Culture
Book Review: ‘We Tried to Tell Y’All’ by Meredith D. Clark
WE TRIED TO TELL Y’ALL: Black Twitter and the Rise of Digital Counternarratives, by Meredith D. Clark
Do you remember where you were in early December 2020? It was peak pandemic, so chances are you were at home and online. And if you were Black and on Twitter, you were probably reading or tweeting about the Negro Solstice.
On Dec. 5, an argument about the authenticity of the coronavirus ended with a pandemic denier saying that for Black people, on the upcoming winter solstice, during this extraordinary planetary conjunction, “our Real DNA will be unlocked.”
The twinned cosmic events seemed star-crossed to a few other Twitter users, and what followed is what the chronically online like to call a “poster’s holiday.” Jokes flew among Black people about turning into the X-Men, levitating, acquiring powers and beaming themselves into the future. People uploaded selfies with photoshopped glowing laser eyes. Someone refashioned the logo from the 2006 show “Heroes” into “Negros.”
Meredith D. Clark, a professor of race and political communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, uses this example to kick off her new book, “We Tried to Tell Y’All: Black Twitter and the Rise of Digital Counternarratives.” She writes that the #NegroSolstice was a “life-affirming signal that Black people were somehow surviving a second year of lockdowns — and with our humor intact.”
It was undeniably one of the better chapters on late Twitter, yet few people outside the intended community knew what to make of it — if they knew about it at all. One person Clark interviewed for her book described Black Twitter as “a powerful, parallel Twitter,” and it often felt that way, like being in a kitchen at a party and having a completely different — and often more interesting — conversation than the main one going on in the living room.
Although it was all so chronologically recent — and although some denatured forms of it still exist — Clark noticed that young people around her seemed to be, already, forgetting the glory days of Black Twitter, and their importance. Often when an academic writes about a cultural phenomenon that exists outside the mainstream consciousness, there’s an attempt to explain it as a means to legitimize it. Clark, instead, memorializes Black Twitter, hoping to prevent further perversion of Black innovation, Black language, culture and style. (Just look at the complete and utter devolution of “woke.”)
Black Twitter’s most lasting legacy, according to Clark, is pulling off a “full-scale revolution” in how American news media reported on Black people — which she correctly argues has a direct correlation to how people perceive the value of Black life and govern it. She intends the book as a warning: To continue on in the tradition of white media elites will lead to a further disenfranchisement of nonwhite people (and working-class white people, too) and will lead to the collapse of the country. Her warning has prescience: It’s here.
For a time, Black Twitter forced the world to pay attention to Black people and their concerns. Clark describes its contributions as “a collective intervention on mainstream media narratives about Black life in America in the early 21st century.”
She gives the example of the hashtag #IfTheyGunnedMeDown, created in response to the mainstream media’s use of discriminatory headlines and photographs of Michael Brown to construct a narrative of criminality after he was killed by Darren Wilson. Or the way Black Twitter compared the acquittal of Casey Anthony with the conviction of Shanesha Taylor, a young mother put in jail for leaving her kids in the car during a job interview. Each of these instances — and there are dozens, if not hundreds — lays bare the hypocrisy in our legal system and how it is normalized by unconscious journalistic biases.
Anyone who relied on Black Twitter as a source of relief and entertainment knows the community served as an antidote to the constant gaslighting that comes with living in America.
Clark excavates deeper: She doesn’t just ratify jokes and meme culture as collective processing. She frames the larger phenomenon as a necessary infrastructure of accountability that has been denied and would not be available any other way. Black Twitter exists for laughs, of course, but it also exists to resist the sane-washing of America (and the world) by constantly refuting the racist assumptions that underline Black existence in America and are often fortified by the media. If there’s a modern race and class consciousness online, it’s in large part because of Black Twitter.
The book does not fully tangle with the cost of being in these spaces and doing this work publicly — the harassment and the data surveillance and mining whose tolls we cannot yet fully understand. Sure, people launched careers off their accounts, but we made less money than was made off us, and there are a number of uncanny and unnerving similarities to all of the predominantly white industries — sports, music, Hollywood — that have extorted and extracted value from Black creatives since the beginning of time.
Also, Clark’s book implies that the cohesion of Black Twitter rarely splintered. But by omitting most of the ways Black Twitter occasionally cannibalized itself, Clark chooses to focus on a collective goodness of Black culture online — as if everyone shares the same goals of social justice, or even the definition of liberation.
Part of the magic of Black Twitter is (was?) how boundless it seemed at times. There may have been people who felt part of that community but didn’t post about it, or tweet along hashtag lines. It’s impossible to know what the group thought, universally, because the group itself was almost impossible to quantify.
Still, it would have been fascinating to read more on how certain debates crystallized along lines of class, gender and sexuality. For instance, the misogynoir funneled at Megan Thee Stallion after she was shot by Tory Lanez seems to fall outside the window of Clark’s research, despite having exploded Black Twitter’s notions of Black femme sexuality and agency. (It’s also worth noting that the word “transphobia” appears only twice in the book.)
