Pitcher Park loses Japan debut, draws mixed responses

“He looked experienced and really clever (as we expected).”

This is what Takashi Watanabe, a sports reporter for the Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun, had to say after watching pitcher Park Chan-ho’s debut for the Orix Buffaloes Friday.

“The winning pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, 23, of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles did not perform as well as Park,” Watanabe said.

Against host Rakuten Friday, Park, 38, opened his Japan career with a loss by allowing six hits including a homer and three earned runs over six and two thirds innings. He allowed batters to advance to base in every inning except the second, but Watanabe said Park ultimately utilized his ample experience as the winningest Asian-born pitcher in the U.S. majors.

In contrast, Tanaka got the win and pitched a complete game but failed to meet expectations. Hence, Watanabe indicated that Tanaka failed to live up to his reputation as a next-generation ace pitcher and a flagship player of Rakuten along with Hisashi Iwakuma.

On the flipside, however, what Watanabe said suggests that Park’s pitching power and control were hardly good. Rakuten batters hit his pitches efficiently Friday. Had it not been for Orix’s good defense, he could have allowed many more runs.

Experts were mixed over Park`s debut in Japanese pro baseball. They said his quality start of allowing three runs or less in six innings or more in his first game represented a fairly good debut.

Hiroyuki Yamamoto, a reporter of Sports Nippon, said, “Park showed his chronic tendency to balk again and committed an error in the sixth inning soon after his team came from behind to take the lead, 2-1."

Immediately after the game, Park said, “I felt nervous and made mistakes but opened a new chapter in my baseball career,” expressing satisfaction. His response was in contrast to Orix coaching staff, who expressed discontent.

Park’s response to Korean reporters was also hard to understand. To the reporters waiting for him before the dugout several hours Wednesday, he declined to give an interview and simply said, “I have a mission to perform,” something which he repeated Thursday.

An Orix spokesman said, “There is nothing we can do if a player declines to give an interview.”

A Japanese reporter said, “Park conducts good interviews with Japanese media outlets.”

The pitcher might have been too nervous to speak to Korean reporters after his Japan debut.

Park will pitch in his first home game against the Seibu Lions Friday if his team plays as scheduled. He may have committed errors due to jitters in his first game but he must come through in the second.

Korean reporters hope he changes his attitude toward them as well.

beetlez@donga.com