"(If there were Japanese people) they'd just tell you anything if you asked, right? I don't really want that; in a way, I want to experience that survival vibe, you know, and when facing cultural differences, making how I overcome them on my own one of the fun parts."
"I want to take them down. (Playing together with players like Ohtani, Yamamoto, Sasaki, and others) of course sounds fun, but I think beating a team like that and becoming world champions would be the most valuable thing in my life."
Tatsuya Imai prefers to be the only Japanese player on a team, valuing the survival vibe and independent handling of cultural differences. Imai wants to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers rather than join them, viewing defeating such a team and winning a World Series as the most valuable achievement. The Toronto Blue Jays currently have no Japanese players on their active roster after trading Yusei Kikuchi and were two outs from defeating the Dodgers in the World Series. Imai posted a 1.92 ERA and 2.01 FIP in 163.2 NPB innings with a 27.8% strikeout rate and a 7% walk rate. Signing Imai would avoid costing the Blue Jays a draft pick while strengthening their rotation.
Read at BlueJaysNation
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