An American in Kintetsu (cont'd...)
by Brad J. Reid, Staff Writer

Of course, Tuffy did quite a bit better than that.

Entering the last five games of the season, Rhodes was having a career year and had hit 55 home runs to tie Sadaharu Oh for the single season record. Unfortunately for Tuffy, his remaining games were against two teams, the Orix Blue Wave and the Daiei Hawks. The latter team being managed by none other than Oh himself - again.

In the first of Rhodes' two games against the Hawks he was walked four times, with not a single pitch coming close to the strike zone, and it was obvious that history was repeating itself. The Commissioner of Japanese Baseball, Hiromori Kawashima, would later describe the play of Oh's team as "completely divorced from the essence of baseball, which values the supremacy of fair play."

Tuffy Rhodes never hit number 56.

Don't leave home without it
In an age where figure skater Michelle Kwan is considered an amateur yet annually pulls in over five million dollars from advertising revenue, an athletes' earning power goes far beyond their salary. Unfortunately, despite years of strong numbers in Japan and a near record setting season, Tuffy Rhodes has never done a television advertisement, and has received virtually no endorsement offers of any kind.

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It's hard to blame an American in Japan for feeling more like a mercenary than a baseball player.

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Despite his good-natured personality, and star athlete status, many claim that the reason behind his lack of offers lies in his African-American heritage. A similar example is the plight of African-American Leron Lee, who came to Japan in 1977 and played like a star for 10 years with the Chiba Lotte Marines. Lee left his mark too, retiring with the highest Japanese League career batting average in history. According to author Robert Whiting, Lee was told by advertising executives that despite his performance he was unable to secure a deal because, "[The] Japanese do not want black role models." Whiting also observed that, "Over the years, team posters for Lotte games frequently omitted Lee's name in order to stress the 'Japaneseness' of the team."

It is important to note that Rhodes has been accepted and embraced at times during his stay, with the Buffaloes even giving him top billing on promotional posters. "A long time ago, I was told they don't want to endorse black athletes. That doesn't bother me," Rhodes stated. "I don't need to be on TV. If people like me for what I do on the field, fine."

And the people do. Tuffy, who used to ride the train to the Stadium, grew so popular that the hounding of autograph-seekers forced him to start riding his motorcycle to the games. In a very modern sign of fame, he's even introduced his own line of clothing in Japan. Which is to say that he's certainly more popular than his predecessors, and at least gives reassurance that racist advertising executives don't necessarily represent a whole country.

Teammate or mercenary?
While one might think that Baseball is the same the world over, the truth of the matter is that it's not. Pitchers in Japan tend to throw breaking balls (slower pitches which move or 'break' in a curve), especially forkballs - while in contrast American pitchers are taught to rely more on their fastballs. Japanese players are taught that unity and team spirit come first, the game second. It's a very different approach, and one in which the showboating that many American players have become known for is not welcome. There are certain practices, such as trying to break up a double play, which while accepted in America, are against the unofficial rules in Japan. The result is a very disciplined, and as one former player put it, "passive" style of baseball - which can be very difficult to adjust to.

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