Ryu: “Angels didn’t want two Asian players on the team”

[Pancake Bear]

From: https://jaysjournal.com/2019/12/26/blue-jays-behind-the-scenes-of-the-hyun-jin-ryu-signing/

Here’s the key quote:

”Despite serious interest from the Blue Jays, Ryu still wanted to wait for offers from the Angels and Dodgers. In the Dodgers case, it is believed that though there were discussions of bringing Ryu back, the offers that Ryu received were disappointing. As for the Angels, a formal offer was never put on the table. According to Ryu’s camp, the Angels didn’t want two Asian players on the same team. Rather than separating their marketing efforts between the Korean and Japanese markets (the Angels already have Shohei Ohtani, a Japanese player), they instead wanted to focus on Japan.”

This seems odd. Was this a request from Ohtani's camp? Was this Arte meddling and telling Eppler not to pursue Ryu? The info is from a translated article in Korea, so maybe Ryu’s camp was just speculating on why the Angels didn’t pursue him too hard? Really bizarre. 

But if that’s accurate that they didn’t want two Asian stars, I doubt that was Eppler making the call. Sounds more like he was given instructions from on high not to pursue Ryu. 

[tdawg87]

This might be a good thread.

[Pancake Bear]

6 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

This might be a good thread.

All my threads are the best threads. 

[Lou]

[nate]

Angels didn't want a pitcher who usually can't pitch is my read on it.

[Drink More Yakult]

Why would the Angels tell Ryu that? Especially when we had multiple meetings? There are reasons to not sign Ryu I don’t think him being Korean is the one you tell him.

[m0nkey]

I look forward to this.

[T.G.]

I'm going to need a bowl of popcorn kemchi.

[Second Base]

Wasn't Junichi Tazawa on the team in Ohtani's rookie season? And Wong was with the team briefly last year as well. 

[tdawg87]

 

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Was nobody counting Adam when discussing Asians on the Angels?   I’m offended. 

[Jeff Fletcher]

A reader forwarded this story to me and I ran it by Scott Boras and he said it’s not true. They never were told or led to believe in any way the Angels had any issue with having two Asian players. 

[Lou]

to say a major league franchise wouldn't sign a player for this reason is absolutely ridiculous. 

[tdawg87]

Just now, Lou said:

to say a major league franchise wouldn't sign a player for this reason is absolutely ridiculous. 

It sounds like something someone here would come up with before shitting it into a thread.

[Lou]

Just now, tdawg87 said:

It sounds like something someone here would come up with before shitting it into a thread.

someone from Canada?

[Lou]

. . . or maybe a "Mets fan"?

[tdawg87]

Yes.

[arch stanton]

Hearing shit like this makes me glad he got deported to Canada

[Stradling]

47 minutes ago, RBM said:

I think navigating the cultural issues and the associated pressures of having both a Japanese and a Korean superstar on the same team is a real concern for an MLB team.

Is that why the Dodgers didn’t resign him?  

[Lou]

wait, so Ryu is now a superstar? 

[Stradling]

11 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

It sounds like something someone here would come up with before shitting it into a thread.

How long until this is an “AW FACT”

[Stradling]

Just now, Lou said:

wait, so Ryu is now a superstar? 

No

[stormngt]

16 minutes ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

A reader forwarded this story to me and I ran it by Scott Boras and he said it’s not true. They never were told or led to believe in any way the Angels had any issue with having two Asian players. 

Can you find out if the Angel's ever gave a formal offer?  That's much more of an important issue than the race card 

[Lou]

why does it matter if we gave him an offer? 

[tdawg87]

2 minutes ago, Lou said:

why does it matter if we gave him an offer? 

Because we need to know if Eppler is TRYING