The Hanshin Tigers are apparently going to sign a new foreign player who will be facing one of the most difficult adjustments in the pro baseball world. Japanese sports newspaper reports have indicated the Tigers are talking to Matt Hague, a third baseman with the Toronto Blue Jays organization.
Whether it is Hague or someone else, a new gaikokujin position player would replace six-year Hanshin veteran Matt Murton, who will not be returning to the team in 2016. The adjustment is always tough for first-year guys putting on the Osaka pinstripes because of the popularity of the club and the expectations of the fans who fill Koshien Stadium.
It is important for newbies to realize exactly what they are getting into. The majime, or serious-type, players with no sense of humor are the ones who are not going to make it. The loose, shake-it-off personalities are the ones with the best chance of success in the Hanshin uniform as well as those of other teams.