Clark finished her book before the blast ratio of Elon Musk’s takeover of the site could be fully comprehended, but the same question lingers over her formidable body of work. What does the future hold? That’s for a different book.
Black Twitter has waned, but it is far from over. The conditions that created the need for Black Twitter have not dissipated; if anything, they are only intensifying. What Clark carefully and lovingly outlines is too necessary not to repeat itself. It was a rare moment in history to be in control of the narratives created about us. And at least for now, there’s a blueprint to know how to start again when the time is right.
WE TRIED TO TELL Y’ALL: Black Twitter and the Rise of Digital Counternarratives | By Meredith D. Clark | Oxford University Press | 174 pp. | Paperback, $24.99
Culture
Is Mikel Arteta right – do footballs really make a difference to performance?
This article was updated on January 9 to reflect the ball being used in Sunday’s FA Cup third round game between Arsenal and Manchester United.
Mikel Arteta was in no doubt.
Arsenal’s manager was dissecting a painful 2-0 home defeat against Newcastle United in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg when — unprompted by any journalist in the room — he raised an unlikely issue that, he felt, helps explain his team’s inability to convert any of their 23 shots on the night into goals.
“We also kicked a lot of balls over the bar, and it’s tricky that these balls fly a lot, so there are details that we can do better,” Arteta said in the post-match press conference.
When asked to expand on his comments later, he added: “(The Carabao Cup ball) very different to a Premier League ball, and you have to adapt to that because it flies differently. When you touch it, the grip is also very different, so you adapt to that.”
Arsenal were certainly profligate, with Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber all spurning fine opportunities. But was the ball being used — the Orbita 1, made by German manufacturer Puma — really to blame?
Newcastle forwards Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon seemed to have no issues with it as they converted their own side’s chances, and the ball hadn’t held Arsenal back in previous rounds in the competition, where they scored 11 goals in three games against Preston North End, Bolton Wanderers and Crystal Palace.
Arteta’s complaints were met with a sceptical response in many quarters, not least from the English Football League (EFL), which organises the Carabao Cup, English football’s No 2 cup competition after the FA Cup.
“In addition to the Carabao Cup, the same ball has been successfully used in other major European leagues, including both Serie A and La Liga and our three divisions in the EFL,” it said in a statement. “All clubs play with the same ball (in the competition), and we have received no further comments of this nature following any of the previous 88 fixtures which have taken place in this season’s Carabao Cup.”
Puma is yet to respond to The Athletic’s request for comment.
But was Arteta’s outburst so outlandish? There are, after all, two external factors (aside from the players) which materially affect the outcome of a football match — the pitch and the ball. It stands to reason, therefore, that any unexpected variation in either of those could potentially influence the outcome.
As Premier League clubs, Arsenal and Newcastle are used to training and playing with the Nike Flight ball. U.S. company Nike has supplied the footballs used in England’s top flight since the 2000-01 season, when it replaced British firm Mitre as ball manufacturer, and players have prepared for and played with its balls in league matches ever since. Occasionally, however, they are obliged to change.
Arsenal also feature in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Champions League this season, with a different ball (made by other manufacturers) used in each instance. In addition to Puma’s Orbita 1, Adidas supplies the balls for the Champions League and Mitre for the FA Cup.
On Thursday, it was confirmed that the ball being used in Sunday’s third-round tie with Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium would be a special gold edition of the Ultimax Pro model — a nod to United having won the competition last season.
Something for the winners… 🏆
As current holders of @EmiratesFACup 23/24 season, @ManUtd will play with this gold limited edition Ultimax Pro match ball in the 3rd round tie against Arsenal on Sunday.
Let’s see if they can take it all the way to the final… pic.twitter.com/LlekjNQAZh
— Mitre Sports (@MitreSports) January 9, 2025
Though they all have similar dimensions and are made from similar materials, slight alterations in design can make a marked difference.“The more ‘perfect’ a ball is, the more likely it is to be erratic,” says Justin Lea, founder of ball manufacturer Hayworth Athletic. “They all have their own personalities. If you look at the FIFA ball rules, there are ranges for everything. A ball can only retain a certain amount of water if a field is wet. There’s a range to the sphericity of the ball and the bounce of the ball.”
The game’s laws state a regulation size-5 ball must be 68-70cm (26.8-27.6in) in circumference and weigh between 410 and 450 grams (14-16 oz) at the start of the match. It must also be inflated to a pressure of 0.6-1.1 bars at sea level.
“There’s a certain amount of intuition with a ball,” says Lea. “The Brilliant Super from Select, for example, kind of goes where you want it to go. But the more ‘perfect’ a ball is, the more likely it is to be erratic. Some with thermal bonding technology and higher-end materials can get so spherical that the dynamics and the trajectory change. They can go in a lot of different directions.”
At the 2010 men’s World Cup in South Africa, it wasn’t just the honking sound of fans blowing vuvuzelas, a trumpet-like musical instrument, in the crowd that dominated discussion. Adidas’ now infamous Jabulani was also a hot topic, becoming arguably the most recognised and disputed ball in the sport’s modern history.
