You get to see them play the best players in the world every two years. The WBC fall classic showcases the skills of the best players of each country battling it out in a tournament like completion. The Japanese have come out victories both times.
I have to admit, like every other American; I thought the Americans would run the table, just simply kick butt. Boy did we have another thing coming.
Watching the Japanese compete is like watching a perfectly choreographed dance take place. You would never see a defensive player in the wrong place; they always get the bunt down, and make the routine plays. They are fundamentally sound. But how did they get like this?
Well I it started thousands of years ago, when warfare for them was a way of life, they practiced, practiced, and then practiced some more, at their craft, until they literally were the embodiment of their craft. This way of life was titled the Bushido, the code of the samurai, and this tradition has been passed on and is integrated into the arts, business, and medicine, and as we all know technology. This tradition of baseball is very different from American baseball. It’s much more conservative, and you better believe it starts at an early age.
Now you look at a Japanese baseball team, and they are fearsome.
I do believe however that this affinity that the Japanese has for baseball is only effective when they work as a team. A single Japanese player however doesn’t seem to be as successful. Only one player is presently on pace to have a solid MLB career.
Ichiro Suzuki. 
You can’t make this case for Hedeki Matsui, even though he has had more success than most of Japanese players that made the change to the MLB.
But besides these two, every other player has been average.
So presently, the Japanese have only proven their potential as a team, but not quite as a country that produces elite athletes.
Regardless, the Japanese have gotten better every year, and their potential is limitless. It’s only a matter of time, that we start seeing two or three Japanese players on one Major League team.
We can learn a lot from the way they participate in this sport. They take very little for granted, and play with honor and dignity, something that the MLB is seriously lacking. I don’t mean to sound negative, but I would rather see a guy play this game with his heart than hit three home-runs, then Cadillac to a ball. For me this game isn’t just a sport. It’s a way of life. An art form and I never want to disrespect that.
How do you think baseball has influenced your life in a positive way?
If you click the link below you will see how Japanese players are formed. This movie may give you a new perspective of the game, along with a new appreciation.