Expatriates adapt to their experience in Asia in different ways and come from many different walks of life. Some are curious, intelligent travelers looking to expand their horizons, experience the joys of living abroad, learn new languages, and have new experiences. Some are wai guo ren hit with yellow fever looking for sexual conquest with Asian women. Some are white-collar workers, others come to fulfill their military duties. Some seek ‘adventure’ and ‘mystery’–packaged as exotic–in an environment cultivated specifically for tourists but presented as authentic. (A trip to the Dantean third circle of hell known as Kaoshan road in Thailand, filled with stoned backpackers with lousy tattoos and white dreadlocks eating banana pancakes and looking to get laid in hostels is a case study in this.) Still others are English teachers arriving en masse via the JET program. And some, like Jason Johnson, are pro athletes looking to prolong their baseball careers after stints in MLB that don’t go as planned.
Everyone has a different reactions to their experience in Asia. Some deal with the situation with cool heads, making new friends and learning new lessons from the culture while still retaining a sense of themselves. Some take it too far, becoming the “kanjii jock” gone-native type, pretensiously adopting all the mannerisms of their host country, repudiating their own cultures, putting on ridiculous airs. But by far and away, the most consternating expat characters in Asia are those pour souls that come to Asia, make salaries far more than those in their host countries doing the same jobs do, incessantly complain about the culture, never learn the language, and view the country through the lens of their own prejudice while learning nothing. Enter our tragic hero Jason Johnson, who sadly falls squarely into this past category.
Baseball fans will remember Jason Johnson from several mediocre to average seasons in the majors–most recently with Detroit and Cleveland. Last spring he was the No. 5 starter in a pretty decent Indians rotation. Throughout his career he has shown flashes of being a capable No. 4 or 5 starter.
But in 2006 the wheels fell off the wagon. After posting an ERA hovering in the 6 range over 14 starts, Johnson was bounced from Cleveland. He’d head to Boston, then to Cincinnati before the year was over. Out of work in MLB, Johnson signed a contract with the Seibu Lions early this year.
Fortunately for those wanting to learn how to live abroad and make the most of it, Johnson chose to chronicle his experiences in a blog-the cleverly titled Jason Johnson Baseball –that just might end up being used as a “how-not-to” guide for future ex-MLB players coming to play in Asia.
Clearly Johnson’s experience has been a bad one. And not surprisingly the updates on Jason Johnson Baseball are sporadic and come to an abrupt end on July 11.
Lets trace the devolution.
First line, Post #1 (March 16) Title: “Friday March 16, in Japan”
It’s me Jason Johnson in Japan for the last month and a half and i can tell you one thing for sure, i am not in Kansas anymore!!!!!!
Yeah, what a pity, forced to play pro baseball in Japan. In Tokyo you have the misfortune of living in a crime-free cosmopolitan metropolis with some of the worlds most creative cuisine, living in a rustic tatami-floored house, using a first rate transportation system, and witnessing some of the worlds greatest art, design, and shopping while being treated like a king because you’re a gaijin. Poor guy.
Post #2 (March 19) Title: “Day 3″
a buddy of mine got sent to minor league camp so that put a damper on the day, you see, each team is only allowed to have 4 gaijins (foreigners) on the team at a time and we have 6. He pitched so much better than most of the other Japanese players but because he was a gaijin it was a numbers game. Another very backward concept i guess.
It’s natural to stick up for your buddies, but here, Johnson, who has been in Japan for less than two months, is making $3,000,000 U.S. a year and has yet to play an actual game in Japan, is already complaining about management. Could be a problem considering Japanese players almost never publicly air grievances with management. While there have certainly been egregious instances of racism in NBP-that will be discussed in a later EWC post-it might behoove Johnson to think about the fact that having a quota for foreigners might be a means of preservation for the NPB, lest it get overrun by foreigners entirely.
Post #3 (March 20) Title: “MILK”
The tide begins to turn. What was a work-related complaint extrapolated to include an entire culture is distilled into an errant attempt to buy milk for a favorite meal from home:
JJ: another day in OZ, this one was interesting. I had to go to the grocery store today to get some milk because i was all excited to eat Cookie Crisp which i have to say is my absolute favorite cereal, my parents mailed it to me from the States because they don’t have it here in Japan.
Anyway, back to my story, so i bought what i thought was milk and brought it home to my apartment. I poured the “MILK” on my cereal and took a big bite of the best cereal in the world and just about threw up in my bowl. It turns out that what i bought was sweet yogurt. Who knew!!!
Aw, dude, too bad. Our heart goes out to JJ. First of all, in Japan they don’t have Cookie Crisp. They have to eat things like tofu, fresh eggs, bread, and croissants for breakfast. And even worse, they don’t even put English on the milk carton! The gumption of the Japanese to speak their own language and not cater to JJ’s breakfast eating needs.
