BIG IN JAPAN
Warren Cromartie
 |
Maki Nibayashi |
When this six foot Florida
native arrived in Japan at the age of 31, he was proclaimed the "Messiah" of the
Yomiuri Giants. To his Japanese teammates, he was a real giant. After a promising start to
his career back in the States - he made his major league debut at 21 in 1974 - the
talented left-hander ended up in Tokyo. After he quit playing for the Montreal Expos, he
was a free agent, but never considered playing in Japan. When the Giants approached him,
he asked for a seven figure salary, expecting to be turned down. But much to his surprise,
the Giants snapped him up, and the rest is history.
While he didn' end up saving the Giants single handedly, hitting 30 home runs each season
for his first three years in Japan earned him respect. Of course things weren't exactly
what he was used to back home.
"The US major league is more about power and speed. Japan is more about fundamentals
and team play. That's why they have a lot of Americans come over and play - they want
power and speed. Americans want Japanese pitchers because of the control."
And there were some things he just never got used to, like having a game end in a tie.
"My first tie game, I was sitting on the bench ready to play more innings and
everybody starts leaving. I said 'Where's everyone going?' and they all said 'Tie game,
time limit.' I was like, time limit? What the hell is a time limit? It just blew me
away."
Retirement after a 1000 plus major league games hasn't slowed Cromartie down one bit. He
now appears on television, works as an analyst and has a radio show. He also has a
baseball school and puts his varied interests down to his entrepreneurial spirit. Not one
to sit around, he also published a book "Slugging it Out in Japan" in 1991 about
his time here, which "made a lot of noise and was really fun."
There are many aspects of Japan that Cromartie came to love during his six years in Japan.
"I guess I miss the harmony," he says. "I miss the food. Nobody could get
me to eat sushi before I came, but now I love it. I miss the friends that I made over
here, and the changing of the seasons. I also miss the old mama-sans - the ones
that have been in rice paddies too long and can't stand straight. I love them, they're so
sweet."
Even though Cromartie calls Miami, Florida home again, he returns to Japan from time to
time. "Now I just visit whenever there's business, usually for TV shows or
commercials. It's nice that people still recognize me and still like me. It's great to be
loved. Even by the old ladies."
Aeve Baldwin and Maki Nibayashi |
BIG IN JAPAN: