Recently, I learned that there are quite a few young people who don't know the extremely famous Christmas song, "White Christmas." I wasn't surprised by this fact, because "White Christmas" is an old song and people have different interests. But then it occurred to me. There are some things about "White Christmas" that even older people don't realize. So, this time I'll be talking about "White Christmas." "White Christmas" was first sung by Bing Crosby, the lead actor in the American film "Holiday Inn" (1942). DVD of the movie “Holiday Inn”( Japanese version) Bing Crosby is extremely famous as a singer and actor, but what is less known is that he was such a big baseball fan that he was even a part-owner of the major league baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bing Crosby's love of baseball is also evident in the American film "Going My Way" (1944), in which he even appears wearing a jumper from the major league baseball team, the St. Louis Browns (the precursor to the current Baltimore Orioles). By the way, "Holiday Inn" was remade in 1954 with a slightly different plot. The title was also changed to "White Christmas." Bing Crosby again stars in the lead role, but Danny Kaye also co-stars. DVD of the movie “White Christmas” (Japanese version) Danny Kaye is also very famous as a singer and actor, but what is less known is that he was once a co-owner of the major league baseball team, the Seattle Mariners. Come to think of it, Rosemary Clooney also appears in the movie "White Christmas." She's the aunt of the popular and handsome actor George Clooney. George Clooney also loves baseball and once tried out for a Major League Baseball team. So, there are three people with ties to Major League Baseball in the movie "White Christmas." ...But the third one might be a bit of a stretch. One final aside: The movie "White Christmas" is an important movie to me, even if I don't take into account the major leagues. The movie features a dance scene of George Chakiris when he was still unknown, before he became a big star in the masterpiece musical "West Side Story." ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

Since this year’s MLB schedule ended, several new managerial and coaching appointments have been announced. Some of these announcements have been what I consider to be rare or bold, such as Kurt Suzuki being named the new manager of the Los Angeles Angels and Tony Vitello being named the new manager of the San Francisco Giants. Kurt Suzuki, who played as a catcher in the major leagues for 16 years, retired in 2022, only three years ago, and he's still young at 42. It's fair to say that Kurt Suzuki is younger than usual for a manager....There’s even a 42-year-old active major leaguer, Justin Verlander. Since retiring, Kurt Suzuki has served as a special assistant to the general manager for the Los Angeles Angels, and has no coaching or managerial experience in either the major or minor leagues. It's probably safe to say that it's rare to appoint someone like this as a manager. To avoid any misunderstandings, I want to say this: I hope Kurt Suzuki will be successful as a manager. He's a third-generation Japanese American, and he played battery with my favorite player, Shohei Ohtani, on the Angels, so I've always felt a sense of affinity with him. The Giants' new manager, Tony Vitello, has had an impressive track record as manager of the University of Tennessee baseball team, but he has never played professional baseball or coached for a professional team. I think this kind of managerial appointment is a very American thing, and I love and admire that kind of America. In Japanese professional baseball, they would never do something so bold and unconventional, and they would never even think about it. I sincerely hope that Tony Vitello will be successful as a Major League manager. Now, there is one man in Major League Baseball whose managerial appointments were rarer, bolder and more unconventional than either Kurt Suzuki or Tony Vitello. It's hard to imagine a rarer, bolder and more unconventional managerial appointment than that. It happened with the New York Yankees. George Steinbrenner passed away in July 2010. He was a very well-known figure who had been the owner of the New York Yankees since 1973. There was one person who was famous for having repeated conflicts with George Steinbrenner: Billy Martin. A masterpiece biography that beautifully portrays the true story of Billy Martin by Bill Pennington (2016, Mariner Books) After playing for the Yankees, Billy Martin played for six teams before retiring in 1961. He then managed a minor league team and three major league teams before being hired by Steinbrenner as manager of the Yankees in 1975. It seems that Billy Martin was said to be an unconventional man. Even during his playing days, he was known for his love of alcohol and quick temper, and was said to have frequently gotten into brawls. It seems that this was the same after he became manager of the Yankees, and he was said to have even gotten into a huge fight on the bench with the owner's favorite key player. In the end, Billy Martin ended up being hired five times by Steinbrenner as manager of the Yankees, and fired five times. It's amazing that Steinbrenner would do something like that, and it's also amazing that Billy Martin would accept it. I think that Billy Martin maintained a strong love for the Yankees. In Japan, many people describe George Steinbrenner as arrogant and eccentric, as he was known for even commenting on players' clothing and beards. However, I quite like him, and I believe he's not as weird as people say, but rather a fun and entertaining character. For example, Steinbrenner appears as himself in the film “The Scout” (1994), where he delivers some very funny, self-deprecating lines with ease and great skill. This is something that someone who is simply unconventional could never do. What I write below should give you an idea of what I think about Billy Martin. When Billy Martin died in a car accident on Christmas Day 1989, it seems that many news articles appeared highlighting his unconventional side, such as his love of alcohol and short temper. However, Bob Greene wrote a heartfelt column that is completely different from those articles. It was a column titled "The Dream Legacy of Billy Marin" that appeared in the Chicago Tribune on December 31, 1989, six days after Billy Marin's death. A collection of Bob Greene’s columns in Japan featuring a wonderful column about Billy Martin, “The Dream Legacy of Billy Martin” (1991, translated by Kyosuke Kikuya, Shueisha Inc., Tokyo, Japan) So, what was in that column?  The town where Bob Greene was born and raised never had a major league baseball team. But in the mid-1950s, the Yankees came to town for an exhibition game. While none of the team's main players showed up, Billy Martin did and played hard. It was like a dream come true for the young Bob Greene. Billy Matin seems to be a special person to Bob Greene. I was born in 1947, the same year as Bob Greene. In 1955, at the age of eight, I went to see a live game at the stadium when the Yankees came to Japan. Billy Martin, a slender infielder, was playing with all his might. He didn't seem to be the slightest bit of a drinker or quick to fight. It was like a dream come true for me. Since then, I've become an avid Major League Baseball fan...Billy Martin is a special person to me too. Bob Greene and I aren't the only ones who think of Billy Martin as a special person. When Billy Martin was manager of Oakland Athletics, he led the team in an aggressive style of baseball that greatly pleased fans. Some people believe this style of baseball to be special, and have named this baseball style "Billy Ball" passing it down to future generations. The word "Billy Ball" appears in many standard English-Japanese dictionaries sold in Japan. It is extremely unusual for a word derived from a Major League Baseball player to appear in a standard English-Japanese dictionary. Apart from Billy Martin, there are very few other Major Leaguers whose names appear in the many standard English-Japanese dictionaries sold in Japan. From what I've researched, the only ones that appear are Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio. Furthermore, there is the American film "Ocean's Thirteen" (2007), which stars popular actors such as George Clooney and Brad Pitt. In the middle of a conversation between the characters, the line "Billy Martin" suddenly appears, seemingly unrelated to the rest of the conversation. People unfamiliar with the history of Major League Baseball seem to have been completely confused by this line. I think that since Billy Martin was fired as manager of the Yankees, he was rehired and given a second chance, so "Billy Martin" is used as slang for "giving someone another chance." I also think that the people who made this film had a special attachment to Billy Martin, and that's why they came up with the new slang term "Billy Martin" to use. DVD of the movie “Ocean’s Thirteen” (Japanese version) This slang term is not yet widespread enough to be included in dictionaries. I sincerely hope that it will one day be included in many standard English-Japanese dictionaries sold in Japan. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

This year, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers was selected as the 2025 National League MVP, unanimously so. As a huge Shohei Ohtani fan, I was thrilled by the result, but I was also surprised. I thought that while Shohei Ohtani might be selected, it wouldn't be a unanimous vote, and that it would be a close race between him and Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies. While Shohei Ohtani, a two-way player, led in metrics like OPS and WAR, he didn’t win any of the three major batting titles (batting average, home runs, RBIs) or the three major pitching titles (wins, earned run average, strikeouts). Meanwhile, Kyle Schwarber was the home run and RBI leader. And both contributed to their teams' division championships. Given that, it's not surprising to think that the MVP would be a close race between the two. However, when the results were announced, Shohei Ohtani was selected unanimously, which surprised me. Come to think of it, I was also surprised and thrilled when, four years ago in 2021, Shohei Ohtani was selected as the MVP by unanimous vote. No one seems to have noticed, but this selection result was unusual and the first of its kind in MLB history. Let's start with that story. A magazine celebrating Shohei Ohtani's remarkable performance in the 2025 regular season (in Japanese, KODANSHA Ltd., 2025) In 2021, Shohei Ohtani, playing for the Los Angeles Angels, had a remarkable season as a two-way player. He even achieved the first-ever "Quintuple 100" record. That is, he had 139 hits, 100 RBIs, and 103 runs as a batter, and 156 strikeouts and 130.1 innings pitched as a pitcher. He also led the American League in WAR. However, he didn't win any of the three major titles in either pitching or batting, and his OPS was second at .964. And his team didn't win a division title (fourth in the West Division). So, while Shohei Ohtani might be named MVP, I thought it would be a close race with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays. Guerrero Jr.'s team also didn't win a division title (fourth in the East Division), but he did win the home run title and led the league in OPS. However, Ohtani was selected unanimously for the American League MVP. I wasn't surprised that Shohei Ohtani was selected, but I was surprised that he received a unanimous vote, as this was unprecedented. Up until that point in Major League history, only 18 players had been selected as MVP by unanimous vote 18 times, and 16 of them had won at least one of the three major titles (batting average, home runs, and RBIs for batters; wins, ERA, and strikeouts for pitchers). The remaining two players hadn't won any of the three major titles but had contributed to their team's division title. In other words, in 2021, Shohei Ohtani became the first player in history to be selected as MVP by unanimous vote despite having neither won any of the three major titles nor been with a team that had won a division title. The reason this was such a groundbreaking achievement is likely because Shohei Ohtani's two-way performance was recognized as being worth that much. Incidentally, even after Shohei Ohtani in 2021, there has not been a single case of a player being selected as MVP by unanimous vote despite not having won any of the three major titles or been with a team that had not won a division title, so Shohei Ohtani must be in a class of his own. Here's a side note. I was deeply moved that Shohei Ohtani, and not Vladimir Guerrero Jr., was named the 2021 American League MVP. The reason for this lies in the selection results of the 2004 American League MVP. In 2004, Ichiro of the Seattle Mariners led the American League in batting average with a .372 batting average (this batting average is still the highest single-year batting average in the major leagues of the 21st century, and it's an amazing record that may never be broken!), and set an astonishing single-year record of 262 hits. He also led the league in WAR, and although Ichiro wasn't number one in OPS and the team was last in the West Division, I thought he deserved to be named the American League MVP. However, the winner was Vladimir Guerrero of the Anaheim Angels (now the Los Angeles Angels) (what a coincidence, he's Guerrero Jr.'s father!), even though Vladimir Guerrero hadn't won any of the three major titles and wasn't number one in the league in OPS or WAR. However, the team did win the division. As a huge Ichiro fan, I was furious at the selection results, thinking, "Why Vladimir Guerrero and not Ichiro?" If the 2021 National League MVP had been Vladimir Guerrero Jr. instead of Shohei Ohtani, I might have thought, "The Guerreros are the nemesis of Japanese players!" I'm glad that didn't happen. At this point, there's something I really want to say about the Guerreros. I have absolutely no ill will towards them; in fact, I like them. I was moved by the sight of Guerrero Jr. crying on the dugout when the Toronto Blue Jays lost to the Dodgers in the 2025 World Series. I was also impressed by what a wonderful father-son relationship they are when I learned that Guerrero Jr. said he wanted to win the World Series and give his father a championship ring, since his father had never experienced it. Now, Shohei Ohtani has been selected as MVP four times, in 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025, all with unanimous votes. In 2021, he didn't win any of the three major titles, his OPS wasn't the top in the league, and his team didn't win the division title, but he led the league in WAR. In 2023, his team didn't win the division title, but he led in home runs and OPS and WAR. In 2024, he led in home runs and RBIs, OPS, and WAR, and his team won the division title. In 2025, he didn't win any of the three major titles, but he led in OPS and WAR, and his team won the division title. Looking at these results, it seems that OPS and WAR are more important than the three major titles or the team winning the division title in MVP selection. Furthermore, the example of Ichiro in 2004 suggests that achieving new record doesn't seem to be as important as OPS or WAR. This is even more evident in the result of this year’s American League MVP selection. Cal Raleigh not only led the league in home runs and RBIs, but also set new records for home runs by a catcher and a switch hitter in a season, yet he wasn't selected as MVP. The MVP was Aaron Judge, who led the league in OPS and WAR. Aaron Judge wasn't unanimous, though, and he was in a close race with Cal Raleigh.. As an avid MLB fan dating back to 1955, I still value the old MVP selection criteria: a team championship, the three major titles, and setting new records. However, times change, and the MVP selection criteria change, so perhaps I need to adjust my thinking accordingly. Finally, I'd like to introduce an incredibly wonderful book. It's a book in which Japanese baseball journalist Yuta Ishida conducts an extensive interview with Shohei Ohtani. The interviews were conducted from 2018, when Ohtani moved to the Major Leagues, until the start of the 2024 season, when he moved to the Dodgers. Since it's a Japanese book, I sincerely hope that an English translation will be published so that people in English-speaking countries can read it too. $2$ An incredibly wonderful interview with Shohei Ohtani by Yuta Ishida (in Japanese, Bungeishunju Ltd., 2024) Reading this book, I was impressed by how intelligent Shohei Ohtani is (he thinks about physical aspects and baseball techniques in an incredibly scientific and logical way!) and how dedicated he is to baseball. In the book, when asked, "What is the indicator for measuring a number one batter?" Shohei Ohtani answers, "Nowadays, it's OPS, right?". When asked another question, he also said, "What I consider important is OPS." As a huge Shohei Ohtani fan, I'm going to start placing more importance on OPS from now on. The book also introduces Shohei Ohtani's idea that "between the ages of 30 and 35, my technique and physical condition will match and I will reach my peak as a player." Shohei Ohtani is now 31 years old, so he may continue to peak for the next four years or so, and continue to perform to the level of an MVP. I'm looking forward to it. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

