Monday, August 27, 2018

2018-08-20 Japanese-born All-Star pitchers

This week’s questions will be delivered in Haiku.

Q.        Groundbreaking Dodger,
            Hesitated at the top.
            No more a secret.
A.         HIDEO NOMO
-  MLB began with LAD.
-  His unusual windup seemed to include a hesitation move just before delivery.
-  ‘Nomo’ eventually known beyond the Japanese League.
FCR -  Jesse Asbury, Norman, Oklahoma
Incorrect guesses:  Fernando Valenzuela, Jackie Robinson, Clayton Kershaw, Glen Burke, Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax

TUESDAY
Q.        Why so serious?
            Does your market demand it?
            Must be a hero.
A.         MASAHIRO TANAKA
-  Seldom seems to change his facial expression while on the mound as though concentrating sternly.
-  Has been a steady #1 for the Yankees, even though New York is a tough market to perform in.
-  His first name mispronounced sounds a little like…  I’m told that it should have been rewritten by Yoda as “Mus’ a hero be.”
FCR -  Tony Monti, Whitestone, New York
Incorrect guesses:  Ichiro Suzuki, Ted Williams, Matt Harvey, So Taguchi, Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter, Joe DiMaggio

WEDNESDAY
Q.        The playoffs were rough.
You’ve come so very far.  See?
You might be whirling.
A.         YU DARVISH
-  After an outstanding career with TEX, he couldn’t seem to get anybody out in the playoffs with the Dodgers.
-  His father’s family is from Iran, where the national language is Farsi.
-  You (Yu) has a last name that calls to mind a whirling dervish.
FCR -  Steve Newton, Newcastle, Delaware
Incorrect guesses:  Wally Schang, Dice K, Clayton Kershaw, Luis Tiant

MIDWEEK BONUS
Q.        You showed us the whey.
You were a worse-to-first star.
Yummy yet again.
A.         KOJI UEHARA
-  “Whey”, a play on his last name.  [In reality only used for Little Miss Muffet.]
-  Help power BOS from a last place finish in 2012 to a World Series title in ‘13.
-  Began his career with the Yomiuri Giants.  Plays there now—new all over again.
FCR -  Vince Granieri, Cincinnati
Incorrect answers:  Ichiro Suzuki, Diasuke Matsuzka, Wei-Yen Chen


THURSDAY
Q.        His sash is festooned
            With cumulative honors.
            The northwest is proud.
A.         HISHASI IWAKUMA
   Did really well for SEA
FCR -  David Gordon, Chevy Chase, Maryland
Incorrect guesses:  Felix Hernandez, Ichiro Suzuki, Jay Buhner, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Ken Griffey, Jr.

FRIDAY
Q.        He’s fourth overall.
            She has a way with those names.
            Now he’s a golfer.
A.         SHIGETOSHI HASEGAWA
-  Became just the 4th Japanese player to appear in the majors
-  2nd line comes from his name
-  Qualified for the U.S. Amateur golf championship
FCR -  Phillip Ross, Denver
Incorrect guesses:  Ichiro Suzuki, Mike Ignasiak, John Smoltz, Lefty O’Doul, Alex Rodriguez, Hiroki Kuroda

SATURDAY
Q.        Hector Hugh Munro
            Is not the one we seek here.
            Mariners again!
A.         KAZUHIRO SASAKI
-  English author H.H Munro used the nom de plume “Saki”
-  Had an ERA of 3.14 over 4 seasons for SEA.
FCR -  Phillip Ross, Denver
Incorrect guesses:  Ichiro Suzuki, Hirohito Kurosawa

SUNDAY
Q.        A great Sawks rookie,
            But two teammates were ahead.
            Look where you’re going!
A.         HIDEKI OKAJIMA
-  Finished 6th in 2007 ROY voting, with teammates Dustin Pedroia and Daisuke Matsuzaka finishing 1st and 4th respectively.
-  Fantastic delivery motion has him not facing the plate at the moment he releases the ball.
FCR -  Dr. John Rickert, Terre Haute
Incorrect guesses:  Daisuke Matsuzaka

HAIKU FINALE
Q.        West coast dominates.
            This theme shouldn’t be that hard.
            This is the last one.
A.         TAKASHI SAITO
-  Debuted with a west-coast MLB team, as did Nomo, Hasegawa, Iwakuma & Sasaki.
-  Many readers guessed the week’s theme.
FCR -  Mass seppuku?
Incorrect guesses: 


WEEKLY THEME – Japanese-born major league All-Star pitchers

Pitcher                Born in                All-Star Year(s)
Darvish............ Habikino................ 2012-14, 2017
Hasegawa....... Kobe..................... 2003
Iwakuma.......... Higashi Yamato...... 2013
Nomo............... Osaka................... 1995
Okajima........... Kyoto.................... 2007
Saito................ Sendai.................. 2007
Sasaki.............. Sendai.................. 2001
Tanaka............. Itami..................... 2014
Uehara............. Neyagawa............ 2014


First Correct Respondent to Identify ThemeDr. John Rickert, Terre Haute, Indiana on Wednesday, when he posted:

Tasty clue confused.
But Koji Uehara
Was worst-to-first star.

Theme?:
Players from Japan
who played in the All-Star game
is my next wild guess.


Incorrect theme guesses:

Monday  -  Won Cy Young Award before age 25

Tuesday          -Played in other league
then won M L B award
that’s my first theme guess

I was wrong Monday
But now I think the theme is
Japanese All Stars

-        Japanese born who made the All-Star team

Wed-      -     The theme of the week
-        Japanese all star players
-        To play in world series

-        Players from Japan
who played major league baseball
in the post-season

-        Japanese pitchers who have started Opening Games
               -     Players who were both MVPs in Japan and all stars in the majors
   -     Top Int'l market signings

Thursday-     Players from Japan who earned some M V P votes
-        Japanese pitchers with most MLB wins
-        Japanese pitchers with most MLB WAR

Sunday   -     Notable Japanese pitchers to play in MLB










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