It took six years, but Juan Francisco made an impact in Japan on Sunday, when he broke a 1-1 tie against South Korea with a home run off the Yokohama Stadium scoreboard for the Dominican Republic.
Francisco did hit five home runs in Japan — for the Yomiuri Giants’ Eastern League farm club, but he lasted that many games with the big club before heading home.
I don’t want to assume I know why he failed to adjust to Japanese baseball, but he appeared unable to concentrate in games. Three of his five games took place in Hiroshima, where everything that could go wrong did.
Then Giants scout Fernando Seguignol had the unenviable task of spending much of the summer of 2015 trying to help Francisco find his niche in Japan to no avail.
I later heard from a member of the Giants’ organization that when Giants executives dined out with him to celebrate his signing, the Yomiuri guys spent the evening in shock as Francisco spent most of the time looking at his cell phone.
I’m happy that he did get a chance to return to Japan and do some of the damage the Giants envisioned him capable of doing.
