Do You Know Randy Bass?

Randy Bass, an incumbent Oklahoma state senate-senator, is one of the greatest foreign players in Japanese professional baseball (NPB) and left many legends behind him. In my impression, he hit another home run while an echo of last home run still remained. In spite of so many times passed, I even now have never seen such a dominant hitter except for Barry Bonds' prime.

 Going back in time to 1985, a road to victory of Hanshin Tigers started with three consecutive home runs diving into the batter's eye screen, and it was he who hit the first one. That was beginning of Randy Bass' legend. In this article, I want to write about some anecdotes around him. 

Home run scene begins from 0.25, and this is the legendary three consecutive batter's eye home run. (Center fielder is Warren Cromartie, a former Montreal Expos' position player.)


Episode1: Bus Explosion?

When writing his name in Japanese, its spell is the same as "bus", and this was a problem for the owner or executives of Hanshin Tigers because Hanshin Electric Railway Also has managed public bus transit system.

　　　　　　　　　　　Hanshin Bus

So they were anxious that if he felt into slump, newspapers might put a title like "Hanshin Bus in Trouble", conversely, if he hit a big home run or came into a groove, newspapers might put a title like "Hanshin Bus Explosion". In either case, it would turn out to be annoying matter for them. Incidentally, the "newspaper" referred here means tabloid sold at station stall, in short, tabloids are always trying to come up with something eye-catching title for attracting passersby walking in hurry.    

Then, managements decided to stretch between "Ba" and "SS", and as a result, pronounce of his name became closer to "birth". That was a birthday of Randy Bass as a "Sukett (foreign legion)" player. 


Episode2: Curse of the Colonel Sanders 

In 1985, Tigers became the Japan Champion with their so-called 'dynamite batting order', famed as one of the strongest batting orders in all time history of Japanese baseball, and that dynamite batting order was led by three guys of the three consecutive batter's-eye home run. Tigers fun, or I should say people living in Osaka, the home town of Tigers, exited with joy because that victory was for the first time in twenty-one years of dark age like Cleveland indians in a film 'Major League'. Then a customary ceremony style of diving into the river of Doutonbori was born of itself.

In the vortex of the Doutonbori diving, someone brought a figure of Colonel Sanders from Kentucky Fried Chicken Doutonbori-branch, for the white man figure conjured him an image of Randy Bass. And many Tigers funs also used it to resemble Randy Bass just because it was a white man figure. It was, so to speak, an icon of Randy Bass, and for those days of Tigers funs, he deserved to be put his icon on a pedestal. Then, in the natural course of those event, Colonel Sanders was thrown into the Doutonbori river, receiving loudly cheering.

Colonel Sanders was lost in the river, and Tigers came to suffer from more terrible slump since ensuing year to next victory of 2013, getting a tail-ender indeed ten times. This is the Curse of Colonel Sanders. After that, Colonel Sanders was found out from bottom of the river in 2009, and it has been exhibited at home stadium of Hanshin Tigers still now.

Episode3: Chasing Sadaharu Oh 

Randy Bass notched 54 home runs in 1985 season even though he couldn't reach the record of 55 home runs, a Japanese record established by Sadaharu Oh. In that season, last two games was against Giants which was led by manager Sadaharu Oh. Although he didn't order any command such as to give intentional walk, coaching stuffs order their pitching stuff a command to give intentional walk. As a result, Randy Buss couldn't break that record. But it might good for him because in many case, people who broke big record such as home run record have involved some kind of trouble as if they suffered a curse of the pharaohs. Maybe that also is one of curses associated with baseball. In fact, and on the contrary, he became an senator in his country. Incidentally, in Japanese, 'Oh' means 'king'. ( Sadaharu Oh is a name that is like Jeff King. ) He, so to speak, didn't violate the realm of king, and that's why he has succeeded after his retirement.

Episode4: Rivals

1) Suguru Egawa

He was one of ace pitchers of Giants. As mentioned above, in the last two games of 1985 season, Giants' pitching stuff were ordered giving intentional walk to Randy Bass, but he ignored it. Because he had confidence with his fastball and somewhat individualistic personality. So he stuck to throw the fastball against Randy Bass, and it was Sadaharu Oh who designated him as a starting pitcher of that game. And in the next year, he allowed Randy Bass to tie with 7 consecutive game home run record established Sadaharu Oh, giving up the 7th (of 7 consecutive) home run. This is the scene of it.  Randy Bass reportedly said "He is the best pitcher in Japanese baseball and will be able to hold good even in the big league."

