WHY I'LL CONVINCE YOU ON YU

Earlier this year, I wrote a piece on Japanese phenom Yu Darvish titled WHY YU COULD BE THE ANSWER. I know... we’ve all heard this story before: a studly Japanese pitcher dominates in Japan, impresses in the World Baseball Classic, gets a massive contract in the US, then he turns out to be a dud on the Major League stage. I’ve hear a lot of people calling Darvish "Dice-K 2.0", but a quick look at his numbers shows that this could not be more wrong. The following are the NPB career ERAs for each of the two pitchers.

(In Photo: Daisuke Matsuzaka)

• Daisuke Matsuzaka: 2.95 ERA
• Yu Darvish: 2.01 ERA
  

Their career ERAs are separated by 0.94, nearly a whole run per 9 innings. Trying to compare Dice-K’s success to Darvish’s would be on the same level as saying that Jaime Garcia’s 2011 season (3.56 ERA) is essentially the same as Justin Verlander’s (2.40 ERA). To be frank, it’s not even a close comparison.

Even Matsuzaka’s best season in which he posted a 2.13 ERA doesn’t match up with Darvish’s career average. Similarly, the only time in his career in which Darvish posted an ERA over Matsuzaka’s career 2.95 was his rookie year. The only other time he came close to the average again was his 2.89 in his sophomore season. Since then, he has made NPB hitters look helpless, recording 5 straight seasons with an ERA under 2. If I haven’t made my point, just take a brief look at his 2011 season numbers, his best to date:

1.49 ERA, 17-6, 223 IP, 27 starts (averaging just under 8.1 IP/G), 10.53 K/9, 1.41 BB/9, 9 complete games, 5 shutouts, 7.46 K/BB

Dominant, durable, and only 25. Proof of being able to pitch in the MLB be damned, Darvish is arguably the greatest pitcher we have ever seen come out of Japan, and he is reportedly open to pitching on short rest and is not nearly as anal about routines as Dice-K is. Some consider it a gamble, but when is bringing a new player to the Bronx not a gamble? I say pay the absurd $60 million posting fee and sign him to a 6 year, $55 million contract. Who knows, maybe he won’t turn out to be Kei Igawa.

(In Photo: Kei Igawa)

Even if playing in the MLB causes his ERA to go from 1.49 to 2.98, less than $20 million per year would be a steal when CC Sabathia is getting paid nearly a quarter of a million. Darvish is no Matsuzaka, no Hideki Irabu, and sure as hell no Kei Igawa. In my opinion, after getting everything done with CC and Cashman, Darvish should be the Yankees’ #1 target this offseason.

--Grant Cederquist, BYB Staff Writer



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BREAKING NOW: IRABU FOUND DEAD

Hideki Irabu was never a Yankee sensation and struggled in his Major League Baseball career. When he pitched in Japan though, he was a God. It’s being reported that 42 year old Hideki Irabu was found dead in his California home yesterday and the cause seems to be suicide. Read about it HERE.

In 1997, he came to the United States and his contract was purchased by the San Diego Padres. Soon after, he was traded to the Yankees. He was part of the 1998 and 1999 World Champion

Yankees.

He was never liked by George Steinbrenner who labeled him the “Fat Toad”. Irabu was shipped to Montreal in exchange for Jake Westbrook after the 1999 season and later on played with the Texas Rangers. He retired in 2002. Overall, Irabu played 6 years in the majors. He went 34-35 with a 5.15 ERA.

I was never a fan of Hideki Irabu, but that being said, it was clear this guy had a tough time in United States baseball and his talent never translated from Japan to our Major Leagues. Irabu struggled tremendously in baseball and in his private life when he had some run ins with the law.

Now, say what you will about the guy, a life lost is a life lost and you can’t help but feel for his family right now. It’s a life thing.

In life, you are constantly faced with struggle. Your job is live life to the fullest and never give up. It sounds like Irabu couldn’t do it anymore. Today’s a sad day, whether you’re an Irabu fan or not. He not being terribly talented is actually irrelevant in this sad situation. It’s a life lost, and that is where the focus should be. RIP Hideki.

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