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11/20/2002 Archived Entry: "Hunter Show Ends With Boffo Catch to Help MLB Win Series"
MLB All Stars Complete Four Game Comeback to Take Series
A Major League Baseball all star team restorted its pride Sunday at Tokyo Dome, as it swept its fourth game in a row to rebound from a 3-0 series deficit with a squad of Japanese all stars and prevail in the head to head clashes 4-3. The final score of this tilt was 4-2, as Expos righty Bartolo Colon outpitched Yomiuri ace Koji Uehara for the victory, which was highlighted by another tremendous defensive play from MLB centerfielder Torii Hunter, who was awarded the series MVP.
The NPB contingent threatened in the first, as shortstop Kazuo Matsui commenced this one with a walk and leftfielder Takayuki Shimizu singled to right. However, third baseman Norihiro Nakamura struckout, centerfielder Hideki Matsui fouled out to third and DH Alex Cabrera grounded out to second to let the big Dominican fireballer off the hook.
MLB then broke out on top in the bottom portion. Rightfielder Ichiro Suzuki got things rolling when he drilled the first pitch from Uehara into the leftcenter alley and went to third on a sacrifice. Centerfielder Bernie Williams singled to right to plate Ichiro and make it 1-0 big leaguers. With a two strike count to DH Barry Bonds, Williams took off for second. Bonds took a belt high forkball on the inner half of the plate for strike three and Motonobu Tanshige's peg to second was right on the nose and the Yankees outfielder was meat for a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play. That was also Uehara's fourth consecutive whiff against the Sawamaura Award winner.
The Japanese evened it up, though, in the top of the second. First baseman Michihiro Ogasawara cracked a leadoff single to center. Rightfielder Kosuke Fukudome belted a deep drive to center that was gathered in near the wall by Williams Ogasawara, an outstanding baserunner, tagged and made a bee line for second, arriving safely. Second baseman Makoto Imaoka then launched a high drive to rightcenter that Williams played expertly and held Imaoka to a long single, Ogasawara stopping at third. Tanishige grounded to first to claim Ogasawara and it was knotted at 1-1.
In the third, MLB went ahead again, as catcher Paul LoDuca singled to center and shortstop David Eckstein clocked a knock to left. Ichiro laid down a textbook bunt next to the third baseline. Uehara thought it would roll foul and let it roll, but it stayed fair and the bases were loaded. Second baseman Roberto Alomar grounded into a 4-6-3 double play and LoDuca toed the dish for a 2-1 MLB advantage.
Ogasawara endeavored to ignite another rally in the fourth when he spanked a single to center. Fukudome torched a Colon offering, but right at Alomar, who flipped to first for the double play, nipping the uprising in the bud.
In the fifth, the MLB forces made some noise with two gone, as Eckstein singled to right and Ichiro collected his third of his four hits on the day, a single to left. But Alomar grounded to Imaoka to squelch that chance.
The next inning, Colon walked Hideki Matsui with one out and Alomar booted a ground ball from Cabrera. However, Ogasawara popped out to second and Fukudome struckout to squander that opportunity.
In their turn at bat, MLB tacked on another tally against Kenshin Kawakami when Bonds singled to center off of an 88mph fastball and was pinch run for by Eric Chavez. First baseman Jason Giambi singled to right while Chavez motored to third. Third baseman Eric Hinske flied out to center and Chavez tagged and hustled in to widen it to 3-1.
NPB, though, weren't about to just be victims and really made it tense against Tomokazu Ohka in the seventh. Imaoka singled to center. Akinori Iwamura was sent up to pinch hit for Tanishige and struckout. Kazuo Matsui singled to center, as did Takayuki Shimizu to load the bases. Nakamura flied out to center and Imaoka tagged up and crossed to make it 3-2. J.C. Romero was summoned from the bullpen to face Hideki Matsui, who walked to pack the sacks once more. That brought up Cabrera with a chance to really do some damage, but instead he grounded to second and MLB still had a lead.