Post #4 (March 22) Title: “poster”
So i am standing on the train with the other Americans heading to the field and i look to my left and what is staring in me in the eye? What do ya know, there is a big ole poster of me pitching and in big bold print in plain English it has a quote from me…it said…” Women are like Angels”. Ok i admit it, i said that in Spring Training when they asked me what i thought of women, but i really did’nt think it was going to literally be on a poster on the train that goes to field…I’m not saying that i didn’t mean it, I was just saying I didn’t know all of Japan and now all of you who are reading this would know. I guess the cat is out of the bag, Take your shots at me, i don’t care. I just say what i feel when i feel it.
Ah, yes. The individual. The go it alone “bring it on” superstar. The man who says what he wants when he wants. No one is going to tell JJ what to do. Especially not in a “backwards” country like Japan. Jason Johnson comes from a country where they have a little somethin’ called free speech. (Enter Skynard)
Johnson states in his blog profile that his two interests are “playing baseball and meeting new people” and “especially women.” This is also a trajectory worth following throughout Jason Johnson Baseball.
Post #6 (March 24) Title: none
Here Johnson takes us into the bullpen…still in spring training.
The odd thing is that the starting pitchers that are not in the game that day are not allowed to sit on the bench during the game. This is weird to me because being in the Major Leagues for the last 9 years has taught me that when everyone is around each other more often then the team becomes more of, for lack of a better word, TEAM, but since i can’t sit on the bench and get to know my teammates better it doesn’t seem so much like a team to me, but that is the way it is done here so i guess i won’t rock the boat.
Unfortunately Johnson didn’t use his capability to say whatever thought pops into his brain to explain the idea of “TEAM” to the Japanese. We like the idea of Johnson leading the pitchers in a March-on-Washington-style pilgrimage from the bullpen to the dugout. Maybe with a few boxes of Cookie Crisp under his arm. Who knows where the Lions would be if this had happened.
Post #9 (March 31) Title: “Opening Day in Sapporo”
Not much to do around here i guess. Well, kind of a boring day so i will write again when something new happens.
The alienation is setting in and manifesting itself as boredom. Ever taken in some Kabuki theater? Sushi? Tea? Ever drink tea instead of Coke Jason? How about trying Aikido? Check out some of the worlds biggest department stores filled with any Western or Japanese consumer goods you might want? How about some Kai-sekki ryori, you’ve got dough, try that. Sapporo is one of the world’s most beautiful cities dude.
Post #8 was titled “Another Day.” Johnson is getting figgity, although he does like the Sapporo Dome where the Nippon Ham Fighters play, comparing it to “a UFO.” Unfortunately the photo Johnson apparently tried to load on the page comes up blank. We’ll help him here:
Shortly after this post, Johnson goes back to America to get an MRI on his elbow and doesn’t post again until late May.
Post #11 (May 27) Title: “Back in Japan”
For anyone who’s tried to maintain a blog you know its hard work to produce new material every day or a few times a week.
Here Johnson takes nearly two months off and comes back refreshed, detailing the saga of his jetlag and further exploring his love of Cookie Crisp; which he labels “the breakfast of champions.”
However, he also gets into a mishap that that will ring familiar with any foreigner who’s lived in Asia. He gets confused at the train station and ends up waiting on the wrong platform for some time. Fortunately his teammate Jeff Leifer notices and saves him. But unfortunately was a recurring problem for Johnson that eventually drew the ire of Lions management
Post #12 (May 29) Title: “First Day in Tokyo”
Here Johnson’s buddy Tim shows up and two head off to Roppongi, which, to put it kindly is the foreigner playground of Tokyo by night.
It’s not clear exactly what Johnson did with Tim in Roppongi. But it’s clear he’s been there before (although it’s not mentioned in the blog previously). It’s also clear it’s right up Johnson’s alley.
Later in the evening Johnson details an episode at a Korean restaurant where he and Tim put potatoes wrapped in tin foil on the table grill, creating a small fire.
Post #13 (June 1) Title: “First Start Back”
You might have forgotten Johnson was in Japan to play baseball, but finally, some game action. Johnson talks about his first rehab start in the minors and looks forward to getting back with the big club.
Also in the post Johnson tackles a fairly serious topic; suicide. Pondering the high suicide rates in Japan, he has trouble coming to grips with why someone would take their own life.
But in the next paragraph the manchild returns and experiences his first earthquake:
It was just a small rumble and shake this morning before i left for the field but i am waiting for a big one, i think that would be kinda cool to feel as long as no one gets hurt, of course. LOL!!!
