INSIDE JAPAN from our view

Sox win first Series title in 88 years  CNN : It took 88 long years, but the Chicago White Sox are the World Series champions after beating the Houston Astros in a 1-0 nail-biter in Game 4. The Sox's four-game sweep brings the team its first championship since 1917. It was the third title for the White Sox, following wins in 1906 and 1917. And it was the first since "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and the "Black Sox" threw the 1919 Series against Cincinnati.

 Since Nomo who debuted by showing his tornado style in 1994, Iguchi became the first Japanese player who play on World winning team. Iguchi, who is a second baseman of White Sox,  began his carrier of Major League Baseball this spring. His former team was Fukuoka Daiei Hawks, which changed its name to Fukuoka Softbank Hawks this year.

 He has been very famous in Fukuoka region since he joined one of the Japanese most favorite teams. However, most baseball funs in Japan would think that Iguchi would not succeed much if you compared him to the former Japanese MLB players, such as Ichiro, Matsui or Nomo.

 It is true that he played very well both in offence and in defense and became a millionaire in Japan. But he was not thought to be a national star of Japan. That is a reason why NHK, the biggest TV company in Japan, broadcasted White sox games much less than Yankees' or Mariners' games through this year.  And the expectation turned out to be true because Iguchi's hitting average is below .280 and hit only 15 homeruns in regular season. 

 Of course his successive "O.K." performances are highly evaluated by many Japanese critics and funs although Iguchi does not become a star like Ichiro at last. And maybe next year, Iguchi's name will be more ignored by Japanese.

 It is rumored that the biggest star player in Japanese Baseball League will join New York Yankees next year. His name is Daisuke Matsuzaka ,25, who has been a national star since high school and now is a pitcher of Seibu Lions. I guess he is too selfish to fit American baseball. But many Japanese love his heavy first ball and hope that he will beat all American star players.