southsideirish Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Wasn't someone in here just talking up all the great Cleveland Indian prospects. Well here is another one for you. They sure are "talented" over there. Associated Press CLEVELAND -- Indians minor leaguer Kazuhito Tadano is asking for forgiveness for what he called a one-time mistake -- his appearance in a gay porn video in which he engaged in a homosexual act. Tadano took part in the video three years ago when he was a college student. Sitting in the Cleveland clubhouse Tuesday, the pitcher said he hoped to put his actions in the past. "All of us have made mistakes in our lives," Tadano said, reading a statement in English. "Hopefully, you learn from them and move on." Shunned by Japanese baseball teams, the 23-year-old Tadano signed with the Indians last March. They think he can make their club this spring. Tadano gave few details about the video, which he made after his sophomore year at Rikkyo University. "I did participate in a video and I regret it very much," he said. "It was a one-time incident that showed bad judgment and will never be repeated. I was young, playing baseball, and going to college and my teammates 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." Through an interpreter, Tadano added: "I'm not gay. I'd like to clear that fact up right now." The Indians set up the press session after getting many requests from reporters to speak with Tadano. The team wanted to address the issue before spring training starts next month. Tadano's admission will certainly draw attention to homosexuality in baseball, a sensitive issue that most players prefer to not even discuss. There are no openly gay players in the big leagues today. The same is true in the NFL, NHL and NBA. Tadano was one of Japan's top college pitchers and expected to be a high first-round pick in 2002. But after a Japanese tabloid published photos of him in the video a month before the draft, pro teams in Japan did not select him. "The commissioner of Japanese baseball came out and said, 'You will not draft Tadano,''' asserted the pitcher's agent, Alan Nero. "But this kid didn't assault anybody. He didn't commit murder. If anything, he is guilty of being naive." Twice in the minor leagues last season, Tadano stood before his teammates and confessed to his participation in the video, which Nero said can only be obtained on the black market in Japan. Tadano received overwhelming support from players at Kinston, N.C., where he started the season and later at Akron, the Indians' Double-A affiliate. "I wanted to tell the truth to my teammates," he said. A former starter, he pitched in all three levels of the minors last season, going 6-2 with a 1.55 ERA and three saves. At Akron, he didn't allow a run in his first 28 innings and struck out 78 in 72 2-3 innings. Outfielder Grady Sizemore said Tadano's speech last year was well received in the clubhouse. "You could tell he was nervous," said Sizemore, a top prospect who lived with Tadano this winter. "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." If he pitches well during spring training, Tadano could win a spot in Cleveland's bullpen. Whenever he joins the Indians, pitcher C.C. Sabathia says Tadano will be welcomed. "This is the right team and the right organization for him," Sabathia said. "We have good guys here. Everybody has done something that they regret in their lives. He's a person just like everyone else." Tadano tried out for several major league teams last spring in Arizona. Coming off an elbow injury, he didn't get any offers. Nero said some teams were turned off by what he called "the scandal." "He didn't pitch well enough for them to ignore it," Nero said. "I also think they were afraid of the baggage that would come with it." Not the Indians. They liked Tadano enough to invite him to work out at their spring training facility in Winter Haven, Fla. Eventually, they signed him to a minor league contract that included a $67,500 bonus. General manager Mark Shapiro said the team decided to sign Tadano despite knowing there could be backlash. "We thought the upside was well worth the risk, energy and time to support him," Shapiro said. Tadano knows he may face fan abuse in major league parks such as Yankee Stadium, where heckling the visitors is part of the pageantry. He joked that he's ready for it. "I don't understand English, so it doesn't really matter," he said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greasywheels121 Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 That whole thing between Ozzie, KW, and Thomas doesn't look so bad now.... :headshake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soxfan420 Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 i was wondering when someone was gonna post this and all i have to say about it is who cares. has long as i never have to watch it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkokieSox Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Unless the real argument is a result of a lovers quarrel. (Lol in response to Greasy) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish Posted January 28, 2004 Author Share Posted January 28, 2004 i was wondering when someone was gonna post this and all i have to say about it is who cares. has long as i never have to watch it. Since it is our division rival I think it has relevance. I just found the whole thing funny to be honest with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soxfan420 Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Since it is our division rival I think it has relevance. I just found the whole thing funny to be honest with you. me too. i think its sad that they posted this article on ESPN.com that off the field buisness noone needs to know about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baggio202 Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 hopefully this will just die and go away...atleast his teammates seem to be doing their best to make it a non issue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish Posted January 28, 2004 Author Share Posted January 28, 2004 me too. i think its sad that they posted this article on ESPN.com that off the field buisness noone needs to know about. Well, I agree to an extent. It never really details what kind of video it was. If it was for personal use then ok it shouldn't be let out. If it was for some sort of production then I don't think it is considered personal business. Either way they hit it right on the head. He was naive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soxfan420 Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 hopefully this will just die and go