OAKLAND -- Hiroyuki Nakaji-mania is already running wild. The A's newest international signing's "sexy and cool" introduction to the Bay Area has spawned its own animated film.
The Taiwanese animation treatment is a twisted form of recognition, signaling that Oakland has indeed made its mark on the worldwide stage. NMA.TV, the company that produced the animated short, is famous for providing a very unique and extremely bizarre perspective on current events. The low-cost, two-year deal with a club option for a third year has already brought the A's all the attention of a mega deal at a fraction of the price. Now they just have to hope their 'Hiro' can back it up on the field.
Nakajima and Beane's comedic exchange during the media conference also caught the attention of our media partners Yahoo! Sports. They put together a list of the sexiest MLB general managers. You might be surprised where the guy that was played by Brad Pitt in a major motion picture lands on the list.
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I can only imagine the time, energy, and careful inspection that our friend David Brown of Big League Stew put into the rankings.
All kidding aside, the signing is a low-risk, potentially high-reward deal for Oakland. Based on the personality displayed by Nakajima in his media introduction, he will fit in perfectly with the A's loose clubhouse. The 30-year-old shortstop says he can't wait to get to Oakland's camp in Spring Training and looks forward to learning from Rickey Henderson and Coco Crisp. They might also teach him to tone down his bat flip.