Attention SoftBank, Hiroshima, Rakuten
If any of the teams in the title of this post are reading, you could all use a suketto pitcher, and Lenny DiNardo is still unsigned. Give Lenny a shot.
Baseball in Japan & Around the World
If any of the teams in the title of this post are reading, you could all use a suketto pitcher, and Lenny DiNardo is still unsigned. Give Lenny a shot.
22/12/2009 at 11:59 pm Permalink
Who are you his brother?1?!?
23/12/2009 at 12:21 am Permalink
Nope. This post is not endorsed by Lenny DiNardo or anyone associated with him. I just think he’d do well in Japan.
23/12/2009 at 2:52 am Permalink
What’s suketto?
23/12/2009 at 9:56 am Permalink
Really need to get that translation guide started… Sukketo (助ã£äºº) is a term commonly used for foreign players, literally meaning “helper” or, in baseball context “support player”. In other words, the foreign players are there to support the homegrown stars. Some guys, like Tony Solaita, have found this term offensive.
23/12/2009 at 11:26 am Permalink
Some guys, like Tony Solaita, have found this term offensive.
Source?
Do you happen to know anything about his bio? How did he come to playing baseball growing up in Samoa? Did he move to Hawaiʻi when he was young?
23/12/2009 at 11:35 am Permalink
Never mind. Everything is as I suspected.
http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=13358&bid=548
23/12/2009 at 11:37 am Permalink
It was in “You Gotta Have Wa”. I believe the quote was something like “how can I be a ‘support player’ if I’m the best player on the team?”
I read a eulogy of Tony when died, but I can’t find it now. This is a great biography though:
http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&pid=13358&bid=548
It says he started off playing cricket in Samoa and picked up baseball in Hawaii. It also has the quote from his time in Japan:
23/12/2009 at 11:39 am Permalink
heh. Your comment showed up as I was typing all that.
23/12/2009 at 9:43 pm Permalink
I also think he could possibly be a good player in NPB. A couple of years ago I remember a game when Lenny DiNardo pitched with the Red Sox against the Phillies in an interleague matchup. He was throwing 89 MPH fastballs past Phillies’ bats practically the entire game. He may not have great dominant stuff, but he hides the ball exceptionally well with good command.
24/12/2009 at 12:51 am Permalink
Dudes, Lenny is a good friend of mine. I too think he would do good over there. Even though he is not overpowering, with his unorthodox mechanics and the inability to throw anything straight, if given a chance I feel confident saying he will hold his own. After playing over there for two years and seeing/hearing that the pitchers are taught to throw the ball straight with perfect mechanics and after playing with Lenny it is pretty easy to describe him as the complete opposite of any pitcher over there. I am keeping my fingers crossed for him. He is a hard worker and a great person.
24/12/2009 at 10:09 am Permalink
Yeah, that’s what I like about him too. It sounds like the DiNardo Campaign has begun.
How’s your offseason gone Giss?
26/12/2009 at 3:06 pm Permalink
Offseason going great!! Still hoping to get a job for next year. We will see if anyone wants a 32 year old that throws in the 80’s!! I have been very fortunate to play for 14 years so if I don’t hear anything it won’t be the end of the world. My wife and I have started a home business with a Premier Health and Wellness Company, called Advocare, and are loving it. We have helped quite a few people change their lives by losing weight, getting more energy and have overall better health. Where are you doing this blog from? I have been following your blog ever since I played in Japan. Hope you had a good holiday season.
26/12/2009 at 10:30 pm Permalink
Cool, I hope you catch on some place.
Thanks for reading the site, I hope you enjoy it. I’m in the SF Bay Area, so my ability to follow Japanese baseball is limited by what I can get online and from the Japanese bookstores here.