Think Blue With YouTube

Hey, great clips!

Some rough translation on the two Japanese language bits:

On the NHK feature of Takashi Saito:
This bit appears to have aired in early July during the Milwaukee series, focusing on his role as the 14 year veteran/36 year old rookie. His last three years with the Yokohama Baystars were marred with injuries and bad performance, which got him thinking about how little time he had left to keep playing baseball. With this thought preying on his mind, he wanted to "test his strength, or rather, ability as a pitcher" before he faded away completely. Earlier in the season, while he was still in Las Vegas, a "very philosphical" Saito took his wife and two daughters to a game at Dodger Stadium to show them the stage he wanted to perform on, and to explain to them why he quit the Baystars to come all the way across the Pacific. Very upbeat, seemingly relaxed, and determined to "go as far as he can go", he said that his only motivation to pitch well every day is so that he can "wear this Dodgers uniform for as long as possible, even for just one more day."

His one concern this season? Facial hair. The Dodgers organization [bans/discourages] facial hair in the minors, so out of respect and humility, he continues to remain clean shaven in the bigs even though he would like to (and used to in the past) sport a little facial hair now and then.

Who needs Hochevar when you got a guy like him, right?

Next bit on Ishii:

He is on some oddball gameshow where he and the lady sitting across from him go head-to-head to guess what food the other dislikes. I've never seen or heard about the show, so I can't tell you any background, but from what the clip shows, it appears that the two contestants selected four different foods (three they like and one they don't), and the first to pick the food that the other dislikes wins. Pretty strange. Turns out that Kaz Ishii likes: bleu cheese, 'yama-imo' (a root vegetable translated as 'mountain potato', a Japanese side dish), and tapioca, but he hates Mackerel (he says it makes him ill)

And for the record, the hottie likes: 'natto-maki' (a kind of pseudo-sushi filled with fermented soybean, sounds disgusting, but really good with beer), raw oysters, and a French-type salad, but doesn't like pasta (hates garlic).

I think it's a sort of a fan-participation show where someone has the opportunity to guess who will win and with what food, and the winner receives the appropriate panel with the name of the food and the celebrity's signature as a prize. Certainly not as crazy as the Chris Farley SNL skit, but pretty far out there by American standards.

Well, that's my ¥2 on the latest entry, hope you enjoy it.

My favorite is the random drunk girls saying "hi" to the Braves. Over and over and over again.

Thanks to Makato! That post clears up a lot of stuff. I had no idea Kaz was a tapioca guy. You rock.

BK

Makoto,

Thanks for the help. Saito seems like a pretty laid back guy in the clubhouse (purely on body language, since we've never actually spoken). And he's doing a nice job, despite his mind being occupied by a burning desire to grow mutton chops and a handlebar mustache. haha.

AK