The Jabulani consisted of eight thermally bonded panels with a textured surface (named Grip ‘n’ Groove by Adidas), which were said to improve aerodynamics. For the players in that World Cup, however, it proved to be a nightmare, with goalkeepers and outfield players alike complaining about the balls swerving uncontrollably after being kicked.
“It’s sad that such an important competition has such an important element like this ball of appalling condition,” said Iker Casillas, whose Spain side would go on to win the final, in comments reported by the BBC. According to Brazilian news outlet O Globo, meanwhile, Brazil player Julio Cesar described it as “horrible” and like “the ones sold in supermarkets”.
One of the most vehement opposers was former Liverpool midfielder Craig Johnston, who became an expert in the appliance of science to football equipment after his playing career ended and helped design the original Adidas Predator boot. In a 12-page letter of complaint to world football governing body FIFA’s then president Sepp Blatter that was acquired by UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph, Johnston wrote, “Whoever is responsible for this should be taken out and shot for crimes against football.”
The general contemporary opinion surrounding the Jabulani was that it was not fit for purpose, but it was not universally disliked.
Clint Dempsey, who sneaked a shot under goalkeeper Rob Green’s body to equalise in the USMNT’s 1-1 group-stage draw with England, said in a pre-tournament press conference reported by FOX Sports: “If you just hit it solid, you can get a good knuckle on the ball… you’ve just got to pay a little bit more attention when you pass the ball sometimes.”
It also provided former Uruguay and Manchester United striker Diego Forlan with his defining tournament.
His former national-team colleague Diego Abreu told Uruguayan outlet El Futbolero in 2020 that Forlan got Adidas to send him a Jabulani three months before the World Cup started, and that he would practise shooting and taking free kicks with it. As it transpired, Forlan finished as the tournament’s joint-top scorer, with his five goals helping Uruguay reach the semi-finals. Such was his mastery of the Jabulani, he also left South Africa with the Goal of the Tournament award and the Golden Ball, presented to whoever gets voted the competition’s best player.
The Jabulani remains possibly the most extreme modern example of a football’s effect on the quality and trajectory of a shot, and it’s unlikely we will see an outlier like that again. Still, many players feel noticeable differences when switching between different makes of balls even 15 years later.
“When I went to the Premier League, and I started playing with the Nike ones compared to the Mitre balls in the Championship, I found they felt so much lighter,” says former Reading and Cardiff City striker Adam Le Fondre. “I felt like I was going to get a bit more movement with it.
“Mitre balls were more like cannonballs. They wouldn’t move or deviate off plan — they’d act in a straight manner. As a striker, you might want to get a bit more of a wobble on it, or even if you don’t connect with it well, the Nike ball in the Premier League might still have gone in. They gave me a little bit more help.”
It’s not just in football this happens, either.
In October, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick complained about using new basketballs instead of already broken-in ones in the NBA.
“I’m gonna send in a request for the league tomorrow that we play with worn-in basketballs,” Redick, who previously spent 15 seasons in the NBA as a player, told various outlets in a post-match press conference. “I’m not sure why we can play in real games with brand-new basketballs. Anybody who has ever touched an NBA ball brand new — it has a different feel and touch than a worn-in basketball.”
At the beginning of the 2021-22 season, the NBA switched its ball manufacturer from Spalding to Wilson, which was cited as one of the reasons for a slump in shooting percentages across the league. “It’s just a different basketball. It doesn’t have the same touch and softness the Spalding ball had,” said Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George in a post-match press conference. “You’ll see a lot of bad misses this year. You’ve seen a lot of airballs (shots that miss the hoop, net and even backboard entirely). Again, not to make an excuse or put any blame on the basketball, but it is different.”
It wasn’t long before players became accustomed to the different feel of the Wilson balls, and shooting percentages rose again. Still, it highlights how minor differences can affect elite athletes who are familiar with a particular piece of equipment.
Arsenal used the Puma Orbita 1 in training on Monday during the short turnaround between their 1-1 Premier League draw with Brighton on Saturday and the meeting with Newcastle (who have had extra time to get used to the Puma ball, as they entered this season’s Carabao Cup one round earlier than Arsenal, due to the latter getting a bye having qualified for Europe). But, judging by his comments, Arteta must surely be wondering if he should roll them out sooner in preparation for the decisive second leg at St James’ Park on February 5.
Besides, any extra time his players get with those balls could serve as Forlan-like preparation for next season — Puma has a deal to be the official football supplier to the Premier League from 2025-26 onwards.
(Top photos: Arteta and the controversial Orbita 1; Getty Images)
Culture
“Se habla LIDOM”: How Peligro Sports fuels Dominican baseball passion in New York City
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Once inside Peligro Sports, one thing above all else is clear: if you ever need a baseball cap, jersey or a T-shirt for one of the six teams in La Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana, the Dominican winter baseball league (or LIDOM, as it is known), this is the place to be.
And that’s rare.
When it comes to LIDOM gear, whether you’re a diehard fan born and raised in the Dominican Republic, part of the Dominican-American diaspora in the United States, married into a Dominican family or just a collector who can never have enough baseball caps, finding merchandise, especially the caps, is way harder than it should be.
