“You need to create a David Beckham... the David Beckham of baseball!” And with that, any language barrier Nippon professional baseball legend Makoto Matsubara and I had hitherto been experiencing ceased to exist albeit for that brief moment when we both found ourselves finally speaking the same language.
We all know what the former Man United and Real Madrid legend had (and still has) —something akin to a cult of personality, which has done much to elevate not only Beck’s superstar status but also the sport of football into the upper echelons of glamorous sports to follow. And let’s not even start on Real’s Ronaldo.
There’s no need for an interpreter as Matsubara and I heartily concur with each other that perhaps what Malaysia needs, among other things, is a Malaysian poster boy for the sport of baseball to reach the dizzying buzz enjoyed by the likes of football and badminton here. His eyes dancing mischievously, the 73-year-old adds: “And if Malaysia can find one superstar... a handsome one... then maybe more people will follow!”
I could have high-fived him right there and then as my mind begins to wander into its deepest recesses, desperately trying to recall all the local baseballers who’ve crossed my path as I mentally tick off images that could fit the bill.
“Do you know in Japan there are more women now coming to watch baseball?” Matsubara’s enthusiastic drone cuts through my reverie, jolting me back to the present. Oh well, I’ll just have to return to my mental scrutiny of handsome Raiders captain, Winson Low, another time!
Turning my attention to the genial infielder, I learn that during his heyday —between 1962 and 1981 — about 95 per cent of the spectators comprised men. Today, almost 50 per cent are women. “Probably because there are many more handsome players now!” he exclaims, chuckling.
Looking dapper in his all white baseball uniform, his name emblazoned across the back, Matsubara of Taiyo Whales and Yomiuri Giants is in town together with his compatriot, ‘Precision Pitcher’ Manabu Kitabeppu of Hiroshima Carp to conduct a two-day baseball clinic at the padang (field) of Sekolah Wawasan USJ15, Subang Jaya as part of the Meikyukai Asean Baseball Project, organised by Putrajaya Baseball Association (PBA) in collaboration with the Japan Foundation, which aims to develop and promote the sport outside of Japan.
Last year was the first time that Meikyukai or the Golden Players Club, an organisation that honours professional baseball players (to make the list players have to reach the 2000 hit plateau, 200 career victories or 250 saves in Nippon Pro Baseball and Major League Baseball) joined together with PBA to hold the inaugural clinic for Malaysian school children and senior players residing in and around the Klang Valley. Then, it was ‘submarine pitcher’ Hisashi Yamada and Atsuya Furuta, voted the greatest catcher in Nippon Pro Baseball history in 2000, who came to lead the weekend of baseball.
Kitabeppu, who enjoyed an 18-year playing career between the years 1976 and 1994, elaborates that the baseball landscape in Japan has definitely changed. “I played for a team in Hiroshima and the team was so popular that it had its own female ‘fan club’. The members call themselves Carp Girls and they even had their own uniform. This kind of ‘cult’ following has today spread to other areas like the big cities of Tokyo and Osaka.”
Adding, the 60-year-old says: “I think the Internet could have something to do with this. In the past when girls wanted to know about baseball, they had to learn from the guys. Now they just go on YouTube. I’ve noticed that those women who come to watch are very knowledgeable about the sport.”
'CULTURISING' THE GAME
Hot baseballers aside, there are other pending matters to contemplate if the sport is ever to get off the mark here — again. Why again? Because there was a time not so long ago when we had a national team for baseball; a team that competed under the Jalur Gemilang at the 2011 SEA Games in Palembang. Prior to that, there was also a Malaysian contingent at the 2005 and 2007 SEA Games. After a dismal outing in 2011, the sport tailed into obscurity.
You can still see some of the faces of those who once donned their country’s colours with so much pride on the padang today. But these former national athletes have become a shadow of their glorious selves, some heavier in built and satiating their passion for the game lumbering on some scorched padang every Sunday morning in training. No doubt they’re hoping that one day the game will capture the imagination of Malaysians so they can once again taste the sweet taste of competitions.
Malaysia, says Matsubara, via his interpreter David Hirofumi Sakamoto, coach of local team Raiders, and a legend in his own right for his unceasing commitment to baseball, needs more people who believe in the sport.
Of course, concedes Matsubara, one can’t compare the status of the sport here with what it enjoys in Japan. Says the former player-turn-baseball-commentator: “Baseball has been around in Japan for a lot longer. In Malaysia, it has yet to take off.”
