May 7, 1999, Yankee Stadium. The day when Japanese pitchers faced off as starters for the first time in the major leagues. A reporter who covered the match on-site at the time writes about the behind-the-scenes of the legendary match between Hideki Irabu and Mac Suzuki. (Part 1 of 2)
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“I’m not saying you have to lose. I just want you to show your true strength.”
Before the game, Yankees interim manager Don Zimmer gave a pep talk to starting pitcher Irabu Hideki.
Japanese starting pitcher “first ever pitching duel”
May 7, 1999, Yankee Stadium. The opposing starting pitcher was Mac Suzuki of the Mariners. A historic event was about to take place in the stadium known as the mecca of the major leagues, as two Japanese pitchers faced off against each other as starting pitchers for the first time.
Since Hideo Nomo became the pioneer and crossed the ocean in 1995, and Japanese players have followed suit one after another, there have been many Japanese matchups, producing various dramas. Before Irabu vs. Mac, Nomo and Shigetoshi Hasegawa faced off on June 18, 1997, and Irabu and Hasegawa faced off on August 20 of the same year. The more story-driven the matchup is, the more excitement there is in advance for a match between starting pitchers whose appearances are announced in advance. The first match between Japanese starting pitchers was a hot topic not only in Japan but also in the United States before the game even began.
“The starting pitchers are all Japan”
That was the headline that appeared in the New York Post that day.
Irabu, 30, was cornered
Although Irabu and Mack were both Japanese pitchers at the time, they were in completely different positions. Irabu, who was called the Japanese Nolan Ryan and joined the Yankees with much fanfare in 1997, had a tough season in 1999, his third year in the majors. His performance had not improved since spring training, and in his final exhibition game appearance, he made the blunder of failing to cover first base in two consecutive games, which led to the famous owner at the time, the late George Steinbrenner, calling him a “fat toad,” causing a stir.
2024-05-25 14:27:36
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