As Bonds made for the airport in the eighth, Chavez, who was inserted into the NL MVP's DH role, gave his side a little more room for error when he drilled a Kei Igawa pitch well into the centerfield seats to go up 4-2.
So now with the series on the line, Kazuo Matsui came up in the ninth and beat out a roller to second off of Eric Gagne. Takayuki Shimizu grounded to second for a force play. Nakamura blasted a shot to deep rightcenter. Hunter got on his horse and ran it down with a spectacular leaping grab as he went splat into the fence, bringing the crowd to its feet. Now up stepped Hideki Matsui, (and how appropiate was this?) for his last at bat in Japan as the tying run and tapped a 90mph fastball to Junior Spivey and it was "game setto."
Ichiro was named MVP of the contest. Godzilla hit .161 for the entire eight game series (including the match with Yomiuri) to make his exit on a dissapointing note. Matsui says that he will have to change his conditioning routine as well as the bats he uses before he goes to MLB.
Ogasawara was bestowed with the Fighting Spirit Award for the game and pocketed $2500.
For earning the MVP of the entire series, Hunter will see $35,000 deposited into his bank account as well as being able to take home $400 worth of beef from Itoh Ham. The MLB players, in addition to the $150,000 plus expense money they were given for participating in the eight game wingding, will split $400,000 for being taking the series.
Kazuo Matsui, who hit .423 for the series with two homers and seven RBIs, was given the series Fighting Spirit Award, which also carried a $16,000 prize with it. After his showing, ESPN is said to be doing a piece on him, though whether that will be a "package" for Sports Center or an article for ESPN The Magazine, the report didn't say. Unfortunately for us Mariner fans, though, he reiterated that he isn't thinking of going to MLB at this time.
Nakamura, who is going to soon be an even richer man than he already is, received Bonds cap and Gagne's uniform top to remember this series by.
Bonds was gratified at being pitched to and didn't disappoint, racking up 11 hits in 30 at bats, a .367 clip, with five homers and 12 RBIs.
Former Sumo Ozeki Konishiki visited with cousin Mike Fetters before the game. "We used to play together all the time as kids," the huge Hawaiian averred.
See related story at: ESPN Article
See another related story at: Japan Times Article
A third related story at:New York Daily News Article
See one more related story at:Asahi Shimbun Article
Pictures:
Hunter Flags Down Nakamura Drive
Hunter Shows Off His MVP Trophy
Godzilla Matsui Waves Goodbye
Matsui Waves Goodbye, Another Shot
Fukudome Singles in Seventh
Pitching Lines:
NPB:
Uehara (L, 1-1) IP 5.0 PC 70 H 7 HR 0 K 5 BB 0 R 2 ER 2 ERA 2.45
Kawakami IP 2.0 PC 35 H 3 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.38
Igawa IP 1.0 PC 16 H 1 HR 1 K 2 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 10.50
MLB:
Colon (W, 1-0) IP 6.0 PC 98 H 5 HR 0 K 4 BB 2 R 1 ER 1 ERA 2.89
Ohka IP 0.2 PC 21 H 3 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 18.90
Romero IP 0.2 PC 14 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 2 R 0 E R0 ERA 0.00
Fetters IP 0.2 PC 3 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Gagne (S, 3) IP 1.0 PC 15 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
E: M. Shimizu, Spivey
SB: I. Suzuki
2B: I. Suzuki, Imaoka
HR: Chavez (1)
RBI: N. Nakamura, Tanishige, Hinske, Chavez, B. Williams
SF: Hinske, N. Nakamura
GIDP: Alomar
LOB: NPB 11, MLB 6
Series Status: NPB 3, MLB 4
Game Time: 2:47
Attendance: 55,000
Umpires: Sederstrom (HP), Tsugawa (1B), Young (2B), Nishimoto (3B)
Lineups:
NPB:
SS K. Matsui (2-4, BB .423)
LF T. Shimizu (2-5, K, .421)
