here is a list of 100 igawa facts as translated from a japanese website (via nyyfans.com):

http://tinyurl.com/yfek2x

some highlights:

3.Ate 100 plates of sushi on Shinjo's treat.
(On philosophy of eating) "If you aren't going to be full no matter how much you eat, then eat until you're sick of it."

17.Still a virgin when he turned pro. Manager Nomura ordered him to lose it.

29. Attention is caught accidentally by the doll picking crane machine next to the video arcade where he really wants to go. Spent whole time there and even forgot his wallet there. [so that must be one out of the four times mentioned in that interview...]

51. Asked about where he wants to go at team's group abroad vacation (team treat for division title), he said, "Dubai". Reason? "I want to see where all this oil got drilled out."

64. Watches the game (when he's not pitching) in infield audience seats, not dugout.

67. Likes to sleep

68. Feel ashamed about his large appetite. Eat sukiyaki by facing the wall to feel better.

96. Answer to a reporter's question, "See my hp (homepage)"


this kid had better be decent. it will kill me emotionally if he doesn't compete.

also, sorry everyone, but karim garcia will be playing for the phillies this season. my sincere apologies to the latino bambino's el caminos.

http://tinyurl.com/ybnrxm

Me, I'm hoping there's reporter (PeteAbe!?) to tag along when Godziller brings Quest to his first NYC porn shop.

Otherwise, I wish I could put a bet on the odds that Quest finishes with more wins than DM, since that's the only thing that really matters and all. I'm not sure I believe it, but he's got a shot to make up for the expected difference in peripherals with that lineup.

The nice benefit for Quest(ion) is that if he pitches even close to DM and the Yanks finish better, he gets huge positive publicity. If he or the Yanks do awful, he's still not a national treasure.

Brian Cashman masquerading as Jeff Van Gundy.

Igawa and Pavano are gonna fight it out for the Cy Young this year...

He ate his lunchbox?

wow. i hadn't pondered matsui's interests in combination with the quest kid's obsessive tendencies. a recipe for hilarity.

9 *"Igawa and Pavano are gonna fight it out for the Cy Young this year...
"*

ben, welcome to the Italian Stallion's Battalion, the fledgling pavano well-wishing committee and cheering section.

http://tinyurl.com/ykmbuw

Matsui on Igawa:

"I am very excited that Kei Igawa has become a member of the New York Yankees. We played against each other many times in Japan, and I know firsthand that he is a highly talented player," Matsui said in a statement. "On the other hand, if he gets knocked out of a game, he will hear it from me before he hears it from the fans."

Hopefully having another guy there who has already gone through the transition will help Quest (a nickname that is great). I'm excited to see the guy pitch, and I agree, he seems easy to root for. I read that Top 100 list a few days ago, and there is some truly mind-boggling stuff on there. I like, as YFIB said, his manager ordering him to have sex and the fact that he sits in the stands when he isn't pitching. Maybe the Yankees will let him live in a trailer in the parking lot of the Stadium, like he asked his old team to let him do?

This is a comparison between DMats and IQuest. While DMats obviously has better numbers, the spread is not that great. Furthermore, in given years, IQuest has bettered DMats in both strikeouts and (the Japanese) Cy Young.

Looking at these numbers, I see the comparison between a #1 and a #2. Maybe DMats 'stuff' translates better as being dominant in MLB. But considering the Sox are looking for either an Ace or excellent #2, and we are looking for a reasonable #5, it seems our goals are a lot more realistic.

Is this about DMats hype? Those numbers just don't support what the CW is saying. And on top, IQuest is LH, a tiny advantage in MLB. Am I missing something?

The only advantage DMats has, is he doesn't have to listen to Schrill... although he will have to watch Manny.

i am really starting to get my hopes up, which is exactly what i had decided NOT to do.

19 Don't get your hopes up too high, you'll be happier. A decent number 5 is fine by me :-)

You gotta figure that beyond money it's all about prospects for the twinkies and with the Yanks now ranked #6 with pitching prospects according to somewhere I forget (they used to be #17 from the same organization), I think I finally see a Melky trade here in the making.

