Made in Japan

Clocking long hours without complaint appears a virtue of Japanese employees. They are the ironmen of the office, but more importantly, on the sporting field. Especially when it's Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners.

Take Mariners catcher, Kenji Johjima, for example, who has logged more hours behind home plate than any catcher in the majors. The team's website recently reported that as of July 16th, Johjima had caught for 681 innings this season, Johjima had caught for 681 innings this season—six more than the next catcher, Oakland's
Jason Kendall at 675. That's more time spent on the knees than in a Boyz II Men music video.

Seattle don't seem too concerned with the "overtime", nor does Johjima. The Mariners star has said he's used to a heavy workload, even though in Japan he played 22 games less than in the American season. He actually twice caught the full 140 games back home, surely exhibiting to Seattle's management an ability to cope with MLB's marathon campaign.

Perhaps an even stronger reassurance of Johjima's endurance, is that his countryman and teammate, Ichiro Suzuki, is one of the most consistent performers in baseball history. In case you've forgotten, the great Ichiro has had at least 200 hits, 100 runs scored and 30 stolen bases in all five of his MLB seasons. (He also holds the team record for consecutive games played).

To put these numbers in context, compare them to one of baseball's most consistent performers ever, Derek Jeter. In his last five seasons, Jeter has logged over 200 runs twice and stolen 30 bases once. He has scored more than 100 runs four of the last five seasons. Not too shabby, but not quite Ichiro's figures.

They certainly make 'em well in Japan; from Sony to Toyota, Suzuki to Johjima.