Post #14 (June 2) Title: “another start”
Johnson gets the unfortunate news he’ll be staying in the minors. On the plus side he feels another earthquake:
Today i felt another earthquake and it was so cool i almost peed my pants, sorry about the visual. I just think it is really cool feeling as long as it is not the big one, hopefully that one will wait until i leave here or not at all. I guess i shouldn’t be selfish.
Post #15 (June 6) Title: “second rehab start”
Johnson pitches six innings and gives up two runs. He’s understandably ready to get back to the big club. On the negative side Johnson doesn’t like the fact that minor league games sometimes start at 11 a.m.
I need my sleep, i am not 18 years old anymore and even if i was i think that 11 is still way too early for a game to start. My arm was yelling at me the whole time that i was warming up in the bullpen, basically saying what in the world are we doing out here on this mound at 10:30 in the freakin morning.
Post #16 (June 10) Title: “Big league time”
Finally Johnson gets the call. He’s due to pitch Thursday of that week and he’s stoked. Of course, there are other important matters, as Johnson finally finds his home away from home surrounded by other gaijin in Roppongi dance clubs:
As far as Japan goes, i am finding some good places to go out in Roppongi with my buddies finally. It is almost like i am back in the States when going out in Roppongi because there are so many foreigners down there that it feels very comfortable, although i am trying to find a few places that i was told about by a friend to go to but i cant seem to find them, if anyone has any knowledge of Roppongi could you get back to me. The places i am looking for are Lexington Queen and Java Jive*.
Any expat with an IQ over 30 that has lived in Tokyo for any length of time quickly grows tired of the ’scene’ in Roppongi, which consists mostly of military dudes picking up Japanese girls with foreigner fetishes. This is not the only thing that goes on there by any means; Roppongi is a dynamic place with office buildings, good restaurants, and some genuinely cool clubs like Vietti with good DJ’s and breakdancers, good music. But we know that that’s not where JJ ends up. JJ most likely ends up at Gas Panic, which is basically a frat party for 20 something foreigners looking to bang Japanese girls.
*A commenter points out Java Jive has been closed for 10 years
Post #17 (June 11) Title: “Roppongi”
Now Johnson gets down to brass tacks.
I’m startin to enjoy it here a little more now that i have discovered Roppongi, don’t love Japan, but it is getting better. I think i have been to Roppongi 4 out of the last 5 days and nights…
Unfortunately Johnson tends to be vague in his descriptions of Roppongi. We know he loves the ladies, but he spends the better part of the post talking about seeing the new “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie.
No further details of his upcoming big league start or how the last one went. The blog skips ahead to late June. One can assume things weren’t going well as we find in the next post, Johnson has something of a meltdown.
Post #18 (June 25) Title: “Saturday’s Start”
During a start against the Giants, Johnson gets frustrated. He writes his pitches were up in the strike zone.
I decided that someone needed to get hit or brushed back off the plate
It’s common practice in Asian baseball, that when a pitcher hits a player with a pitch he tips his cap to the batter. (Much to the chagrin of the old guard, not all Japanese players do this now). Of course, to this point Johnson hasn’t exactly been soaking up the culture and tradition of Japanese baseball. Maybe he’d heard of the cap tipping manor, or maybe he opted for the “I just say what i feel when i feel it” approach to pitching.
In any event Johnson pegs the batter, who glares back from home plate. Johnson, responds by screaming at the batter in English and starts walking toward home plate.
It seems unlikely the Lions management thought much of this. It may have sealed his fate.
Luckily, later than night Johnson was able to blow off some steam:
After the game Saturday was another story though, talk about a great time, i went to Roppongi with some friends and stayed out all night until about 6 am the next morning and now i feel better and i have forgotten about that last start.
Jason Johnson Baseball gets the occasional commenter. It’s usually people like his former high school catcher and yoga teacher, who have done a search on his name and send him a note with their email address.
But here is one commenter, who, like Johnson enjoys a spot of Roppongi from time to time. However, this shared experience also comes with a warning to Johnson.
Yep, I’ve had my fair share of FUN in Roppongi too. But from one American to another, BEWARE of those bj bars and ‘hostess’s’, my buddies and I got wasted and STD’s and what really pissed us off was that these chicks will say all this ego-boosting bulls*** just so you feel like a king and then the next thing ya know, your out moola and your wang is itchy as hell.
It’s hard to figure out why some Japanese people have a negative impression of foreigners in Asia.
Post #19 (July 11) Title: “first win”
The blog’s final post ends on a high note. He makes brief mention of his parents being in town and his plans to take them to Kyoto. He also gets his first (and likely last) pitching victory in Japan.
Here the blog ends. Not long after the incident detailed in “Saturday’s Start” Johnson was sent back to the Lion’s minor league affiliate where he’s remained ever since.