Options for merchandise are limited. You can go to a live game and check the stadium stores or try your luck at a Dominican mall. You can visit the official LIDOM website, but it often sells out. Or, just slightly less fun than a trip to the Dominican Republic, you can go to Peligro Sports, a baseball merchandise mecca centered around LIDOM, MLB, the World Baseball Classic and Latino pride. (Can’t make it to Washington Heights? Peligro is also on Amazon and eBay).
LIDOM hits full swing in the late fall and winter, nestled between the final out of the World Series and pitchers and catchers reporting for MLB spring training. The league’s six teams — Tigres del Licey, Estrellas Orientales, Leones del Escogido, Toros del Este, Gigantes de Cibao and Águilas Cibaeñas — jockey for the top four positions in the standings to qualify for the round robin tournament that determines a champion each season. That champion then represents the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean World Series. Multiple generations of Dominican baseball players have played in LIDOM over the years at the beginning and ends of their pro baseball careers from Miguel Tejada (Águilas) to Elly De La Cruz (Licey).
Before opening Peligro’s doors, a display window greets customers with two mannequins decked out in the full uniforms of Dominican baseball titans Águilas and Licey, the island nation’s two most popular teams and LIDOM’s most intense rivalry. It’s Santo Domingo vs. Santiago. A clash of blue and gold with a wealth of titles between the two. Think New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox or San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, and then sprinkle a lot of sazón on it. Licey is the current LIDOM champion, having won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024 and has (for now) surpassed Águilas for most in LIDOM history with 24 to Águilas’s 22.
The mannequins speak without saying a word. At Peligro Sports, se habla LIDOM.
Jose Mateo, the owner of the shop, arrived in Washington Heights from his hometown of La Vega, Dominican Republic in 1989, bringing with him his love of Dominican winter baseball. He started his first business in 1991, a semi-prelude to Peligro Sports called Peligro Sandwiches. The top draw was the “chimi,” a toasted Dominican specialty, but there were also arcade games to be played and baseball cards to be bought and traded. A local high school baseball star and fellow Dominican named Manny Ramirez was a regular customer and now a long-time friend of Mateo’s (a signed and framed Ramirez jersey hangs in his office). When the record shop next to Mateo’ sandwich business went up for sale, he bought it with the intent of turning it into a sporting goods store.
Between 2009 and 2010, after years of renovation and investment, Peligro Sports was born, offering a mix of LIDOM caps, jerseys and other memorabilia, baseball bats and gloves, shoes, and WBC merchandise. That fire, sky blue Mexico fitted from the WBC? Peligro’s got it.
Mateo remembers the pre-internet days of the early ‘90s when Dominicans in New York had to go to extremes for LIDOM game recaps and box scores. Some would wait for days after a game until Dominican newspapers were delivered to New York. Others, who couldn’t wait that long, would purchase phone cards to make long-distance calls to relatives in the Dominican Republic who could give them live updates of games over the phone.
Passion for LIDOM baseball in New York was undeniable both then and now, giving Peligro an ongoing purpose in Washington Heights’ vibrant Dominican community.
“(Peligro Sports) happened with a little bit of business vision,” Mateo said in Spanish. “I saw (Dominican fans in New York) had needs for (LIDOM) products because no one else had them anywhere, and the Dominican community (in Washington Heights) was growing. People would ask where they could get this (hat) and that (T-shirt). More than just me being a fan of Dominican baseball, I realized as much as I like (LIDOM merchandise) other people can like it too.”
Mateo is a LIDOM encyclopedia for anyone who enters Peligro Sports with questions on the league’s merchandise. And not just because LIDOM is also a family affair for him. His cousin, Wellington Cepeda, is the manager of Gigantes de Cibao, the last team to win a LIDOM title before Licey’s current reign.
Mateo points out that LIDOM’s baseball cap situation is unique. If you want to wear the same caps that the players wear on the field (a common desire for any baseball fan), you’ve got to pay attention. New Era, the official maker of every MLB team’s caps, is the current manufacturer for four of LIDOM’s six teams: Gigantes, Toros, Estrellas and Águilas.
San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. could be seen in previous LIDOM seasons wearing an Estrellas uniform alongside his father, former St. Louis Cardinal Fernando Tatis Sr., who manages the team. Another former Cardinal and Puerto Rico World Baseball Classic team manager Yadier Molina (recently named LIDOM manager of the year by the Santo Domingo Sportswriters Association), now wears the black and yellow cap of Águilas. That star power combined with New Era’s brand recognition as the official cap of the grandes ligas is a powerful combination for fans when considering a purchase.
“What people like most are the New Era caps,” Mateo said. “They’ve got más flow.”
Licey and Escogido have their hats manufactured by a Dominican company called 4Fans, and with Licey winning consecutive championships and Escogido managed by Albert Pujols that local brand is getting a boost.
“It could be 4Fans, it could be another company, (LIDOM) fans are still going to get it,” Mateo said. “There was a time when every team (in LIDOM) used New Era for their caps. But just like here in the United States, sometimes sports teams (in the Dominican Republic) change the companies that make their uniforms. Escogido and Licey haven’t used New Era for years, but I feel they’ll return to New Era soon.”
