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Friday - 11/30/07

Warriors Blow By Lackluster Rockets

Maybe they were still tired from the previous night's game against the Phoenix Suns but the Rockets did not bring it last night as the Golden State Warriors beat them in a 113-94 convincing victory. The Warriors is the highest scoring team in the league and they showed it shooting 51.9% of their shots and sinking seven three-pointers. Houston couldn't slow them down and Yao and McGrady were held to a combined 21 points between the two of them. The Warriors did a terrific job of doubling the dynamic duo and the Rockets did not distribute the ball well at all. But since they had little rest after playing the speedy Suns the night before, I think they just need a day off to get back up to speed. They will visit the Sacramento Kings tomorrow hopefully with some much needed Rocket fuel.

Speaking of energy, one member of the Rockets who is probably never short on spunk is Rockets power dancer An. This 20 year old Houston native is currently the featured dancer on the Houston Rockets homepage. Win or lose, Yao and company can count on plenty of cheerful support from this cutie.

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Srichaphan

Thai tennis star Paradorn Srichaphan was married to former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova on Friday. Paradorn once a world Top 10 ranked tennis player, missed most of the 2007 season due to a serious wrist injury and has contemplated retirement. Still he wants to give it another shot and hopefully he will be ready to do some damage in 2008. While he could use his lovely new wife as motivation to win more matches, somehow I don't see that happening. Just look at what Bridgette Wilson (Miss Teen USA 1990) did to Pete Sampras' career and you get the idea. Plus Paradorn was quite a ladies man in the past and who knows how marriage is going to affect his career? A nice stable relationship might be just what he needs to concentrate on his game or the incentive for him to quit the game altogether. Only time will tell.

Paradorn & Natalie Glebova make it official.

Wednesday - 11/28/07

NBA Happenings

Yao Ming dominated the Phoenix Suns tonight scoring 31 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Rockets to a 100-94 away game win. He shot 12-for-19 and scored eight of Houston's last 13 points to hold of a Phoenix comeback in the closing minutes. Yao really displayed his full impressive repertoire tonight hitting turnarounds, jump hooks, and slam dunking with authority. A good game for Yao who had a rather mediocre game against the Clippers two nights ago where he scored only 14 points. Still they won that one too and it looks like Houston is on the right path once again.

Yi Jianlian had a weak 6 points tonight for the Bucks as they dropped their second consecutive game losing 96-80 to the Atlanta Hawks. Yi was more impressive last night scoring 13 points with 5 rebounds in a 114-99 loss against the Philadelphia  76ers. That was their first home loss of the season as the Bucks were lazy on defense allowing Philly to shoot 52% from the field which sealed their doom. Reviewing his past games, it seems that Yi is starting to acquire some bad habits from teammates Redd and Mo Williams as he is starting to stand around outside on offense just waiting for the ball to come to him to shoot. Yi also drove to the basket more while playing in China but so far he has elected not to do so in the NBA. Still every game and team is a new match up and learning experience for the youngster. For the most part Easy Yi is living up to his nickname taking it all in with ease.  

Uh, he's like behind you Yi. Turnaround!

Tennis in Asia Gets Boost From All-Time Greats

Well the heavily anticipated exhibition matches between Roger Federer and Pete Sampras are now over and the winner is Asian tennis. Federer beat Sampras 6-4, 6-3 in Seoul and 7-6, 7-6 in Kuala Lumpur before losing in a surprising 7-6, 6-4 final match in Macau. Despite all the speculation over whether the match was fixed before hand, one thing is for certain. It was a great promotional event for the sport of tennis in Asia. Thanks Roger and Pete!

Speaking of tennis greats, Michael Chang was also in the news recently. The former French Open champion has decided to split with top Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai whom he had been coaching. The split is due to Chang's inability to travel with Peng on the circuit which is very time consuming. Still Chang is heavily invested in promoting the sport and plans to set up a tennis academy at the Mission Hills Golf Club in southern China. Chang has also attempted to lend a hand to nurturing China's young tennis talent and Olympic hopefuls saying, "I think if I was more heavily involved with preparing the Olympic team, the opportunity for them to do well and to possibly win another medal or multiple medals in my opinion would increase." Still Chang's questioning of China's training methods has gotten him rebuffed by officials of the China Tennis Association. Okay right. I'm sure these officials are more knowledgeable than a former #2 player in the world who made it to 4 grand slam finals on 3 different surfaces. Did I mention Chang is STILL the youngest-ever male winner of a Grand Slam title with his historic 1989 French Open win at just 17 years old. What would he know right? Morons.

