The Athletics and Red Sox finished up their two-game series in Japan earlier this morning (Sleep through it? Find out what you missed in Nick's liveblog from this morning.) Right now they're on a plane somewhere over the Pacific ocean returning to the states, and you can bet they're bringing back some of Japan with them.Particularly a couple members of the Athletics who found a couple souvenirs that will help them remember their trip for a lifetime.
Pitcher Dallas Braden is planning to get his name tattooed on the back of his neck in Japanese characters today. Reliever Lenny DiNardo bought a guitar that has a back made of sea-turtle shell. And Rich Harden, who started the game, bought an ancient samurai sword, fully authenticated.Now if I'm the Athletics I might take that sword away from Harden as soon as possible. With the frequency he gets injured, it's only a matter of time before he falls on it or chops off his own arm. I don't care if he's been collecting the things since he was a small boy in Canada.
"I nearly bought some armor, too," Harden said. "Maybe next time."
I'm also intrigued by DiNardo's shellback guitar. It sounds pretty cool, though DiNardo admits he's feeling a little guilty about the purchase. Sea turtles are an endangered species, but the guitar collecting DiNardo says since the guitar was made over 20 years ago, he's not feeling too guilty, but there's still a little pain there.
"I don't condone it," DiNardo said. "Turtles are like my favorite animal, too."
