Ex-big-leaguer Murton finds hits aplenty in Japan

If baseball needs further evidence that its world is shrinking, here it is: The major league record-holder for season hits, Ichiro Suzuki, grew up in a suburb of Nagoya, Japan. His counterpart in Japan is a coach's son from McDonough with a taste for Chick-fil-A.

Murton, 29, moved to Japan last offseason hoping to advance his pursuit of an everyday job in the majors. Rather than return to the minor leagues, Murton, a five-year big-league veteran and a 2003 first-round draft choice, secured his release from the Colorado Rockies and signed with the Hanshin Tigers in Osaka.

It was a move he first resisted because of his desire to stay in the majors and his unfamiliarity with Japan and its level of baseball. Consultation with family and baseball advisers convinced him the chance to play every day in Japan was the right move.

Murton traveled to Japan with his pregnant wife Stefani and son Micah. His introduction to Japanese baseball was seeing the Tigers take batting practice out of three adjacent batting cages on one diamond. The rest of the acclimation was smoother.

For the first time, Murton experienced the life of a player whose team was counting on him. The team found an English-speaking doctor for his wife, who gave birth to their second child last spring. Murton and his family were placed in an apartment that housed other foreign players.

He struggled early, but quickly found his groove.

"Other than the very beginning of spring training, it wasn't any different from any other year I've played baseball," Murton said.

A few things were different, foremost the language. He was receptive to Japanese food to a point. "I drew the line when I saw the little fish swimming around in the bottom of the bowl," he said.

Murton stuck with beef and rice as best he could while longing for the tastes of home.

"That was a joke between me and friends and family members," he said. "‘You sure you can't send me over some Chick-fil-A?'"

A few months into the season, reporters asked Murton about the possibility of breaking Ichiro's hit record of 210. His success landed him an endorsement deal. His face peeked out from pre-packaged lunches sold at a chain of convenience stores.

He broke the record with two games to play. In post-game comments broadcast at the stadium, Murton graciously acknowledged that he played more games than Ichiro to break the record.

Murtonreceived interest from major league clubs, though it was virtually impossible to get out of his Japanese contract. After returning home, he worked out, sometimes with his younger brother Luke, who is a Tech grad and a prospect in the New York Yankees system.

"I think he's one of those guys that's always experimenting a little bit to try to find something that's going to make him better," Tech coach Danny Hall said.

Murton hopes another strong season will give him a chance to earn a full-time job in the major leagues. After playing in 144 games in 2006, when he hit .297 for the Chicago Cubs, Murton appeared in 151 games in the next three seasons combined.

Murton can return after the season. It's hard to say if there is a spot for a corner outfielder who can hit for average but has limited power, but he's content either way.

"If I come back in a similar scenario to what it was before, there's a pretty good chance of staying where I am," Murton said. "I'd prefer to finish in Japan and play there."