2) Tsunemi Tsuda

He was a fireman having blazing fastball. And he also stuck to throw the fastball against Randy Bass. This is his fastball. Since he was a closer, he could enjoy to throw his fastball against Randy Bass as he wanted to do. But unfortunately, he died of brain tumor in 1991, and became one of baseball's legends. In the passage of time, people came to call him as 'brazing closer' out of their condolence.

3) Kozo Kawato

He was a team mate and 18-year veteran of Tigers. Although he didn't oppose Randy Bass through the baseball, they fiercely battled in Shogi, a Japanese chess-like game, which he taught Randy Bass, using mixed language of English and Japanese. In spite of Randy Bass was hardly able to speak Japanese, he learned the Shogi and became proficient in it enough to have a game against professional Shogi player Naoko Hayashiba.

Afterword

After his retirement, so many foreign players came to Japan and two players-Alex Cabrera and Tuffy Rhodes- tied with 55 home run  record, and in just last year, 2013, one player-Vladimir Balentien-broke that record, hitting 60 home runs.

Starting left, Vladimir Balentien, Alex Cabrera and Tuffy Rhodes.

Vladimir Balentien's Record Breaking Home Run

However, and even now, Randy Bass' 54 home runs are still valuable, because in those days, none of Japanese pitchers had joined in big league differently from now. And above all, he did it in the champion team. Indeed, those were brilliant days for Japanese professional baseball.

FINIS.

Old Fashion and New Fashion of On-Deck Circle Swing

Starting from left are Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Ted Williams, as we all know, the great hitters in old time Major League baseball and they mysteriously take almost same pose in their finish of on-deck circle swing.

By the way, in japan, swinging without a ball is called as "SUBURI" and Japanese players work it out so hard for improving muscle memory. However, as for American or Latin American players, SUBURI has allegedly not been worked out so frequently and I heard that they regard it as a mere warming up rather than a drill or practice. Probably, that difference reflects their baseball environment. I mean, many Japanese player can't enjoy the sufficient space enough to hit a ball as much as they want.

Incidentally, the ward SUBURI consist of "SU" and "BURI". And "SU" means "mere" or "plain" , "BURI" means "swing".  (However, SUSHI's "SU" does not mean "mere" and "plane" and it means "cerebration", also, "SHI" means "manage" or "administer". So, Sushi means "cerebration manager".)

example of SUBURI as a drill


Then, let me give an example for understanding to what extent does Suburi make its way into Japanese daily life. How would you feel if you saw a young guy having baseball bat at night parking lot? Most Japanese people even who don't have an interest in baseball would be able to recognize that sight as "oh, baseball player is working out the Suburi". This also means that Japan is keeping public peace well and it probably is due to Japanese national character.

In the first place, the word Suburi had existed before baseball was imported to Japan. Suburi has origin in Japanese sword practice and it was a fundamental training for so-called Samurai, which is a general term for the Japanese traditional soldier class.

Japanese baseball players have unknowingly inherited this tradition from Samurai and eager baseball players work it out some hundreds times per day. This diligence caused japan to win the WBC twice in a row.

However, Suburi doesn't always result in improving hitting skills because it has a pitfall, that is, swinging without a ball means there isn't any yardstick for judging that swing as right or wrong. So some players fall into slump while repeating an incorrect swing in the Suburi. Even Hideki Matsui, former yankees' outfielder, said that "What I think as the most difficult matter regarding batting is the Suburi."

Plus, that it is indispensable for talking about relationship between Japanese player and Suburi is the anecdote of Sadaharu Oh. He worked the Suburi with real Japanese sword, following an advice of Hiroshi Arakawa, familiar with Japanese traditional martial arts. This can be said as a typical example which speaks of the origin of Suburi.
  

Considering above, one of the important reasons why baseball has gained such popularity in Japan is probably that, for Japanese, baseball bat evokes Samurai's sword. Indeed, the sight of baseball kids going to practice with carrying their bat evokes me the sight of Samurai kids going to school with carrying their wood sword.

By the way, Although there seems to be a tendency that many of modern people romanticize Samurais, the real was more complicated. In Edo period, 17-19th century, Samurais, who consisted less than 10％ of entire population, had gained their income from tax which was paid by rices produced by farmers, who consisted over 80％ of entire population. And there was rarely war in that period. 

samurai at late Edo period

In such an era, Samurais had managed to keep their dignity by the custom law of taking responsibility for their failure by death, namely Harakiri, a specific suicide form for Samurai. On the other hand, as for common people, they envied, hated, feared, looked down inwardly, and wanted to be the Samurai permitted to have swords and last name. Yes, Samurai is the privileged class determined by heredity. In these social situations, common people excited at such Samurais' acts at the risk of their life as Chusingura incident, which was dramatized and loved by so many people in those days, and even now.

