Shunned Tadano looks to move on
Jim Allen / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter
Cleveland Indians prospect Kazuhito Tadano is used to getting the cold shoulder over appearing in a gay porn video three years ago while a student at Tokyo's Rikkyo University.
When the news was made public prior to Japan's fall draft in 2002, the blue-chip pitcher was ignored by Japan's 12 clubs, as well as the New York Mets.
"(Mets) owner Fred Wilpon refused to sign him because he was worried about the trouble it might cause," a source within the team said by phone Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Tadano met with the press in Cleveland, Ohio, to ask forgiveness for what he called a one-time mistake, according to AP.
"All of us have made mistakes in our lives," Tadano read a statement in English to the press at Jacobs Field. "Hopefully, you learn from them and move on."
The Indians are hopeful that Tadano can make it in the American League this season, but it is not the future Tadano had in mind two summers ago.
In July 2002, one major league scout inquired indirectly whether the youngster would be interested in skipping the pros here and going straight to the States.
Tadano's response was that he preferred to make a name for himself in Japan before moving to the majors.
Unfortunately, his mistake caught up with him a month before the 2002 draft when a sports newspaper exposed his movie career.
The AP report quoted Alan Nero, Tadano's agent, as saying that the Japanese commissioner got involved by telling teams not to draft him.
Hideki Ikeda, an official with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, says no such order went out.
"The teams just decided not to draft him by themselves," said Ikeda.
Instead of heading to the Yokohama BayStars as a premium pre-draft signing, Tadano found himself out of baseball when his university career ended in 2003.
According to Nero, Tadano was also coming off an elbow injury that prevented him from pitching well enough in tryouts last spring in Arizona for most teams to overlook the baggage he brought with him.
The Indians, however, were more concerned with Tadano's future than his past and signed him last March.
"We thought the upside was well worth the risk, energy and time to support him," Indians general manager Mark Shapiro was quoted as saying.
Tadano gave few details of the homosexual act he took part in on film as a university sophomore.
"I did participate in a video and I regret it very much," he said. "It was a one-time incident that showed bad judgement and will never be repeated. I was young, playing baseball and going to college and I needed money.
"Frankly, if I were more mature and had really thought about the implications of what I did, it never would have happened."
Tadano asserted he was not gay.
"I'm not gay," he said through an interpreter. "I'd like to clear up that fact right now."
Last season, Tadano twice went before teammates in the minor leagues to confess his involvement in the video, according to the AP report.
In both cases he was well received by players at Kinston, N.C., and later at Akron, Ohio.
"I don't think it changed anyone's opinion of him," said outfielder Grady Sizemore. "He's a great guy and a great pitcher."
Tadano spent most of the season at Double-A Akron and had a 1.56 ERA in 98 innings.
The 1.80-meter right-hander who struck out 112 batters while walking just 22 is expected to start the season at Triple-A Buffalo before making the jump to the majors, where he is sure to face his share of heckling.
"I don't understand English, so it doesn't really matter," said Tadano.
In other baseball news:
--Daiei Hawks infielder Nobuhiko Matsunaka, who won the Pacific League RBI title last season, turned down an offer of a 310 million yen annual salary after a second round of talks with team officials on Wednesday.
I have the video. Tadano is actually pretty hot. He could have two careers.
More info:
http://www.joafruit.com/openweblog/2004_02_15_index.html#107685436829733697
Posted by: JguyUSguy | February 17, 2004 at 08:23 AM
Tadano should have been beaned everytime he batted against the Reds on July 2nd. I would have done it.
Posted by: homophobe | July 05, 2004 at 03:05 AM
Tadano should have been beaned everytime he batted against the Reds on July 2nd. I would have done it.
Posted by: homophobe | July 05, 2004 at 03:06 AM