Chang has a brilliant tennis mind.

Saturday - 11/24/07

Rockets Finally Puts End to Six Game Losing Streak

Tonight Houston defeated the Denver Nuggets 109-81 on the heroics of who else, Yao & McGrady. Yao Ming had 22 points and 13 rebounds and Tracy had 35 points. This was a good convincing victory for the Rockets who had just lost a tough game to the Miami Heat on Friday night. In that game, Shaq looked like the diesel of old as he scored 26 points to help the Heat win 98-91. When asked about Yao Ming, Shaq said, "He's a great player. I think what makes him so great is his skills and his height. Most of the time he is just going to turn around and shoot over anybody, including me."

A nice compliment from Shaq but still why did he have to add in the comment about height? I still smell sour grapes from the guy. Shaq has always tried to make light of Yao's basketball skill saying that it should be expected from someone so tall. Guess he is still mad at the man who took over his crown as top center in the NBA. He probably also has a Napoleon, short man's inferiority complex when faced with the taller Yao. Hey Shaq, learn to deal with it little man! LOL.

Bucks Passes Mavericks 97-95 for Fifth Straight Victory

Milwaukee is on a roll as they defeated the Dallas Mavericks at home tonight in a close game. My boy Yi got to face up against last season's MVP Dirk Nowitzki. Still it was a bit of a rematch between Yi and Dirk as they had faced each other before, playing for their respective countries in a invitational two-game series in August. Tonight Yi turned in nine points with seven rebounds, two assists, one turnover and one blocked shot in 32 minutes of play. Nowitzki had 20 points with three rebounds, three assists, one turnover and one blocked shot in 34 minutes. Right now Yi is not in Dirk's league, but I'm hopeful that in another 1-2 years we will see some really epic battles between these two talented big men.

  Yi and Dirk = 14 feet of basketball talent.

Thursday - 11/22/07

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Freefalling Rockets Lets One Get Away in Tough Loss

The Rockets lost a heartbreaker of a game last night 100-94 to the Dallas Mavericks at the Toyota Center. They were up by as much as 17 points in the second half but they imploded down the stretch. Tracy McGrady was back but was still bothered by his elbow scoring just 15 points. Yao had 30 points and 15 rebounds but it was not enough as the Rockets lose their 5th straight. Despite playing well with an impressive seven double-doubles this season, Yao Ming must be disappointed with the past two weeks. Still he should give thanks that Tracy is ok and the season has just started.

Bucks on the Right Track, Beat Lakers 110-103

The Milwaukee Bucks are amassing their own streak as they won their fourth straight game last night beating Kobe and the visiting Lakers. Yi Jianlian who has been in a mini slump for his past three games shot better scoring 12 points and 6 rebounds in 22 minutes of play. Still his teammate and also power forward Charlie Villanueva continued his impressive play with 14 points and 9 rebounds in 28 minutes. Yi will probably be competing with Villanueva for minutes throughout the rest of the season.

An interesting side note, Yi's parents made their first trek to Milwaukee this week to spend Thanksgiving with Yi and that might have made a difference in his performance. Yi has said that "everything is different" when his mother is around and that she cooks a fantastic Guangdong traditional soup which gives him "great power". Hmm, if only things were that simple he could just give the recipe to his personal chef and then he will play strong all the time. But still nothing compares to the love and care of one's mother and Yi is surely thankful to have them here for Thanksgiving.

Tuesday - 11/20/07

Bucks Beat LeBron & Company in Cleveland

The Milwaukee Bucks took their first road game of the season today winning 111-107 against the Cavaliers on the heroics of Michael Redd who scored a season high 34 points. LeBron James also had 34 points to lead Cleveland, a team that had previously owned the Bucks who's last win against the Cavs was way back on December 10, 2005. This game also snapped a eight-game losing streak in Cleveland. Yi Jianlian saw limited playing time in this game scoring just 5 points with 3 rebounds in 15 minutes. His chief rival for minutes Charlie Villanueva played 27 minutes and had 17 points and has been playing well as of late. Hopefully Yi will pick up the pace and earn more time on the court.

King James & Easy Yi are no strangers on the court.

