of Chicago Cubs After the All-Star break, they made a subtle but important change by firing the interpreter who had been working with the Japanese outfielders. Seiya Suzuki Through his first two and a half years in the major leagues.
Toy Matsushita will no longer speak for Suzuki in interviews with U.S. media, a team source said Thursday, an organizational decision to move in a different direction. Those duties, which also include conveying messages from the front office and coaching staff to Suzuki, will be taken over by two Cubs staff members.
Hisashi Masamoto, a longtime Cubs employee who manages the Cubs’ Pacific Rim operations and major league video systems, will continue to support Suzuki. Shota ImanagaEdwin Stanbery, an interpreter for the company, will also be assisting Suzuki in communicating with the company.
The Cubs will open the 2025 season at Tokyo Dome. Los Angeles Dodgers (March 18-19) Major League Baseball The match was announced on Thursday and will pit two iconic teams against each other on the international stage.
The biggest story in this year’s Seoul series was the gambling scandal involving Mizuhara Ippei. Shohei OhtaniTeam officials stressed that the Cubs are not facing a similar situation here.
The Cubs want to remain known as a destination for Japanese players and a place where they can reach their full potential. Masamoto is a highly respected and close friend of the Cubs. Yu Darvish Even after the Cubs traded a Japanese pitcher San Diego Padres In interviews since the 2020 season ended, Stanberry has done an exemplary job of highlighting Imanaga’s individuality and helping him integrate into the team’s culture.
At left, Edwin Stanberry walks with Shota Imanaga before the game against the Dodgers on April 5. (Michael Reeves/Getty Images)
“Intentional” is the word that’s often used to describe how Imanaga has forged relationships with his coaching staff and teammates — on public display when he recited the lyrics to “Go Cubs Go” during a news conference welcoming him to Chicago — and behind the scenes, it included maintaining a certain distance from his translator and fostering a sense of independence.
A rookie by major league standards, Imanaga, 30, pitched one scoreless inning in the All-Star Game. He’s 8-2 with a 2.97 ERA in 17 starts and his four-year, $53 million contract looks like one of the most visionary signings of last winter. He’s also on the cover of Chicago Magazine’s recently released “Best Of” issue.
Imanaga also benefits from the team’s learning curve with Suzuki, who signed a five-year, $85 million contract after the MLB lockout ends in 2022. Suzuki has dealt with some injuries and the odd problem of routinely catching fly balls in right field, but he’s a highly talented hitter and a tireless worker.
But Suzuki’s focus could help improve an offense that has some weaknesses. His blend of power, patience, mental approach and contact skills is close to what the Cubs want in a hitter. Streamlining his communication could be a way for the team to help him feel more confident and decisive.
Suzuki, who turns 30 next month, is a good major league hitter (.811 career OPS) and should be in the prime of his career. His first half of the season (13 homers, 45 RBIs) was boosted by a strong July (.321 batting average, .942 OPS), one of the team’s best performances this season. The Cubs (47-51) need that kind of performance to end discussions of selling him before the July 30 trade deadline.
(Top photo of Seiya Suzuki: Michael Reeves/Getty Images)
