Their biggest disgust came from our shortstop, however. In fact, the entire section we were in were disgusted by Nishioka. I'll admit, I have been pretty disappointed myself this year with the play of our Japanese sensation; but let's not give up on the guy yet. He made a play in the middle innings with one out and the bases loaded, purposely dropping a popup near the mound to try to turn the double play (the ump called "infield fly" and nothing came of it). The whole stadium booed Nishi for not catching the ball, but in my head I thought "this guy is a genious!" Yes, it didn't matter that he did what he did, but he made a decision in the second or two the ball was in the air to try to make something happen. Should he have known the infield fly rule was in effect? I'm sure he did, but why not take a shot and see if you can make a play? Shame on you Twins fans for booing a guy for trying something that Michael Cuddyer would never try.
Nishi also made a diving stop on a ball up the middle with the bases loaded, but the flip to Tolbert at 2nd was off and everyone was safe with a run scoring. This drew more booes from some ignorant fans who would later try to start the wave in the 8th inning when we were trying to make a comeback. What they didn't understand is that by Nishioka ranging 40 feet to his left and making a clean stop with the dive, he saved the run who could have scored easily from 2nd had the ball gotten through or bounced off his glove. Even though he didn't get the out, he saved a run with his range and his glove. Watching Nishioka play shortstop is a treat that I hope we all learn to appreciate over the next few years. He has great hands, he is flashy (which is why he offends all those Pat Meares/JJ Hardy/Adam Everett fans out there), and he is smart. Give the guy a chance!
I understand that Nishi has really struggled at the plate this year (hitting .213, 4 2Bs), and he doesn't have the strongest arm out of all the shortstops in the league, but give this guy a chance. He still has less than 200 plate appearances in the big leagues, he broke his fibula in the first week of playing in another country where they speak a completely different language, he is facing pitchers with different pitching styles than he has ever seen before, playing in stadiums he's never played in before, dealing with umpires whose strike zones might be a little different than those in Japan, with TV broadcasts going back to his home country for no other reason than the fact that he's playing, and playing a position where communication is maybe the most important thing. I can't imagine the pressure, frustration, and anxiety that he is going through this summer. Has Nishi been much less than what I thought he would be? Absolutely. After watching him play in person, do I have a new respect for Nishi as a player? Absolutely.
I don't know what his plans are for this offseason, but I really hope he spends some time in the US getting to know more of the culture and the language here. I know he can play baseball, but imagining being in his shoes right now scares me; and I'm guessing I have no idea what he goes through outside of being on that field. I'm certain he misses life as a "speed-o-star" in Japan, but I doubt that he is ready to give up this opportunity to play in the US because of his rough start. I liken his situation to a high school superstar who was the best player in his class since he was born. He goes to college and all of the sudden everyone is good and no one cares that he hit .738 for his high school career. It may take a year for Nishi to get acclamated. I know it's hard to have patience, but he's still only 27 years old. Let's see what he can do these last two months of 2011 and into year #2. Give the guy a chance!
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