利用者:Tadanoningen/TDNの海外評判
AP通信の記事
AP通信は、TDNの記者会見の詳細を報道・配信した報道機関である。会見は2004年1月27日、クリーブランドのジェイコブス・フィールド（現：プログレッシブ・フィールド）のクラブハウスで行われた。この会見は、スプリングトレーニング（春季キャンプ）の開始前に問題に対応するため、クリーブランド・インディアンスが設定したもので、当時TDNへの取材要望が殺到していたと言われている。
TDNは2003年3月にクリーブランド・インディアンスとフリーエージェント（FA）契約を結び、同シーズンはマイナーリーグのキンストン（クラスA）、アクロン（クラスAA）、バッファロー（クラスAAA）でプレーした。TDNはチーム合流後、キンストンとアクロンの選手や関係者に対し、自身がビデオに関与した経緯について説明を行っており、AP通信は特にアクロンのチームに対する説明内容を報じている。
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TDNの記者会見 -
TDNの隣に通訳のダン・ワタベ -
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"KAZUHITO TADANO IS ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS" タイムズスクエア 2004年1月29日
◆AP通信の記事に基づく記事：
TDN
報道によると、声明文はTDN自身が作成したとされる。会見の冒頭でTDN自らが拙い英語で声明を読み上げた後、通訳のダン・ワタベが改めてそれを朗読した。
| 英語 | 翻訳 | 注記 |
|---|---|---|
| I am embarrassed and want to apologize to the Cleveland Indians organization, my teammates and to the people who support me for any distractions this has caused. | 私は恥ずかしく思っており、今回の件でご迷惑をおかけしたことについて、クリーブランド・インディアンスの球団関係者、チームメイト、そして私を支えてくださっている皆様にお詫びしたいと思います。 | 英語の声明開始 |
| I did participate in a video and I regret it very much. | （大学時代に）ビデオに出たことがあり、とても後悔しています。 | |
| It was a one-time incident that showed bad judgment and will never be repeated. | たった一度の過ちで、判断の誤りを示したものであり、二度と同じ間違いはしません。 | |
| I was young, playing baseball, and going to college, and my teammates and I needed the money. | 当時は若く、大学に通いながら野球をしていて、チームメイトたちと一緒にお金が必要でした。 | |
| Frankly, if I were more mature and had really thought about the implications of what I did, it never would have happened. | 正直に言って、もし私がもっと成熟していて、自分の行動がもたらす影響について本当に考えていたなら、このようなことは決して起こらなかったでしょう。 | |
| All of us have made mistakes in our lives. Hopefully, you learn from them and move on. | 人は誰でも人生の中で間違いを犯します。願わくば、そこから学び、前に進んでいければと思います。 | 声明終了 |
| I’m not gay. I’d like to clear that fact up right now. | 僕はゲイではありません。これだけははっきりと真実を伝えたかった。 | 通訳を通して |
| I don’t understand English, so it doesn’t really matter. | 英語が分からないので、あまり関係ありません。 | メジャーリーグの各球場でビジターからのやじにどう対処するかを問われ、TDNは通訳を通して次のように付け加えた。 |
| I wanted to tell the truth to my teammates. | チームメイトに本当のことを伝えたかった。 | キンストンとアクロンでチームメイトにビデオへの関与を告白した2度の件を振り返って。 |
| It feels like a great weight has been taken off my shoulders. | 肩の荷が下りたような気持ちです。 | |
| When I explained what happened to my teammates at Kinston and Akron, they gave me full support. They don’t look at me in an eerie way. | キンストンとアクロンでチームメイトに起きたことを説明したとき、彼らは全力で支えてくれました。変な目で見られることはありませんでした。 |
Alan Nero
He was TDN's sports agent.
It's implied here that he said Japanese pro baseball teams didn't select him because Shukan Gendai published photos of TDN in the video a month before the draft.
“The commissioner of Japanese baseball came out and said, ‘You will not draft Tadano.’”
“But this kid didn’t assault anybody. He didn’t commit murder. If anything, he is guilty of being naive.”
“He didn’t pitch well enough for them to ignore it... I also think they were afraid of the baggage that would come with it.”
His explanation of Japanese gay videos:
The video can only be obtained on the black market in Japan. (paraphrased)
Mark Shapiro
General manager of the Cleveland Indians from 2001-2009.
Only the Indians decided to take a chance on TDN, signing him to a minor league contract with a $67,500 signing bonus.
“This was a business decision for us. This was not something we entered into lightly.”
