An American in Kintetsu
by Brad J. Reid, Staff Writer

It really doesn't seem like a fair trade.

While American crowds are now being wowed by the ability of former Japanese League stars like outfielder Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners, and pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii of the LA Dodgers, we've been mostly sending to Japan washed up or under-talented Americans. Only the most hard-core of American Baseball fans would recognize the names of Ivan Cruz, George Arias, or Alex Cabrera, but they're on the other side of the ocean playing the game they love.

Some people might wonder why there aren't more Americans playing in the Japanese leagues. The money is good; star players are making several million a year, and the overall league quality is slightly lower than here, which would be ideal for American fringe players looking for their big break. The sad truth of the matter is that, much like the country itself has historically been, the Japanese leagues are very insular. There is a rule mandating that no more than four foreigners, two pitchers and two hitters, can be permitted on each team.

While an equivalent rule would be illegal in America, it is an accepted practice in Japan. The mandate exists to maintain the league as a uniquely Japanese one and has only recently come under fire.

All of which makes for a strange situation when a corn-rowed African-American, nicknamed "Tuffy", goes on a baseball odyssey across the Pacific to the island of Japan.

Not if I have anything to say about it
Records are meant to be broken, and even the greatest baseball player ever to play the game has had his numbers surpassed in time.

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The sad truth of the matter is that, much like the country itself has historically been, the Japanese leagues are very insular.

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In American sports, it has been said, that there is no more cherished record than Baseball's single season home run record, first truly set in 1927 at 60 homers, and last year raised to 73. Of course, Babe Ruth never saw Roger Maris pass him by, and Babe had long since passed from this earth before men named McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds came into the spotlight.

Unfortunately for Sadaharu Oh, known as Japan's Babe Ruth, he's had to watch from the opposing teams' dugout as his 37 year old record of 55 home runs in one season was challenged this past year. Challenged by American Karl "Tuffy" Rhodes.

The last time an American came close to Oh's sacred record was in 1985, when Randy Bass of the Hanshin Tigers entered the last three games of the season with 54, needing only one more to tie. Unfortunately for Bass, in those three games he was facing the Yomiuri Giants, managed by none other than Sadaharu Oh himself. In every at-bat the pitchers refused to give Bass a single good pitch to hit, preferring instead to deliberately walk him and prevent any possibility of a home run. Eventually, in recognition of the blatant lack of sportsmanship, and out of growing frustration, Bass stepped into the batter's box, holding his bat upside down.

Flash forward to the present when 33-year-old American Tuffy Rhodes started having a season beyond his dreams. A journeyman outfielder in the American Major Leagues for six years and three teams, he was lured across the Pacific by the Kintetsu Buffaloes. After five productive seasons in Japan, including one in which he hammered 40 home runs, he entered the 2001 season claiming he'd be happy as long as he hit 25 round-trippers and reached 90 Runs Batted In.

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