Cleveland Indians Sign Their 1st Japanese Player

The Indians signed Japanese free-agent closer Masahide Kobayashi today to a two-year $6.25 million contract. The 33 year old right hander is only one of three pitchers in Japanese baseball history with more than 200 saves and will be used as a setup man for the Indian's closer Joe Borowski. Kobayashi has a mid 90s fast ball and throws a mean slider and splitter. Indians general manager Mark Shapiro is confident in Masahide saying, "This is a guy who has extensive closing experience. I view him in the upper echelon of guys who were available on the market."

Monday - 11/19/07

Chinese Media Discuss Yi Jianlian's All Star Snub

There were some in China's basketball press who were disappointed that Yi Jianlian name was not included on the 2008 NBA All Star ballot which was released last Thursday. That would make it very hard to vote for him and some think that the NBA did it purposely cause it fears the voting power of Chinese fans. "If the NBA put Yi on the ballot without careful consideration... he would surely start for the East," reported China's Titan Sports Weekly. "The NBA fears that if a guy like Yi becomes an All Star and only scores two points in the game, they would lose the meaning of the All Star game." They are referring to the 2003 All Star game in which Yao started as center over Shaq for the NBA West which surprised many people. I don't really agree with them on this cause while Yi has been playing well, he is just a rookie and even guys like Lebron James did not make the All Star as a rookie. Besides he will still be there for the All-Star weekend playing in the rookie-sophomore game I'm sure.

Golf in China - Growing at a Breakneck Pace

Like their neighbors Japan & Korea, the 'Golf bug' has also bitten China. The number of golfers has doubled in just two years to around 1 million and the number of courses jumped from 220 to 350 in the same time frame. This is coming from a country where the sport is nine years younger than Tiger Woods and where their first pro-golf designation only arrived in 1994. Still in a country with the money, will and momentum of modern day China, the game of golf will only get bigger. Tiger Woods could make a good poster boy considering he is a quarter Chinese (by blood anyways) but China really needs to develop her own golf stars. You can read more about China's fledgling golf tournaments and home grown talent here.

Sunday - 11/18/07

Weekend Summary

-Houston we have a problem. Despite a brilliant liftoff, the Rockets seemed to have run low on rocket fuel as they dropped their fourth straight game to the Phoenix Suns 115-105 in Houston on Saturday. Yao clearly had trouble with the fast paced tempo of the Suns as he finished with only 12 points and six rebounds in 22 minutes. Their record is now 6-5 and they need Tracy McGrady back ASAP.

-The Bucks extended their perfect home record as they beat the Atlanta Hawks 105-96 in Milwaukee on Saturday night. They were led by Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd who both had 21 points. Yi Jianlian had a quiet night with 5 points and 4 rebounds.

-Canadian teenager Patrick Chan won the men's gold at the Trophee Bompard ice skating championships over the weekend. This was a major upset for the 16 year old from Toronto who did not even think he would even make the finals much less medal. Mao Asada from Japan won the gold for the women and Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao of China won the gold for the pairs making it a perfect 3-for-3 for Asian skaters. Impressive!

Patrick Chan is very nice on ice.

Friday - 11/16/07

Spurs Avenge Earlier Loss, Beats Rockets

The defending NBA champion Spurs got payback tonight beating the Houston Rockets 90-84. Despite the loss which is their third consecutive setback, Houston played well tonight shooting 50 percent and keeping the game close even with Tracy McGrady out with a sprained elbow. Yao Ming was hounded all night by the Spur's defense and had only 14 points with nine rebounds. Tim Duncan lead the Spurs with a season high 25 points. Houston drops to 6-4.

The Day Professional Boxing Changed Forever

It was a little over 25 years ago on November 13th, 1982 when the boxing world got a wakeup call which helped it change for the better. In a match held on a hot afternoon behind Caesars Palace, former lightweight champion Ray Mancini was pounding away at a brave young Korean boxer named Duk Koo Kim. Kim was clearly not ready to face Mancini and was wrongly named the No. 1 contender at the time and it showed as he was being pummeled in every round. Still the ref let the match continue because Kim was fighting back on pure heart and guts even as his body was starting to shut down. By the end of the 15 round fight, Kim was in a coma from which he would never awaken, dying five days later. This tragic fight was the catalyst for changes in the sport of boxing as the WBC decided that 15-round fights were too dangerous and cut the championship limit to 12. While it's good that something positive came from this tragedy, the story surrounding Kim is still extremely sad as both the fight referee and his mother committed suicide months later. You can read the full story here.