It has already been announced that he isn’t part of the team’s future plans and therefore won’t be called back up to the big club this year. Looks like a few more weeks of 11 a.m. games for Jason Johnson Baseball.
Johnson’s (likely) final professional line in Japan: 41.1IP, 1W 4L, 44H, 4.35 ERA, and an INF NIR*
*NIR: Nights in Roppongi
35 responses so far ↓
1 Rob // Sep 28, 2007 at 12:42 pm
I’m not really seeing what is wrong with what he did. So he went to Japan, doesn’t like the food, wants to hang out with other Americans…what’s the big deal?
2 Jamitamilfan // Sep 28, 2007 at 1:43 pm
Rob: Obviously you don’t live as an expat in Asia. The problem is, people come over here and have no perception of the idea that they are guests in another country. Unfortunately I would say Americans (and I am American) are the most guilty of this…but Canadians, Australians and others are right behind them.
I live in China and I see it every day. It’s not like people have to come over here and do everything the natives do…but at least have enough respect to know you are someplace other than your own home. You don’t go to people’s houses and put your feet on the table, right? Well, that’s exactly how people in China and Japan look at this crap.
3 Texinkorea // Sep 28, 2007 at 3:55 pm
Rob: People come to Asia, they have no respect for anything that goes on here, then they go home. The problem with people like Johnson here is that once he’s back in the U.S. and doing whatever he does there are still people here (who live here) that have to deal with impression that he’s left. It’s not a very western concept to think about this sort of thing…but the reality is it happens. It’s not 100% warranted either…there are plenty of problems with the way that Asians view expats living in their country…but clearly this guy Johnson never considered this for a minute. Comes across as a spoiled ballplayer to me.
4 XMan // Sep 28, 2007 at 4:10 pm
One night in Roppongi makes a hard mahn humble…..
5 Jingo // Sep 28, 2007 at 4:19 pm
Yep, I’ve had my fair share of FUN in Roppongi too. But from one American to another, BEWARE of those bj bars and ‘hostess’s’, my buddies and I got wasted and STD’s and what really pissed us off was that these chicks will say all this ego-boosting bulls*** just so you feel like a king and then the next thing ya know, your out moola and your wang is itchy as hell.
–doesn’t this say it all????
6 "Tim" // Sep 29, 2007 at 2:40 am
Just to ley everyone know. It was Jason first time in Roppongi when we went. Not one time did we step a foot in a bar. We looked around, went into some stores and had lunch. We left before it got dark. That is when we went to the Korean restaurant and it was a few minutes from his apartment. Jason is a diabetic and can’t drink. For people to say he is going to Roppongi for the women and just to get drunk. Isn’t true. He wasn’t pitching, so what if he goes out. So he wanted to be around other Americans or people that spoke English. SO WHAT. I’m sure everybody that is blasting him stays home and never goes out.
7 Texinkorea // Sep 29, 2007 at 9:26 am
The article doesn’t really say he’s going out drinking and womanizing. (Although, you could infer that and one of the commenters says it.) but if Jason is such a great guy then why did he have problems with management? The issue for me the obvious lack of respect for the culture he’s entering. And it’s not like he’s bagging on Japan in the blog…but anyone who lives in Asia and reads his blog is going to know he’s going to have a lot of problems.
8 Chris // Sep 29, 2007 at 9:51 am
Stinging piece…I think you guys were too hard on the guy. Live and let live. So what if he wants to go kick back in the international areas of Tokyo? BTW I live in Japan.
9 A.S. // Sep 29, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Thanks to everyone who’s replied so far. It’s always interesting to see the wide spectrum of answers we sometimes get on this site. Keep them coming.
I think I speak for Jackson and myself (we both wrote this piece) when I say neither of us feels *good* about writing something negative about a person. Jason Johnson may very well be a nice guy as “Tim” indicates. To a certain extent it is Jason’s business what he does or doesn’t do over here in Asia. The problem, and this was mentioned by Texinkorea, is that there are a lot of us who have to live in the wake of behavior like this. Of course, the things Jason got up to in his blog weren’t all that bad. But I would hardly call him a good ambassador either.
Another point…and maybe the most important as far as we’re concerned at East Windup Chronicle…is that Jason was paid a lot of money to come to Japan and play baseball. He was injured, yes. But he’s not now. And why is he in the minors? Clearly it’s because he pissed off the team management. And how about the team that paid him $3mil to come over here? The Seibu Lions are having their worst season since 1981. Surely the guy who was paid to be one of the team’s best starters can take some of the blame for that…
10 jackson // Sep 29, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Yeah, I’ll weigh in on this as well as the author of the introduction and editor–I’m sure JJ is a nice, good hearted dude. He’s just a guy, one we don’t actually know, and he could also look at us and say “you guys are a couple of clowns with a blog and I pitched in the majors, so what?”. And yes, dude can do what he wants.
