Rangers' Yu Darvish jokes about Tanaka's contract

I'm glad (well I hope) people take his comment as a joke. I wish athletes and celebrities could joke around a lot more without having things like this happening: "Even before the session was done, the remark was all over social media and the Rangers released a statement to make sure everyone knew Darvish was kidding."

Bring back the old days when making jokes and trading barbs was done in fun and good humor.

Bring back the old days when making jokes and trading barbs was done in fun and good humor.

Isn't it about time he learned English, so he didn't have to speak through an interpreter? He's got enough cash to pay for a decent teacher. Hey I'll do it!

Cringeworthy comments from Darvish. Overpaid entertainers the whole lot...

Isn't it about time he learned English, so he didn't have to speak through an interpreter?

He tweeted in English on the incident. It's misunderstandings like this that keep guys from speaking without interpreters, too many people wanting to stir things up.

Isn't it about time he learned English, so he didn't have to speak through an interpreter?

He also makes enough to afford an interpreter. I believe Ichiro spoke good English and still used an interpreter - it prevents making mistakes at press conferences.

Isn't it about time he learned English, so he didn't have to speak through an interpreter? He's got enough cash to pay for a decent teacher. Hey I'll do it!

I'm kind of surprised he didn't speak English at home - his parents met in the US while studying. I figured the home language would've been English. His wiki page says he speaks Farsi. He's be a great role model for bicultral kids here and having two languages. Do wonder if he's a practising Muslim as well - as I think he's again, be a great role model in both Japan and the US for being biracial and bilingual.

Love Darvish. Solid, reliable, doesn't flinch, doesn't pass the buck, and nothing against Tanaka for how he spends his money, but I don't see Yu needing a whole jet reserved to make sure he's in the best condition.

I may be mistaken, but I would venture to say that the interpreters are provided by the teams. I totally agree with the very first comment by Speed. Everyone is so worried about being misunderstood. Lighten up, folks ! That being said, this may shape up to be one very interesting rivalry ! Ma-kun vs. Yu-san ! Can't wait for the first pitching matchup !

Kurobune is right, Last year, All of MLB players from Japan somehow speak and understand English better than you expected. Last year, when Ranger pitcxhing coach went on mound, he listened to and he did very well. So many foreign born MLB players that each team seems to have excellent sport interpreters. In a wealthy team, pitching interpreter and other interpreters.

Yes but its not exatcly true that all the translators provide are good - anyone remember the issues with a translator a few years ago?? Matsuzaka's? Dice-K's?

Dodgers had Fernando Mania years ago. Orel was a fellow pitcher. Current Angels Manager was a catcher, lasardoda was the manager and Scully was announcing, Maybe advantage as a Calif. team, no problem of any interpreter on pitching mound, I shouldn't write old story as this is on this year. Yu and Tmaka are players for this year. Both speak English quite well. More MLB game watchers?

Isn't it about time he learned English, so he didn't have to speak through an interpreter?

No doubt. Remember Hideo Nomo? That guy used an interpreter forever. Ichiro Suzuki too. Looks really poor on them that they can't be bothered to learn enough of the language (after years of living in the States full time) to make simple post game interviews in English. Why so afraid?

These sportmen with good contract have very good income. They don't have to speak English fluentry to live in USA. They may not be like rich men who have a butler and several house keepers but no problem.

@Asakura Cowboy

"Isn't it about time he learned English"

Irony, i love reading comments like this, it just makes me laugh. Why don't you learn Japanese so that you can leave comments like this at Yahoo Japan in Japanese ?

Oh, your Japanese isn't good enough ? But somehow you suggest that Darvish should learn English ?

Last year, Angels was doing fine for a while, at least at home even Anaheim has too many entertainment around studium in Anaheim, I thought it will be AL West Division tule but Ranger was too good. Yu and others. So, Angels did not get. A was doing fine but just was not match for Rangers which had Yu. Yankees will have tough time with Boston but it has Tanaka now. AL games will be more exciting this year/

Well. my point is that Asakusa is not writing with perfect English and telling players to learn English,

The "English" Yu-san puts on the ball is enough. It speaks for itself. I really admire the guy. Being a celebrity isn't always easy, bucks not withstanding. Being a foreign celebrity is even tougher.

It's SOP for players to rib each other - with sharp elbows as well as barbs. MLB teams have "kangaroo courts" after each game they WIN. They really poke fun at each other and even, individually, themselves. Self-deprecation is manly. If you dish it out, you have to take it as well. They do, and they do.

