For the past two days, the Globe has run a transcript of a radio interview that Okajima did back home in Japan. It was translated by Globe staffer Daigo Fujiwara and can be found here and here.
He spoke about being uncomfortable at the beginning of the season, being willing to adapt as the situation warrants, a hint about the bullpen, and the grueling season. And he's just so wonderfully Japanese; he's not out there for individual glory but for the good of the team.
It was good to hear from him because I don't recall hearing a single word out of his mouth (or, really, out of his translator's) during the whole season. It was good to learn a little bit about who he is, what he's about.
And big surprise here: I like him. He seems diplomatic, though that might just be the Japanese-thing. [Aside: I have a theory as to why Japanese people are so friggin polite. In spoken Japanese, there are a lot of words that are deemed unnecessary and can just be left out of the sentence. A subject? You don't need a subject. Why in the world would you possibly want to know who (or what) I'm talking about? So in order to avoid confusion, anything that might be slightly controversial is just not discussed.] He also seems smart and not just baseball smart. He figured out what he needed to do to succeed and then did it. Although, sharing his pitching secrets with the world might not have been the best idea.
I think it bodes well for his continued success. It seems to me that a lot of Japanese pitchers come over here and are lights out for a year, only to be figured out by the American batters the next and become really hittable. If he's willing to learn new pitches and relocate his spots, then he might be able to avoid that.
Lastly, I know that it's an old joke, but Nippon Ham Fighters gets me every time.
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