In the summer of 2010, while on a road trip around the United States, I stopped in Madison County, Iowa, to see Roseman Bridge, the covered bridge made famous by the novel "The Bridges of Madison County " by Robert James Waller. This is an internationally bestselling novel about the love story between a photographer who comes to Madison County to photograph covered bridges and a local married woman. The 1995 film of the same name based on this novel was also a huge hit, starring Clint Eastwood as the photographer So, then. As I entered Madison County, Iowa, and drove toward Roseman Bridge, I passed a place packed with tourists. It was John Wayne's birthplace. Even though it had been more than 30 years since John Wayne's death, he was still incredibly popular. I like John Wayne too, but seeing Roseman Bridge was more important to me than seeing his birthplace, so I just passed it by. When I arrived at Roseman Bridge, I took a lot of photos, feeling like Clint Eastwood in the movie. In the movie, Clint Eastwood uses a Nikon, the kind of camera a professional photographer would use, while I use a small digital camera, but that's a minor difference to me. While I was taking photos, a steady stream of American tourists arrived. It seemed that the popularity of the movie hadn't waned even though it had been 15 years since its release. Roseman Bridge After finishing filming, I returned to my car and stared blankly at a map of Iowa, wondering where I should drive next. Then, I noticed something surprising. Just north of Madison County is Dallas County, and at the southern tip of Dallas County, right on the border with Madison County, is a small city called Van Meter!  I immediately decided to go to Van Meter. Van Meter is the hometown of Bob Feller, one of the greatest pitchers in Major League Baseball history. ...In Japan, Bob Feller's nickname is "Fireball Pitcher" because of his incredibly hard fastball. As I headed to Van Meter, I wondered if Bob Feller would be surprised that a bridge in Madison County near his hometown had become famous around the world, and whether Bob Feller had ever seen Roseman Bridge. He probably had, since it was so close. When I arrived at Van Meter, I found a museum honoring Bob Feller. It was not a large building, but it was very beautiful. A giant baseball placed near the entrance was autographed by Bob Feller. The museum honoring Bob Feller  A large baseball signed by Bob Feller near the museum entrance Bob Feller on the museum's exterior wall Entering the building, there was a souvenir display corner right by the entrance, and the person working there as a receptionist was a middle-aged Caucasian woman. When I told her I was an avid Major League Baseball fan from Japan, she exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my!"  When I asked her how much admission was, she replied, "It's free." I didn't ask if she was offering free admission to me because I had come all the way from Japan, or if it was free for everyone. Exhibits inside the museum Going further inside, I began to look around the exhibits. There were various kinds of items and photographs on display. For example, there were uniforms and baseballs related to Bob Feller, a photo of him at age 17 when he became the youngest regular starting pitcher in Major League Baseball history, photos related to Ted Williams, the only Major Leaguer I ever fell in love with (both Bob Feller and Ted Williams were born in 1918), and footage related to Babe Ruth. But the real highlight was the corner with photos and plaques commemorating his three no-hitter games, one of which was the only no-hitter game in Major League Baseball history to be recorded in an Opening Day game. That Opening Day game was played at Comiskey Park on April 16, 1940, when Bob Feller, pitcher for the Cleveland Indians (now the Guardians), took the mound against the Chicago White Sox, and the Cleveland Indians won 1-0. A corner displaying photos of Bob Feller and Ted Williams  A corner displaying Bob Feller's three no-hitter games After looking around all the exhibits, I returned to the souvenir display corner. There, I found not only Bob Feller-related items such as autographed photos of him, but also panel photos, autographed balls and autographed bats of other Major Leaguers. I bought three autographed photos of Bob Feller for $20 each. One for myself, and two for my two Japanese friends, avid Major League Baseball fans. Me standing near the souvenir display I spent about an hour inside the museum, and during that time, not a single other visitor came in. What a difference from Roseman Bridge. As an avid MLB fan, it is shame that a great pitcher in MLB seems no match for a love story, or John Wayne. In December 2010, a few months after my visit to Van Meter, Bob Feller passed away from leukemia at the age of 92. The museum closed in 2014. The building of the museum was donated to the City of Van Meter in 2015, and today, it serves as the City Hall. In the City Hall, some of the museum’s exhibits are still on display. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

The Los Angeles Dodgers have established the Roy Campanella Award. Each year, players and coaches vote for one player who, like Roy Campanella, demonstrates leadership and spiritual strength within the team. The award was established in 2006, and this year marks its 20th anniversary. It was announced on September 20th that Miguel Rojas has been selected as the 2025 recipient for the second consecutive year, following last year. Besides Rojas, three other players have been selected twice: Clayton Kershaw, Chase Utley, and Justin Turner. Of these three, only two players have won the award twice in a row, like Rojas: Clayton Kershaw (2013, 2014) and Justin Turner (2019, 2020). Chase Utley won the award in 2016 and 2018. The award named after Roy Campanella might not ring a bell among many Japanese Major League Baseball fans. It's fair to say that Roy Campanella is fairly unknown in Japan today; only the most knowledgeable Major League Baseball fans might even know his name. This isn't the case in the United States, where I believe he's a widely known figure (right?), so I'll give a very brief introduction. Roy Campanella (nickname: Campy) played in the Negro Leagues before signing a minor league contract with the Dodgers in 1946. He made his major league debut with the Dodgers in 1948, a year after Jackie Robinson made his major league debut with the Dodgers in 1947. Roy Campanella went on to have a successful career as a great catcher, winning the RBI title once and being named the season MVP three times. However, a traffic accident before the start of the 1958 season left him paralyzed from the waist down, forcing him to use a wheelchair and eventually retiring. He passed away in 1993 at the age of 71. He was also inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. He was the second African-American to receive this honor, after Jackie Robinson. Furthermore, in 1972, Roy Campanella's uniform number 39 was retired by the Dodgers. It's such a shame that so many Japanese Major League Baseball fans are unaware of such a great player, one whose name will forever go down in history. An incredibly wonderful biography about Roy Campanella by Neil Lanctot (2012, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks) Here, I'd like to write a little bit of my personal experience. In the fall of 1956, when I was nine years old, the Dodgers (then the Brooklyn Dodgers) came to Japan and played 19 games against teams such as the All-Japan team. I looked up the game results and individual stats and found that the Dodgers had 13 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw, with Roy Campanella, who was part of the visiting team, hitting four home runs. I watched their first game in Japan live at the stadium. It seems Roy Campanella played from start to finish in that game as catcher, but I don't remember a single thing about Roy Campanella's play. I think the reason for this was probably the presence of Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson, who was among the visiting team, was famous in Japan as the first black major leaguer, and he hit a home run in the first game I was watching. So Jackie Robinson made a strong impression on me. What's more, Jackie Robinson retired after returning to the United States from Japan, which made it an even stronger memory for me. It's really pathetic and disappointing that I don't remember anything about Roy Campanella's play, even though I had the opportunity to see him play live. Nowadays, when I hear the name Roy Campanella, I immediately think of the movie actor George Clooney. You're probably wondering why that is, so let me explain why. First of all, it's important to note that I love George Clooney. There are three reasons why I love him so much. 1) Clooney is very cool. 2) Clooney must love baseball, as he even tried out for a Major League Baseball team. 3) Clooney himself has said that he has always felt a sense of affinity with Japan. Well, there's the movie "Good Night, and Good Luck" (2005), directed and written by my favorite Clooney who also starred in it. This film is set in the 1950s, when an extreme anti-communist movement broke out in the United States, threatening democracy and infuriating the people. It's a masterpiece that depicts Ed Murrow (a journalist who worked on the national television network CBS) who boldly fought against this movement. There's a cool and wonderful scene in this film that really impresses me, an avid Major League Baseball fan. It's a scene depicting CBS in October 1953, where one staff member gives instructions to another staff regarding Roy Campanella, who is mentioned in the TV show. ...Using Roy Campanella to convey the atmosphere of 1953 is truly appropriate  and brilliant! That's because in 1953, Roy Campanella had a spectacular season with a .312 batting average, 142 RBIs, and 41 home runs, and was selected as the MVP. His 41 home runs that year was the major league record for home runs by a catcher in a season at the time (now the record for a catcher is 60, set by Cal Raleigh in 2025). DVD of the movie “Good Night, and Good Luck” (Japanese version) George Clooney is truly impressive for writing a script that includes such a cool scene. It just makes me love Clooney even more. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

