Comments on: Tokyo's Imports: Jamie D'Antona

By: Steven Keller

Steven Keller — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:27:03 +0000

I have had the pleasure of sharing more than a few beers with Jamie and am glad to say that he is one of the nicest guys you’ll find anywhere. Friendly, easy-going and highly approachable. I hope he has continued success in TOKYO.

GO SWALLOWS!

By: Ed (former N26)

Ed (former N26) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:33:26 +0000

Jamie D’Antona has many good years left in Japan. Glad he has been able to adjust to the league.

By: Susan Warner

Susan Warner — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 05:35:51 +0000

Jamie is by far one of the coolest guys anyone could ever meet.

By: Christopher Pellegrini

Christopher Pellegrini — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:33:51 +0000

Mike,
We couldn’t agree more!

Can’t wait to see what he does during the second half of the season which, incidentally, starts this evening at Jingu stadium versus the Hiroshima Carp.

By: Mike Antonelli

Mike Antonelli — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:26:26 +0000

I’ve had a beer with Jamie. He is approachable, down to earth, easygoing and very friendly. Couldn’t be a nicer guy. Also a gentleman in the way he behaves!

He grew up in Trumbull CT and I lived there for 20 years . My children went to the same High School as Jamie. although several years before him. Trumbull is a serious baseball town in CT and their team won the Little League World series in the late 80′s. Chris Drury pitched the winning game and Chris is now an experienced and relatively well known NHL player. The Little League, High School, Babe Ruth and Legion baseball teams in Trumbull are always pretty good and frequently win championships and honors.

This guy is a wonderful addition to the Yakult team !!

By: Christopher Pellegrini

Christopher Pellegrini — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:26:22 +0000

Yeah, I liked the cover photo on that edition. I couldn’t help but think (and laugh) about the discrepancy in salaries.

Yomiuri:
Kroon — 30,000 man yen
Greisinger — 25,000 man yen

Tokyo:
D’Antona — 4,750 man yen
Guiel — 4,400 man yen

Fair enough, we’re comparing pitching with position players, but the two Tokyo boys add up to less than 1/3 of what Kroon is making this year (not including bonuses/incentives).

Does that work out, value for money-wise?

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 05:34:51 +0000

Not to plug another outlet (so I won’t include a link), but last week’s Metropolis had a nice feature on D’Antona and Guiel.
(It also mentioned two other guys that looked familiar, but I couldn’t place them.)

By: Christopher Pellegrini

Christopher Pellegrini — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 02:31:39 +0000

One thing that I only hinted at in the report but warrants clarification is the fact that Jamie is an easy-going, friendly guy.

I haven’t met him personally (we’d love to meet for a beer and a chat, Jamie!), but he is very well-liked on the team and is respected by the people in the stands.

That in itself is a serious endorsement of a player’s value, talent, and potential as the fans here in Tokyo, and around Japan for that matter, are accustomed to seeing their imports arrive and then disappear rather quickly. In other words, if you’re still in the starting lineup at the end of July, you’re definitely doing something right.

Nice work so far this season, Jamie!