Keeping up with the business logistics of LIDOM’s cap manufacturing can be a complicated dance at times. Sometimes Mateo has ordered directly from LIDOM. Other times New Era. 4Fans being in the mix means he’ll always have to make more than one call if he wants every LIDOM cap in stock at Peligro Sports.
Ordering LIDOM jerseys is similarly complex, according to Mateo. Mexican company Arrieta makes the jerseys for Estrellas, Águilas and Gigantes. Escogido’s jerseys are manufactured by Wilson. Licey has jerseys manufactured by Wilson and Arrieta. Mateo hasn’t bothered trying to sell Toros jerseys because the team doesn’t have much of a following in New York, but you can get Toros caps at Peligro.
The most popular LIDOM jerseys at Peligro Sports? Águilas. Which Mateo attributes to the team’s history of success and many of Washington Heights’ Dominican residents hailing from El Cibao, where Águilas fandom is commonplace.
One jersey that could soon be a best seller for Peligro is that of Juan Soto — but not just his New York Mets jersey. Soto has reportedly asked the Mets if he could play for Licey in the future. If that happens, Mateo could see many of the Soto fans who bought Yankee caps at Peligro Sports when Soto was traded to the Bronx returning for Soto Licey jerseys, given his popularity in New York’s Dominican community. Mateo said many of the Soto fans who bought Yankee caps have already returned to purchase Mets caps.
Peligro Sports allows its customers to personalize purchased jerseys with names and numbers on the back, although Mateo points out that no LIDOM team puts player last names on the back of its jerseys (that’s prime real estate for advertising). If a customer wanted a Licey jersey with “Soto” on the back they could request it for as simple a reason as their own last name being Soto. But Mateo is holding off on proactively making any Juan Soto merchandise for now.
“Supposedly, Soto might play five or 10 games (for Licey),” Mateo said. “Out of respect I won’t make a Soto jersey until a deal is done. Not all money is welcome money. But from the moment I can (legally), I will. I don’t want to break the good relationships I’ve built with LIDOM. (A Soto Licey jersey) would be a great impact for the league and for me as a businessman. Soto is in his moment right now. Many (superstar) Dominican players play in LIDOM when their careers are coming to an end. It would be incredible if it could happen.”
¡Una familia de GANADORES… Una familia de CAMPEONES! @JuanSoto25_ 💙 #LiceyFamily 👑 pic.twitter.com/dNBOq8fOKK
— Tigres del Licey (@TigresdelLicey) January 8, 2025
Mateo has been in Washington Heights for over three decades and selling LIDOM merchandise more than half of that time. From the titans to the contenders and pretenders, he says LIDOM continues to be good business for him because of the passion he believes the Dominican Republic will always have for baseball and the pride those baseball fans share in their nation.
“It’s a way to identify where you’re from,” Mateo said. “Latinos, even more so the youth, love to say ‘I’m Dominican,’ ‘I’m Puerto Rican.’ Each person wants to represent their country. The Dominican league is so strong in popularity, the people feel it in their soul. People want to show where they’re from and where their allegiances are.”
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(All photos: David Betancourt)
Culture
Could a small-market team be a surprise fit for Roki Sasaki? Parsing his agent’s words
At last month’s Winter Meetings in Dallas, agent Joel Wolfe held court in front of a large group of reporters and caused a stir when discussing his client, Japanese right-hander Roki Sasaki, who is expected to sign with a major-league team after the international signing period begins on Jan. 15.
Speculation about where Sasaki would ultimately land in MLB has simmered since his Nippon Professional Baseball debut in 2021, stoked by his stellar performance in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The Dodgers are currently seen as a favorite, but it’s clear they’re not the only team in the hunt.
At the Winter Meetings, Wolfe said that Sasaki was looking for a team that has had success on the field and a history of developing pitchers. He also mentioned access to direct flights from his new city to Japan as a consideration. But perhaps most interestingly, he said that because of Sasaki’s personal experiences growing up in the spotlight in Japan, a small market team outside of the media glare might have a greater chance than some might think.
“I think that there’s an argument to be made that a smaller, mid-market team might be more beneficial for him as a soft landing coming from Japan, given what he’s been through and not having an enjoyable experience with the media,” Wolfe said. “It might be — I’m not saying it will be — I don’t know how he’s going to view it, but it might be beneficial for him to be in a smaller market.”
Teams took note, with some altering their presentations to account for the perceived preferences.
Sasaki, 23, was officially posted last month by Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines. He can pick his team, but because he is not a free agent, he will be bound by international signing bonus limits.
Just before the new year, Wolfe held a teleconference and said 20 teams submitted pitches for Sasaki.
But where will he go? And could it really be a team outside of the big coastal juggernauts? Would it be possible to break down which teams might be good fits for Sasaki, using only the criteria Wolfe laid out? (While of course understanding that there are many, many factors at play beyond these.)
For this exercise, we looked at all 30 teams and graded them on four factors (history of success, small media market, pitching development and access to Japan), ranking each team from one through 30 based on a specific metric. The best earned 30 points and the worst earned one point in each category.