Duk Koo Kim displayed incredible heart & courage until the very end.

Thursday - 11/15/07

Rockets Lose to Lakers, McGrady Hurts Elbow

The Rockets lost 93-90 last night to the visiting Lakers and Tracy McGrady strained his elbow and will be out at least a week. The Rockets were terrible as they continued having trouble shooting the ball and it must be contagious as now even Yao Ming has been infected. While he had 26 points and 13 rebounds, he also shot only 6-of-18 and struggled from the free throw line. Without McGrady in the line up, Yao will have to pick it up big time as the Rockets face San Antonio tomorrow night and their now 6-3 record could take yet another hit. The only good news is the fact that Tracy's injury is minor and he will be back soon.

Yi Collects Season High 13 Rebounds in Buck's Win

The Milwaukee Bucks played gritty defense yesterday to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 102-99 and collected their third straight home victory. The effort was led by Michael Redd with 31 points and Andrew Bogut who had a season high 23. Yi Jianlian had a quiet offensive night with only 7 points, but he pulled down a season high 13 rebounds and had three blocks.

As a rookie, Yi has proven to be a great asset to the Bucks as he can contribute in so many ways when he is on the court besides just scoring. Bucks center Andrew Bogut appreciated the effort saying, "Yi has done a great job. He's going to have games where he doesn't score the ball well. Once he learns that getting rebounds, blocking shots and playing 'D', you can still stay on the court." Yi's impressive play has also been noticed by sportswriters such as David Thorpe of ESPN.com who ranked him over Kevin Durant for best rookie thus far in the season. That's right, Yi Jianlian at #1 with Kevin Durant at #2. Surprised? I'm not cause Yi is the real deal just like Durant and both have tremendous athleticism and size which can't be taught. The sky's the limit for both these guys.

Whether foreign or domestic, the future of the NBA looks damn good.

Hines Ward Donates $50K to Charity Foundation in Korea

Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Hines Ward will donate $50,000 to set up a charity foundation to help multi-ethnic children in Korea. Last year's MVP at the Super Bowl, Ward is half Korean half African-American and became a hero in Korea last year following the Super Bowl. He visited South Korea with his mom to a hero's welcome and since then has been interested in the plight of mixed kids in Korea who are sometimes abandoned or ostracized. Ward is planning a series of fund-raising activities along with football camps for children in Korea. It's nice to see a record breaking superstar like Hines Ward reach out to children a world away and it sounds like a great charity.

Hines Ward has a big heart, both on and off the field.   

Tuesday - 11/13/07

Yao Named Western Conference Player of the Week

Averaging close to 28 points per game, ten rebounds and four assists, Yao Ming was named the NBA Western Conference player of the week on Monday. Kevin Garnett and the red hot Celtics was named player of the week for the East. Both teams have started the season extremely strong after retooling their lineup however unlike the Celtics who have yet to lose, Houston was not able to keep the momentum going as they lost to the Memphis Grizzlies 105-99 despite a 41 point performance from Tracy McGrady. Yao chipped in 22 points but aside from their big two, the rest of the team could not produce offensively which led to the loss.

The World's Wackiest Race EVER!

Okay first let me state that I am Chinese-American and proud of my heritage, however some Chinese people are just plain stupid wacky. For example, take this new race they created where 3 runners have their feet strapped to two wooden planks and have to run together. This is an actual competition held at the Chinese Ethnic Games in Guangzhou just a few days ago. Besides the fact that it looks extremely dangerous, who would want to get that close to another sweaty, smelly athlete? It's okay for the ladies but can you imagine the men? The pictures below say it all and it's just wrong in so many ways. Teamwork is nice and all but in this case I would not take one for the team.

In this race, even when you win you lose. 

Sunday - 11/11/07

Rockets Keep Rolling, Beat Charlotte Bobcats in Close Game

Yao and the Rockets continued their winning ways tonight as they defeated the Bobcats 85-82. Yao continues to impress putting up a season high 34 points and eight rebounds to lead the Rockets to victory. Tracy McGrady added 26 points and played like a man possessed dropping 10 points over the final four minutes to help the Rockets pull out a close game. While Yao had a big night making 13 of 15 shots, his teammates had no offensive rhythm and couldn't buy a bucket not to mention giving up 20 turnovers. Still it's with a 1-2 punch like Yao and Tracy, there is always a chance. "I don't think there's a better 1-2 combination... they might be the best combination since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, said Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace. "Yao Ming is basically what they call him, the Great Wall of China. Once he gets the ball, he's pretty much unstoppable." The Rockets sure look that way right now with a 6-1 record their best start since 1996!

