Pacific Swings

In this episode of Pacific Swings, we sit down with Matt Davidson, who became the KBO's home run king in 2024, launching 46 bombs for the NC Dinos and establishing himself as one of Korea's premier power hitters. Davidson shares his journey from MLB to international baseball stardom across two countries.

Key Topics Covered: ⚾

• Becoming Korea's home run champion

• Adapting to unique Asian pitching styles and different training methods
• The difference between Japanese and Korean baseball cultures and approaches
• Why consistency separates good players from great players at any level
• Life as an international baseball player: motocross, whiskey collecting, and fatherhood
• The mental approach to hitting and building confidence through results
• How family and perspective changed his approach to professional baseball

And more!

Davidson breaks down his time with the Hiroshima Carp in Japan versus his success with the NC Dinos in Korea, explains why timing adjustments are crucial when facing pitchers with longer windups, and shares his philosophy that elite players simply execute more consistently. He offers insights into the international baseball lifestyle and what it takes to succeed overseas.

Whether you're curious about the technical aspects of hitting in different countries or want to understand what separates successful international players from the rest, this episode delivers authentic insights from someone who mastered the art of Pacific baseball.

🇯🇵 日本語: エピソードタイトル: ホームラン王：マット・デイビッドソン エピソードノート: 2024年にKBOホームラン王となったマット・デイビッドソンが、NCダイノスで46本塁打を放ち韓国野球界のスーパースターとなった経験を語ります。

主要トピック： トリプルAスタンダウトから韓国ホームラン王への変貌 アジア投手スタイルへの適応と異なる練習方法 日本と韓国の野球文化の違い 一貫性がトップ選手を分ける要因

シーズン番号: 1 エピソード番号: 7 キーワード: マット・デイビッドソン、NCダイノス、KBO、ホームラン王、国際野球

🇰🇷 한국어: 에피소드 제목: 홈런왕: 매트 데이비슨 에피소드 노트: 2024년 KBO 홈런왕이 된 매트 데이비슨이 NC 다이노스에서 46홈런을 때려 한국 야구계의 슈퍼스타가 된 경험을 들려줍니다.

주요 주제: 트리플A 스탠드아웃에서 한국 홈런왕으로의 변신 아시아 투수 스타일에의 적응과 다른 훈련 방법 일본과 한국의 야구 문화 차이 일관성이 톱 선수를 가르는 요인

시즌 번호: 1 에피소드 번호: 7 키워드: 매트 데이비슨, NC 다이노스, KBO, 홈런왕, 국제야구

In this episode of Pacific Swings, we dive into your questions in our first-ever Fan Mail episode. David shares stories from his time with the Seibu Lions, revealing the cultural surprises, unforgettable teammates, and incredible experiences that defined his NPB journey. Plus: an unsolicited golf update and why train station food in Japan is better than most American restaurants.

Key Topics Covered:

• Japanese cheering culture vs. MLB crowds - why the coordinated songs and drums hit different

• Life surprises in Japan: train station sushi and David's friendship with Mr. Yamanaka
• Why Japanese players deeply respect MLB veterans who return to NPB
• David's take on potential MLB rule changes coming to Japanese baseball (pitch clocks, ghost runners, bigger bases)
• Facing elite NPB pitching: Miyagi's impossible changeups, Yamamoto's splitters, and why some guys are unhittable
• Defensive role models and rising young talent like Takizawa and Yamamura
• Learning Japanese with teammates: dirt vs. grass conversations with Sosuke Genda

David also breaks down which NPB pitchers gave him the most trouble, shares his defensive limitations compared to Genda's wizardry, and explains why he thinks baseball ties are stupid.

Whether you're curious about the cultural differences between Japanese and American baseball or want to understand what it's really like adjusting to life overseas, this episode delivers authentic insights from someone who lived it firsthand.

