On the Road with Bobby V. and Frank Ramppen

Well, as mentioned in the previous entry, we faced Yu Darvish tonight, the top pitcher in the country and he was true to form. He had a no hitter through 7. He gave up 2 hits in the 8 and was relieved in the 9 and we lost 5-0. That was no fun!!!!!

During our pregame workout today, the death of Michael Jackson was the hot topic of conversation. Bobby, Paul and I reminisced about the good ole days when Michael Jackson released his record breaking Thriller album and all the excitement and energy it created at Bobby’s restaurant. The song was hot but the video was hotter! At the time, Bobby’s cousin, Mike Valentine, was managing the restaurant and he was a great promoter. Mike made a copy of the Thriller video and we scheduled showings throughout the evenings and posted the times on a small chalk board we had hanging below the 1 TV at the bar. (there are now over 50 TV’s in the restaurant). The response was absolutely amazing. We had lines out the door every night with people just waiting to get in to see the Thriller video. Is that nuts or what? Everyone loved that video and we had a great time……………Thanks to Mike V and Michael Jackson.

Mike Valentine has since passed but will always be remembered by so many of us who had the good fortune to share life with him. Mike, like Bobby, was always full of energy and enthusiasm and ALWAYS wore a smile. He played a huge role in making Bobby V’s the hot spot in Stamford for so many years. It was always a pleasure to be in Mike’s company.

Today (June 25) was our last off day before resuming our regular schedule. Tomorrow we face the Nippon Ham Fighters and Yu Darvish, the top pitcher in the league.

We had a full practice at Marines Stadium, which started with a great motivational speech to the team from Bobby, who talked about how he thinks despite all the distractions this year, this team is coming together and our best baseball in ahead of us.

The players then stretched for 45 minutes led by our great conditioning coach, Tachibana-san, who Bobby had with him back in New York.

Following the stretch the players change into full uniforms, play catch (which they call “catch ball”) and prepare for a full infield/outfield (called “shitto knocku” ), which I hit. After “shitto knocku” the players practice all the skills of the game at different stations.

We use 2 batting cages at once for BP, which is one station, there is a bunting station, a soft toss station, a base running station and then the players take fungo’s and live balls off the bat during BP for defensive work.

In Japan, every team has a full staff of batting practice pitchers who are very talented and throw great BP. The speed of the pitches are much faster and more game-like than in the states.  Foreigners take some time to adjust to the speed of BP

Below is a picture of 2 future baseball stars,  Zack (5) and Frankie (7)

Click here: Great Buddha – Kamakura, Japan

Mary and I enjoyed the off day today together. We went to the largest Chinatown in Asia outside of China in Yokohama. We had a great lunch and then went on to Kamakura.

There we saw the Great Buddha and enjoyed the surrounding area. It is a small coastal surfing town where my interpreter Shun Nakasone was born. We had a great Italian dinner and stayed the night at the Prince hotel. The hotel has a beautiful view of the bay and the great Mt. Fuji.

Mike Hobart, Adolfo Acosta, Emilio Castillo, Tom Purlitzer, Steve “Doc” Kupka, Larry Braggs, Roger Smith, David Garibaldi, Francis Rocco Prestia, Mark Harper, Jake Loveridge. Kneeling in front is Anthony Roberts.

After seeing and meeting the members of Tower of Power here in Tokyo, Frank Abbott went to see the boys at Foxwoods and got them to autograph the photo. Missing from the picture is the photographer Frank Abbott and included is a friend of Stamford…Paul Upo.

We finished interleague play on an upbeat by beating the Central League leader Tokyo Giants. We finally got one of our best players, Nishioka, back in the lineup and he had a good day. We now have four days without a game and will practice 2 of the days.

The team in second place in the Central League is the Yakult Swallows. They are having a really fine season and one of the reasons is because of the play of Connecticut’s own Jamie D’Antona. Jamie is playing first base and providing the right-handed power his team needs. He looks like a fine hitter who can really help a team win. We played 4 times and I had a chance to watch Jamie in practice and in the games and he seems to be adjusting very well to his new surroundings. His manager does not like his players visiting with the opposition so we had only short talks before 2 of the games. I was impressed with his attitude and his play. As a young man in a foreign country his world seems to still be spinning a bit fast but he is working hard and could have one of the greatest experiences of his life if he stays healthy and continues to improve. Jamie plays in one of the oldest stadiums in Japan and it is located in Tokyo. Babe Ruth played in Jingu Stadium back in 1934 the year before professional baseball began in Japan. We will not play the Swallows again this year, unless we meet in the Japan Series, but you can rest assured that I will be pulling for them and Jamie to get there. Jamie’s family and all of Connecticut should be very proud of what Jamie is doing.

Nothing too exciting to write about over the last few days, and that includes events on the field. After winning 3 in a row, we have now lost 3 in a row, including last night’s loss to the Giants in the Tokyo Dome in front of a capacity crowd. Our submarine pitcher, Shunsuke Watanabe, who you may have seen pitching in the WBC, had a rough first inning, gave up 4 runs and we never caught up.

I did get to see Mary V. after the game, whom I haven’t seen since January. Great to see her and as always Mary looks great.

Today is a 2:00 game at the Tokyo Dome again so it’s right back to the train station for an hour commute. To get to the Tokyo Dome from our apartments it’s a

Five minute bus ride to our train station, a 35-45 minute train ride to the Tokyo station, depending on whether or not we catch the rapid, a 5-7 minute walk from one end of the Tokyo station to the other, get on another train, the Chuo line, for 2 stops where we change lines to the Sobu line for 1 stop. Final stop, Suidobashi and the Tokyo Dome. Piece of cake these days but a bit confusing 6 years ago.