We'll see who earns he fattest contract each time Yu-san and Tanaka-san meet on the mound this season! Go Rangers!

Darvish and Tanaka are both amazing. I hope they both make it to the Superbowl and score at least ten baskets each. And nobody gets a puck in the face....

From what I've heard, Darvish's parents spoke English only for their first 3 years in Japan (when Yu was just a baby). Then they started speaking Japanese at home when Yu's father became proficient enough. Yu was born and raised in Japan, and is learning English in Texas, but almost always uses an interpretor for interviews because of the risks of being misunderstood. The interpretor is also usually with him during practices and games, but Yu does fine most of the time and does not require translation all the time. In fact, correct me if I am wrong, but the interpretor rarely goes out to the mound with the pitching coach during games.

Tahoochi: Ranger Angels games in Anaheim, just pitching coach went on mound when needed, I watched A and Ranger games and no interpreter there either. Fox, ESPN, and TBS let us watch about nay games every day. So, I remember Yu's performance.

Kind of unnecessary nitpicking about what he speaks at home.Too many people look for "halfs" to be role models,when it should actually be the parents.And does it really matter if he's a practising Muslim when you aren't?

How on earth am I nitpicking but askng about it and wondering since his parents met in an Ennglish country and his dad didn't speak Japanese at the beginning?? Lord, calm down. He's a role model as it is. As for his religion, I don't give a flip one way or another but it would be great for the US and Japan to have a positive Muslim role model in baseball, no?

lucabrassi wrote Darvish and Tanaka are both amazing. I hope they both make it to the Superbowl and score at least ten baskets each. And nobody gets a puck in the face....

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???

They are not footbal players. MLB pitchers. Ranger and Yankees in AL West and East./

Irony, i love reading comments like this, it just makes me laugh. Why don't you learn Japanese so that you can leave comments like this at Yahoo Japan in Japanese ?

How would you know anything about Asakura's Japanese skills? Perhaps s/he is posting on Yahoo Japan as we speak?

Most foreigners who have spent any time at all in Japan can use the language. Obviously there are the lazy ones who never bother, but spoken Japanese is actually fairly easy to master imo.

Nobody is asking these j-ball players to write a thesis. Its dead easy however to give a few simple quotes like "I didn't have my best stuff today", or "the team really came through with the bats tonight", or "it was a tough game" etc. A child could make those comments.

These j-ball players have presumably studied English all their lives, and now they have spent years living and working in the USA. Yet guys like Ichiro and Nomo use interpreters like a security blanket. They should be embarrassed.

They are not footbal players.

Bravo. Well spotted toshiko. I guess they aren't basketball or hockey players either.

toshikoFeb. 20, 2014 - 12:18AM JST Last year, Angels was doing fine for a while, at least at home even Anaheim has too many entertainment around studium in Anaheim, I thought it will be AL West Division tule but Ranger was too good. Yu and others. So, Angels did not get.

Compare to Rangers and the A's, Angels had only two quality starters, Weaver and CJ Wilson, and who else they had? Jerone Williams, Vargas, Richards and Blanton? Angels need more quality pitching. Other then those two starters, other marginal starters were giving up 5-6 runs per game, and Hamilton and Pujos were not producing. You cannot win without good pitching. Ask the A's. They are deep with young arms and good closers.

slip330: Angels was horrible on the road. So, I switched to Dodgers whenever it was on road. I am also a fan of National because Harper is from our area. Even with big income, it was not interested to have Tanaka. Well, Dodgers had a reason to skip Tanaka. It signed its Ace, instead,

I agree with you on this one Hidingout. I don't know what it is about baseball players to be honest. Many of the soccer players can speak the language where they live - Nakata, Honda... Table Tennis Ai is fluent in Mandrin (mind ytou she lived there as a child for training), the skaters usually speak English (Mao being an exception) and the baseball players.... Not much. Did she an interview with Ichiro in English. Once.

the baseball players.... Not much.

You'd be surprised - most of the baseball players speak English just fine, but aren't comfortable doing interviews. Go hang around the ball park - you'll hear the Japanese NPB players speaking to the imports in Japan in English all the time.

I'm comfortable using Japanese in my daily life but I sure wouldn't want to be giving press conferences in Japanese.

I don't hang out at baseball parks. I do know however, that all those I listed give interviews in languages other than Japanese. Hence my point. If Nagatomo and the like give interviews in foreign languages, why aren't the baseball players?