Chusingra is a story of 47 Samurais who settled the score for their late boss, determining to be punished at Harakiri.

As time passed, in 1868 Edo period ended its 265-year history and the class society was dismantled. All people became equal under the empire of Tenno and conscription system was introduced. As a result, quite a few common guys, former carpenter, fisherman, merchant and farmer, became the "Samurai", that they envied and wanted to be. Probably, that would mean that their family inwardly joined "Samurai class" too, and this might bring them some kind of excitement, especially as for volunteers' family.  Then, militarism flourished among Japanese people like never before and they rushed into World War II.

Samurai values,which was privilege classe values, are infiltrated among common people by drastic social revolution.

World War II ended in 1945 and Japan was defeated. Their excessive militarism was thoroughly demolished by GHQ, US occupation army, and even many of Japanese had came to loath that excessive militarism as if it was a nightmare. Although there were some moving tales concerning Japanese army, those were never told in history classes. Consequently, Samurais who inhabit our mind had lost there whereabouts. So where have they gone? Would they go into underground with organizing something like a resistance army? No. They found a way of survival in the Baseball.

Indeed, baseball was so comfortable place for them because there were sword, canon ball, cheer trumpet, gaiter, helmet and base. So not hesitantly, Samurai in our mind chose baseball, not Kendo, Judo or Sumo. Due to reasons like above mentioned, baseball came to be recognized as a special event in Japan, and it is not too much to say that baseball became a national sport of Japan.

In fact, As for Japanese youth baseball club, there is military like atmosphere even now. Japanese baseball kids, including high school students, are required to have close-cropped hair like army recruit and act on hierarchical relationship between senior and junior student. They related each other as if they are sergeant and private. It can't happen that junior calls senior by his first name. This circumstance probably is vestige of class society that was dismantled and sought sanctuary in the baseball.  In fact, their human relations don't mach with today's Japanese society's it and but, therefore, they often are tied up with strong bond.  Of course, It isn't so beautiful tale than the word expresses.

Left Japanese baseball kids  :  Right US army recruit (from Full Metal Jacket)

　　　　　　　

This may not be easy to imagine except for Japanese, joining baseball club means abandoning everything which teenagers desire to do, like hitting the streets in fashionable clothes, having a date on sunday, forming a rock band and pretend to be bad boys. In this point, baseball is different from football, basketball and the other sports in Japan. This tendency is particularly strong among leading teams. Kazuhiro Kiyohara, former baseball player hitting 525 home runs, said in looking back his high school life at PL gakuen, known as holding one of dynasty baseball clubs, "that was a prison" and added, "my pride." In a sense, as for Japan, baseball club is playing a role of the conscription system.  

A view of national competition of high school baseball; A major Mass communication company invests money in it. In this high-technology civilized society, Samurai has already been a subject for investment and appreciation.

In spite of quite a few "progressive" coaches, managers and critics have been criticizing that military style, it still remains in Japanese baseball education system and is forming fundamental policy because that style can certainly make "wining" team at their category. Think about parenting. If you adopt spartan education for your child, he or she will raise into a "decent" educated, sociable and robust person. But genius will not raise from that way. This is the major problem of Japanese baseball.

However, military style education system has certainly made Japanese baseball strong and created some characteristic baseball style. As an extreme case, in WWll-era, hitters were not allowed to avoid a hit by pitch because it means deserting from enemy. This rule was forced by authority under Japanese military dictatorship for conforming baseball, having origin in USA, to their policy.

Regarding a rule about hit by pitch, it's just a special case, but that mentality is running through the base of Japanese baseball. For example, back hand catch is not liked among old school instructors because they regard it as a deserting from enemy's shot. And as to batting, they liked downward swing, and that tendency associated with swordsmanship.

A typical example of Japanese style downward swing which is recognized among many instructors as one of the fundamental hitting skills

In origin, downward swing was devised for making level swing, that is, It was a device for preventing bat-head from excessively falling down by its weight. So it was particularly emphasized in Suburi, aiming at forming the habit of good swing which they think so. And it was Sadaharu Oh who unwittingly had taken a role of preacher of downward swing with his Suburi practice. Thus, downward swing spread among Japanese baseball and it got a instructors' favor who demanded hitters to hit a ground-ball single hit more than home run because of team play and making it easy to control their players. (Outstanding player isn' easy to control.)