🇯🇵

日本語: エピソードタイトル: ファンレター：電車駅の寿司と日本の応援文化 エピソードノート: デイビッド・マッキノンが西武ライオンズでの経験について語る初のファンメールエピソード。日本の応援文化、電車駅での生活、エリート投手との対戦など、ファンからの質問に答えます。

主要トピック： 日本とMLBの応援文化の違い 日本での生活の驚き：電車駅の寿司と文化 NPBの高レベルな投手陣との対戦 源田壮亮などの守備職人との経験

シーズン番号: 1 エピソード番号: 6 キーワード: ファンメール、西武ライオンズ、NPB、日本野球、応援文化、電車駅、寿司

🇰🇷

한국어: 에피소드 제목: 팬메일: 기차역 스시와 일본 응원 문화 에피소드 노트: 데이비드 맥키넌이 세이부 라이온즈에서의 경험에 대해 이야기하는 첫 번째 팬메일 에피소드. 일본 응원 문화, 기차역 생활, 엘리트 투수들과의 대결 등 팬들의 질문에 답합니다.

주요 주제: 일본과 MLB 응원 문화의 차이점 일본 생활의 놀라운 점들 NPB 고수준 투수진과의 대결 겐다 소스케 등 수비 장인들과의 경험

시즌 번호: 1 에피소드 번호: 6 키워드: 팬메일, 세이부 라이온즈, NPB, 일본 야구, 응원 문화

#PacificSwings #FanMail #NPB #JapaneseBaseball #SeibuLions #TrainStationSushi #JapaneseCheering #BaseballCulture #NPBPitching #Miyagi #Yamamoto #Genda #TokyoLife #BaseballPodcast #QandA #JapanLife #CulturalDifferences #MLBvsNPB #ElitePitching #DefensiveWizardry #BaseballStories #ProfessionalBaseball #AsianBaseball #TokyoTrains #JapaneseFood #BaseballFans #응원문화 #일본야구 #NPB #세이부라이온즈 #야구팟캐스트 #팬메일 #기차역스시 #야구문화 #プロ野球 #西武ライオンズ #応援文化 #電車駅 #寿司 #野球ポッドキャスト #ファンメール #日本野球

In this episode of Pacific Swings, we sit down with right-handed pitcher Tyler Beede, who made history in 2023 as the first non-Japanese pitcher in his first year to start Opening Day for the Yomiuri Giants. Known as the Yankees of Japan, the Giants demand excellence at every level - from mandatory designer suits to elite performance on the mound.

Key Topics Covered:

⚾ Making Opening Day history and the electric atmosphere of Tokyo Dome

- The Giants' Yankees-like culture: designer suits, clean-shaven faces, and first-class treatment

- The pressure of playing for Japan's most famous team and immediate expectations to dominate

- How Japanese hitters' unique approach with foul balls and contact hitting changes everything

- Why the talent gap between NPB and MLB is smaller than most people think

And more!

Tyler also breaks down his memorable matchup against David MacKinnon with bases loaded, discusses watching elite teammates like Sakamoto and Sugano, and explains why playing for the Giants is unlike any other baseball experience in the world.

Whether you're curious about the pressure of playing for Japanese baseball royalty or want to understand what separates the Giants from every other NPB team, this episode delivers authentic insights from someone who lived the Giants Standard firsthand.

🇯🇵 日本語: エピソードタイトル: ジャイアンツ・スタンダード：タイラー・ビーディー エピソードノート: 右腕投手タイラー・ビーディーが2023年に読売ジャイアンツで外国人投手として初年度開幕投手を務めた歴史的体験を語ります。日本のヤンキースと呼ばれるジャイアンツの高い基準と文化について深く掘り下げます。 主要トピック： 開幕戦の歴史的瞬間と東京ドームの興奮 ジャイアンツのヤンキース的文化とプロ意識 日本人打者のユニークなアプローチ 坂本勇人、菅野智之などエリート選手との経験 ファンサポートと日本野球文化 シーズン番号: 1 エピソード番号: 5 キーワード: タイラー・ビーディー、読売ジャイアンツ、NPB、開幕投手、日本野球、東京ドーム

