Although he only pitched in six innings, surrendering five runs, Yu Darvish was the cornerstone of Japan’s World Baseball Classic championship by instilling calm within a young team that was able to play loose and tough.
Manager Hideki Kuriyama’s laid-back approach was indeed also a factor in their success, but no one was more responsible than Darvish for Japan’s stars performing as they usually do back home while beating some of the world’s best players in the U.S.
Samurai Japan’s elder statesman, the 36-year-old Darvish, attended the team’s training camp from Day 1 on Feb. 17 so he could integrate himself with the team’s young pitching staff.
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Source : Baseball – The Japan Times