played up the coverage of the signing of free agent Tsuyoshi Shinjo by the New York Mets last week. "He'll be the opening day starting center fielder," said one paper about the former Hanshin Tigers star. "He'll bat sixth in the lineup," read another.
While it's nice to know they have high hopes for Shinjo's success in the Big Apple and seem to have figured out the future, I just hope he makes the team and does not find himself in Triple-A in Tidewater, Va., come next April.
Sure, the guy is coming off a good (I wouldn't call it great) season during which he led Hanshin in the Triple Crown stats with a .278 average, 28 homers and 85 RBIs. But his lifetime Japan average is .249, a whopping 104 points below the .353 posted by the can't-miss Seattle Mariners Japanese acquisition, Ichiro Suzuki. I think Shinjo can do it, but it won't be that easy. Very impressive was the presentation in Tokyo of that 'cool' Mets No. 5 jersey (the number he wore with the Tigers here) to Shinjo by New York manager Bobby Valentine. Coincidentally, that uniform was worn last season by Mark Johnson during the brief time he was called up to the Mets from Tidewater. Johnson was Shinjo's Hanshin teammate in 1999.
Assuming Shinjo does make the Mets opening day roster, and both he and Ichiro are ready to play as the schedule begins, Ichiro still has the inside track on becoming the first Japanese position player to actually appear in a major league game, because the Mariners open the 2001 season on Monday, April 2, in Seattle against the Oakland A's. The Mets first regular-season game is Tuesday, April 3, against the Braves at Atlanta.