away...atleast his teammates seem to be doing their best to make it a non issue yea they are really trying to make this just disapear by adding no conflict to the situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish Posted January 28, 2004 Author Share Posted January 28, 2004 hopefully this will just die and go away...atleast his teammates seem to be doing their best to make it a non issue I know you are talking about it being an issue with his current team, but it is already an issue. He is pretty much banned in Japan. His only chance to make it is in MLB. He can never go back to Japan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBAHO Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Didn't they hav another Japanese minor league pitcher who did sumthin bad as well? It must be that guy they traded Jack Parkman for though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soxfan420 Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 I know you are talking about it being an issue with his current team, but it is already an issue. He is pretty much banned in Japan. His only chance to make it is in MLB. He can never go back to Japan. who cares it is only japan MLB is where it is at anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baggio202 Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 I know you are talking about it being an issue with his current team, but it is already an issue. He is pretty much banned in Japan. His only chance to make it is in MLB. He can never go back to Japan. i know its an issue in japan..their culture is little more reserved than ours..we have all made mistakes in our lives...it took alot of guts from him to adress this the way he has...be hard to think of something more embarrassing to have to deal with im the public eye.. good lesson here ... when one of your friends ask if you wanna make a porno tape...you never know what people's real motivations are..im guessing this tape probably wasnt suppose to be made public.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish Posted January 28, 2004 Author Share Posted January 28, 2004 i know its an issue in japan..their culture is little more reserved than ours..we have all made mistakes in our lives...it took alot of guts from him to adress this the way he has...be hard to think of something more embarrassing to have to deal with im the public eye.. good lesson here ... when one of your friends ask if you wanna make a porno tape...you never know what people's real motivations are..im guessing this tape probably wasnt suppose to be made public.. Why would a heterosexual man agree to make a gay porn tape? I am still confused about that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish Posted January 28, 2004 Author Share Posted January 28, 2004 who cares it is only japan MLB is where it is at anyway True, but that would mean it is easier to make a living off of it in Japan. That is no longer an option for him. He is either in the majors, a career minor leaguer, or out of baseball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaSoxxJim Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 It mostly is a comment on how sexually screwed up Japan is. They have laws that ensure that pubic hair in adult magazines is airbrushed so as to be inoffensive, and at the same time have these seemingly nationwide fettishes like the need to have young women (girls?) in schoolgirl outfits that permeate their culture right down to the anime cartoons ostensably made for kids. The society sees prostitutes and live sex shows as a valid form of sex education, while at the same time they essentailly ban a promising pitching prospect because of an appearance in an adult film. Further... Androgyny and homoeroticism abounds in ukiyoe art, trans-sexuality/fluid sexuality is prominent in kabuki theatre, androgynous boys boys are the norm in Japanese film/anime/manga comics, and yet this kid is forced out of Japanese baseball because of something he did to make a few dollars and which would otherwise seem acceptable in the culture given all the other assorted kinkiness. Some of the dichotomous and schizophrenic sexual identity in Japanese culture is explored in Akiyuki Nozaka's "The Pornographers" - a very good (if disturbing) novel for Japanese lit enthusiasts. [/rant] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heads22 Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 It mostly is a comment on how sexually screwed up Japan is. They have laws that ensure that pubic hair in adult magazines is airbrushed so as to be inoffensive, and at the same time have these seemingly nationwide fettishes like the need to have young women (girls?) in schoolgirl outfits that permeate their culture right down to the anime cartoons ostensably made for kids. The society sees prostitutes and live sex shows as a valid form of sex education, while at the same time they essentailly ban a promising pitching prospect because of an appearance in an adult film. Further... Androgyny and homoeroticism abounds in ukiyoe art, trans-sexuality/fluid sexuality is prominent in kabuki theatre, androgynous boys boys are the norm in Japanese film/anime/manga comics, and yet this kid is forced out of Japanese baseball because of something he did to make a few dollars and which would otherwise seem acceptable in the culture given all the other assorted kinkiness. Some of the dichotomous and schizophrenic sexual identity in Japanese culture is explored in Akiyuki Nozaka's "The Pornographers" - a very good (if disturbing) novel for Japanese lit enthusiasts. [/rant] Wow. Lots of big words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaSoxxJim Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Why would a heterosexual man agree to make a gay porn tape? I am still confused about that one. Why do people kill each other over dirty dishes? (Just happened yesterday here in Florida). Why do otherwise sane people get hooked on heroin? Why do people start dealing drugs? Why do people cheat on their spouses? The simple answer is that were pretty stupid and fallable when you get down to it. There was an offer of money to make a video, and he agreed. Your asking price might be higher, but there IS an amount of money that would get you - or anyone - to do exactly the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaSoxxJim Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Wow. Lots of big words. Allow me to translate: The Japanese have some major freaky in their national closet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsideirish Posted January 28, 2004 Author Share Posted January 28, 2004 Why do people kill each other over dirty dishes? (Just