Fucking buying ourselves a championship again -- isn't it just disgusting? hehehe. I just hate it so much I have to pinch myself.

You also figure that no way is the Rocket going to team with Curt Swilling, so I'm pencilling in my starting five as

Johan My Johan
Rocket
Moose
Wang
Andy

Now that's buying a championship, none of that loosy goosy change fallin' out of your pants that the rsawks want to pass off as "spending."

Evil moves to a new level in the sawksfan imagination. Do you know where your children are this summer?

I love it.

From what I've gathered (re: 4), perhaps IQuest's pitching is not as good as Matsuzaka, but his desire to compete is part of what got him to become a top pitcher in Japan.

i know, i know... but he eats like it's going out of style, potentially has a dry sense of humor, and said all of the right things at the press conference...

alright...

not a blower and not a soft-tosser... not a blower and not a soft-tosser... not a blower and not a soft-tosser...

I beg you.

Also, he's not Matsuzaka. Ok. He just isn't. "In given years he tops Matsuzaka in xyz category." That's sampling error. That's convenient comparison. Don't believe the hype. If this guy is league average, we will be very lucky.

Don't we think all pitchers except for Pavano maybe have a "desire to compete," and are "serious about their pitching?" I've never once seen a major league pitcher toss a ball underhand toward the plate, and the start giggling about it.

and matsuzaka has been billed as the "new ace" here in boston since the sox won the bidding. that there is a tall order. a precarious pedestal upon which to place a man.

i love the way ca$hman is playing this.

82 days until opening day.

blasphemy!

you have made an enemy today, schteeve. prepare to have all that you once thought you knew about comeback carl's drive and determination disproved.

If things don't work out, we could just move him to 1B... ;-)

;)

Hopefully, the Goose will get elected to the HoF today and then we'll have something solid to talk about.

The answer is clearly Mothra. It's those two freaky little princesses that make the difference.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/09/nyc.odor.ap/index.html

and i thought it was the knicks smelling up ny

33 Sorry. You can't stop the madness around here, you can only hope to contain it for a little while... ;-)

Hmm - now there's an idea if Jorge suffers a major injury.

(I kid! I kid!)

Torre should take away his Playstation the night before each start, just to piss him off. He seems to pitch better when he's angry about anime and video games.

I would say Quiz came pretty close.

Quest needs to chat with Zumaya regarding video game addiction.

Also I think this guy has come pretty close on a couple of occasions:
http://tinyurl.com/ynfysg

19.Instantly gained much more weight after he moved out of the dormitory (note: Hanshin Tigers has its own dormitory for new players and rookies), and unable to be back into shape before next season.

62. His catcher Yano: "Most unlikely pitcher to take suggestion."

grrrrrrrrreaaaaaaaaat.

So, who are the next 2 pitchers to wear pinstripes in 2007?

And... Will Melky be wearing pinstripes in 2007, or is he officially tradebait?

Hmmm .... does Igawa seem any worse in that regard than say ... David Wells?

David was/is certainly a unique individual ... stubborn ... out-spoken, but he adored his days as a Yankee, and pitched his heart out for the team.

yes. i am basing all of this on a single interview and some list of 100 "facts" from some anonymous japanese website. although ca$hman pointed to the quester's learning of a bit of english over 2 days as an indication of his work ethic. i also like the idea of witholding video games as incentive (40)... brilliant.

46 Do current Yankee minor leaguers count?

Meanwhile if Cairo is on first, Who's on second? Horace Clark? Oh yeah, almost forgot: the Rat Sox eat @%#*! daily. . ..

it is official.

Just announced ...

McGwire got 23% .... hmmm ....

Not including the 2 blank ballots submitted (!):
Gwynn was left off 11 ballots
Ripken was left off 6 ballots

Those writers will be suspended from covering MLB for 50 games as first-time offenders ...

But not voting for Tony Gwynn? What's wrong with those 11 guys?

Others