I think to put it in perspective though, what expats who come to Asia without respecting or making an effort to learn the language or the culture don’t realize is how much they’re missing out on, and how wonderfully people will treat you if you meet them halfway rather than coming in and deciding they’re backwards because they do things differently than back in the states. My feeling–again, without knowing this dude–is that his experience would have been far better if he had learned some Japanese and tried to get into things a bit. Some players like Soriano and Warren Cromartie, Randy Bass did this and had richer experiences in Japan.
As far as Roppongi goes, it’s a very dynamic place, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with hanging out with other expats in Asia if you’re a foreigner there. I was a DJ for a few years in Tokyo (a cliche in itself) and had both foreigners and Japanese people in the clubs, made some good friends. Sometimes its necessary and comforting and there’s some very cool expats living out in tokyo. But there’s so much MORE to be learned by picking up some Nihongo, exploring places like kamakura, old temples, shrines, and learning the language and making that extra effort. Expats who only hang out with other foreigners and bitch all the time–and there’s lots of them–really miss out on this-in addition to giving other expats a bad rep.
Maybe JJ has adapted more to Nippon since his blog posts, and if so good on him.
11 East Windup Chronicle slams Jason Johnson // Sep 30, 2007 at 3:59 am
[…] EAST WINDUP CHRONICLE (EWC) has a post that is highly critical of Seibu Lions pitcher Jason Johnson, in which they say he is personification of the Ugly Gaijin in Japan - those who think Roppongi is Japan, complain that things here are so different from the U.S., etc. […]
12 Stephen Smithee // Sep 30, 2007 at 8:47 am
Sadly, I’ve never been outside of the USA, although I’d love to, so I can only give this inexperienced opinion. I’ve lived most of my life on the Pacific coast of the USA and interacted with many East Asian and Southeast Asian peoples. Most were very likeable people; a few, like my Japanese ex-boss, Mr. Onishi, were abrasive and rude. I tried to learn Japanes once, from a Japanese woman who was studying at the University of Washington, but she had to return home too soon for family reasons (she was so delightful and attractive, too, as well as intelligent). The bottom line is: people everywhere are Human Beings, good and bad. But I do think the world needs more tolerance. National/ethnic arrogance saddens me. There’s so much to enjoy.
13 IronChef // Oct 1, 2007 at 12:34 am
I don’t really give a shit what the hell Jason Johnson does or doesn’t do in Japan, all I know is that he sucks at pitching.
Although I’m starting to understand why he blows at his job. If he can’t figure out teh difference between Yogurt Milk and Milk, how is he suppose to get Derek Jeter out?
Yep, I’ve had my fair share of FUN in Roppongi too. But from one American to another, BEWARE of those bj bars and ‘hostess’s’, my buddies and I got wasted and STD’s and what really pissed us off was that these chicks will say all this ego-boosting bulls*** just so you feel like a king and then the next thing ya know, your out moola and your wang is itchy as hell.
I’m surprised Jason Johnson could contract a STD from a Japanese “hostess”, because from his stint with the Red Sox, I didn’t think he had a penis.
14 IronChef // Oct 1, 2007 at 12:41 am
Ok, I just RTFA’ed again, apparently Jason Johnson didn’t actually pick a hooker. That’s my bad, I apologize for my lack of reading comprehension. I direct my anger towards the commenter, who’s a huge douche.
15 Aaron Cheats // Oct 1, 2007 at 8:38 am
You guys are way too hard on this guy. On the one hand, you bash him because he wants to eat his favorite U.S. cereal, goes to the store and gets sweet yogurt instead of milk. I didn’t read the post as being anti-Japanese. If anything, it was a little funny. Guy goes out on his own into the real Japanese world (which you guys seem to insinuate he’s unwilling to do), thinks he’s buying milk and gets the wrong thing. He’s mildly amused by it and posts it in his blog, to amuse others. Yet you turn it into this whole thing about how he’s miserable and hates everything to do with Japan.
As for the whole thing about him hitting the batter and screaming at them in English, could some of that be the fault of the team for not tipping Johnson off to the fact that you tip your cap to a guy you bean and you certainly don’t yell at them? Is there any sort of orientation U.S. players who go to Japan are put through? How does it compare to what U.S. teams do for Japanese players?
16 FK // Oct 1, 2007 at 9:16 am
Wow. What a bogus take-down. I have far more respect for JJ right now than this blog. Shameful. Just shameful.
17 K // Oct 1, 2007 at 10:15 am
This is funny all around.