happened yesterday here in Florida). Why do otherwise sane people get hooked on heroin? Why do people start dealing drugs? Why do people cheat on their spouses? The simple answer is that were pretty stupid and fallable when you get down to it. There was an offer of money to make a video, and he agreed. Your asking price might be higher, but there IS an amount of money that would get you - or anyone - to do exactly the same thing. Sorry, but you are wrong there. No amount of money would be able to get me to do that. Money is not important enough to me that I need to make a gay porn video. I will be well enough off without ever having to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Hudler Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Why would a heterosexual man agree to make a gay porn tape? I am still confused about that one. A combination of money, stupidity, immaturity and possibly alcohol is probably your answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandoFan Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 There was an offer of money to make a video, and he agreed. Your asking price might be higher, but there IS an amount of money that would get you - or anyone - to do exactly the same thing. You know it! Throw in the right 5 figures, a mask, a 100-page non-disclosure agreement and I'm there. And you were SO right about Japan's dichotonomneious sexual identity....Man, Audition (Odishon) is the freakiest flick I've seen in a long time. How would you differentiate Japan's brand of "freaky" versus Chinese one? PS Taboos get a bad rap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NUKE_CLEVELAND Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Wasn't someone in here just talking up all the great Cleveland Indian prospects. Well here is another one for you. They sure are "talented" over there. Associated Press CLEVELAND -- Indians minor leaguer Kazuhito Tadano is asking for forgiveness for what he called a one-time mistake -- his appearance in a gay porn video in which he engaged in a homosexual act. Tadano took part in the video three years ago when he was a college student. Sitting in the Cleveland clubhouse Tuesday, the pitcher said he hoped to put his actions in the past. "All of us have made mistakes in our lives," Tadano said, reading a statement in English. "Hopefully, you learn from them and move on." Shunned by Japanese baseball teams, the 23-year-old Tadano signed with the Indians last March. They think he can make their club this spring. Tadano gave few details about the video, which he made after his sophomore year at Rikkyo University. "I did participate in a video and I regret it very much," he said. "It was a one-time incident that showed bad judgment and will never be repeated. I was young, playing baseball, and going to college and my teammates 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." Through an interpreter, Tadano added: "I'm not gay. I'd like to clear that fact up right now." The Indians set up the press session after getting many requests from reporters to speak with Tadano. The team wanted to address the issue before spring training starts next month. Tadano's admission will certainly draw attention to homosexuality in baseball, a sensitive issue that most players prefer to not even discuss. There are no openly gay players in the big leagues today. The same is true in the NFL, NHL and NBA. Tadano was one of Japan's top college pitchers and expected to be a high first-round pick in 2002. But after a Japanese tabloid published photos of him in the video a month before the draft, pro teams in Japan did not select him. "The commissioner of Japanese baseball came out and said, 'You will not draft Tadano,''' asserted the pitcher's agent, Alan Nero. "But this kid didn't assault anybody. He didn't commit murder. If anything, he is guilty of being naive." Twice in the minor leagues last season, Tadano stood before his teammates and confessed to his participation in the video, which Nero said can only be obtained on the black market in Japan. Tadano received overwhelming support from players at Kinston, N.C., where he started the season and later at Akron, the Indians' Double-A affiliate. "I wanted to tell the truth to my teammates," he said. A former starter, he pitched in all three levels of the minors last season, going 6-2 with a 1.55 ERA and three saves. At Akron, he didn't allow a run in his first 28 innings and struck out 78 in 72 2-3 innings. Outfielder Grady Sizemore said Tadano's speech last year was well received in the clubhouse. "You could tell he was nervous," said Sizemore, a top prospect who lived with Tadano this winter. "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." If he pitches well during spring training, Tadano could win a spot in Cleveland's bullpen. Whenever he joins the Indians, pitcher C.C. Sabathia says Tadano will be welcomed. "This is the right team and the right organization for him," Sabathia said. "We have good guys here. Everybody has done something that they regret in their lives. He's a person just like everyone else." Tadano tried out for several major league teams last spring in Arizona. Coming off an elbow injury, he didn't get any offers. Nero said some teams were turned off by what he called "the scandal." "He didn't pitch well enough for them to ignore it," Nero said. "I also think they were afraid of the baggage that would come with it." Not the Indians. They liked Tadano enough to invite him to work out at their spring training facility in Winter Haven, Fla. Eventually, they signed him to a minor league contract that included a $67,500 bonus. General manager Mark Shapiro said the team decided to sign Tadano despite knowing there could be backlash. "We thought the upside was well worth the risk, energy and time to support him," Shapiro said. Tadano knows he may face fan abuse in major league parks such as Yankee Stadium, where heckling the visitors is part of the pageantry. He joked that he's ready for it. "I don't understand English, so it doesn't really matter," he said. Somehow I dont think I'd want a guy like that in my locker room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrandoFan Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Somehow I dont think I'd want a guy like that in my locker room. Why, cuz he's a jap or because he might be gay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 This info has been out since this guy was signed by the Indians... I wonder why someone chose now to release this story? And honestly does it matter? Does it affect this guys pitching? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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