International Pastime looks at baseball's influence outside the U.S.Casual fans on this side of the ocean may not be familiar with his name, but believe me when I say big league execs drool at the mention of Yu Darvish, the 22-year-old phenom who took Dice-K's torch and ran with it to become Japan's best pitcher for the Nippon Ham Fighters. How good is he? Check out this praise found in Jeff Passan's must-read profile:
One American League executive guessed if Darvish posted after this season the fee to negotiate a deal would cost "around $75 million." Another suggested "it could be even higher." If the Red Sox paid $51 million for a 26-year-old Matsuzaka, a 22-year-old Darvish could command a 50 percent premium.So when will we see Darvish in a Yankee Stadium near you? As my colleague Josh Alper pointed out back in January, not anytime soon. Even if the Nippon Ham could draw a $75 million posting fee, there's no pressure for them to cash that check anytime soon as Darvish isn't eligible for free agency for another seven years, and it'd be foolish to move a kid who's not only the league's best pitcher but also one of the country's most recognizable faces. But still, file his name away in the back of your mind and don't be surprised when his arrival eventually becomes the biggest story of a yet-to-be-determined winter.
"Right now," [Bobby] Valentine says, "his stuff is probably sharper than Daisuke's."
The praise only begins there. Terrmel Sledge, the former Padres outfielder who joined the Fighters this offseason, calls Darvish "one of the five best I've ever seen." [Current Royals manager and former Nippon Ham manager Trey] Hillman] believes Darvish would step in as the No. 1 starter on a majority of major league teams. [Nippon owner Tak] Kojima thinks Darvish might be the best pitcher in Japanese history.