This year, in 2025, I was both amazed and deeply impressed by what Seattle Mariners catcher and switch-hitter Cal Raleigh accomplished. In 1970, Johnny Bench set the record for most home runs by a catcher in a single season with 45. In 2021, Salvador Pérez, who surpassed Bench's record, had 48 home runs. Cal Raleigh has now achieved the incredible feat of breaking that record with 60 home runs. His 60 home runs also surpassed Ken Griffey Jr.'s previous record of 56 in 1997 and 1998, which was the most home runs by a Seattle Mariners player at any defensive position in history. My sister wearing a T-shirt purchased through Amazon. However, what surprised and impressed me the most was that Cal Raleigh broke Mickey Mantle's record for most home runs in a single year by a switch hitter, 54, set in 1961. I never thought a switch hitter would emerge who could break the record set by Mickey Mantle, the greatest switch hitter of all time. A wonderful biography of Mickey Mantle by Jane Leavy (2011, Harper Perennial)  What Cal Raleigh achieved this year, in 2025, is so amazing that it is hard to praise him highly enough!  I would like to give him a heartfelt round of applause. Having said that, I would like to add something about Cal Raleigh. I think he has a "strange" characteristic. In the history of Major League Baseball, seven players have hit 60 or more home runs in a season, a total of 10 times, including Cal Raleigh in 2025. Of those 10 times, five times had a respectable batting average of over .300. Of the remaining five times, the worst was Cal Raleigh’s .247 in 2025. This ranked 44th out of 65 qualified players in the American League (AL) in 2025. Qualified players are players who have reached the required number of plate appearances to compete for batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and other percentages. Of the 10 times mentioned above, the next worst batting average after Cal Raleigh was .269 by Roger Maris, who hit 61 home runs in 1961, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 for the first time. This .269 ranked 28th out of 49 qualified players in the AL in 1961. Furthermore, of these 10 times, Cal Raleigh in 2025 had the lowest on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS, and also had the most strikeouts. Some people may find this surprising, but there are other surprising things about Cal Raleigh. Before I write about that, there is something important I want to say about the seven players who hit 60 or more home runs in a year. Of these seven, Roger Maris and Cal Raleigh are the only ones who never hit 40 or more home runs in a season before the year in which they hit 60 or more home runs. And Roger Maris is the only one who never hit 40 or more home runs in a season after hitting 60 or more home runs....Mark McGwire had not a year with 40 or more home runs since hitting 63 home runs in 1999, but he did hit 70 home runs in 1998, making him two consecutive years with more than 60 home runs, so that's not the case for Roger Maris. This means that Cal Raleigh, whose batting average in 2025 was lower than Roger Maris' batting average in 1961, may be worried about whether he'll be able to hit 40 or more home runs next year and beyond. And now, other surprising things about Cal Raleigh. In the history of Major League Baseball, 34 players have hit 50 or more home runs in a season, a total of 53 times, including Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber, and Shohei Ohtani in 2025. Of these 53 times, the lowest batting average is .240, owned by Kyle Schwarber, who hit 56 home runs in 2025, followed by Cal Raleigh's .247 in 2025. This means that even among players who have hit 50 or more home runs in a year, Cal Raleigh's batting average is not the lowest, but it is still exceptionally low. Furthermore, of these 53 times, the lowest on-base percentage was Andruw Jones in 2005 (51 home runs, .347 on-base percentage), the next lowest was Pete Alonzo in 2019 (53 home runs, .358 on-base percentage), and the third lowest was Cal Raleigh in 2025 (60 home runs, .359 on-base percentage). Without going into details, out of these 53 times, Cal Raleigh’s slugging percentage and OPS in 2025 were both 50th, he had the third most strikeouts, and his SO/AB (strikeouts divided by at-bats, indicating how many at-bats a batter strikes out at once. The lower this value, the more likely a batter is to strike out) was third lowest. As you can probably tell by now, among players who have hit 50 or more home runs, Cal Raleigh stands out as a player whose stats other than home runs are not good. Furthermore, let's consider Cal Raleigh from the perspective of new stats that are currently popular among Major League Baseball aficionados in the United States. It's safe to say that Cal Raleigh’s batting average has been gradually improving, albeit only slightly. To give you some specific numbers, in 2023, the year he became a qualified player for the first time, it was .232 (53rd out of 58 qualified players in the AL), and in 2024 it was .220 (53rd out of 57 qualified players in the AL). In 2025, it was .247 (44th out of 65 qualified players in the AL). However, things change completely when we look at BABIP. Here, for those who are unfamiliar with the new Major League Baseball stats, let me briefly explain what BABIP is. If a batter hits a home run, his batting average naturally increases, and if he strikes out, his batting average naturally decreases. Simply put, BABIP is the batting average calculated excluding home runs and strikeouts. In other words, it shows the batting performance when not hitting home runs or striking out. Even though Cal Raleigh’s batting average for all at-bats, including home runs and strikeouts, has gradually improved, his BABIP has gradually worsened. In 2023 it was .273 (52nd out of 58 qualified players in the AL), in 2024 it was .251 (52nd out of 57 qualified players in the AL), and in 2025 it was .248 (65th out of 65 qualified players in the AL, lowest ranking). Next, let's look at Exit Velocity (EV). This is the speed of the batted ball. Cal Raleigh’s average EV in 2025 was 91.3 MPH, ranking 46th in the major leagues in 2025, and his EV50 (the average speed of the hardest 50% of his batted balls) was 103.0 MPH, ranking 35th in the major leagues. Both are strangely low for Cal Raleigh, who has hit the most home runs in the major leagues in 2025. However, the picture changes dramatically when we look at Barrel/BBE% and Barrel/PA%. Barrel refers to the zone where the combination of batted ball’s speed and angle makes it more likely to result in a long hit, such as a home run. BBE (Batted Ball Event) represents any batted ball that produced some kind of result. This includes outs, hits including home runs, and errors. It does not include foul balls that did not result in out. PA is an abbreviation for plate appearance. Barrel/BBE% is the percentage of the batted balls that resulted in a barrel among BBE. Cal Raleigh‘s Barrel/BBE% in 2025 was 19.5, ranking 4th in the major leagues and second in the AL. Cal Raleigh’s Barrel/PA% in 2025 was 11.3, sixth in the major leagues and second in the AL. Both are pretty good. Here are the new stats rankings for the three players other than Cal Raleigh who hit 50 or more home runs in 2025, so you can see the similarities and differences that are interesting between Cal Raleigh and them. First, Aaron Judge. His BABIP was tops in the AL, his average EV and EV50 were both second in the major leagues. His Barrel/BBE% and Barrel/PA% were both tops in the major leagues. A concise but well-written biography of Aaron Judge by Clayton Geoffreys (2020) Kyle Schwarber's BABIP was 72nd out of 73 qualified players in the National League (NL), his average EV and EV50 were both fifth in the major leagues, his Barrel/BBE% was third in the major leagues and second in the NL, and his Barrel/PA% was fourth in the major leagues and third in the NL. Shohei Ohtani's BABIP was 17th in the NL, his EV was third in the major leagues, his EV50 was fourth in the major leagues, and his Barrel/BBE% and Barrel/PA% were both second in the major leagues and first in the NL. The cover of a unique and interesting book that teaches English through the achievements of Shohei Ohtani (2024, Author: Masaki Tachikawa, Publisher: Asukashinsha Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) From everything I've written so far, you can see Cal Raleigh’s “strange” characteristic as a batter. That characteristic is that his batting performance is not particularly impressive except when he hits home runs. You could even say that he is a rare batter who hits a lot of home runs despite having mediocre batting statistics. And even among batters who hit a lot of home runs, this characteristic of Cal Raleigh stands out. Cal Raleigh is such a “strange” hitter, but he is also a great hitter who set an incredible home run record in 2025. I'm interested to see how many home runs Cal Raleigh will hit from 2026 onwards. In writing this column, I used data from MLB.com and https://baseballsavant.mlb.com . I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to both. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