“After doing extensive interviews with [TDN], observing how he interacts with his teammates, his talent and his character as a person, we felt there was an upside here that was well worth the risk, energy and time to support him..”
When asked if TDN was "blackballed" (secretly rejected) in Japan:
“That’s not a word I would use, but that’s the way it was described to me.”
Grady Sizemore
TDN's teammate during his time in the Akron team, who listened to TDN's confession in the clubhouse.
TDN's speech last year was well-received in the clubhouse. (paraphrased)
It's noted here that Sizemore lived with TDN that winter.
“I think it was very tough for him. You could tell he was nervous.”
It's noted in the news report that Sizemore, and apparently TDN's other teammates at Class A and Class AA, seem to have taken TDN at his word. There have been no incidents of abuse or harassment [towards TDN] reported.
“But I don’t think it changed anybody’s opinion of him. After it was said and done, nobody thought anything more of it. He’s a great guy and a great pitcher.”
“I think some people were shocked, but it wasn’t a huge deal to me.”
“He was a college kid at the time, trying to make some money.”
“He asked us to trust him as a player and a person and not judge him by his past.”
"I think most of us just looked at it like everyone makes mistakes in their lives and sometimes do things they aren't proud of."
In time, Tadano became one of the more popular players on the Akron team. (paraphrased)
“He’s an awesome guy. Fun to be around.”
“Even though he doesn’t speak English, you can tell he has a sense of humor.”
Sizemore watched TDN pitch, at one point, 28 consecutive scoreless innings at Akron last year.
"He just shut people down. His slider is ridiculous. He owned both the teams we played in the playoffs."
CC Sabathia
A major league pitcher of the Cleveland Indians at the time. He had yet to become TDN's teammate.
“This is the right team and the right organization for him.”
“We have good guys here. Everybody has done something that they regret in their lives. He’s a person just like everyone else.”
Omar Vizquel
A major league shortstop of the Cleveland Indians, who was TDN's teammate (after the conference, when TDN was signed to major league)
Vizquel says that opposing players make "comments" about TDN:
“Sure, you hear stuff from some of the other players... but you hear it and give a sarcastic smile and move on. You don’t pay attention.”
Vizquel says that an explanation of the circumstances by TDN to his third minor league team, the Buffalo Bisons, wouldn't have been necessary:
“He didn't talk to the team when he came to us; no need to. He spoke at the news conference, and that was enough.”
Vizquel implies that TDN (Kaz) is just hiding that he is gay:
“Kaz says he’s not gay, and we take him at his word. But even if he were, it wouldn’t bother me. There are a lot more things in the world to worry about than whether a guy’s gay or not.”
“I don't know of anyone in the clubhouse who's uncomfortable with Kaz. A lot of people don't understand the magnitude of the gay community, how it's becoming more and more accepted, what with same-sex marriage and people revealing their preferences in public”
Vizquel thinks TDN should just admit he is gay:
"The gay world isn't a secret anymore. Remember Billy Bean? He came out a few years ago after he retired to say he is gay. He said he was afraid to admit it when he was playing because of the negative reaction it might cause. But I think there are a certain amount of players in baseball -- and other sports -- who are gay, but don't want to admit it. I think we're getting closer to the day when they will, and no one will really care that much."
Article: "Some major league teams in Japan cared [that he is secretly gay], apparently, shunning TDN after his outstanding college career."
Lou Merloni
A major league infielder of the Cleveland Indians, who was TDN's teammate (after the conference, when TDN was signed to major league). He had played in Japan.
An article writes how TDN accidently wore the team colors of the opposing team, New York Mets, during that night's game at Shea Stadium. Neither TDN or his teammates seemed to notice, which players joked about. Merloni was one who joked about it, and had banter with TDN in Japanese.
Later, Merloni said, referring to the video TDN (Kaz) appeared in:
“Kaz comes with a past; everyone knows about it. Sure, it’s in the back of your mind. But he’s part of the ball club, which is a family.”
“His job is to pitch, and our job is to support him. The goal for all of us is to win.”
“He has nothing to apologize for.”
“All of us, if you dig enough into your closet, you’ll find a mistake.”
"In the closet" or "closeted" is slang for not admitting one's homosexuality (and 掘る can be translated as "dig").
Others
Jim Allen, who wrote about TDN in the English-language Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, said:
“The blue-chip pitcher was ignored by Japan’s 12 clubs as well as the New York Mets.”
A Mets official, who asked for anonymity based on the sensitivity of the issue, said the Mets dismissed TDN as a possible contract:
“I cannot disagree with that premise. TDN was discussed and it was decided to go in another direction.”