Why am I so interested in Yu?

It's weird: The closer I get to returning to SAN FRANCISCO, the more interested I become in JAPAN.
I do love sushi and Japantown, and San Francisco is easily the most Asian of America's cities, so perhaps that's why my Japanese interest becomes so piqued.
I am traveling back to the BAY AREA at the end of this month.
Today, I find myself turning to the Japanese sports pages to follow the recent exploits in the CENTRAL and PACIFIC BASEBALL LEAGUES.
Yesterday, the visiting FIGHTERS beat the MARINES, 6-3, despite the shakiest start of the season by YU DARVISH.
Yu (pictured) is the current Japanese ace, sporting a 5-0 record and boasting the devotion of thousands of fans. His father is Farsad Darvish, an Iranian businessman, and his mother Ikuyo is Japanese. His parents met at college in St. Petersburg, Fla., where Yu's father played soccer. Farsad and Ikuyo married and moved to Osaka in 1982.
Now, Yu is dominating Japanese baseball, while attracting the attention of loads of American scouts.
Yu gave up a season-high 10 hits yesterday, but American slugger Terrmel Sledge came to the ace's rescue, driving in three runs to help lift Hokkaido Nippon Ham to the win over Chiba Lotte.
Interested readers can follow Yu's exploits throughout the season by visiting the Darvish Watch blog, located here.
I am sure my approaching trip will add further fuel to my interest in all things Japanese, including the baseball.