Whoa

This Japanese kid is throwing 77 MPH at age 12. The equivalent of 100 MPH from 60 ft 6 inches. This guy will be throwing 90-95 by age 16 or 17.

When will he be a free agent?

When will he be a free agent?

probably already is:shakehead

Probably won't be playing in the majors for a while. And I mean a LONG while.

Assuming the kid grows up to play in the Japan League, he'll have to stay there for something like 10 years before the league allows MLB teams to bid on negotiating rights. So he'll probably end up to be like 30 something years old before he even throws a pitch in the MLB.

Well, Matsuzaka could be coming over next year, and he's only 26.

Well, Matsuzaka could be coming over next year, and he's only 26.

You would have to pay to just talk to the guy. Matsuzaka throws the famous gyroball

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Sboi0EWp8ao&mode=related&search=

When will he be a free agent?When the Yankees find out he is the next Hideki Irabu.

When the Yankees find out he is the next Hideki Irabu.

yeah..

only the yankees have been burnt by bad investments!:shakehead ]


Irabu for as bad as he pitched at times was a part of 3 world series championships. He was a good teammate (would always retalitate when the other team threw at a yankee) and the trade that brought him here didn't hurt the yankees at all.

Probably won't be playing in the majors for a while. And I mean a LONG while.

Assuming the kid grows up to play in the Japan League, he'll have to stay there for something like 10 years before the league allows MLB teams to bid on negotiating rights. So he'll probably end up to be like 30 something years old before he even throws a pitch in the MLB.

How do they get away with that?

You would have to pay to just talk to the guy. Matsuzaka throws the famous gyroball

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Sboi0EWp8ao&mode=related&search=

That is one nasty pitch.

I believe international free agents can be signed at 16, but I am not sure how this is handled in Japan. I assume it is the same thing, but I would guess that like Russia with its hockey players, the Japanese try to hold onto their players as long as possible.

You would have to pay to just talk to the guy.
I know. And there will be at least 5 or 6 teams willing to do so.

That is one nasty pitch.

That is like a backwards curve. It is insane. If I were the Sox or Phils, I'd sign him right now.


Anyways, I know not every 12 y/o kid can throw a 77mph fastball, anyone can hit heat, he best have something else

I believe international free agents can be signed at 16, but I am not sure how this is handled in Japan. I assume it is the same thing, but I would guess that like Russia with its hockey players, the Japanese try to hold onto their players as long as possible.
Yeah... I'm probably wrong on the 10-year thing, but I'm sure that the Japanese players have to play in the Japan League for a while. And then if they want to go overseas, the team has to agree to sell the rights to the player to the highest bidder, that's all I'm sure of.

The majority of Japanese pitchers will start their career in Japan anyways. It's much harder to adjust to a new life overseas when you've got a program in your country that you can go with.

And a majority of these Japanese pitchers have mostly been busts. Most recent example, Ishii left the Mets to go back to Japan. He spent 3 years with the Dodgers, and LA paid $11M for his negotiating rights. Money well spent. :sarcasm:

You would have to pay to just talk to the guy. Matsuzaka throws the famous gyroball

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Sboi0EWp8ao&mode=related&search=

i read it would cost 15$-25$ to win his rights and contracts of on the low side 3yrs 35$ to the high og 5yr 70$....too risky IMO

This kid will end up throwing 50 innings in 5 days in Koshien when he's 18, and either he blossoms like Matsuzaka, or his arm falls off.

OT: The Taiwanese pitchers that have had success overseas were usually the number TWO pitchers on their high school teams, because the number 1's were ruined by high school.

Shosunke Watanabe for Red Sox ROOGY 2007

Unfortunately, people have inquired Matsuzaka about the gyroball in the World Baseball Classic, and from what I remember in the interviews, even he plainly said that he doesn't really know how to throw the gyro, and that it's purely accidental sometimes. He also told reporters he never threw the pitch in competition. It could very well just be a good looking splitter...

Here's a link (read caption under the pic):
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2006/08/27/in_search_of_the_magical_mystery_pitch/?p1=MEWell_Pos5