ARLINGTON, Texas – Yu Darvish leaned over and looked at his name and the No. 11 on the back of his Texas Rangers jersey. Then he looked up and smiled.
"Excited, that's all I feel right now," Darvish said through a translator. "Just excited going forward."
Japan's best pitcher is now officially a member of the two-time defending American League champions, with his formal introduction Friday night in Texas coming two days after the right-hander agreed to a six-year contract that guarantees him $56 million.
The 25-year-old Darvish, who exceled in Japan's Pacific League the past seven seasons, said he wasn't prepared to go into specifics about the several different reasons why he decided to make the move to United States now.
From all indications, Yu is a different kind of dude, whether we're talking about the apparent reddish-brown highlights in his hair or the scruffy patch of black hair on his chin -- think Shaggy from "Scooby-Doo."
During the news conference, when he wasn't being self-deprecating, he provided a few pithy comments.
When asked what he thought about Texas, Yu pointed at co-owner Bob Simpson and said, "Everyone seems to wear Cowboys boots."
When asked if he could've gotten the final out of Game 6 of the World Series, he said, "I probably would've given up a home run last year. This year, I would get a strikeout."
When asked what he thought about Albert Pujols, who's now a division rival, he said, "He looks like a player who can hit the ball very far."
Nothing wrong with that.
Oh, and when he visited earlier this month, he asked general manager Jon Daniels if the right-field fence could be moved back a few feet because it seemed too close.
How's that for a sense of humor?
The Rangers love his attitude and his competitiveness and his drive, but what they love most is that intangible called makeup. It's hard to describe, but we know it when we see it.
Athletes either have it. Or they don't. The Rangers think Darvish has oodles of it.
And that's why they paid $51.7 million for the right to negotiate with him. If you truly understand the Rangers' organizational philosophy, then you understand why they signed Yu.
The Rangers are in a never-ending quest for players with star potential and the makeup to be a star. When they find players with those qualities, the Rangers will sell their soul to acquire them.
After the news conference ended and Yu posed for a multitude of photographs with everyone from co-owners Simpson and Ray Davis to Josh Hamilton to manager Ron Washington and pitching coach Mike Maddux, he walked down to the field for some more photos while wearing his white No. 11 jersey.
The video boards showed highlights of his best performances while his name flashed in English and Japanese.
"Excited, that's all I feel right now," Darvish said through a translator. "Just excited going forward."
Japan's best pitcher is now officially a member of the two-time defending American League champions, with his formal introduction Friday night in Texas coming two days after the right-hander agreed to a six-year contract that guarantees him $56 million.
The 25-year-old Darvish, who exceled in Japan's Pacific League the past seven seasons, said he wasn't prepared to go into specifics about the several different reasons why he decided to make the move to United States now.
From all indications, Yu is a different kind of dude, whether we're talking about the apparent reddish-brown highlights in his hair or the scruffy patch of black hair on his chin -- think Shaggy from "Scooby-Doo."
During the news conference, when he wasn't being self-deprecating, he provided a few pithy comments.
When asked what he thought about Texas, Yu pointed at co-owner Bob Simpson and said, "Everyone seems to wear Cowboys boots."
When asked if he could've gotten the final out of Game 6 of the World Series, he said, "I probably would've given up a home run last year. This year, I would get a strikeout."
When asked what he thought about Albert Pujols, who's now a division rival, he said, "He looks like a player who can hit the ball very far."
Nothing wrong with that.
Oh, and when he visited earlier this month, he asked general manager Jon Daniels if the right-field fence could be moved back a few feet because it seemed too close.
How's that for a sense of humor?
The Rangers love his attitude and his competitiveness and his drive, but what they love most is that intangible called makeup. It's hard to describe, but we know it when we see it.
Athletes either have it. Or they don't. The Rangers think Darvish has oodles of it.
And that's why they paid $51.7 million for the right to negotiate with him. If you truly understand the Rangers' organizational philosophy, then you understand why they signed Yu.
The Rangers are in a never-ending quest for players with star potential and the makeup to be a star. When they find players with those qualities, the Rangers will sell their soul to acquire them.
After the news conference ended and Yu posed for a multitude of photographs with everyone from co-owners Simpson and Ray Davis to Josh Hamilton to manager Ron Washington and pitching coach Mike Maddux, he walked down to the field for some more photos while wearing his white No. 11 jersey.
The video boards showed highlights of his best performances while his name flashed in English and Japanese.
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