3B N. Nakamura (0-4, SF, RBI, 2 K, .172)
CF H. Matsui (1-3, 2 2 BB .148)
DH Cabrera (0-4, .285)
1B: M. Ogasawara (2-3, R, BB .400)
(PR, 3B) T. Ishii (0-0, .200)
RF Fukudome (0-3, K .391)
(PH, RF) Tani (0-0, BB .363)
2B Imaoka (2-4, R .312)
C Tanishige (0-2, RBI, .272)
(PH) Iwamura (0-1, K .222)
(C) M. Shimizu (0-1, .500)
MLB:
RF I. Suzuki (4-4, R, SB .354)
2B Alomar (0-2, .266)
(2B) Spivey (0-0, BB, .181)
CF B. Williams (1-3, RBI .227)
(CF) Hunter (0-1, .384)
DH Bonds (1-3, K .333)
(PR, DH) Chavez (1-1, 2 R, RBI .357)
1B (1-3, K .263)
(PR, 1B) D. Lee (0-1, .166)
3B Hinske (0-3, SF, RBI 2 K .357)
LF Burrell (0-2, 2 K .000)
(LF) J. Jones (0-2, 2 K .300)
C LoDuca (1-3. R .500)
SS Eckstein (2-3, .363)
Coming Friday: Season Wrap Up
Obviously, this will be the last game report of 2002. Of course, I will continue to run news items as well as links to what I feel are articles of interest to you readers. Friday, we will send off the past year with a summation of the good, the bad, and the ugly of the 2002 campaign. Otanoshimi ni (please loke forward to it)!
Hot Shots....
Tsuyoshi Shinjo says he "absolutely won't go back [to play in Japan]." He also stated that he would be willing to play with a small market team in MLB....Tsuyoshi Wada experienced something he has hardly ever experienced in his college career at Waseda University: getting hammered. He gave up five runs in six innings during the semi-final game of the Meiji Jingu Baseball Tournament against Tohoku Fukushi University and lost, ending his college career. He now starts his pro career with Daiei next spring. Asia University and Tohoku Fukushi, the alma mater of Kazuhiro Sasaki, faceoff for the championship....Seibu Lions ace Daisuke Matsuzaka gave a clinic today for 1500 little leaguers at Seibu Dome....Hanshin is said to have offered Norihiro Nakamura an eight year deal for $5 million a season with its latest proposal .....Hiroshima has inked former San Diego Padres hurler David Lundquist to a deal that will pay him $150,000 plus incentives in 2003. Alan Newman, another recent signee, will take in $200,000 plus incentives....Before getting back on a plane to the states, Nippon Ham manager Trey Hillman says he wants to end up 2003 with a team on base percentage of .370. He has his work cutout for him, as the Fighters posted a meek .304 mark this past season. The Pacific League champion Lions finished with a .342 figure in that department.
Was Trip About Matsui?
David Lennon rebounds after a couple of really asinine scribblings and puts forth a much more solid effort at:Newsday Article
What Will Become of Yankees-Yomiuri Agreement?
David Waldstein has some thoughts on this issue in a nicely done piece at:Newark Star Ledger Article
Mariners Expect to Start 2003 in Japan
See story at:Everett Herald Article
Dodgers to "Go Hard" After Nakamura?
This sounds like a pretty unlikely scenario to me, but fwiw, here it is:Newark Star-Ledger Article
Korean Baseball Movie Gets Bad Review
You have to scroll down for the relevant bit:Japan Times Article
Today in Japanese Basebal History
This report is for November 17th and on that date in Japanese baseball history in 1965, the first ever Japanese pro baseball draft was held. The Yomiuri Giants chose pitcher Tsuneo Horiuchi while the Hankyu Braves selected outfielder Atsushi Nagaike, among others.
Also on the same day, Nankai manager Kazuo Kageyama, who had just succeeded Hall of Fame field boss Kazuto Tsuruoka, died suddenly. Tsuruoka was then brought out of retirement and he finally retired after the end of the 1968 season, when Tokuji Iida took over.
Also on that date in 1938, Tokyo Giants rightfielder Haruyasu Nakajima won the first ever Triple Crown. That was the only year he hit over .300 as a regular player.
