As seen in Daily Sports Online (Japanese) / トレバーの虎場（デイリースポーツ）から
I’ll admit it. I have a ton of ambition. But along with that, I also have to admit one more thing. I have a ton of hesitancy to chase after that ambition. You see, a lot of times, the things we want the most are also the least likely to actually come true because they are quite far-fetched and daunting to put into action. It takes courage to try something that has a high probability of failure before you even get started.
So here I sit in front of my computer, wondering if I will ever take on the challenge that sits before me. It is so easy to just click the mouse (touch the screen) a few times and browse Twitter, Instagram, heck, even Facebook, in those moments when there is nothing in front of me but my biggest endeavour.
And what might that endeavour be, you ask? Simple (but not): write a book about the history of the Hanshin Tigers with a distinct foreigner angle. You see, I have actually read a few really good books about Japanese baseball, in English, and I want to join that club of really good authors. (Who knows? Even if I manage to write the book, it takes special talent to make it “really good” and gain admittance behind those exclusive doors.)
In fact, I had the pleasure of listening to (in my opinion) one of the most renowned authors, researchers and historians of Japanese baseball, Mr. Robert K. Fitts. He was part of a panel in a webinar run by Engage Asia, and talked particularly about his masterpiece, Banzai Babe Ruth. However, Mr. Fitts has also written several other excellent pieces, and is someone (along with Robert Whiting) to strive to emulate.
There’s just one problem: I have never written a book before in my life. Well, actually, there are several other problems, but that is the one that is stopping me from getting started. Where to begin? How to make this interesting and compelling to the average baseball fan to read? Would people have enough patience to read hundreds of pages of my writing?
Several events have shaped my recent thinking, and could lead me to get started really soon: (1) I have about a month of time with relatively little to do, work-wise; (2) I have listened to one of the greats (Mr. Fitts) talk about his book; (3) My friend and I discussed the interesting idea of cultural identity, especially when it comes to expats (which lines up nicely with the subtopic of my book idea); (4) I have interviewed no fewer than 7 former Tiger imports already, and have contact information for at least a half-dozen others.
So then, what am I waiting for? Probably a push in the right direction from someone. A shot in the arm. A “you can do it!” Can you be the one to encourage me? Your words could make the difference between me getting this project off the ground and it ending before it even gets started.