December 15th, 2006 → 12:38 am @ Seth Mnookin // No Comments
Buried at the end of today’s hilariously translated (and transcribed) press conference is this very telling quote:
LARRY LUCCHINO: “We have a few closing comments we with like to make, they are really addressed to the new Japanese members of Red Sox Nation, two or three things. First, I’d like to repeat what our general manager said at the beginning, and that is that we recognize the player that we have obtained and we will treat him with the respect and courtesy that he has earned.
Secondly, we recognize that as he’s within described, he is a national treasure. We had a national treasure here, as well. It’s called Fenway Park, and we invite, warmly, the members of the Japanese baseball world to come to visit Fenway Park, to visit Boston, to visit the great New England region. We look forward to their participation in Red Sox nation. Thirdly I would say to our friends in Japan and throughout the entire Japanese baseball world, this is a long term commitment. This is in a short, one stop, one shot venture. Our plan, our hope is to be active in Japan and expand our presence. We are proud to have Hideki Okajima joining the team this year, and we think these two young men are beginnings of a long term relationship with Japan and the Japanese baseball world and we proudly look forward to that.”
Lucchino did not go on to say, “And thirdly, it might have cost us $103 million to get your national treasure but it’s gonna cost you $12 per person to take a tour of our treasure, and we run those tours every hour on the hour seven days a week. Oh, and also, unlike international TV deals or merchandise sales that get split evenly among the 30 clubs, that’s not dough we need to share with anybody else. Did I mention it’s a national treasure? And that Daisuke will be pitching here? That’s right: 12 bucks a head.”
(Note: I’m all for new revenue streams. I love me some new revenue streams. It’s why I’ll be able to watch Matsuzaka pitch in Fenway next year. I also love calling a spade a spade. Or, as Freud would say to Dora, un chat un chat.)
Post Categories: Larry Lucchino & Oblique references to Beatles songs