TOKYO: The absence of Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish spells trouble for Japan in their bid to win the World Baseball Classic for a third straight time, national team manager Koji Yamamoto said yesterday.
Darvish, who finished his rookie US major league season with a 16-9 record, said he will skip the March tournament as he needs “ample rest” in preparing for 2013 and the Rangers’ attempt at the World Series.
“This was a very difficult decision for me as it is always a tremendous honour to represent my native country,” the right-hander, who helped Japan retain the Classic title in 2009, said in a statement released by the Rangers.
Yamamoto told Japanese media: “I had counted on him as our key pitcher. I kind of feel at a loss.”
“But we have to live with what has been decided. We have no choice but to move forward,” he added.
Yamamoto, a former Hiroshima Toyo Carp manager who was appointed last month to pilot the national team, said he wanted six Japanese players in the major leagues to be freed up for the important Classic match for Japan.
AFP
