It's always nice to see a player from Japan make it in the major leagues, whether it be a Japanese pitcher such as Hideo Nomo or Kazuhiro Sasaki, or a foreigner such as Matt Stairs, Rob Ducey or Lee Stevens getting another shot at the Bigs after spending time in the Central or Pacific Leagues in Dai Nippon. Now, there is a third category: Dominican graduates of the Hiroshima Carp Baseball Academy in that country who, apparently, used the Carp as a stepping stone to get a shot at MLB stardom.
Making headlines these days as the leadoff man and right fielder for the New York Mets is Timo Perez, who we knew as Timoniel Perez in his days as a banjo-hitting, part-time Central League, part-time Western (minor) League player with the Carp for four seasons from 1996-99. Perez, called up from Triple-A Norfolk in September, hit a key home run in the National League pennant race that helped the Mets maintain a strong wildcard position heading into the playoffs.
He earned promotion to the New York roster after hitting .357 in 291 at-bats in Virginia, then got his chance to play regularly when right fielder Derek Bell injured an ankle in the opening game of the Mets-San Francisco Giants National League Division Series, and Timo has been in there ever since, playing with poise and confidence at bat and in the field.