"Precious Mettle"

In an article published by Sports Illustrated, author Tom Verducci discusses the importance of "imports" (foreign professional players) to Major League Baseball. In detail, he highlights the young career of Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. Verducci describes the involvement of Tanaka's agent with the various Major League Baseball clubs. Masahiro Tanaka would eventually settle with the New York Yankees—one of the highest esteemed clubs in the history of baseball. In the beginning of the article, Verducci utilizes a simile when he states how the black SUVs were standing still in the roads of Beverly Hills, "inert as a stonehenge." Another simile is stated when Arizona Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers compares the bidding for Masahiro to a "Dating Game." Logos is provided when the author gives the statistics of Masahiro's contract, which consists of nine figures. Exemplification is used when the author describes the differences between both baseball and life between Masahiro's native land of Japan, and the United States of America.