Irabu Draws His Share Of Fans

There was an opening-night air at the Bronx’s largest theater Thursday, a place where the audience can get almost as much attention as the star.

Lending a World Series feel to a midseason game were 300 media members, a dozen satellite television trucks and one news helicopter - all seeking to describe the appeal of Hideki Irabu.

Japanese fans or anyone displaying a sign with Japanese characters, a Rising Sun flag or even a family wearing the traditional hats of Chinese rice paddy workers inevitably attracted television cameramen and still photographers faster than Irabu could get a pitch to the plate. Two tourists from Taiwan politely declined to be interviewed, trying to explain in Chinese that they were not from Japan.

Norio Yamamoto of Greenwich, Conn., had trouble navigating his group of six, including three adorable toddlers waving Japanese flags, through the media throng. “It looks like Irabu is already good for the Yankees,” said Yamamoto, a teacher at a Japanese school.

Tomohiro Gamo of Flushing and his two friends were perfect models for the cameras, dressed from cap to sweatpants in matching Yankees apparel. “He’s got a lot of money, I want to see what is so special about his pitching,” said Gamo, an undergraduate at New York University.

Gamo has been a Yankees fan since he came to this country three years ago, but the addition of Irabu has turned him into a fanatic. “I am so proud because he is Japanese, that is why I came here tonight,” said Gamo, who has tickets for Irabu’s next start.

His friend, Kiyomi Goto, a travel agent also from Flushing, had just bought 10 “Typhoon Irabu” T-shirts to send back to her hometown of Nagoya. “They will be very cool to wear,” she said.

Although a Japanese news man said the umbrella-like hats Vito Illustrato and his family were wearing were really of Chinese origin, the Pelham Manor man was hoping to start a trend. “If they can put Coneheads on for Cone, then we can wear these for Irabu,” he said.