Funny to read the American Baseball Player’s fairly genuine experiences of being in a completely foreign land having those confusing experiences, and then to read this take-down above from someone who’s experienced enough in the ways of Japan to feel ashamed about one his own expats and wishing that this JJ’s exposure doesn’t make it worse for the blogger and “normal” foreign people like him who also live and breath in Japan.
Nothing unusual or negative in any of it, really.
I’ve hosted many Asian and other foreign people who come to the States and they have the same problems - they have to eat rice every day, or they have to eat curry every day, or they cannot understand why we drink Coke all day and not a drop of a hot drink (besides the pseud-coffee from Starbucks, that is) and be able to function the way we do with the hamburgers and cheese and mayo and fries.
I’ve paid special attention to people’s needs, so I am not surprised by any of it - but I do agree with the general concensus that we Americans in general (by general I mean the general, middle-American jock-type, Red-Neck, Whitey-type general, and not the people of the more recent Hispanic, Asian, New-European, New-African, New-Middle Eastern American descents), are brash, bold, ill-mannered (we don’t even know how to use a knife and fork properly, and knives and forks are supposed to be Western!), disrespectful, un-hygienic, and do not know how to dispose of trash properly, at all.
18 afs // Oct 2, 2007 at 5:24 pm
I don’t think this article is too harsh at all!!!! Imagine if the reverse was true–if a Japanese pitcher came to the states to pitch for, say, the Cardinals, who pay him a #1/#2 starter’s salary and expected him to be a mainstay in the rotation…then that pitcher shows up, before he pitches an inning for the Cards starts complaining about manangement and grousing about how the team does things, doesn’t try to learn any English, keeps a blog in Japanese about how weird America is and how he doesn’t fit in, goes out to clubs 5-6 nights a week with other Japanese cats, and then blows out his arm before ever pitching…. He’d be savaged by the media in the states for that! People still talk about Hideki Irabu years later-and he didn’t (at least outwardly) have the same attitude towards the states that JJ seems to about Japan.
If a Japanese pitcher behaved like that in America he’d get ripped to shreds by the media, its just that JJ can use his position as a foreigner there to get away with it….
19 afs // Oct 2, 2007 at 5:26 pm
and on top of that, 3 million for a pitcher for Seibu is huge money for a franchise that most likely has little to spare and is fighting for its existence…
20 "Tim" // Oct 3, 2007 at 2:28 am
I didn’t read that he was complaining about manangement. He was stating a fact of Japanese baseball. Teams are only allowed to have a number of Americans on the roster at a time. I guess that you, “afs”, don’t remember the $50 some million that Seibu got from the Red Sox.
From being around Jason, I know that not all Major League players go home after every game. They spend more time out then they do at home.
I just think it is funny that everybody that is saying how bad Jason is, don’t even know him. You just know him for what he writes. Again, I don’t agree with the way he expressed things in his blog. But if you want to Blast the guy, then you can take anything he says and turn it around.
I’m glad that the people that really know him take what he writes not too serious and sometimes alittle funny.
21 A.S. // Oct 3, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Thanks again to everyone for chipping in here. I like afs’s example of flipping this around and thinking about what would happen if a Japanese player went to America and carried himself in the same manor. Wrote in his blog that MLB management is “backwards,” or a similarly negative term to describe Americans.
People wouldn’t like it–but moreover it’s almost impossible to even imagine.
Seibu sold Matsuzaka because they’ve been in and out of serious financial trouble the past few years and wanted to recoup something for a guy they knew would leave anyway. Surely they don’t have 3 mil to toss to a guy who ends up in the minor leagues.
I don’t think this piece is anti-Jason Johnson and I don’t think JJ is anti-Japanese. In fact, I don’t even discount the idea that Jason is a wonderful person (as Tim seems to argue)
I think JJ went to Japan with ZERO interest or cultural understanding of Japan. Is he obligated to this? As a free human being in the world–no, he is not. As someone getting paid a lot of money to come to Japan and work…maybe he is. I think it’s fair to expect that he do his job. If JJ can do his job while not learning anything about Japan…bully for him. It does happen. But the fact of the matter is…it didn’t happen. Predictably his attitude turned against him. Those of us who live and work over here see this every day. It doesn’t mean he’s racist or a bad person. It just means he didn’t do what he was paid to do…and as someone who lives and works here I can tell you (because his blog explicitly lays it out) that his attitude had a lot to do with it.
How many people here start a new job not knowing or understanding anything about the organization you’re going to work for? I’d love to know what Jason Johnson knew about Japan or Japanese baseball before he came over here. Maybe Tim can shed some light on this since he’s a personal friend of JJ.