🇰🇷 한국어: 에피소드 제목: 자이언츠 스탠다드: 타일러 비디 에피소드 노트: 우완 투수 타일러 비디가 2023년 요미우리 자이언츠에서 외국인 투수로는 첫 해에 개막전 선발투수를 맡은 역사적 경험을 들려줍니다. 일본의 양키스라 불리는 자이언츠의 높은 기준과 문화에 대해 깊이 탐구합니다. 주요 주제: 개막전의 역사적 순간과 도쿄돔의 열기 자이언츠의 양키스적 문화와 프로정신 일본 타자들의 독특한 접근법 사카모토 하야토, 스가노 토모유키 등 엘리트 선수들과의 경험 팬 서포트와 일본 야구 문화 시즌 번호: 1 에피소드 번호: 5 키워드: 타일러 비디, 요미우리 자이언츠, NPB, 개막 투수, 일본 야구, 도쿄돔

In this RAKEDOWN episode, David MacKinnon breaks down Japan's June MVPs Sandro Fabian and Ryōma Nishikawa - two hitters absolutely raking that most baseball fans have never heard of.

On Fabian: "His plate coverage is unbelievable... he's able to catch that ball out front, which most guys can't do."

From Fabian's grand slam celebrations to Nishikawa's 1,000th career hit milestone, this is why these NPB stars deserve your attention.

Featuring swing breakdowns you won't find anywhere else, the foreign hitter adjustment period, and why Japanese baseball develops contact skills differently than MLB.

On Nishikawa: "His barrel is so close to his body as he's coming... and then, boom, his hands just release the barrel out front. It's just super impressive swing."

The plate coverage secrets, two-strike approaches, and hitting philosophies that separate NPB success from failure.

IN THIS EPISODE:

✓ Sandro Fabian's incredible plate coverage breakdown

✓ Why most hitters can't pull outside pitches for power

✓ Ryōma Nishikawa's elite contact mechanics revealed

✓ The foreign hitter adjustment period reality

✓ What MLB can learn from Japanese hitting approaches

✓ Why NPB celebrates differently than American baseball

🇯🇵 Japanese:

6月のNPB MVPサンドロ・ファビアンと西川遼馬の打撃分析。なぜこの二人が注目されるべきか。

🇰🇷 Korean:

6월 NPB MVP 산드로 파비안과 니시카와 료마의 타격 분석. 왜 이 두 선수가 주목받아야 하는지.

🎧 SUBSCRIBE TO PACIFIC SWINGS:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4uWEae1fRtay7PHjeFoWGn?si=e3049e98b0134c97

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1823861137

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@UCDEcXxHD-y3trCj3IS05SQg

All Platforms: www.pacificswings.com

📱 FOLLOW US: X: www.X.com/PacificSwings Instagram: www.instagram.com/PacificSwings

🎯 Follow Pacific Swings | www.pacificswings.com

ありがとう and 감사합니다 ⚾

David MacKinnon reveals his comprehensive preparation strategy for Japanese baseball: watch Mr. Baseball, Google some teams, and wing it.

From Tom Selleck's 1992 masterpiece to the reality of all-dirt spring training fields, this is what actually happens when preparation meets Japanese baseball. Featuring David's Mr. Baseball moments, the Seibu Lions' daily preparation emails, and why foreign players will never be asked to bunt.

"My research was I Googled stuff... but nothing prepares you for how they play."

"I'm guilty of watching Mr. Baseball and thinking I was going to be fully prepared for what's to come. But it did definitely prepare me for some things that I would not have been prepared for."

The lifestyle changes, train transfers, and teammate revelations that no movie could prepare you for.

IN THIS EPISODE:

✓ David's "research" method: Google + Mr. Baseball = prepared?

✓ The 24-hour signing chaos that changed everything

✓ Mr. Baseball moments vs. Japanese baseball reality

✓ All-dirt training fields and team warmups Tom Selleck missed

✓ Why the lifestyle change is harder than the baseball change

✓ What David wishes he'd known before crossing the Pacific

🇯🇵 Japanese: デビッドの日本野球準備方法：グーグル検索とミスター・ベースボール鑑賞。現実との違いについて。

🇰🇷 Korean: 데이비드의 일본 야구 준비 방법: 구글 검색과 미스터 베이스볼 시청. 현실과의 차이에 대해.