And he’s right. Baseball, one of Japan’s most popular participatory and spectator sport was introduced to the Land of the Rising Sun in 1872. The first professional competitions emerged in the 1920s and the first professional league was formed in 1936. Such is its popularity that, according to Japan’s National Tourism Organisation, “... baseball is so popular in Japan that many fans are surprised to hear that Americans also consider it their ‘national sport’.”
Meanwhile, in Malaysia, there are teams all over the country, but you probably only need just one hand to count the number of teams which are actually active. Softball is more de rigueur here.
STEERING THE SPORT
Both Matsubara and Kitabeppu have travelled extensively for the Meikyukai Asean Baseball project, stopping in countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, and now Malaysia. “There’s much to do here,” concedes Matsubara. “This is why we conduct these clinics so that we can maintain the momentum. It’s better if more people attend so they can spread the word and help generate interest.”
Nodding, Kitabeppu shares that he was in the Philippines recently where he visited slum areas to distribute equipment as well as conduct coaching clinics. He believes that equipment could be another factor. Compared to football, baseball equipment doesn’t come cheap.
“Perhaps that’s what Meikyukai or some other organisations can try to look into,” says Kitabeppu. “Maybe we can help with procuring second hand equipment from Japan and distributing them to countries that need the support and where baseball isn’t well developed yet.”
Nodding, Matsubara chips in: “The playing environment is also a factor and this is the glaring difference between Malaysia and better baseballing countries like the Philippines and Thailand. Here, the infrastructure for baseball is lacking — not enough baseball fields, not enough competitions, not enough funds and not enough people playing the game. You also need to start luring youngsters into the sport.”
There are untapped potentials in the young that can only be opened if they can be encouraged to play, believes Matsubara. “In Japan, there are also many other sports just as popular as baseball. But the one advantage we have is that top professional players can make a lot of money and that makes it attractive for the kids to try baseball instead of other sports.”
Just as things start to heat up, it’s time to wrap up. But before I press the ‘stop’ button on my recorder, Matsubara offers his parting words: “It’s very important that the organisation entrusted with looking after the sport actually has passion for baseball to begin with. And know what they’re doing. This will help to steer the sport’s journey here.”
For anyone interested to get their children involved in the sport, check out www.facebook.com/Putrajaya-Baseball. For news and activities organised by BFM, go to www.facebook.com/besbolmalaysia
Slow and steady
AHMAD RAMZI AHMAD ZAINI, 33, CATCHER: TEAM RAIDERS
“I’ve been playing baseball since 1999. Sara (Saravanan) and I were teammates in the 2011 SEA Games. I also played in the Asian Cup twice — in 2001 and 2009. Can baseball survive? Sure but it’ll take some time. Whatever it is, we need to ‘culturise’ the sport. The level of awareness for the game is too low for it to generate interest. We need to raise its profile using various channels.
As a player I get fed up with the way the sport is run. Things haven’t been consistent. I really hope that the ‘new’ BFM will bring about change. It doesn’t matter if things move slowly as long as its progressive and consistent.
Most of us in this sport are here out of passion. We fork out our own money to go out there to seek competitions. We take unpaid leave and sacrifice a lot. There are people who snigger and ridicule us for pursuing a sport that has never tasted success. But what they don’t understand is that we’re in it for the love of the game.”
Planning for the future
MOHAMAD ROSLI ABU BAKAR, 50, MANAGER/PLAYER SELAYANG STARS, BASEBALL FEDERATION MALAYSIA (BFM) COMMITTEE MEMBER
“The new committee (BFM) is definitely more aggressive. The Malaysian Baseball League is currently on, organised by BFM and supported by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and will run for two months. In October, we’ll be having the UPM Open International, organised by UPM together with BFM which will see the participation of teams from Indonesia, Singapore and more for a week-long baseball tournament. Meanwhile, in December we hope to resurrect the President Cup, an interstate meet organised by BFM. The last time this Cup was competed for was in 2011. We hope that by activating the baseball calendar again we can generate new and revived interest in the game.
Now we’re in the midst of creating a baseball field at UPM. We’ll utilise the facilities available to start creating the right infrastructure. Our dream is to be able to send a team for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. We need to start from now.”
More tournaments
SARAVANAN a/l SUBRAMANIAM, 34, CATCHER: TEAM RAIDERS
“I’ve been playing baseball for 20 years and was a part of Team Malaysia at the 2011 SEA Games. I love baseball but am frustrated by the lack of opportunities for me to play the game at the competitive level. Sometimes I turn to softball just so I can get more game time. The softball calendar is more packed than baseball.
There have been changes in the Baseball Federation of Malaysia (BFM) and I sense things happening. And this is exciting. If more tournaments are organised, more people will come forward to play or even convert to the game.”