whole different culture and language,” remarked Hiatt. “You just have to come to grips with being a 16-hour plane ride from home.”
Cooperation and willingness to do things the Japanese way, though, does much to build relationships.
Players are often expected to carry their own bags, and clubhouses aren't as plush as in the U.S.
Teams supply apartments for Americans, above average by Japanese standards, but hardly Park Avenue penthouses.
Humility on the Half-Shell Gives Minor Leaguers Good WA
Minor league journeymen often do better in Japan than former MLB All-Stars.
AAA vets with limited big league time such as Randy Bass, John Sipin, and Bobby Rose rank among the best players in Japanese baseball history, while over-the-hill major leaguers have put up poor numbers.
Rob Deer's all-or-nothing approach led to a .151 average with eight home runs and 79 strikeouts in 192 at-bats for the Hanshin Tigers in 1994.
Humility is a prized virtue that many minor league veterans have in abundance.
Not All Sunny in the Land of the Rising Sun
While Japanese teams have a reputation for trying hard to meet the needs of foreigners, that considerate attitude doesn't always carry over to slumping players.
"The money is guaranteed, but if you get off to a bad start, they'll send you home and pay off your contract," Hiatt said.
