In the fourth inning, New York starter Masahiro Tanaka (who was born in Japan) had given up back-to-back home runs, and Boston led 4-1. Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild and Shingo Horie (a translator for Tanaka) went to the mound for a quick conversation.
From the NESN broadcast:
Jerry Remy: And it looks like they are taking the trainer and the pitching coach out to take a look at Tanaka. ...("Bend over backwards"??)
Dave O'Brien: It was a relatively quick conversation. Larry Rothchild along with the translator.
Remy: Oh, that's what it was. The translator. I had that wrong. I thought it was the trainer going out there, but I forgot with Tanaka they take out a translator. I don't think that should be legal.
O'Brien: Seriously?
Remy: I really don't.
O'Brien: ... What is it you don't like about that?
Remy: [two seconds of silence] Umm. [three more seconds of silence] Learn baseball language. You know, it's pretty simple. I mean, you break it down pretty easy between pitching coach and pitcher after a long period of time.
O'Brien: [seven seconds of silence] I would say that probably, you know, they're concerned about nuance being lost in some of these conversations, wanting to get it right, one hundred percent, although it was a very quick conversation, as we noted. ...
Remy: I'm probably in a minority on that, you know, my feeling, I just don't think, I don't think it's necessary. I don't know. That's just me.
O'Brien: I know John Farrell has made an effort to learn some Japanese.
Remy: Right.
O'Brien: And a lot of pitching coaches have done that. John was a pitching coach back when Daisuke [Matsuzaka] was a member of the staff. The Red Sox did a lot of things, actually, to bend over backwards for him.
News of Remy's comments was quickly up on the New York Post and New York Daily News websites. The Post asked: "Did Red Sox commentator Jerry Remy really just say that in 2017?" ... The Daily News was not overly impressed with O'Brien's response, stating that O'Brien "slightly challenged the thought".
MLB has permitted translators to join mound conferences since 2013.
An ESPN report stated that after the game, Remy had nothing more to say. "I've got no comment on that. Really." He may find himself being forced to say something tomorrow.
5 comments:
From JoS Game Thread:
jere: "Remy walking a little too close to the 'speak English or die' line there!"
From SoSH Game Thread:
Fishy1: "Learn 'baseball' language, huh. You mean... English?"
paulb0t: "Make Baseball Great Again?"
What advantage does Tanaka have with a translator present during a mound visit versus Pomeranz not requiring a translator? I would be very interested in that response from RemDawg.
I would also be willing to bet that Tanaka knows more English than Remy knows Japanese.
Boston Red Sox spokeswoman: "We do not share the views expressed by Jerry Remy during last nights broadcast."
(Tweeted by Globe columnist Nestor Ramos)
"I would also be willing to bet that Tanaka knows more English than Remy knows Japanese."
My wife is from the same part of Mass. that Remy's from, and the first time I had Thanksgiving dinner with her family, I needed a translator!
My wife is from the same part of Mass. that Remy's from, and the first time I had Thanksgiving dinner with her family, I needed a translator!
Should I assume that they spoke Portuguese? :-)
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