Left Sadaharu Oh : Right Alex Rodriguez

Of course, as it turned out, "progressive" instructors came to have objections against downward swing. So to speak, in Japan, there have been continuing conflicts between liberal and conservative instructors over a broad range of topics. These circumstances probably are due to the history of Japanese baseball which was affected by militarism in its early days. And progressive or liberal instructors generally have been urged that "Why don't we lean from major league baseball?" and "They dynamically hit big home runs with upper cut swing, don't they?"

However, it is ironic that Suburi with downward swing has been defused among major league players since about 1990's. Derek Jeter is a typical example of it. If memory serves me right, this sort of on-deck circle swing, namely, Suburi has been popularized since about mid-1990's in MLB, and in that era, most Japanese baseball players have already been taught that downward swing enough to fed up with. So I wander if today's MLB style downward swing has its origin, at least in part, in Japanese Suburi.

Top, Manny Ramirez : Bottom, Carlos Delgado 

Finally, I write about this downward swing from the point of view of puncher-swinger method. Old timer's Suburi with level swing plane seems to intend to use the power of body rotation. On the other hand, downward Suburi seems to intend to use the top hand's power. Revolution of hitting mechanics,which took place in 1990's, shows its glimpse even in the on-deck circle swing.

※）Repeating downward swing can bring ill effect to correct swing mechanics.

Inside Hitting Pentagon

Including Barry Bonds, Mike Trout, and Derek Jeter, quite a few recent hitters make a pentagon with there arms as they hit an inside ball. Mean while, think about it, if Hank Aaron, Willie Mays or Babe Ruth had made such a shape in their swings. At least I have never seen it before and they must not hit a home run with that pentagon swing. If they had made the pentagon sometime, that swing would be just a mis-hit. However, I never mean that they had poor skills compared with recent hitters and I just want to say that there are two different hitting mechanics.

In this connection, I have ever heard a commentator surprising at Jose Canseco's home run swing which didn't make an arm extension in its follow through. In those days of his playing for Oakland Athletics were a period of transition from swinger era to puncher era, in my observation.

Are Babe Ruth and Carlos Gonzalez seriously in the same type of linear?

Carlos Gonzalez comparatively shows wide stride in spite of his being a recent player. So applying the linear-or-rotational method, he should be classified as a linear type. 

To change the subject, almost all the old homerun hitters had used to do the wide stride and large weight shift. So they generally have been classified as linear type. (Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays etc.)

However, in those days, there should be no hitters who had shown the swing such as Gonzalez's it. Then, what brought about that difference? Yes, the theory that can solve this question is the "puncher-or-swinger method", which I advocate.

Joe DiMaggio is certainly regarded as a rotational hitter but he is not same as Mike Piazza.

Although Joe DiMaggio shows a great mechanics, there are hardly number of hitters having a swing like his one in todays baseball scene. Why is that? in todays baseball scene, many hitters have come to adopt small stride like Joe DiMaggio but there swing is undoubtedly different from DiMaggio's it. (Albert Pujols, Mark McGwire, Jeff Bagwell, etc.)




Mike Piazza also has small stride and it can be recognized as no-stride in case of roughly watching. On this point, same thing can be said for Joe DiMaggio and this movie shows his small stride clearly. But in reality, taking a closer look, it can be ascertained that Piazza and DiMaggio do a stride motion and their toe are off the ground slightly.

)

Following the "linear or rotational method", both of two players can be classified as a rotational type. However, since there is obvious difference between their swings, I think another classification method should be adopted for explaining that difference.

In conclusion, Mike Piazza's swing is conforming to the manner of puncher type and Joe DiMaggio's swing is conforming to the manner of swinger type.

CONTENTS

★Special Program   Key of Success for Puncher Type

★Chapter1  Two types of Hitting Mechanics (completed)

★Chapter2  Basic Mechanics of Puncher Type (completed)

★Chapter3  The Automatic Step (completed)

★Chapter4  Classification Based on Motion of Step (completed)

★Break Time1  Excellent Swing Collection

★Chapter5  Fundamental Knowledge of Sports Science

★Chapter6  Batting Stance

★Chapter7  Rocking Motion in the Batting Stance

★Chapter8  Timing for the Automatic-Step

★Chapter9  Batting Tips 1 

★Chapter10 Batting Tips 2

★Chapter11  Et cetera 1

★Chapter12  Et cetera 2

★Chapter13  Et cetera 3

★Chapter14  Physical Training and Stretch 1

★Chapter15  Physical Training and Stretch 2

★Office1  Swing Analyze Corner (Free of charge, Big Leaguer also Welcome) 

★Office2  Column 

★Voice From Baseball World

model Derrek Lee

※Reference  Swing Study