Bucks Get Blown Away Badly in Second Consecutive Game

Against a team in which they have surprising success against, the Bucks lost tonight to the Spurs 113-88. San Antonio were up by as many as 40 points at one time and were lead by the red hot Manu Ginobili who had 21 points of the bench. Yi Jianlian had 13 points but the Bucks were never in this game and now drop to a 2-4 record.

Friday - 11/9/07

Yao Crushes Yi and Bucks in an Epic Chinese Showdown

It was an epic contest between the two best basketball players ever from China facing each other for the first time while a few hundred million of their countrymen watched. They didn't disappoint. Yao and Yi faced off tonight as the Rockets cruised to an one sided victory beating the Bucks 104-88. Yao scored 28 points with 10 rebounds and three assists while Yi put up an impressive 19 points and nine rebounds for the Bucks in the losing effort. While it was clear that Yao the old lion is still king of his domain and Yi is just a challenger at this point, he was still very impressive for a young rookie. "His talent is unbelievable," Yao said. "You ask me how good he can be? I can't say that. But I think he'll be better than me." Wow that is some high praise from Yao indeed!  Tracy McGrady who had 21 points and guarded Yi for most of the night was also impressed but more guarded (no pun intended) in his praise. "He's pretty good. He has a tremendous upside in this league," McGrady said. The Rockets are now 5-1 and look completely unstoppable.

Thursday - 11/8/07

Chien-Ming Wang Update

Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Wang is back in his native Taiwan and recently stated at a news conference that he would like to stay a Yankee "forever" even though he was disappointed over manager Joe Torre's departure. At a packed conference Wang thanked Torre for trusting in him for the past three years and allowing him to play continuously. Despite his poor performance in the playoff series against Cleveland, Wang is upbeat about next year and is looking forward to working with new manager Joe Girardi. Wang also sent a note to Torre expressing his appreciation for their relationship to which Torre said, "He's a fine young man. I am proud to have been his manager for a few years because... he's very special."

I'm glad to see that Torre isn't angry against Wang for his part in the failed playoffs but that may not hold true of Yankee's owner Hank Steinbrenner. "It's pretty obvious which players we're not going to trade, Chamberlian, Hughes, and even Kennedy," Steinbrenner said Wednesday. He was referring to how the Yankees wouldn't trade one of their young arms for a position player but notice how he left out Wang. The guy won freaking 19 games for 2 straight years! No other pitcher in the league has been as success in that span of time. No respect I tell ya.

 Wang is upbeat about 2008.

BOSTON - Land of the Rising Sox?

It seems that fresh off the successes of Okajima and Dice-K, the Red Sox may be in the market for more Japanese pitching. This time they will not have to worry about posting fees and could pick up a few relievers on the market who come to the majors as straight free agents. The prized stud that everyone wants is Hiroki Kuroda, 32 with a 12-8 and 3.56 ERA last year for Hiroshima Carp. The right hander is considered by some to be even better than Dice-K and is being pursued by the Dodgers, Phillies, Royals, and Mariners. Boston probably won't get him as they just signed back Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield but they may pick up some relievers so Dice and Oki have someone to hit the sushi bars with. Whoever does pick up this Kuroda cat may get quite the deal if scouting reports are right. I can see his nickname already, K-Hiro (K-Hero).

  This Hiroshima Carp is looking for a bigger pond.

Tuesday - 11/6/07

Yao Scores 28 - Dominates Defending Champion Spurs

A day after losing to the Dallas Mavericks despite a 21 points, 11 rebounds performance, Yao took the team on his back tonight and delivered 28 points, 13 rebounds, with six assists and three blocks to lead a well balanced attack in defeating the San Antonio Spurs 89-81. This was Yao's best game so far despite the fact he was fatigued throughout much of the night. His effort did not go unnoticed. "Every year, Yao is getting better," said Duncan. "The Rockets showed their confidence in him, when they go through him at the end of the game like they did tonight. He made some big shots and was tough to stop." Manu Ginobili was even more adamant stating, "I have always admired his game since he came into the league. He's an unbelievable player. He can do everything. He was inspired tonight." Yao has reached 20 points and 10 rebounds in three of Houston's four games so far this season.

