Ichiro to Mariners: You suck, I’m gone
Ichiro told Sankei Sports today「自分が主力として活躍し、優勝して（世界一の）チャンピオンリングを取る。それは最高ですよね。ただ、現時点で目標に掲げることは難しい。それは限られたチームの選手しかできないので…。現時点でできることをしっかりとやる。これが今のチームにいる僕が言えることでしょう」
Which, according to Babelfish, “translates” to English (this is translation in the same way hydrolyzed soy protein is soy sauce) as,
“By your you participate as the main force, win and (take) the champion ring the greatest in the world. That is highest, don’t you think?. It is difficult simply, at present time to put out in goal. As for that only the player of the team which is limited being not to be possible…. The fact that it is possible at present time is done securely. It probably means that I where this is to the current team can say.”
Which, according to my college-educated sense of things, comes out as
“A WS ring is a nice thing to have, no? I don’t see this team doing that, so I’m going to jump ship. Screw you guys, I’m going to Boston in 2008.”
In other words, Ichiro wants out of this mismanaged disaster that is the Seattle Mariners. And if he wants out, so do a few hundred thousand fans. And the Japanese media contingent. And, honestly, so do I. He deserves better than an empty park and a washed-up second baseman as DH.
Man, this winter has been downright terrible in Seattle.
(Hat tip: USS Mariner, though I sent a rumor link to them yesterday. But I’m not taking credit for that, since it’s all props to them for rousing Deanna from her slumber.)
Related posts:
1. There must be someone around town who speaks Japanese better than Babelfish to help us out with this quote, right?
2. I love how this post turned all of the site’s ads to Japanese.
One of my Japanese-speaking friends translates it thusly:
“to be the main power behind a championship, that’s the best. however, that
is hard to do at the current time. i can only play as (one) member
limited by the team i’m on. currently i do my very best. as a member of the
current team i’m on, that is what i can say.”