questions is limited to the ballpark, would try to spend time with the manager or players over a meal, coffee or a drink, or sometimes even visit their home for an interview. Golf during the offseason is not unusual.

In order to obtain their information, they have to find a way to meet with them outside of the ballpark. When Hideki Matsui of the Yankees was still playing for the Yomiuri Giants, there was always media following him. At home on game day, there would be writers waiting for him at his apartment building, and they would go for lunch or accompany him in his car to the ballpark. On the road, he would eat dinner with the media after games. Through these opportunities the media and the player get close, and they obtain information for their story.

Compared to the relationship the American writers generally have with the players, the Japanese writers have a much closer relationship. They can become so close that they are invited to a player's wedding, but it is important to note that as writers, our duty is to provide accurate, high quality information to our readers and that getting close with the players is only a means to achieve such a goal. We must criticize bad plays and we must also write about news that players don't like, such as getting traded or released. The more of a veteran writer you are, the more difficult it is to measure where you stand in your personal relationship with a player.

I must admit that how the Japanese media cover Major League Baseball is a bit odd. Baseball is a team sport, but we only cover the Japanese players. When you cover the Red Sox, the Boston media has the option to interview players like [David] Ortiz, [Josh] Beckett or even [Dustin] Pedroia depending on how they perform, but the Japanese media must report on how [Daisuke] Matsuzaka and [Hideki] Okajima are doing, regardless of whether they pitched or not. They basically do not have an option, so whether they played or not, they must report everyday about one or both of those players. In order to display originality in their articles in an environment where coverage is limited, the Japanese writers must find a way to get in touch with the players outside of the ballpark.

Baseball and yakyu, as well as the differences with the media, what lies behind these are the cultural differences between Japan and the United States. On one end, Japanese major leaguers have increased to a total of 16 (major league contracts). On the other end, American and Latin players that once played in Japan are coming back to the majors and playing well. Some have become coaches or taken other leading positions, which will lead to a much deeper understanding between both countries. I am sure that there will be more interaction going forward to implement the favorable characteristics of the various aspects of both styles.