We don’t know who will ultimately win the Sasaki Sweepstakes, but perhaps some teams have a better chance than we previously thought.
History of success
What Wolfe said: “The best I can say is, he has paid attention to how teams have done, as far as overall success, both this year and years past. He does watch a lot of Major League Baseball.”
Methodology: This is pretty straightforward. Does the team win? For this, we’ll look at the winning percentage of MLB teams over the last four full seasons.
Limitations: Using just the regular-season win totals from the last four seasons doesn’t include postseason success. This formula also weighs each season equally, and the 2021 Orioles (52 wins) and the 2021 White Sox (93 wins) are in much different situations than their 2025 counterparts.
Team winning percentage, 2021-24
Team | 2024 | 23 | 22 | 21 | Total | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
98 |
100 |
111 |
106 |
415 |
30 |
|
89 |
104 |
101 |
88 |
382 |
29 |
|
88 |
90 |
106 |
95 |
379 |
28 |
|
94 |
82 |
99 |
92 |
367 |
27 |
|
93 |
92 |
86 |
95 |
366 |
26 |
|
80 |
99 |
86 |
100 |
365 |
25 |
|
95 |
90 |
87 |
82 |
354 |
24 |
|
85 |
88 |
90 |
90 |
353 |
23 |
|
80 |
79 |
81 |
107 |
347 |
22 |
|
74 |
89 |
92 |
91 |
346 |
21 |
|
93 |
82 |
89 |
79 |
343 |
20 |
|
89 |
75 |
101 |
77 |
342 |
19 |
|
92 |
76 |
92 |
80 |
340 |
18 |
|
83 |
71 |
93 |
90 |
337 |
17 |
|
81 |
78 |
78 |
92 |
329 |
16 |
|
91 |
101 |
83 |
52 |
327 |
15 |
|
82 |
87 |
78 |
73 |
320 |
14 |
|
83 |
83 |
74 |
71 |
311 |
13 |
|
86 |
78 |
66 |
77 |
307 |
12 |
|
77 |
82 |
62 |
83 |
304 |
11 |
|
89 |
84 |
74 |
52 |
299 |
10 |
|
78 |
90 |
68 |
60 |
296 |
9 |
|
63 |
73 |
73 |
77 |
286 |
8 |
|
62 |
84 |
69 |
67 |
282 |
7 |
|
86 |
56 |
65 |
74 |
281 |
6 |
|
41 |
61 |
81 |
93 |
276 |
5 |
|
76 |
76 |
62 |
61 |
275 |
4 |
|
69 |
50 |
60 |
86 |
265 |
3 |
|
71 |
71 |
55 |
65 |
262 |
2 |
|
61 |
59 |
68 |
74 |
262 |
2 |
Conclusion: The Dodgers are good. We knew that. Only once in the last four years has the team failed to win 100 games — and in that season, they won the World Series. With no repeat World Series winners over that period, it is clear that if winning is all that matters, joining the Dodgers is the way to go.
But don’t count out the Braves. Atlanta has the second-most regular-season victories over the last four seasons and a recent World Series title of their own. The Astros, who won the World Series in 2022, have the third-most victories over that time. The Rangers won a World Series in 2023, but only eight teams have fewer regular-season victories over the last four years.
If there’s a sleeper in this group, it’s the Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee’s won the fifth-most regular-season games (366) and only the New York Yankees have won more regular-season games (367) without a World Series title in that timeframe.
Small media markets
What Wolfe said: “I think that there’s an argument to be made that a smaller, mid-market team might be more beneficial for him as a soft landing coming from Japan.”
Methodology: Not all media markets are created equal. Boston is the seventh-largest TV market in the country, but playing in Boston is traditionally considered a particularly intense media experience. Boston, New York and Philadelphia have reputations as among the toughest media markets, while large markets like Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta don’t have the same reputation. For this exercise, we’ve used the 2024 Baseball Writers Association of America rolls and ranked each chapter by the number of members listed in that chapter as a reflection of the media attention.
Limitations: Using the BBWAA chapters just tells total numbers, it does not include just how many writers are at the ballpark every day. Also, there are five chapters — New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Baltimore-Washington and San Francisco-Oakland — with two teams. Both teams share the same score, even if the media surrounding the Dodgers or Cubs is greater than the Angels or White Sox. The New York chapter is by far the largest because many national writers also live in New York. Of the one-team chapters, only Boston had more members in 2024 than Miami, although many of Miami’s members cover players from Spanish-speaking countries as much or more than the Marlins. Also, this metric does not include TV or radio coverage. It also doesn’t factor in the Japanese media, which travels to cover the country’s best players, regardless of where they are playing. In 2020, at least two Japanese media members were in Cincinnati for much of the season just for Shogo Akiyama, who spent that season mostly as a platoon player.
