Wednesday, October 19, 2005

A Rematch...Sort Of

Guess who's going back to the World Series?

Okay, maybe not the World Series, but he's in a baseball championship series.

It's Bobby Valentine!

Valentine has led the perennial doormat Chiba Lotte Marines to Pacific League's version of the World Series, after defeating the Softbank Hawks 3-2 in game 5 of the semifinals. Valentine's crew now faces the Hanshin Tigers. By rule, Pacific League teams can only employ one American player with a DUI record, and Hanshin has 2000 World Champion New York Yankee and 2004 released in the middle of the season New York Met Shane Spencer. Valentine will counter with former Mets such as Benny Agbayani, Matt Franco, and Satoru Komiyama, widely regarded as the Japanese Mike Maddux.

I hope that you realize that this may be the closest thing Met fans will get to a Subway Series rematch.

If that is the case, then Lets Go Met...uh, Marines!!!

Game one is on Saturday.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Awesome! Any news on US broadcast info?

Metstradamus said...

I wish. I don't even know who's airing it in Japan...I think it might be TBS (Not Turner's TBS)...which I don't think you can get in the States unless you have a reeeeeeeeeeeeeeally long hangar and lots of tin foil. Either them or NHK.

Darth Marc said...

NHK is on some cable systems here...

Metstradamus said...

Wow...the NBA dress code. Now there's a tangent!

To be honest with you, I don't think it's a racial issue as much as I think it's an Allen Iverson issue. I don't think league types look at a guy like Rip Hamilton and think he's a "thug", even though he wears the chains and the throwback jerseys and the du-rag. But I think the league has always looked at Allen Iverson in an unfair light because of the dress, the tattoos, and the company he has kept in the past. Iverson to me has at worst been a victim of circumstance, and at best has probably evolved into one of the most mature players in the NBA. But all anybody sees with him is the tattoos and chains and hip-hop gear, and that's unfortunate, because I think he's singled out unfairly a lot of the time. This dress code is being equated to trying to move away from the Pistons/Pacers brawl, but come on...dress codes had nothing to do with a brawl in the stands...yet I think it has everything to do with Iverson.

That being said, I see the NBA's side of the issue, and they have good intentions. But I think Iverson's right when he says that there are other ways to address the issues that the NBA is concerned about.

Metstradamus said...

Go check out what Tim Duncan had to say about it...he rips the league. The word "retarded" is used.

Metstradamus said...

I exaggerate slightly. He he.

NYSMF said...

Yee haw! Damn, I chose the wrong year to go see Bobby V in Chiba stadium -- the place was packed with a full two thousand fans that night, and I can't even remember who won.

But I will now be wearing my Chiba Lotte Marines baseball caps with pride all over Los Angeles!

Oh, here is the Chiba Lotte Marines official theme song, played and sung lustily during the 7th inning stretch:

"LOVE LOVE LOVE
"THE MARINES
"LOVE LOVE LOVE
"THE MARINES
"(INCOMPREHENSIBLE JAPANESE LYRICS)
"(INCOMPREHENSIBLE JAPANESE LYRICS)
"CHIBA LOTTE*
"MARINES!"

* Pronounced "latte", as in "nonfatnowhipdoublestrongdecaf"

Metstradamus said...

keisuke,

I've done worse at autograph signings, don't feel too bad. John Franco shot me a nasty look once.

NYSMF said...

Franco, that heartless rat bastarafuoco! But hey, at least Bobby signed my official Chiba Lotte MArines yearbook!

I also got a baseball with Akinori Otsuka's autograph -- and subsequently had it signed by all the American Players' wives up in the stands. Great night. Still got the ball in its little plastic trophy case, too.

Metstradamus said...

"Bastarafuoco".

I like it...how very "Amy Fisher" of you.

NYSMF said...

Amy Fischer??? I didn't know that crazy woman knew Esperanto -- or maybe she just reads Harry Harrison's "Stainless Steel Rat" books like I and perhaps you as well.

Hey, I'd like to add you to my blog sidebar. Would you do the same for my blog? sprainedthumb.blogspot.com. Thanks.

NYSMF said...

THE MARINES WIN!!

Bobby, Benny, and Mattie finally win a baseball world series!