Why is there a Japanese advertisement behind home plate? Does Tampa have a big Japanese contingency? Iwamura that big of a star that they telecast Rays games in Japan? Please, I seek answers. Thank you.

1) Quit asking so many damn questions and I'll explain.

2) No.

3) Yes. Seattle does the same thing behind home. Companies pay for the ads targeted exclusively to the fans watching Ichiro and Iwamura in Japan. I think the targeted marketing actually started with Nintendo (a Seattle-area company) advertising gameboys when Ichiro first came to town.

4) You're welcome.

There are Japanese people watching the Rays in Japan? C'mon. Seriously? So if I went to Japan right now, I'd be able to find people walking around wearing Iwamura's jersey? I'd be able to find Tampa Bay Rays fans? People would know who Joe Maddon is? C'mon, man. No one believes this, do they? You can't find these things in Tampa.

They aren't watching the Rays, they are watching Iwamura. Maybe they are watching the Rays - the Rays announcers won't shut up about the fact that Aki had an autographed Crawford jersey while he was playing in Japan. Between that and the alligator skin glove you'd think there wasn't anything else worth mentioning about the guy.

To paraphrase the T-shirt, Iwamura's kind of a big deal in Japan; 6/5 All-Star games and 5/6 gold gloves (I wasn't paying that much attention, I'm "studying") a legit star makes.

So if I were to go to Japan and make a documentary of all of the people who are Rays fans then contrast this to the people in Tampa who don't know him and then this doc goes to Cannes, will more people know the Rays in France or in Tampa?