Media market size
Team | Chapter | Members | Points |
---|---|---|---|
Milwaukee |
8 |
30 |
|
Tampa Bay |
10 |
29 |
|
Cincinnati |
11 |
28 |
|
Colorado |
13 |
27 |
|
San Diego |
13 |
27 |
|
Cleveland |
14 |
25 |
|
Kansas City |
15 |
24 |
|
Arizona |
16 |
23 |
|
Houston |
17 |
22 |
|
Dallas-Fort Worth |
18 |
21 |
|
St. Louis |
18 |
21 |
|
Pittsburgh |
19 |
19 |
|
Atlanta |
20 |
18 |
|
Minnesota |
20 |
18 |
|
Seattle |
21 |
16 |
|
Detroit |
23 |
15 |
|
Philadelphia |
28 |
14 |
|
San Francisco-Oakland |
30 |
13 |
|
San Francisco-Oakland |
30 |
13 |
|
Toronto |
32 |
11 |
|
Chicago |
33 |
10 |
|
Chicago |
33 |
10 |
|
Miami |
34 |
8 |
|
Baltimore-Washington |
37 |
7 |
|
Baltimore-Washington |
37 |
7 |
|
Boston |
39 |
5 |
|
Los Angeles |
60 |
4 |
|
Los Angeles |
60 |
4 |
|
New York |
132 |
2 |
|
New York |
132 |
2 |
Conclusion: The Brewers, Rays, Reds and Rockies could really bear down on Wolfe’s comments about small markets and media attention in their pitch.
Developing pitching
What Wolfe said: “He’s talked to a lot of players, foreign players, that have been on his team with Chiba Lotte. He asked questions about weather, comfortability, pitching development.”
Methodology: For this exercise, we’ll use Cy Young Award voting from the past four years. This, of course, benefits teams with established pitchers and teams like the Yankees who sign big-name free agents, but using the cumulative voting totals hopefully gives credit to teams whose pitchers consistently garner votes. For pitchers who were traded during the season in which they earned points, we’ve used the team that pitchers started the season with because the bulk of the innings and the preparation were from the first team.
Limitations: This is less quantifiable than simple W-L records. Some teams are known for developing their pitchers at the minor-league level and some, like the Astros and Rays, are known for taking talented pitchers and improving them.
Using just the Cy Young voting limits the pool to mostly starters, which is OK since Sasaki is going to be signed and used as a starter. But this method only measures the very best performances, and how much of that is on the pitcher and how much of that is on the team? It also discounts previous advancements, such as giving the Yankees credit on Gerrit Cole, who became an ace while with the Astros and was drafted by the Pirates. It also gives more weight to the voting results, with unanimous selections earning a much higher point total than close decisions.
Cy Young votes, 2021-24
Team | 2024 | 23 | 22 | 21 | Total | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0 |
86 |
88 |
207 |
381 |
30 |
|
133 |
28 |
48 |
141 |
350 |
29 |
|
199 |
64 |
75 |
0 |
338 |
28 |
|
0 |
210 |
4 |
123 |
337 |
27 |
|
59 |
204 |
7 |
0 |
270 |
26 |
|
18 |
6 |
224 |
14 |
262 |
25 |
|
0 |
0 |
210 |
0 |
210 |
24 |
|
210 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
210 |
24 |
|
0 |
13 |
20 |
172 |
205 |
22 |
|
0 |
0 |
97 |
93 |
190 |
21 |
|
18 |
86 |
32 |
7 |
143 |
20 |
|
141 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
141 |
19 |
|
0 |
0 |
66 |
73 |
139 |
18 |
|
0 |
115 |
0 |
8 |
123 |
17 |
|
0 |
68 |
45 |
0 |
113 |
16 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
113 |
113 |
16 |
|
47 |
42 |
0 |
0 |
89 |
14 |
|
0 |
0 |
82 |
1 |
83 |
13 |
|
67 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
72 |
12 |
|
38 |
31 |
0 |
69 |
11 |
||
25 |
31 |
0 |
0 |
56 |
10 |
|
53 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
53 |
9 |
|
0 |
1 |
0 |
41 |
42 |
8 |
|
0 |
19 |
10 |
0 |
29 |
7 |
|
1 |
16 |
6 |
1 |
24 |
6 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
23 |
23 |
5 |
|
4 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
8 |
4 |
|
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
3 |
|
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Conclusion: The Blue Jays, surprisingly, top the list. Much of that comes from Robbie Ray’s 2021 Cy Young campaign, but the team also had third-place finishers in 2022 (Alek Manoah) and 2023 (Kevin Gausman). Manoah is the only one of those three to come up through the Blue Jays’ system (and we’ll ignore what’s happened since then), while Ray won the award in his first full season. Gausman’s third-place finish came in his first year with the team after signing as a free agent.
The Phillies finished second, followed by the Braves. The Brewers finished ninth by this metric, but that would seem low considering the pitching the Brewers have gotten over the last four years. The Astros, a team credited with turning around several pitching careers, finished sixth.
Direct flights to and from Japan
What Wolfe said: “When we supply information to our Japanese players, long before they come over here, one of the things that we provide for them is direct flights from Japan and the amount of time it takes for family to come and visit you. I think about five or 10 years ago that was something that maybe they weighed a little bit more, but now you can fly direct from Japan to most of the major cities in the U.S.”
