My translator didn't steal millions of dollars from me. Yet here is what it is like having every word be spoken for you: You see in 2019, I played in South Korea for the Kia Tigers. - Let me set the stage ~ I lived in the South Korean city of Gwangju. Upon arriving I had only seen the capital city, Seoul, which is essentially downtown Chicago (with Korean signs). Everyone spoke English... Gwangju on the other hand is like the Detroit of South Korea. A hard-working industrial town (built on the car business). No one spoke English... The team provided a translator for the foreign players. Ours was great, knowledgeable, and spoke perfect English. - Yet, the first time you are speaking with someone and he is speaking for you it is weird... I mean picture this... You are looking at the person you are talking to, you speak....(pause).....then he speaks in Korean for you. The person you are talking to nods their head but you have no clue if what you actually said (or meant) is being communicated. I could have said, "I love your shirt" and he could have said, "he hates your shirt". Weird right... - Fast forward to my first start and it is about 20 degrees. I am supposed to be throwing mid 90's and instead, I am throwing about 90. The pitching coach makes a mound visit and what I get in translation is "You need to throw harder." I mean, ok you want me to run faster and jump higher too. I snap back, "Throw harder...I am working with what I got." The look on his face made me think....did we just lose something in translation? Inning ends, I come in the dugout and the pitching coach comes over. He starts communicating with my translator and my translator says, "I think I misunderstood, what he was saying was he wants you to throw more fastballs." Here I am thinking the pitching coach is clueless and all he was trying to do was refine the scouting report. - That year provided me with a few lessons: 1. Communication Matters 2. Foreign Players Have It Far Harder 3. How You Say Something Matters As Much As What You Say ***If you enjoyed this share it with your network follow me for insights into professional sports.
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@TheJacobTurner Also, any idea what type of pitch you’re throwing there? Curveball maybe?
@TheJacobTurner Really cool story - most people judging Ohtani without this type of context
@TheJacobTurner Hah, this is awesome. So you threw harder, right?
@TheJacobTurner Not sure the extent to which his translator was involved in his life outside of baseball but is it unreasonable to think Shohei trusted him and relied upon him in life, here in English speaking America?