🎧 SUBSCRIBE TO PACIFIC SWINGS:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4uWEae1fRtay7PHjeFoWGn?si=e3049e98b0134c97 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1823861137

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@UCDEcXxHD-y3trCj3IS05SQg

All Platforms: www.pacificswings.com

📱 FOLLOW US:

X: www.X.com/PacificSwings

Instagram: www.instagram.com/PacificSwings 🎯

Follow Pacific Swings | www.pacificswings.com ありがとう and 감사합니다 ⚾

In our second episode, we sit down with left-handed pitcher Dietrich Enns, who has lived the Pacific Swings experience across three countries and three professional leagues. From his MLB debut with the Minnesota Twins to starring in Japan's NPB with the Seibu Lions, and then dominating in Korea's KBO with the LG Twins, Dietrich brings a unique perspective on international baseball.

Key topics covered:

• The culture shock of landing in Japan and experiencing earthquakes in your first week
• How different baseballs completely change your pitching approach across leagues
• The incredible training regimens and attention to detail in Japanese baseball
• Why NPB starters throw 150-pitch bullpens and complete games at 130+ pitches
• The electric atmosphere of Asian baseball fans and their coordinated chants
• Facing elite talent like Yamakawa's 44-homer season and Kensuke Kondoh's hitting wizardry
• The rising wave of Japanese pitching talent heading to MLB
• Living as a foreign player: from steakhouses in Tanashi to navigating train systems
• The respect and politeness that defines Japanese baseball culture

Dietrich also shares insights on pitchers like Tatsuya Imai and Kaima Taira, discusses the differences between Korean and Japanese baseball cultures, and explains why the texture and seams of different baseballs can make or break a pitcher's career overseas.

This episode delivers authentic stories from someone who's mastered the art of adaptation across three very different baseball worlds.

🇯🇵 JAPANESE VERSION:

エピソードタイトル: 三つの国、三つの野球ボール：ディートリック・エンス

エピソードノート: 左腕投手ディートリック・エンスがMLB、NPB、KBOでの経験を語ります。ミネソタ・ツインズでのデビューから西武ライオンズ、LG双子まで、三つのリーグでの野球の違いと文化について深く掘り下げます。

主要トピック：

• 日本での地震体験と文化的衝撃
• 各リーグの野球ボールの違いと投球への影響
• 日本の訓練体制と150球ブルペン
• アジアファンの熱狂的応援
• 山川、近藤健介などのエリート選手との対戦
• 今井達也、平良海馬の才能
• 外国人選手としての生活体験

シーズン番号: 1 エピソード番号: 2 エピソードタイプ: フル 露骨な内容: いいえ

キーワード: ディートリック・エンス、NPB、KBO、MLB、日本野球、韓国野球、西武ライオンズ、LG双子、国際野球

🇰🇷 KOREAN VERSION:

에피소드 제목: 세 나라, 세 개의 야구공: 디트릭 엔스

에피소드 노트: 좌완 투수 디트릭 엔스가 MLB, NPB, KBO에서의 경험을 들려줍니다. 미네소타 트윈스 데뷔부터 세이부 라이온즈, LG 트윈스까지, 세 리그의 야구 차이점과 문화에 대해 깊이 탐구합니다.

주요 주제:

• 일본에서의 지진 경험과 문화적 충격
• 각 리그 야구공의 차이점과 투구에 미치는 영향
• 일본의 훈련 체제와 150구 불펜
• 아시아 팬들의 열광적인 응원
• 야마카와, 콘도 겐스케 등 엘리트 선수들과의 대결
• 이마이 타츠야, 타이라 카이마의 재능
• 외국인 선수로서의 생활 경험

시즌 번호: 1 에피소드 번호: 2 에피소드 타입: 풀 노골적인 내용: 아니요

키워드: 디트릭 엔스, NPB, KBO, MLB, 일본 야구, 한국 야구, 세이부 라이온즈, LG 트윈스, 국제 야구

The Pacific Ocean used to separate two baseball worlds. Not anymore.