Methodology: There are direct flights to Japan from 15 different airports in the continental United States. Toronto also has direct flights to Japan. For this exercise, we will use the distance from the team’s home ballpark to the nearest airport with a direct flight to Japan.
Limitations: There are a ton, but we’ll start with the fact that when traveling, the most relevant unit of measurement is time, not distance. However, variables including frequency of flights, schedules, traffic and overall distance come into play — a flight with a stop from the West Coast will likely take less time than a nonstop flight from the East Coast to Japan. And, yes, O’Hare airport may only be 14 miles from Wrigley Field, but there are times of day that it can be a long drive.
Direct flights to Japan
Team | Nearest non-stop | Miles from park | Points |
---|---|---|---|
SAN |
4 |
30 |
|
BOS |
6 |
29 |
|
JFK |
9 |
28 |
|
DFW |
10 |
27 |
|
MSP |
12 |
26 |
|
SFO |
12 |
26 |
|
SEA |
12 |
26 |
|
ORD |
14 |
23 |
|
IAH |
17 |
22 |
|
JFK/EWR |
17 |
22 |
|
LAX |
19 |
20 |
|
ORD |
20 |
19 |
|
DTW |
20 |
19 |
|
DEN |
22 |
17 |
|
ATL |
23 |
16 |
|
YYZ |
25 |
15 |
|
IAD |
28 |
14 |
|
LAX |
39 |
13 |
|
IAD |
61 |
12 |
|
ORD |
80 |
11 |
|
EWR |
85 |
10 |
|
SFO |
96 |
9 |
|
DTW |
157 |
8 |
|
IAD |
238 |
7 |
|
DTW |
251 |
6 |
|
ORD |
298 |
5 |
|
SAN |
360 |
4 |
|
MSP |
435 |
3 |
|
ATL |
450 |
2 |
|
ATL |
655 |
1 |
Conclusion: San Diego is the clear winner here. San Diego International Airport doesn’t have the volume of flights available at LAX, but it does have the bonus of not being LAX or having LAX traffic, which can add hours to travel time. The Twins are a sneaky good spot with direct flights.
Of note: Though it isn’t reflected in our calculation, Seattle offers the shortest flight time (10 hours, 10 minutes) to Tokyo.
Final conclusion
Final totals
Team | Total | Wins | Development | Flights | Media |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
103 |
20 |
26 |
30 |
27 |
|
97 |
28 |
25 |
22 |
22 |
|
91 |
29 |
28 |
16 |
18 |
|
89 |
26 |
22 |
11 |
30 |
|
81 |
22 |
20 |
26 |
13 |
|
78 |
27 |
27 |
22 |
2 |
|
77 |
21 |
30 |
15 |
11 |
|
77 |
24 |
29 |
10 |
14 |
|
75 |
23 |
10 |
26 |
16 |
|
75 |
14 |
17 |
26 |
18 |
|
72 |
30 |
18 |
20 |
4 |
|
70 |
12 |
24 |
19 |
15 |
|
63 |
18 |
12 |
8 |
25 |
|
63 |
25 |
7 |
2 |
29 |
|
59 |
9 |
2 |
27 |
21 |
|
58 |
16 |
8 |
29 |
5 |
|
57 |
13 |
11 |
23 |
10 |
|
55 |
19 |
6 |
28 |
2 |
|
55 |
5 |
21 |
19 |
10 |
|
53 |
10 |
16 |
4 |
23 |
|
52 |
6 |
19 |
3 |
24 |
|
48 |
15 |
14 |
12 |
7 |
|
48 |
11 |
3 |
6 |
28 |
|
47 |
17 |
4 |
5 |
21 |
|
47 |
2 |
1 |
17 |
27 |
|
40 |
7 |
24 |
1 |
8 |
|
39 |
2 |
16 |
14 |
7 |
|
39 |
4 |
9 |
7 |
19 |
|
38 |
8 |
13 |
13 |
4 |
|
30 |
3 |
5 |
9 |
13 |
Why are the good teams good? Well, those good teams win games, develop players and have money. Those three are actually tied to the categories given — with market size in part determining both direct flights to Japan and media attention, both of which impact revenue. That’s why it’s no surprise that the top three teams in our exercise are the Padres, Braves and Astros.
It is only when we get to fourth place that we have one of those small-market teams in the Brewers. The Brewers tick all those boxes, with an out-of-the-box pick in O’Hare International. (It may be in a different state, but O’Hare is just over an hour and a $114 Uber ride from Milwaukee.)
Will the Brewers be the pick? It seems unlikely, but Matt Arnold’s team can make some interesting points in its sales pitch.
The Padres had already been a team seen as having a shot at Sasaki’s services, and not just because of the team’s recent history of handing out major contracts and making big splashes. The Padres tick all the boxes that Wolfe laid out, both in general terms and in our exercise. While the top 10 is littered with big-market bullies, the Mariners, who have as much history with Japanese players as any team, finished 10th, followed by the Twins. Both teams are ahead of the Dodgers on this list, but somehow, it seems Los Angeles still has a pretty good chance of landing another Japanese superstar.
(Photo of Roki Sasaki: Eric Espada / Getty Images)
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