22 jackson // Oct 3, 2007 at 1:37 pm
A couple more comments:
First, thanks to “Tim” for repeatedly checking in. One thing about Seibu, like AS pointed out, is that most of the time Japanese teams are posting their players because they’re completely strapped for cash and on the verge of bankruptcy. The short term gains that the teams make financially don’t even come close to the long term damage these transactions have on the league as a whole–player defections are stripping the league of talent and the league is really in serious trouble in the middle or long term because of this. A couple teams like the Giants and Hanshin have enough money to be more selective about this, but a lot of times teams are simply selling off their crown jewels because they have no other recourse. While this clearly is not J.J.s fault at all–he took a lucrative deal available to him–it probably would have been wise of him to understand that Seibu was breaking the bank to bring him over and he should have been more careful about his behavior. This seems fair enough. It’s not like this is a new thing, there are expats all over Asia doing far worse and he really didn’t do anything that bad. But I think his huge salary and status as a public figure is going to attract more attention than those of say, a teacher on the JET program.
Secondly, let’s also give JJ more benefit of the doubt for a minute: His attitude may have indeed been deplorable when he arrived, but there’s also a significant chance that eventually over time with some adjustments that he may have been able to develop a deeper respect for the culture and learned about a lot of the great things about Japan (or Taiwan, or Korea, etc.). Maybe he would have met a Japanese woman and fallen in love and got to know the culture through her family, something like that. Kind of like a baseball version of Tom Cruise in the Last Samurai. (don’t get me started on how bad that movie is but you get the point). Also, I don’t think his attitude had anything to do with the fact that he blew out his arm. That’s just bad luck.
Those things said though, I think afs hit the nail on the head. A lot of foreigners–in many cases quite unwittingly–come to Japan with the presumption that their own culture is the narrative culture, and some prejudice about the way things should be done. This doesn’t mean the people that have these assumptions, conscious or not, are bad people. JJ probably is a good dude, if he weren’t “Tim” wouldn’t be here defending him so much. I just think he, like a lot of NOVA teachers, JET program teachers, and in this case a baseball player, probably come with the sole purpose of making money, going out to some bars, and then run into a wall of culture that they don’t expect when the arrive, and this is when their kind of hidden assumptions of the ‘normalcy’ of their own culture set in.
It’s not like JJ has to go out and learn to play the koto or learn ikebana or start taking karate lessons–hes a free human who can do what he wants, and lots of foreigners in asia spend years or even decades simply hanging out in expat bars, staying in that kind of comfort zone, and that’s fine. But that doesn’t abnegate them from the responsibility of approaching their new situation with an open mind, and with the willingness to embrace new things, be patient with the things that are different…and this attitude probably would have resulted in better results for him. Maybe ten years later dude would speak fluent japanese and have developed a better appreciation and understanding of his environment.
23 IronChef // Oct 3, 2007 at 11:12 pm
I’ll just come out and say it: After 2006, I’m anti-Jason Johnson. At least I’m anti-Jason Johnson pitching for the Red Sox. If the Yankees want to sign him to throw high-leverage innings, then I’m pro-Jason Johnson.
24 America // Oct 4, 2007 at 7:11 pm
I’ve never laughed so hard in all my life! Especially over JJ’s boyfriend ‘Tim’. Jason has no one to blame for his reputation but himself, I mean come on, didn’t you people read his blog. I’d be so ashamed if he was my son, hell, I’m embarrassed that he’s an American. He’s just a spoiled pro-athlete that didn’t develope any other skills in life than his ability to play baseball. How sad! But, I digress - the fact is this - he didn’t do his job for the Lions and he got paid way too much money, much more than what he’s worth. Dude, if you are reading this I have a message for you. YOU AREN’T AS GREAT AS YOU THINK YOU ARE!!!!!!!!
25 "Tim" // Oct 5, 2007 at 2:31 am
I want to apoligize to A.S. and Jackson. I understand why you wrote this article. I have been friends with Jason for over 20 years and I consider him one of my closest friends almost like a brother. That is why I was defending him so much. I do agree with you guys on the way it appears he acted over there. I don’t think Jason knew alot about Japan or Japanese baseball before he left. Only alittle of what the management said to expect when he arrvied. I know that he should’ve look into it more but the Lions should have also given him an idea. His number 1 goal for going to Japan to play was to get this mind off the the 2006 season and hopefully work his way back to the Majors. He is not a spoiled pro-athlete as much as it seems. I’m sure that if he had it to do over again, he would change alot. But that still doen’t change things that happened. As for the comments from Amercia, I’ll pass them on to Jason and the “boyfriend” thing, my wife got a nice laugh with that one.
