Japanese Players That I Collect

In order to expand and seek out trades, I have decided to post some minor collections that I have going on.  Part of my family heritage is Japanese.  My Great Grandfather came from Japan to the Bay Area in the late 19th century.  I am very proud about my background on my mother's side.  So, that is why I follow the careers of some ball players that make there way from Japan to MLB.

The players that I am going to list are in the non-Doyer, non-Ichiro category.  As you guys may know that I have my Ichiro collection on the sidebar and I collect a lot of Dodgers anyways.  This blog is named after Hideo Nomo.  These players that I am going to list are players that I have been collecting since I got back into the hobby.  These are also players that I don't seek out as much because they aren't Dodgers but, I would love to expand my collections of these players.

Yu Darvish is a guy that I saw pitch in the last World Baseball Classic.  He has yet to make his way to America and hopefully he will come to the states someday.  He seemed to have mad skills.  Darvish may not have many cards out here yet.  He probably has a ton in Japan.  This is the only card that I have of Darvish so, I am looking to build on that.

Aki Iwamura is one of my favorite players from Japan.  Iwamura was super nice to my family and I when we bumped into him at a restaurant in Scottsdale.  He is also a cigarette smoker like myself so, we have that bond.  The card pictured above is a sweet rookie auto that I got cheaply off ebay.  He even put is number next to his signature.  That is a veteran move.  I have some cards of him when he played for the Devil Rays and Pirates but, only a handful. 

I also collect cards of So Taguchi.  I should say that this is my only card of his and it happens to be a serial numbered GU.  Taguchi was a fourth outfielder type during his short stint in the bigs.  He was a really skinny dude which earned my respect.  For the record, I am a skinny dude also.  I am not sure how I came across this Taguchi card.  Possibly through a trade on the Sports Card Forum or at a card show.  Even if I don't remember where this card came from, it is still a sweet card.

Kosuke Fukudome is a player that I also collect.  He seems to have a lot of cards out there especially when he first showed up on the Chicago Cubs.  I don't think he is too loved by Cubs fans.  Fukudome came to Chicago with a lot of hype and signed a big contract.  Cubs fans are always looking for a savior to end there pain and suffering.  That puts a lot of pressure on there players.  The Cubs will probably eventually win a World Series, right?  Right?  They can't go another hundred plus years without one, right?

Anyways, I have a handful of Fukudome game used cards.  I am looking for more of his.  I also have a decent amount of base, parallels and inserts.  Please send more over to the Platter.

Dice-K has been another huge disappointment in a high pressure city.  He has had some injury and control issues since he arrived in Boston.  Dice-K may have not understood how tough it is to play in Boston after signing such a huge contract.  It would be hard to describe it to a kid who may have no idea about New England culture.  I would like to think that Dice-K will have much more success playing in a more laid back enviorment.  Maybe if he signs a cheap deal in Florida, where no one watches games. 

Kaz Matsui is a player that I enjoyed watching.  He wasn't a great player that some people thought he would be.  He still had a decent career in the bigs.  Matsui also made some solid cash too.  I don't have many cards of his.  The mid-2000s is a weak spot in my collection overall.  This is a recent pick up that I got through a trade.  Game used bat cards are awesome!

Kenshin Kawakami had a short stint in the big leagues after a long career in Japan.  Kawakami is a player that I saw pitch in the Nagoya Dome when he played for the Dragons in Japan.  He pitched a good game and beat Japan's version of the Giants.  I also have an autographed baseball from him.  I was hoping that he would have more success for the Braves except against the Dodgers of course.  But, he struggled over here.  I only have a few cards of his.  I am seeking more especially if he as any autos or GUs out there.

This is a solid list of players that I am adding for my PC.  This should also make it easier to trade with me.  There are a lot of Dodger collectors out there so, people may not always have enough to spread around the blog world.  The blog world also has a decent amount of Ichiro and Ryan Braun collectors so, that limits trades also.