Ch-ch-ch-changeeeeees

I went to a Christmas party yesterday, held by a local children’s English school. I’ve done some work for them in the past, and it’s always a lot of fun to be around kids. They have a refreshing sense of purity about everything. I was making the rounds, talking to each of the children, when I came across a 10-year-old boy wearing a grey Red Sox sweatshirt. It was immediately apparent to me that things have changed.

I’ve lived in Japan for 3 years now. In those 3 years, I’ve seen literally tens of thousands of Yankees and Mariners hats, jackets, shirts, sweatshirts, and other apparel. The additions of Tadahito Iguchi, So Taguchi, and other Japanese players hasn’t really spiked the number of White Sox or Cardinals items I’ve seen, and in all my time here I’ve seen two Red Sox hats. I know it’s two, because both times I did double takes. This kid wearing a Boston sweatshirt was a big deal. I had to ask him, “Do you like Daisuke Matsuzaka?”

The boy shrugged and kind of tilted his head to the side as if to say, “Maybe. I’m not really sure.” I’m sure his parents bought the shirt for him, and I’m also sure that there are 1,000s of other parents who have done the same all over the country. The impact of Matsuzaka in Boston on the distribution of MLB merchandising has split the pie three ways, rather than two. Disturbing.

The most annoying part of the day, however, was not the boy’s horrendous Red Sox sweatshirt. After all, he’s a kid and he just likes the idea that a Japanese ball player is on his way to fight it out in the Majors. There was this 40-something year old guy, the uncle of one of the little girls, who had the damn nerve to interrupt my little self-introduction by asking me what baseball team I liked. I obliged him with the correct answer to which he replied, “Oh no. The Yankees are no good.”

If we had been in New York, I might have put a foot in his ass, or at least replied with a few choice profanities. I’m sure my first words would have left my mouth a millisecond after he’s challenged my fandom….”F-you!” I’m 100% sure of that.

As it is, I was in the presence of a few dozen kids, and all eyes and ears were on me. I just glared at him, and said, “No, man. The Yankees are very good. C’mon.” Nothing more was said, but the two latest signs of change in the power distribution of Japanese fandom are troubling. I’m sure it’s the tip of the iceberg.