In our debut episode, recently retired MLB/NPB/KBO player David MacKinnon and journalist Jasper Spanjaart reveal why Pacific Swings exists and what you can expect from the only podcast bridging baseball's global divide.

David shares what it was really like playing alongside Shohei Ohtani, hitting cleanup behind Mike Trout, and then crossing the Pacific to experience the electric atmosphere of Japanese and Korean baseball. From the organized chaos of NPB fan culture to the explosive energy of KBO, these are the stories that never get told.

Jasper recounts his 2023 trip to Japan that changed everything - falling in love with the Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome and realizing American baseball fans have no idea what they're missing. This is more than just another baseball podcast. This is your access pass to clubhouses in Tokyo, stadiums in Seoul, and the cultural bridges that are quietly revolutionizing the sport.

🇯🇵 Japanese: なぜパシフィック・スイングスが存在するのか。デビッドの引退とジャスパーの日本野球への恋について。

🇰🇷 Korean: 퍼시픽 스윙스가 존재하는 이유. 데이비드의 은퇴와 재스퍼의 일본 야구 사랑 이야기.

🎧 SUBSCRIBE TO PACIFIC SWINGS:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4uWEae1fRtay7PHjeFoWGn?si=e3049e98b0134c97 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1823861137

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@UCDEcXxHD-y3trCj3IS05SQg

All Platforms: www.pacificswings.com

📱 FOLLOW US:

X: www.X.com/PacificSwings

Instagram: www.instagram.com/PacificSwings 🎯

IN THIS EPISODE:

✓ David's retirement from international baseball

✓ Jasper's 2023 Japan trip that started it all

✓ What it's really like playing in NPB and KBO

✓ Why these stories need to be told

✓ What's coming next Inside Stories from Baseball's Global Stage.

ありがとう and 감사합니다 ⚾

あの引退エピソード | 그 은퇴 에피소드

#PacificSwings #Baseball #NPB #KBO #MLB #SeibuLions #SamsungLions #BaseballPodcast #プロ野球 #野球

The Pacific Ocean used to separate two baseball worlds. Not anymore.

🇯🇵 : 太平洋は、二つの野球世界を分けていました。もう違います。

🇰🇷: 태평양은 두 개의 야구 세계를 분리했습니다. 이제는 아닙니다.

Former MLB/NPB/KBO player David MacKinnon and journalist Jasper Spanjaart are launching Pacific Swings - the podcast that brings you exclusive inside stories from baseball's global stage.

From clubhouses in Tokyo to stadiums in Seoul, get ready for conversations with players who've crossed the Pacific, cultural insights you won't hear anywhere else, and the untold stories that happen when baseball crosses oceans.

David's the 32nd round draft pick who somehow made it to three continents. Jasper's the one asking all the right questions. Together, they're bridging baseball's two worlds.

🇯🇵 Japanese / 日本語: 太平洋を越えた野球の真実の物語。元MLB/NPB/KBO選手デビッド・マッキノンとジャーナリストのジャスパー・スパンヤルトが、クラブハウスの内部から国際野球の独占ストーリーをお届けします。7月2日開始。

🇰🇷 Korean / 한국어: 태평양을 건넌 야구의 진실한 이야기. 전 MLB/NPB/KBO 선수 데이비드 맥키논과 저널리스트 재스퍼 스판야르트가 클럽하우스 내부에서 국제 야구의 독점 스토리를 전해드립니다. 7월 2일 시작.

First episode drops July 2nd, 2025.

Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Follow us: Twitter/X: www.twitter.com/pacificswings

On Instagram: www.instagram.com/PacificSwings

Website: www.pacificswings.com

Thank you, ありがとう and 감사합니다 ⚾