Yu Darvish: Racist Sign Reads We Love Yu Long Time at Rangers Pitcher's Debut

Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish made his Major League debut Monday night for the Rangers.

Darvish didn't get off to a good start, but picked up the win in his first appearance. But the pitcher's performance may not have been the biggest story of the night.

The righty's debut encouraged many fans to make signs about the new pitcher. One sign read, We Love YU Long Time.

NBA star Jeremy Lin was greeted by similar signs when he first gained notoriety.

One sign showed Lin's face above a fortune cookie, with the words The Knicks Good Fortune inscribed below the point guard's face. Another one called Lin the Yellow Mamba, a play on Kobe Bryant's nickname the Black Mamba

Lin was also the target of racially charged comments. Floyd Mayweather said that Lin only gained notoriety because he is Asian. An ESPN.com employee was fired for writing the headline Chink in the Armor after the Knicks first loss with Lin as the team's starter.

It seems Darvish will have to face similar challenges being one of the few Asians in the MLB.

Darvish gave up eight hits and five runs in 5.2 innings as the Rangers beat the Mariners Monday night. If the pitcher improves and continues to win games, expect the the jokes about his race to continue.