Saito Gone?

[love_that_reefer]

Takashi Saito said he's not certain he wants to pitch in the U.S. again next season.
"At this point, it's the No.1 most difficult question for me to answer," Saito said through a translator. "I've already called my family and told them when I get back to Japan let's sit down and talk about it. Before I came here, all I asked from my family was a one-year opportunity to play in the United States. Now we have to begin a different conversation." Could this be a negotiating ploy? Since Saito has only one year of service time, he'd make little more than the minimum next season under normal circumstances. The threat to head to Japan could secure him a substantial multiyear deal, though since he is turning 37 in February, the Dodgers can only go so far to keep him.

At 36, this guy could get the ROY as he did a fantastic job when Gagne went down, again. The Dodgers need to do what it takes to get him back.

[Dry1313]

He was a beast this year. I can't imagine him not trying to cash out here.

[realmofotalk]

Well, he's not going to get the ROY. Dan Uggla is likely to win it. Saito can always return to Japan, where he would command more money as a veteran player there or if he is homesick, like Kaz Sasaki was.

[love_that_reefer]

Well Saski really sucked his last year and I do agree with you on the ROY. But at 36 yrs old, he will get some votes.

[Saber]

Well, Sasaki had drinking issues too. Saito will be fine with whatever decision he makes. He's shown that he can compete at the highest level, which is pretty much all he wanted.

[HollywoodLeo]

at 36 years old he shouldn't get any votes. (not saying he won't get any votes...although that's a possibility with the class of rookies this year.)

[DirtyKash]

like Shingo Takatsu then?

[Dry1313]

Matsui didn't win...thus no other Japanese/Chinese/Pacific Rim player who defects should either...

[DirtyKash]

Matsui didn't win...thus no other Japanese/Chinese/Pacific Rim player who defects should either...

Great logic there

[Saber]

Makes sense to me.

[Fishercat]

Matsui didn't win...thus no other Japanese/Chinese/Pacific Rim player who defects should either...

Except Sasaki...and Suzuki...and Nomo.

[Dry1313]

I'm saying after...

It was BS Matsui didn't win. Especially because people said he "wasn't really a rookie." Therefore, no other defector from another league should win.

[Fishercat]

Berroa was probably of a similar caliber as Matsui in 2003 and Matsui lost by 4 points. It wasn't a bad snub, if a snub at all.

[HollywoodLeo]

It's BS that Matsui was even considered for Rookie of the Year when he wasn't a rookie.

Nomo, Sasaki, nor Suzuki should've won it either.

[Dry1313]

After the American League Rookie of the Year was announced to be Angel Berrora, not Hideki Mastsui, Georgie Stienbrenner released the following statement:

"While I have great respect for the Baseball Writers' Association of America and all of its contributions to our national game throughout the years, I firmly believe that a great injustice has been done to Hideki Matsui.

Two misguided writers -- Bill Ballou from the Worcester (Mass.) Telegram & Gazette and Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune -- in voting for American League Rookie of the Year, clearly made up their own rules to determine who was and was not eligible for the award and disqualified an eligible candidate who could have won. "

Jim Souhan is a local writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and is frequently on Twins telecasts. Today, Jim Souhan responded to "King George"s comments, and stood his ground.

2 voters left him off their ballots all together...Why? Because he wasn't a rookie to them, even though MLB said he was and was to be considered as one...

Matsui hit .287 with 16 HR, 106 RBI, and a .788 OPS.
Berroa hit .287 with 17 HR, 73 RBI, and a .789 OPS.

Matsui got 16 more hits, and had significantly more RBIs.

Matsui's OPS+ was 111, Berroa's was 96.

Those 2 guys put matsui on there ballots, even in third place, and he ties Berroa for ROY. But they didn't agree with Major League baseball's defintion of a rookie, and thus Matsui was cheated.