Ryan Vogelsong is going to pitch in Japan

[LeiterFanatic]

Expect league ERA to rise by 1/2 a run.

[1998 Yankees]

Yes, this is why I can't get too excited over Matsuzaka coming to the states, whether he's in a Red Sox or Yankees or some other team's uniform. I will continue to be skeptical of such Japanese baseball immigrants as long as American baseball players of Vogelsong's quality can go over there and get jobs. Take a look at his career stats:

[Skipaway]

Originally Posted by 1998 Yankees

Yes, this is why I can't get too excited over Matsuzaka coming to the states, whether he's in a Red Sox or Yankees or some other team's uniform. I will continue to be skeptical of such Japanese baseball immigrants as long as American baseball players of Vogelsong's quality can go over there and get jobs. Take a look at his career stats:

That's a weird excuse. We see all players coming from the minor leagues, which are obviously not as good as the major leagues, and it's not like we don't believe some of them could be really really good.

[1998 Yankees]

Originally Posted by Skipaway

That's a weird excuse. We see all players coming from the minor leagues, which are obviously not as good as the major leagues, and it's not like we don't believe some of them could be really really good.

Say again? I'm missing your point.

[bababui]

Originally Posted by 1998 Yankees

Say again? I'm missing your point.

Almost all MLB players are promoted from the minor leagues. obviously inferior to MLB; so why diss players coming from the Japanese leagues and infer that none of them are any good?

[ctorg]

Originally Posted by Skipaway

That's a weird excuse. We see all players coming from the minor leagues, which are obviously not as good as the major leagues, and it's not like we don't believe some of them could be really really good.

I'm guessing that the reasoning would be that players promoted from the minors with a lot of hope are bright youngsters who are improving. Basically, a guy coming from Japan at 27 would be like a guy getting promoted to the majors at 27.

Still, if a guy is really, really good in the minors, even if he takes a performance hit in the majors, he's still probably going to be pretty good.

[1998 Yankees]

Originally Posted by bababui

Almost all MLB players are promoted from the minor leagues. obviously inferior to MLB; so why diss players coming from the Japanese leagues and infer that none of them are any good?

I assume that you have obtained written permission from Skipaway to answer for him.

I hear you about minor league players, but the money is the thing. Most minor leaguers enter MLB at the league minimum. I don't infer that there are no good Japanese players (see Matsui, Suzuki, Nomo), but the fact that American baseball players of marginal quality or past their prime can get jobs in Japan still speaks to the relative quality of American baseball to its Japanese counterpart.

That's what makes spending $51 million, so far, on a pitcher who has never pitched in MLB crazy IMO and I would be saying that (or at least keeping quiet) if it were the Yankees who did the bid.

[Skipaway]

Originally Posted by 1998 Yankees

I assume that you have obtained written permission from Skipaway to answer for him.

I hear you about minor league players, but the money is the thing. Most minor leaguers enter MLB at the league minimum. I don't infer that there are no good Japanese players (see Matsui, Suzuki, Nomo), but the fact that American baseball players of marginal quality or past their prime can get jobs in Japan still speaks to the relative quality of American baseball to its Japanese counterpart.

That's what makes spending $51 million, so far, on a pitcher who has never pitched in MLB crazy IMO and I would be saying that (or at least keeping quiet) if it were the Yankees who did the bid.

The overall quality of a league got nothing to do with the ability of an individual. The important part is how accurate we can evaluate the ability of an individual in different league environment.

A high school graduate from a developed country might suddenly become one of the more educated person if he moves to a poor third world country, but that doesn't mean the top talent out of that same poor third world country can't be among the best in a developed country.


That's why it's possible a player from Japanese league could just worth that much, and that's why it's possible why some draft picks really deserve the outrageous signing bonuses.

[rzzzzzzz]

Eighty years ago, Connie Mack spent $100,500 on a "minor" league player, and he turned out pretty good:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/grovele01.shtml

[Faroo6]

Ah, yes the other half of the Jason Schmidt trade, muahahaah.

[jamus23]

Incredibly, Vogelsong may have actually been the better part of the Pirates' return in that trade. The other player was the immortal Armando Rios.