A Female Yao Ming? Fact or Fiction?

At 6'9 tall, Wei Wei has been called "Female Yao Ming" by some observers for her play and obvious height. She currently plays center for the Guangzhou women's team and has shown good potential even though she can be inconsistent and is frail in the upper body. Still at just 18 years old she has plenty of time to improve and hopefully we will get to see her in the WNBA someday. At this point she does not deserve the mantle of "Female Yao Ming".

Bucks Crush Raptors 112-85.

Yi Jianlian scores 12 points with 4 rebounds for another decent performance. The Bucks won this game without their coach Larry Krystkowiak who was at the hospital with his wife for the birth of twin daughters. Congrats to him and to the Bucks for another impressive win. Read the full story here.

Sunday - 11/4/07

Yi Scores impressive 16 points in Bucks' First Home Game

Under the bright lights of his hometown Milwaukee fans, Yi Jianlian sparkled like a gem delivering 16 points with 8 rebounds in a 78-72 win over the Chicago Bulls last night. It was the most impressive shown yet for the rookie who has been plagued in past games by foul trouble. It was also an impressive first home game by a rookie as Yao Ming (2002) had only 8 points and Tim Duncan (1997) only 9 points in their respective home debuts. Team captain Michael Redd was impressed saying, "He took the challenge and made some huge shots and became a playmaker. I'm proud of his development. He's growing." I am happy to see that Redd has already reached out to Yi taking to him like a mentor and older brother much like Steve Francis did for Yao. This relationship should prove invaluable to Yi's development as a player and help him gel with the rest of the team. Great game for Yi who is already making the haters look foolish 3 games into the season.

Yao and Rockets are 3-0, Best Houston Start Since 1996

The Rockets' 89-80 win over Portland on Saturday has given the team a 3-0 start for the first time since the 1996-97 season. Yao Ming lead Houston with 21 points and 12 rebounds while Tracy McGrady added 20 points and six assists. This new team under coach Rick Adelman is looking pretty sharp and many are looking at Houston as a top contender this year if Yao and Tracy can stay healthy. Still the next week will reveal much as the Rockets will face the Mavericks and Spurs and we all know how Houston struggles against these top tier teams. Still after the new and improved Yao punishes little Dirky and Timmy the real deal is on! Yao vs Yi for the first time ever on Friday as the Bucks visit Houston.

  If you live in Houston don't miss this one!!

Thursday - 11/1/07

Yi Jianlian's Debut was Rained On by Magical 3 Point Storm

Last night was the much anticipated first game for Yi Jianlian in the NBA and he debuted much better than Yao did back in 2002. As you may remember, Yao was the top draft pick that year but failed to score a single point in 11 minutes during his first game. Yi however comes into the league more polished and prepared than Yao and he showed it scoring nine points in 25 minutes on 4-of-5 shooting in a 102-83 loss against the Orlando Magic.

Despite fouling out of the game Yi did show some of the impressive talent that the Bucks had been looking for. His first NBA statistic was a steal, followed by a turnover, a block and then a 22-foot jumper. Yi has shown that he has impressive range but it was the Magic that displayed it in this game shooting 54 pecent from the 3-point range to bury the Bucks in the third quarter. Still the Magic's Hedo Turkoglu was impressed with Yi saying, "He blocked me good. A guy 7-feet tall who plays inside/outside. Once he gets his confidence, he's going to be a good one."

Yi has speed, range and athleticism on his side.

Japanese Pitcher Yu Darvish Wins Coveted Sawamura Award

I don't really follow Japanese baseball very much but this kid sounds impressive. At 21 years and standing 6'5 tall, Darvish is half Japanese/Iranian and won the Japanese version of the Cy Young Award the Sawamura Award. This honor is bestowed on the pitcher who has shown the most dominance and Yu's 210 strikeouts in 12 completed games were tops in Japan. While this kid looks thin and gangly, he is already very dangerous and once he fills out more he could be the next Dice-K or Japan's version of Josh Beckett? Despite his insistence that he is not interested in the MLB, I'm hoping he makes the jump to stateside sooner rather than later.

  If Yu ever tires of baseball he could always get a part in a Dragonball Z movie.

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