26 America // Oct 5, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Tim,
You took the ‘boyfriend’ comment too seriously. I only meant it in jest. I’m glad your wife got a good laugh out of it. I appreciate your loyalty to Jason and I believe what you say to be true regarding your friend. Too bad he projected himself in such a poor light over in Japan.
27 Ballboi // Oct 5, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Great job, A.S and Jackson! Very well written and very accurate. You pulled from statements that Mr. Johnson himself wrote. This cannot be disputed nor can the fact that Mr. Johnson was infantile in his choice of what to write about on his blog. The smartest thing this guy did was to cease writing on it a couple of months ago. I wonder what Mr. Valentine thinks of the unfortunate example Jason left behind of an American living abroad in a beautiful place like Japan, where they paid him millions. One more thing, Mr. Johnson failed to do his job and this is perhaps the thing that he should be most ashamed of. He failed his team-mates, management and would be fans.
28 Maple Leaf // Oct 6, 2007 at 4:12 pm
This is my first time reading about Jason and his time spent in Japan. I’m a little taken aback at the unfavourable and gloomy comments. In my opinion Jason did not fail; I think it took courage for him to go to a foriegn Country. He took a risk and went out of his comfort zone. I applaud anyone who has the moxie to experience the unknown. I did skim his blog and although at times it is a bit unsophisticated, I think his intention was to tickle and entertain his readers. Let’s not tatter and shred the poor guy, I’m sure he’s acutely aware (if he wasn’t before, he will be now), of his weak pionts and slip-ups. Hopefully he’ll have better luck in 2008.
29 Really!?! // Oct 8, 2007 at 12:44 pm
The guy is a tool! He’s just a washed up mediocore ball player with a bad elbow. I’m surprised he’s lasted as long as he has in MLB. That aside, I think the guy went to Japan thinking he’d be famous all around the world. He’s not in it for the sport. At least this is the impression I got after reading his blog. The guy comes across as a narcissist, in the true sense of the word. I really don’t care what happens to this waste of skin, as long as he Never Ever plays for Boston.
30 Stupid Better Devil Newpaper | East Windup Chronicle // Dec 30, 2007 at 2:42 pm
[…] As we know, signing a player who has never set foot in Japan or Korea can sometimes produce disastrous results, this, seemingly regardless of the player’s level of talent. So it probably does make sense […]
31 Ryan // Feb 10, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Wow! I find it hard to believe you graduated from university or high school with these interpretation skills.
When Jason Johnson says ‘they don’t have it here in Japan,’ he is not saying, ‘Í mock the culture and cuisine of this ass-backwards country.’ Try reading it again.
If someone went to your school and learned your methods of literary criticism they might infer that you are a condescending, self-righteous, hyper sensitive jackass who has clearly never met any inconvenience living in a foreign land.
Jason Johnson may not be a a very good ML pitcher (and how dare he prefer his breakdast cereal over croissants and tofu!), but you suck at life.
32 Jackson // Feb 10, 2008 at 7:31 pm
We thank the great literary critic Jean Ryan Baudrillard for the insightful commentary on the JJ post. And such incisive, scathing indictments of our shabby prose. We are shamed and embarrased at our failed attempts at lit crit. Perhaps some courses at Wesleyan are in order ASAP.
And now we turn the question around to the grand literary giant Ryan as we have done previously–Imagine if a Japanese pitcher signed an MLB contract at staff ace money (the equivalent of 15-20 mil per season) that was on par with the highest paid players in the game, upon his arrival started keeping a blog criticizing team operations, grousing about the differences in culture and cuisine of the place, didn’t bother to learn any English or make efforts to assimilate into the environment around him, and then blew out his arm before ever pitching a game. How do you think such a player would be received in the states?
And even more so, would any player from Asia even come to the states with this sort of attitude or sense of entitlement?
I lived in JP for several years and believe me ran into many situations that were ‘inconvenient’ as you put it. But that certaintly didn’t stop me from appreciating what Japan had to offer. We wish JJ the best but our feeling is that he probably would have had a better experience in Japan with a more open mind.
Thank you kind sir for calling attention to how much our lives suck. This requires quite a bit of soul searching. I’ll start by going to order a happy meal at McDonalds down the street on Jonghua Road and then complain about how the medium sized coke isn’t big like the ones in the states are.
33 Dan Miceli // Feb 16, 2008 at 12:06 am
Jason`s buddy says: “Jason is a diabetic and can’t drink.”
So I guess his “his love of Cookie Crisp; which he labels “the breakfast of champions.”” is the best breakfast for him as a professional athlete and for his health in general.
34 Zammer // Mar 12, 2008 at 4:52 am
Wow. Dan Miceli owned Jason Johnson.
35 Shinsano // Mar 12, 2008 at 11:12 am
I’d love it if someone would write the Miceli story up for us…I’ve heard the same.
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