Comments on: Koji Uehara blocked a trade to Toronto because “the weather is an issue”

By: Panda Claus

Panda Claus — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:06:56 +0000

Latitudinally speaking, Toronto is the Key West of Canada.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:39:24 +0000

Cur: it depends on the dome. The dome of the Tropicana Dump, for instance, strongly resembles either a wart (when seen from an airliner taking off to the west from TPA), or it can resemble the lid of a cesspool to a roach when seen from within the gunite sarcophagus that it crowns. This won’t give you pneumonia, which seems to be what Koji fears, but it will cause depression in the uninitiated or the sober.

By: WhenMattStairsIsKing

WhenMattStairsIsKing — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:54:17 +0000

“I also know how hard it is to compete in that division.” ~ He does want to go back to Baltimore, so homeboy confuses me.

By: randygnyc

randygnyc — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:33:23 +0000

I don’t think it has to do with the competition. He has been insisting he be traded into the AL east, after all. So it clearly has something to do with the country (doubtful) or the organization. Perhaps there are people there, maybe the manager, he won’t play for or with?

By: Jonny 5

Jonny 5 — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:29:31 +0000

Canada went a bit further than just interring the Japanese immigrants and Canadian citizens of Japanese heritage.

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/japanese-canadians

By: cup0pizza

cup0pizza — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:28:29 +0000

Uehara pulling the old Lauren Pronger excuse. “Too cold!”

By: 1943mrmojorisin1971

1943mrmojorisin1971 — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:59:54 +0000

@Jonny 5: that’s a ridiculous thing to speculate. Both countries interned their Japanese citizens, neither was better or worse than the other. Plus Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in North America, maybe in the world.

By: cur68

cur68 — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:26:42 +0000

re. maps: Well, until we get a ‘humour’ font this is gonna keep happening, isn’t it fellas? Actually, I wonder if Koji’s comments shouldn’t have been published in this font? Quite frankly, I have no idea what this mythical “weather issue” is that he’s talking about. What kind of weather is there in a domed stadium? A Beer Breath Low Pressure System? His comment makes no sense, except as some sort of humour or failed irony. What I think he’s really afraid of is ‘park effects’, not weather. Given that he’s in Arlington, where free baseballs are served into the stands by pitchers on a regular basis (courtesy of their stuff being popped into the jet-streams that call little Arlington Stadium home) I would think he’d want out of Arlington for a more pitcher friendly park. Skydome isn’t much of an upgrade in that respect. Now that would make sense…more sense than weather (*eye roll*)…

By: WhenMattStairsIsKing

WhenMattStairsIsKing — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:15:19 +0000

So, part of the reason he didn’t want to be in Toronto is because it would be too hard. I’m sorry, but hearing that from a professional athlete is pathetic. Have some confidence.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:15:09 +0000

He’s worried about the Canadian weather in the summer????

Or maybe I’m just getting old
‘Cause fuck I hate the cold….
– Cowboy Junkies

And with the possible exceptions of New York and Chicago, the deli in Toronto is vastly superior to the deli in most ML cities, too. You’re not going to find a top-notch cabbage borscht in the tropics, Koji.

By: Jonny 5

Jonny 5 — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:25:40 +0000

Just to shed some speculative light here. Canada isn’t known as a “good country” to many Japanese. I know the US wasn’t one to model from during WW2, but Canada may have been even worse to their Japanese citizens.

By: Jonny 5

Jonny 5 — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:59:48 +0000

He’s got a point. It’s not as fun driving one of these in Canada. Isn’t that right Roy?

http://mobilwi.typepad.com/.a/6a0120a6dde087970b016301b64771970d-pi

http://mobilwi.typepad.com/.a/6a0120a6dde087970b0163019c34a4970d-pi

By: rollinghighwayblues

rollinghighwayblues — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:50:34 +0000

Ive never been to Toronto or any Canadian city for that matter, but something tells me that Toronto summers aren’t near as awful as they are in Texas.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:48:24 +0000

I was being ironic, making fun of the geographic ignorance of the vast majority of US citizens.

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:44:15 +0000

Look at the map.

By: dondada10

dondada10 — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:42:50 +0000

Interesting. Thank you.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:35:11 +0000

Well, that’s just stupid….everyone knows Canada is farther north than the US.

The weather during baseball season is far better in Toronto than in Dallas, ignoring game conditions as I am assuming he is more concerned about weather in general and how it affects life.

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:32:07 +0000

None. He would still be paid in US dollars; however, the Canadian currency is now slightly higher than the US dollar. After tax, he would be better off in Texas; however, taxes in Toronto now compare quite well with most ML cities.

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:28:15 +0000

Toronto also has a retractable roof. The weather is better here than inland cities such as Chicago which are farther north.

By: dondada10

dondada10 — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:25:41 +0000

The weather? Huh. Odd consider he had to have made several trips there as an Oriole. Besides, Toronto is a beautiful city.

I’m pleading ignorance here: is there any effect on salary when the player is in Canada? I honestly don’t know.