March 28, 2007

Connecting the Dots

Central League Preview

by Mike Plugh

Jack Elliot: Japanese way, 'Shut up and Take it'!
Hiroko Uchiyama: Jack's way, 'ME, ME, ME'! Sometimes acceptance and cooperation are strengths also.
--“Mr. Baseball” (1992)

The dialogue is taken from a conversation between Tom Selleck’s character, Jack Elliot, and his lovely interpreter and girlfriend Hiroko, who he later learns is his ornery manager’s daughter. The film is a somewhat superficial look at the differences between East and West, but it generally avoids the worst Japanese stereotypes usually found in films of the 80’s and early 90s, and is often quite successful in showing viewers two sides of the same coin. So, why “Mr. Baseball”? Why here?

It occurred to me that Jack Elliot left the Yankees in the waning days of his career to play for the Chunichi Dragons of Nagoya. His character is loosely based on the prolific Hanshin Tigers slugger, Randy Bass. The Dragons and Tigers have finished in some combination of 1-2 in the Central League three of the last four seasons. Maybe that’s a stretch, but that’s how my mind works. I wonder what Jack Elliot’s VORP was in his final year with the Yankees when he fictitiously hit .235…

The Central League, or “Se League” as it’s called in Japan, was founded in 1950, and is the more famous and storied of the two Japanese organizations. The Yomiuri Giants are the primary reason for the popularity of the Central, although the Hanshin Tigers of Osaka are followed by the most rabid fan base in the sport, and play the role of the Red Sox to the Giants’ Yankees. The Central does not use a DH and plays a 146-game schedule. In 2007, for the first time the league will be employing a best-of-three series to decide who will join the league champion for a chance at the Japan Series. Here’s my take on the 2007 Central league, teams listed in predicted order of finish.

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