During the summer of 2010, I took a road trip across the United States. On that trip, I visited a place I had always wanted to see: the town of Commerce, located in northeastern Oklahoma. Baseball fans will immediately recognize this name. Yes, it's famous as the hometown of Mickey Mantle. Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees in the 1950s and 60s and is considered the greatest switch-hitter in Major League Baseball history. His 536 career home runs rank 18th all-time in MLB, but first among switch-hitters. It's unlikely that any other switch-hitter will ever surpass this record. In 1956, he won the Triple Crown. Mickey Mantle is the only switch-hitter in MLB history to win the Triple Crown. Furthermore, his 52 home runs that year are the most ever for a Triple Crown winner (he is the only player to reach 50 home runs while winning the Triple Crown). In 1961, Mickey Mantle's 54 home runs were the most ever for a switch-hitter in a single season, a record that stood for 64 years until Cal Raleigh broke it in 2025 with 60. Incidentally, Mickey Mantle was on the Yankees team that visited Japan in 1955.  I was 8 years old and saw him play live at the stadium. I still remember being amazed and impressed by his power. A street named after Mickey Mantle Anyway, I drove along the roads of Oklahoma, surrounded by flat land. I arrived in Commerce in the evening. I ​​was exhausted and just wanted to relax, so I checked into a motel immediately. The next morning, I started by taking a leisurely drive around Commerce to get a general idea of ​​what the town was like. I had assumed Mickey Mantle's hometown would be a small town, but I was surprised to find it quite large. You really can't know the truth until you actually visit a place. Just as I was about to start exploring more thoroughly, I noticed something. The main street (or rather, what seemed to be the main street, since I wasn't entirely sure which one it was) was named "Mickey Mantle." I wanted to take a photo of the road name "Mickey Mantle." Since the street name was clearly marked at the intersection, I figured standing in the middle of the intersection would be the best way to take the picture. So, I made up my mind. I was ready to risk my life, even if a car might come and end it all. ...That's a complete lie. There were so few cars on the road that taking the picture was incredibly easy and effortless. Now, the real sightseeing began. First, I wanted to see the house where Mickey Mantle spent his childhood. It should be well preserved. But I didn't know where it was. In such cases, it's best to ask a police officer in a patrol car. However, I couldn't find a patrol car. So, I decided to ask at a gas station. When I introduced myself to the white woman working at the gas station, she looked surprised and asked, "You came all the way from Japan just to see Mickey Mantle's house?" She even drew a very clear map for me. While driving slowly along the map, I noticed something. There was a small baseball field by the side of the road, and I thought I saw the word "Mantle" on a shed next to it. Maybe it was a baseball field named after Mickey Mantle. I had to check it out. I immediately stopped the car. It was a Little League baseball field. Built in 1955, the baseball field was renamed "Mutt Mantle Field" in 1994 to commemorate Mickey Mantle's father (known as Mutt). I was a little surprised to find out that the baseball field was named after Mickey Mantle's father, not Mickey Mantle himself. But that surprise quickly faded. I remembered the famous story about the Mantle family. Mutt, a coal miner, would come home from work every day and diligently teach his son Mickey baseball until it got dark. …I think it's wonderful that a Little League baseball field is named after a father like that. Mutt Mantle Field I drove again, heading towards the house where Mickey Mantle spent his childhood. While driving, I noticed something. It wasn't a neat, suburban neighborhood with rows of middle-class American homes, but rather a somewhat gloomy-looking area. The roads were narrow and the pavement was rough The house was located a little further back from the road. A small, one-story wooden house. The house where Mantle lived with his parents and four siblings for ten years, from age three to thirteen. The door was locked, and I couldn't go inside. But I could see inside through the windows as I walked around the house. All the rooms I could see were small. The house where Mickey Mantle spent his childhood A plaque was attached to the locked door. It described a story that every baseball fan knows. ...When Mickey was five or six years old, his father Mutt would come home from work and have Mickey practice batting in the backyard every day, until it got dark. Sometimes his grandfather would join in the practice. His father threw the ball to Mickey with his right hand, while his grandfather threw it with his left hand (this would later lead to the creation of the greatest switch-hitter in MLB history). His father's dream was to make Mickey a top-class baseball player. That dream came true, and Mickey Mantle, “The Oklahoma Comet," played brilliantly for the Yankees and became a great American icon. Next, I visited "Mickey Mantle Field," named in Mickey Mantle's honor. Mickey Mantle Field It was well-maintained, with a neat fence surrounding the field and the grass and dirt in good condition. When I visited, there was no game, and no one was around. I took some photos, walking around the stadium to capture it from different angles. Then, behind the backstop, I made an unexpected discovery: a statue of Mickey Mantle. I had no idea it existed! ...It's always important to look behind things. A statue of Mickey Mantle When I saw the statue, I thought, "Is this really all they could do for a statue of Mickey Mantle?" Mickey Mantle was the greatest switch-hitter in MLB history, yet the statue only showed him batting right-handed. "If I could pose next to the statue batting left-handed, that would be perfect," I thought. "And if someone could take a picture, that would be even better!" I spotted an older white man walking nearby and asked him to take a picture. I posed next to the statue, and he took a picture with my digital camera. The man took a photo with my digital camera. I immediately looked at the photo and saw that it was backlit and the statue and I looked too small. But I couldn't complain since someone else took the photo for me. Me, practicing batting as a left-handed hitter, standing next to the Mickey Mantle statue. When I look at this photo now, I can't help but feel overwhelmed with emotion. It shows me swinging a bat next to Mickey Mantle, the man I was so moved to see at the baseball stadium when I was eight years old. It's a wonderful, memorable photo for me. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

One hundred years ago, in 1925, a remarkable event took place in Major League Baseball. This year, 2025, marks the 100th anniversary of that event, yet it's not even mentioned in Japan. What about in the United States? That remarkable event was Rogers Hornsby winning the Triple Crown. This was Hornsby's second Triple Crown. He was the first player in Major League Baseball history to win the Triple Crown twice (later Ted Williams was the only player to do so twice). Furthermore, his batting average that year was over .400, making him the last Triple Crown winner to do so. Furthermore, his Triple Crown win that year was the only one in Major League Baseball history to do so while also serving as a manager. A great biography of Rogers Hornsby by Charles C. Alexander (1995, Henry Holt and Company, Inc.). This biography makes no mention of F. Scott Fitzgerald or "The Great Gatsby"  (apologies if I missed any). I've been an avid Major League Baseball fan since I was eight years old, but since high school I've also developed a strong interest in American literature. For me, 1925, 100 years ago, marks the publication of a masterpiece novel that will remain in the history of American literature: F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby." The Japanese translation of “The Great Gatsby” by Haruki Murakami. Haruki Murakami, a world-famous novelist, has also translated numerous American literary works into Japanese. His translation of “The Great Gatsby” has led many young people in Japan to read it. Whenever I visit the United States, I always make it a point to spend an entire day in a large bookstore. This is because I want to keep up with the latest American publishing trends in all genres. About 10 years ago, I spent an entire day in one large bookstore. The walls and pillars of the store were adorned with large posters of famous authors' masterpieces. Among them, there were three authors who had two of their works on display: Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls," John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" and "Of Mice and Men," and F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" and "This Side of Paradise." Of these, only "The Great Gatsby" was on display in two places. Although this was merely an experience in one bookstore, I was impressed by the special treatment that "The Great Gatsby" received as a masterpiece in the United States. Two men from completely different fields accomplished great things that will go down in history 100 years ago, and these two, Rogers Hornsby and F. Scott Fitzgerald, were both born in 1896. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote some great novels, but he is said to have lived a flamboyant lifestyle, become addicted to alcohol, and even started writing screenplays to make money...Some say he only had one film credit. However, he seemed to have recognized the importance of baseball in American culture and seems to have been a baseball fan. Therefore, F. Scott Fitzgerald would have known that Rogers Hornsby had won the Triple Crown for the second time in 1925, the year he published “The Great Gatsby”, and he likely acknowledged that Rogers Hornsby was a great baseball player. On the other hand, Rogers Hornsby is said to have never drunk alcohol, and also to have never read books or watched movies because he thought it was bad for his eyes. So, I think he had no interest in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novels and film. “The Great Gatsby” is undoubtedly a masterpiece that will be read by many, but I don't think every literary fan will be moved by it. Some may dislike its overflowing sentimentality. But I'm sure every Major League Baseball fan will be moved and continue to talk about Rogers Hornsby's records: he won the Triple Crown twice, led the batting average seven times, batted in the .400 range three times, and had the highest career batting average of .358 for a right-handed hitter... Rogers Hornsby is said to be the greatest right-handed hitter in Major League history, and I agree. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

It's fair to say that pitchers hold the key to victory or defeat in the short-term World Series. Therefore, it's important to select the right pitchers. To do this, it's essential to avoid any eccentricities and select pitchers in a way that everyone can accept. However... There are two American films that I always think of during World Series season. Both films feature scenes about the World Series, but in both cases, I can't help but think that the pitcher selection was strange. First, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975). This film won multiple Academy Awards and is still considered a masterpiece. DVD of the movie “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”(Japanese version) This film is based on the novel of the same name, published by Ken Kesey in 1962. This novel depicts the protagonist, who pretends to be ill, repeatedly engaging in anti-establishment behavior in a mental hospital through the eyes of his fellow, a Native American, and is a scathing criticism of the American social system. It's truly a wonderful masterpiece. In this original novel, the protagonist, an avid baseball fan, begs the hospital to let him watch the World Series on TV, but is refused. However, the anti-establishment protagonist sits in front of a blank TV and ostentatiously pretends to be watching the World Series. This World Series scene also appears in the film, but it's quite different from the novel. The novel doesn't say which World Series it is (the context makes it impossible to determine which World Series it is), but the film depicts it as what can only be the 1963 World Series between the Yankees and the Dodgers. Sitting in front of the blank TV, the protagonist not only pretends to be watching the game, but also loudly imitates the live broadcast of Game 2, beginning with, "Koufax. Koufax kicks. He delivers." The Dodgers pitcher is Sandy Koufax. But there's no way Koufax would pitch in Game 2. That year, Koufax won the Triple Crown for pitchers in the regular season (most wins, best ERA, most strikeouts). It was obvious that such an ace pitcher would have finished pitching in Game 1. And that's exactly what happened. Furthermore, Koufax set a new World Series record with 15 strikeouts in Game 1. It's odd that the protagonist, an avid baseball fan, wouldn't know that. “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey (Japanese translation version,1996,  translated by Iwao Iwamoto, publisher: Fuzanbo,Tokyo, Japan) A compact, unique and excellent biography of Sandy Koufax. “Sandy Koufax: A Lefty Legacy” by Jane Leavy (2010, Harper Perennial) Next, I'll talk about an American movie about the Atlanta Braves' World Series. The American movie "Nights in Rodanthe" (2008) is a love story between a middle-aged man and woman. As the woman, pretending to be Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz, throws a can of food into a trash can, the man nearby says, "World Series last game. He wins! They win!" This is a pretty heartwarming scene, but I think it's strange. The Braves, with John Smoltz on their team, have only won the World Series once, in 1995, but the final pitcher in that game that decided the championship wasn't Smoltz, but rather closer Mark Wohlers. No matter how heartwarming a scene in a love story, please don't say anything that could change history. DVD of the movie “Nights in Rodanthe”(Japanese version） Every World Series has its own history, so I hope they'll handle it accurately. And it's difficult to win the World Series if you choose the wrong pitcher. However, most people will probably say to me, "You're so fussy." That may be true. Maybe I should reflect on the fact that I was too hung up on the small details. Now that I've reflected on this, there's something I'd like to say. The two American films I've mentioned here are not diminished in value by the issues I've pointed out. Most people will probably just find the scenes I've mentioned amusing. Finally, regarding the issues I’ve pointed out, I'm worried that I may have just misunderstood something and there may not be any problem with the film. If so, please let me know and I'll correct it right away. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

It's fair to say that Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are the two most representative superstars in Major League Baseball today. These two players performed remarkably well this year during the 2025 regular season, though both also had their share of disappointments. This time, I'd like to look back on their accomplishments and disappointments. A concise but well-written biography of Aaron Judge by Clayton Geoffreys (2020) A press photo collection of Shohei Ohtani from the first half of 2024 ( in Japanese, Sports Nippon Newspapers Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, 2024) (A) Home runs. Judge hit 53 home runs, and Ohtani 55. Both players also achieved the feat of hitting 50 or more home runs in two consecutive years, making them only the sixth and seventh players in Major League history to achieve this feat. The previous five players were Babe Ruth, Ken Griffey Jr., Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Alex Rodriguez. Looking at these five names, did you notice anything interesting about Judge and Ohtani's record of hitting 50 or more home runs in two consecutive years?  That is, Judge is the first right-handed batter to achieve this feat, with no suspicion of steroid use. Ohtani is the third left-handed batter to do so, but the first left-handed hitting and right-handed throwing player to do so. Some may wonder why such things are interesting, but I am very interested in the differences between left-handed and right-handed batters, and the differences in handedness. I plan to publish a column on this website in the future that explains the reasons in detail. Despite both Judge and Ohtani hitting 50 or more home runs for the second consecutive year, neither of them led the league in home runs this year, finishing second. Some fans seem to be disappointed that Judge could have led the league if he had not missed games due to injury. ...Cal Raleigh, the American League's home run leader, played in 159 games and had 705 plate appearances. Judge, who is second, played in 152 games and had 679 plate appearances. There are also fans who are disappointed about "something" about Ohtani. What’s more, a considerable number of fans are disappointed. It's probably fair to say that all Ohtani fans in Japan are disappointed by that "something." That "something" is that with two games remaining in the regular season, Ohtani was just two homers behind Kyle Schwarber, the National League's home run leader, but he didn't play in that game. Ohtani played in the final game of the regular season the following day and hit a home run, narrowing the gap to Schwarber by one. If he had played the previous day, he might have tied for first place or even taken the lead. However, I think fans of Judge and Ohtani should accept that it was only natural that they didn't reach the top. There's a reason for that: AB/HR. This is the number of at-bats (AB) divided by the number of home runs (HR), and it tells us the average number of at-bats it takes to hit one home run. The lowest AB/HR ratio in the American League this year was Cal Raleigh's 9.93, followed by Judge's 10.21. The lowest ratio in the National League was Kyle Schwarber's 10.79, followed by Ohtani's 11.11. This means that in both leagues, the players with the most home runs also had the lowest AB/HR ratios, meaning they took the fewest average at-bats to hit one home run. This is a perfectly reasonable result. Here, I would like to introduce some useful data. Judge has led the league in home runs three times (2017, 2022, 2024), and in each of those years, he also had the lowest AB/HR ratio in the league. Ohtani has led the league in home runs twice (2023, 2024), and in each of those years, he also had the lowest AB/HR ratio in the league. Knowing this data, fans may find it even more natural that neither of them led the league in home runs this year. (B) Stolen Bases Judge stole 12 bases this year. This is the third time he's had double-digit stolen bases, following 16 in 2022 and 10 in 2024. Such a record wouldn't be particularly noteworthy in the major leagues, and fans likely aren't particularly expecting him to steal bases. Meanwhile, Ohtani stole 20 bases this year. This is his seventh time with double-digit stolen bases in the eight years since his major league debut, and third after 59 in 2024 and 21 in 2021. He also achieved the unprecedented feat of hitting 50 or more home runs and stealing 20 or more bases in two consecutive years. ... Four players have achieved 50 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases just once (Willie Mays in 1955, Brady Anderson in 1996, Ken Griffey Jr. in 1998, and Alex Rodriguez in 2007), but Ohtani is the first player to achieve this feat twice. But I'm dissatisfied. Last year, Ohtani became the first player in Major League history to achieve the 50-50 mark (50 home runs and 50 stolen bases). Regarding this, I wrote a column titled " Shohei Ohtani's 50-50 : Its Historical Significance and His Future Challenges " and published it on this website. My dissatisfaction relates to something I mentioned in that column. Please read that column for details. Here, I will briefly mention that something. Ohtani had never achieved 40-40 or 30-30, but last year he suddenly achieved 50-50. However, I hope that he will achieve 30-30 multiple times so that even 100 years from now, everyone will recognize Ohtani as a man worthy of being the first player in Major League history to achieve 50-50. This year, Ohtani was 10 stolen bases short of 30-30. Is this due to the impact of his left shoulder dislocation in last year's World Series?  From now on, if Ohtani plays as a two-way player rather than solely as a hitter, achieving 30-30 may become even more difficult. Even so, I, as an Ohtani fanatic, hope to see Ohtani achieve 30-30 multiple times. Shohei Ohtani on the cover of the highly popular Japanese magazine "Sports Graphic Number" (in Japanese, Bungeishunju Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, August 28, 2025) (C) Strikeouts and Batting Average This year, Ohtani struck out 187 times, third highest in the league. His AB/SO (number of at-bats divided by number of strikeouts, which tells us the average number of at-bats to strike out once. The higher this value, the less likely a batter is to strike out) is 3.27. This is clearly worse than last year. Last year, in 2024, he struck out 162 times, ranking 15th in the league, with an AB/SO of 3.93. This change roughly corresponds to the change in his batting average. Last year, Ohtani's batting average was .310, second in the league, but this year it has dropped to .282, ranking 13th in the league. I previously published a column on this website titled "Strikeouts and Hits." In it, I wrote that in the modern Major League Baseball, which began in 1901, all players with the highest batting average in each league had an AB/SO of over 4. In other words, if you strike out once every four at-bats, you can't be the top batting average player. Ohtani's AB/SO of 3.93 last year was his personal best since his Major League debut, and it was also his best batting average and batting ranking. Last year, he was second in batting average, just .004 off the leader, and his AB/SO of 3.93 was just shy of 4.00, so this is a reasonable result. However, with an AB/SO like this year, it may be difficult to rank high in batting average. Meanwhile, Judge's 160 strikeouts this year rank him 11th in the league. While not as many as Ohtani, his strikeout numbers are still high. His AB/SO of 3.38 isn't much different from Ohtani's 3.27, meaning he strikes out more than once every four at-bats. And yet, Judge had the best batting average in the league this year!  This is the first time in modern Major League history that a player has led the batting average with an AB/SO below 4. So, why is Judge, who has so many strikeouts, able to lead the batting average? I think it's difficult to clearly explain this. From here on, this may be comprehensible only to those familiar with the latest Major League Baseball stats. So, if you're not familiar with that sort of thing, please ignore what I write next. I thought that BABIP might be the key to explaining why Judge, who strikes out so much, has the highest batting average, so I looked into it. Judge's batting average this year is .331, the best in the league, and his BABIP is also .376, the best in the league. Judge's BABIP has improved every year, and his batting average has improved accordingly. For example, four years ago in 2021, his BABIP was .322, ranking 16th in the league, and his batting average was .287, ranking 13th. Compare this to his batting average, batting average ranking, and BABIP this year, and the difference is clear, even though his 158 strikeouts and AB/SO of 3.48 in 2021 are not significantly different from this year. Incidentally, Ohtani's BABIP this year was .315, ranking 17th in the league. This year, there was not much difference between Ohtani and Judge's strikeout count and AB/SO, but there was a big difference in their BABIP. And there was a big difference in their batting averages and batting average ranking. So why is Judge's BABIP so good that it's number one in the league? Do Barrel/PA % and Barrel/BBE % have anything to do with it? In 2021, Judge's Barrel/PA% and Barrel/BBE% were not the best in the league, but from 2022 onwards, both of him have been the best in the league. However, because these two metrics include home runs, hitters with a lot of home runs will rank high even if their batting average or BABIP is not good. For example, this year Ohtani's batting average, batting average ranking, and BABIP ranking were not good, but he hit a lot of home runs, so his Barrel/PA% and Barrel/BBE% are both the best in the league. From now on, isn't it necessary to properly investigate Barrel% in conjunction with BABIP? If anyone can clearly explain why Judge was able to lead the batting average this year despite striking out so much, I'd love to hear it. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

I have two CDs by the American rock band "The Mendoza Line." The only reason I bought them was because the band's name was derived from a famous phrase in Major League Baseball. But now I love this band because they have so many songs that really touch my heart. CD of “Fortune” by The Mendoza Line (Cooking Vinyl) CD of “I Like You When You’re Not Around” by The Mendoza Line (Sony Records) Very few Japanese Major League Baseball fans know the term "Mendoza Line." However, I'm sure American Major League Baseball fans are well-acquainted with it (right?), so I'll briefly explain it just in case. There was a Major Leaguer named Mario Mendoza who played for three teams from the 1970s to the 1980s. He was an infielder, primarily playing shortstop. His defense was average, but his batting wasn't great. His career batting average over his nine years in the major leagues was .215, with five seasons where his batting average was below .200. As a result, major leaguers have come to feel embarrassed when their name appears below Mendoza's in the batting average charts that appear in the sports section of newspapers. In other words, Mendoza's batting average came to be considered the minimum line a batter should never fall below, the Mendoza Line. Specifically, players whose batting average falls below .200 are said to be below the Mendoza Line. Since the 1980s, good batting performance has been expected of players regardless of their defensive position or how good they are at defense, so it's safe to say that players with batting averages below .200 are rarely used as regular roster spots. By the way, like many Japanese people, I love Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. He has a cheerful personality, is always eager to win, and I feel a special affinity with him because his mother is Japanese. While I don't want to say anything negative about Dave Roberts, I had some complaints I really wanted to express regarding his use of a player during this regular season. I know it's