"In the Spring," wrote Alfred, Lord Tennyson in his famous poem "Locksley Hall," "a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love."
In Japan, men's springtime fancies are equally likely to turn to thoughts of baseball. And if the frequency of articles about the sport in Japan's weeklies and tabloids are any indication, the New York Yankees' newest Japanese acquisition, pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, will be the focus of blanket media coverage both on and off the field.
The Yankees acquired Tanaka for a princely sum from the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles after he posted a spectacular record last season of 24 wins and no losses, leading his team to its first-ever victory in the Japan Series last November. At age 25, he has a long and lucrative baseball career ahead of him.