Tokyo train station is enormous. The Line we most frequently ride, the Keiyo line, is located approximately 10 stories underground and if you’re into people watching, this is the place to be. Just last night, I said to Paul and his wife Donna, we probably see more people walking from one end of the Tokyo station to the other than we would see in an entire month wandering around Stamford.

Paul’s wife Donna is visiting from Las Vegas for one week. Paul and Donna have been married for 28 years and Donna is ½ Japanese. Kind of crazy that Paul married a beautiful Japanese women 28 years ago and now finds himself living and working ½ way around the world just 40 minutes away from where she lived as a child. You never know what’s around each corner do you? I would give you more information about the lovely Donna Pupo but if you have ever met Paul, you know the scoop, lol.

Today is the last game before the interleague break. We have the next 4 days off so let’s hope for a win. Hate to have to sit on a loss for 4 days.

By the way, Happy Father’s Day to my father (Vince and Mike too) and to all my friends who are fathers out there. Have a good one!

Father’s day is a great day for me because there’s nothing better in my life than being the father of my two boys Frankie and Zack. Love you guys!

Two year ago while filming the Zen of Bobby V I had the Honor to visit the men and women aboard the USS John McCain.  This is a mail from one of the Producers of the film Andrew Muscato.  Thanks to Andrew for the heads up.

And my prayers and wishes are for all of our men and women in uniform get home safely and again a sincere thank you for protecting our freedom.

– BV

---

Sent: 6/19/2009 7:14:10 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: uss john mccain

The guys we visited on the USS John McCain, about two years ago exactly, are now defending us from North Korea!

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/19/military-set-intercept-north-korean-ship-suspected-proliferatin-missiles-nukes/

Today is an off day after a tough 10 inning homerun for a 6-5 loss.

Mary arrives today and it will be the start of a big streak. Five years ago was the first day I drove a car in Japan. I drove to the airport to get Mary. Driving on the other side of the road and on the other side of the car was a great experience for me but a really scary one for Mary. She kept leaning into the center of the car and I think at times even closed her eyes at times. I cannot believe it was 5 years ago. Amazing how time flies…

– Bobby

Monday and Tuesday were off days.  We practiced on Monday and had the day completely free on Tuesday. Bobby and I worked out at Gold’s gym. Our little town of Makuhari actually has 2 Gold’s gyms. The older of the 2 is on the 33 floor of the WBG (World Business Garden) building and offers a fantastic panoramic view of the surrounding area, overlooking our stadium, Tokyo bay, Tokyo in the distance, and on a clear day, you can even see Mt. Fuji.

Back in January of 2004, my second day in Japan, Bobby and I went to Gold’s for a workout and were very lucky to see a perfect sunset with a silhouette of snow covered Mt. Fuji. Awesome!  Many Japanese spend all their lives without witnessing such a sight and we got to see on day 2. Good to be lucky.

Tonight we traveled to Tokyo to play the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.  Although The Swallows play in Tokyo they do not draw nearly as many fans as the Giants.

Things didn’t go very well, we got hammered 10-1. Have to bounce back tomorrow and get back on a roll.

Tokyo games are commuter trips for us. We travel individually and do not stay in a hotel. We can take the train, taxi or drive but I don’t have a car. Bobby does and does sometimes drive, which reminds me of a good story.

Two years ago during our spring training portion of our schedule, when games are played at the main stadiums and not spring training sites, we had a game at nearby Tachikawa, where the Lions play. It’s about 1½ hours away by car or train and it was a beautiful day so Bobby decided to drive. He had never driven there before so he had one of our interpreters program his navigator for the journey. The navigator spoke in Japanese but that was not a problem as we were traveling with one of our other interpreters, and great friend, Koji Takaishi, who we will talk about much more in another entry.

So it’s Bobby, Koji, Paul and I heading off to Tachikawa, to the Seibu Dome, from Chiba for a spring training game. The journey is going well, and as always Bobby is telling some great stories of past adventures.  About half an hour into the drive we make a wrong turn (not paying attention), but the “navi” readjusts our course and we are right back on track (we think). Shortly after we run into traffic and now become concerned about our time of arrival. We have plenty of time because there is a full workout before the game and we can’t be too far, but Bobby decides to call in the lineup so everyone knows who is playing that day. We also let them know that we hit traffic but should be there soon.

The traffic finally clears and we start cruising again. Things got really confusing when we came to a rotary type intersection on the highway. We kept following the signs and listening to the “navi,” but kept ending up back in the same place. So now we decide it’s time to “wing it” since we have an idea of where we are.

Well……………it’s now 2 hours into the 1½  hour drive, we are cruising along the highway that we think will get us to our destination and all of a sudden we see a huge sign “Welcome to Chiba.” Can you believe that!? Two hours later we are back in Chiba with the start of the game only 1½ hours away.

Bobby pulls off the highway, finds the nearest train station and we pile onto a train heading to Tokyo.  After some good directions and guidance from a few Marines fans we arrive at the Seibu Dome. Bobby and I throw on our uniforms and bolt into the dugout as the opposing pitcher is toeing the mound for the first pitch of the game as Bobby flashes signs to the third base coach.

How’s that for timing? Just as planned, huh?