very presumptuous and disrespectful of me, an amateur, to complain about how a Major League Baseball manager uses his players. My complaint has to do with the Mendoza Line. Manager Dave Roberts frequently used Michael Conforto during this year's regular season. Although Conforto did not reach the minimal number of plate appearances (502) to qualify for the batting titles, he played in 138 games, totaling 486 plate appearances. It's fair to say he was treated like a regular player. However, Conforto's batting average was below .200 for most of the season (though he occasionally reached .200), and he ultimately finished the season below the Mendoza Line at .199. Of the 177 players with at least 450 plate appearances this season, Conforto was the only one to have a batting average below the Mendoza Line. Among the 145 players who reached the minimal plate appearances (502) to qualify for the batting titles this season, the lowest batting average was Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, at .200, but Cruz led the National League in stolen bases with 38. While there are almost no players hitting below the Mendoza Line these days, it doesn't mean they've completely disappeared. A prime example is Joey Gallo in 2021. He reached the minimal number of plate appearances (502) to qualify for the batting titles, but his batting average was .199, the same as Conforto this season. However, he hit 38 home runs, compared to Conforto's 12 this year. I'd like to ask Dave Roberts why he used Michael Conforto so often and what he thinks about the Mendoza Line. Dave Roberts played as a major leaguer for 10 years from 1999, but during that time, his batting average never fell below .200. The only year he reached the minimal number of plate appearances (502) to qualify for the batting titles was in 2006, and his batting average that year was .293. He was a player who had nothing to do with the Mendoza Line. ( If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)

In the summer of 2011, I was driving around the US, mainly in Alabama and Mississippi, but I decided to take a quick trip to Texas as well. There was a place I really wanted to visit. Hubbard, Texas, is a rural town with a population of less than 2,000 people. It is the hometown of Tris Speaker, who played in the major leagues from 1907 to 1928 and left a great record. Speaker's career batting average of .345 is the sixth best in the history of the major leagues, and his career hits of 3,514 are the fifth best in the history of the major leagues. Speaker was born and raised in Hubbard and graduated from the local Hubbard High School. And Hubbard High School has an exhibition corner commemorating Speaker, a graduate of the school. So, as an avid fan of the major leagues, it would be a shame not to visit it at least once. The front of the Hubbard High School building When I arrived at Hubbard, I was able to find Hubbard High School right away. The school building was a beautiful, brick building. A wall display on the Hubbard High School building I tried to open the front door to go inside. However, the door was locked. What's going on? Are they not letting me in because it's summer vacation? I noticed a small piece of paper taped to the door. It had something written on it. I read it and it said something like, "Only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays. In case of emergency, please call this number." The day I visited was a Tuesday. I immediately decided to make a phone call, using the cell phone I had brought with me from Japan. "In a situation like this, I'd have to make an international call from Japan to the United States. What's the correct procedure for doing that?" I thought frantically. Somehow I got through and spoke to a middle-aged man with a cheerful voice. Of course, all I could do was try to get his sympathy. "I came all the way from Japan just to see the Tris Speaker exhibit in this school building. Could you please open the door for me?" He answered without a moment's hesitation. "Today is Tuesday, so no. We'll be open tomorrow, Wednesday, so please come tomorrow." It was unfortunate, but of course it was. I had no choice but to give up. I went back to the main road, found a motel, and decided to stay the night. The next day. The entrance door to Hubbard High School was unlocked. I quietly opened the door and went inside, and it was completely silent. There was no one there. I stood in the middle of the lobby and called out loud, "Is anyone there?" and a white elderly lady came out from a room that looked like a library next to the lobby. She had a friendly smile on her face. I introduced myself. I told her that I was an avid Major League Baseball fan, and that I had come from Japan because I heard there was an exhibition corner for Tris Speaker. The lady smiled even more and said, "I'm so glad you came all the way from Japan. There is indeed an exhibition corner for Mr. Speaker, but there are other exhibition corners, so you should take a look at those first." I wasn't interested in the other exhibition corners, but I followed the lady. I was afraid I would be punished if I went against the lady, who was a bundle of goodwill. In the room she took me to, there were many faded old newspapers reporting the city's news and photos of graduates on display. I wasn't interested at all, but all I could do was pretend to be curious and listen to the lady's explanations, nodding affably. Thinking that the lady would be happier if I asked her a question rather than just listening to her explanation, I casually asked her, "When was this school building built?" I got a surprising answer. "It's from 1891. But after the last graduates left in the 1960s, the school building hasn't been used. It just remains as a historical monument. The high school has now merged with another one and is located far away." "So that means this school building hasn't been rebuilt for over 100 years? Does that mean Speaker studied here?" "That would be right." I was taken by the lady to the room that was the Speaker exhibition area. It was a room near the lobby on the first floor. It must have been a classroom in the past. It was just the size of a school classroom. The entrance to the Tris Speaker exhibit In the room, there were old black and white photos of Speaker when he was still active, old newspapers reporting on his achievements, and a drawing of Speaker by someone. Exhibits of Tris Speaker's photos, newspaper articles, etc. One thing I learned for the first time from the exhibit was that Speaker was the first Texan to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Until then, I had never thought about the home states of baseball Hall of Fame players, but this incident made me start thinking about it. Me standing in front of the Tris Speaker exhibit I noticed a colored panel photo hanging at the edge of the room. The moment I saw the panel photo, I felt happy and thought.” Yes, this is it, this is the true essence of Tris Speaker.” Only those who are very knowledgeable about major league baseball will understand the meaning of the panel photo the moment they see it. It is a panel with a composite photo of two major leaguers. The large and prominent photo in the foreground is Craig Biggio, who retired from active play in 2007. Behind him, quietly, is Tris Speaker. A panel photo honoring the two who achieved ”another” 50-50 These two men had one thing in common: Texas. Speaker, a Texas native, played for four teams but never played for a major league team in his home state of Texas. When Speaker played, Texas didn't have a major league team. Biggio, on the other hand, was from New York, but spent his entire 20-year career as a major leaguer playing for only one team in Texas, the Houston Astros. Their major league careers were completely different, but both men have a connection to Texas. Furthermore, both Speaker and Biggio achieved 3,000 career hits. However, these two have something else in common that is even more amazing. In 1912, Speaker achieved 50 doubles and 50 stolen bases. This 50-50 record was achieved not only by being able to hit hard hits, but also by being fast on his feet, and it was a first in major league history. 86 years later, in 1998, Biggio became the second player to achieve this record. Just like the 50-50 record of 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases that Shohei Ohtani achieved in 2024, this another 50-50 record of 50 doubles and 50 stolen bases is also a great record. By the way, Speaker’s 792 career doubles are the most in major league history. And Biggio's 668 career doubles rank sixth in major league history. In a corner of an old school building in a rural town, I was able to experience the history of major league baseball and the fun of records that are relevant to the present day. I was very happy. The white elderly lady had not spoken to me since we entered the Tris Speaker exhibition room, allowing me to freely view the exhibits to my heart's content. I expressed my heartfelt gratitude to this lovely and kind lady before leaving Hubbard High School. (If I’ve made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I’ll try to make corrections or additions.)