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11/26/2002 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News"
Hot Shots....
I would first like to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to Sports Nippon for putting a nice big picture of Norihiro Nakamura picking his nose on the front page of their website. I'm sure it enhanced the dignity of their fine publication. While he was doing that, Nakamura may have thought about which agent he is going to hire for any MLB offers that may come his way, since he is said to be indeed comtemplating that. Tony Atanascio, who represent Ichiro and Kazuhiro Sasaki, is said to be the leading candidate....Well, Tsuneo Watanabe is at it again. Once Nakamura decided he was no longer going to negotiate with Yomiuri after Watanabe essentially said they didn't need him, the grasping, egotistical owner responded by saying that Nakamura's wearing a dyed orange modified Mohican hairstyle reflected his [lack of] intelligence and education. Kaette Watanabe owner koso ha hinkaku ga nai sa (ironically, it's Watanabe who is showing that he has no dignity by making such remarks). Moreover, his view wasn't in synch with Giants fans, who phoned up in droves asking why they weren't able to obtain the burly slugger....Jesus, did Sports Illustrated really say that Hideki Matsui is another Mike Greenwell? They must be lacing whatever they're smoking with a healthy dose of Peyote. That's the stupidest thing I've heard since Mike Hargrove's declaration that Ichiro would never be a regular in MLB ....In more Matsui- related news, he says he will decide whose uniform he will be wearing before the year is out. Also, he visited a Mizuno baseball bat factory in Gifu Prefecture and he will be using a 34.5 inch 31.5 ounce stick next season instead of the 34 inch 32 ounce weapon he employed this season. He hasn't decided if the wood will be aodamo, white ash or maple....As an added detail to yesterday's story on the Twins and Padres going after Kazuhito Tadano, both teams called his house soon after the Japanese draft ended....New Yakult addition Todd Betts will make $350,000 next season plus incentives and will wear number 44. The team also announced that Alex Ramirez will make $1.2 million plus incentives while Kevin Hodges will make $800,000 plus incentives. They also locked up their ninth round draft choice, pitcher Takenori Komori, for a $120,000 signing bonus and a $50,000 salary....Orix signed their seventh rounder, pitcher Daisuke Shioya, for about $33,000 in salary. There was no signing bonus....Alan Newman signed with Hiroshima for $175,000 plus incentives....Nippon Ham infielder Takaya Hayashi had his pay boosted to $200,000 while outfielder Seigo Fujishima had his reduced by $4,000 to approximately $130,000....26 players took part in a mass tryout earlier today with scouts from all 12 clubs attending. Those aspiring to cadge a roster spot from somebody were mainly those who had been released earlier, but there were some from MLB, Taiwan and the Japanese industrial leagues as well ....Kazuo Matsui and the Seibu Lions have agreed not to post him this offseason in a meeting between team officials and the Gold Glove shortstop at a Prince Hotel in Tokyo. Matsui brought up the humiliating Japan Series experience and it appears that would be the main culprit in why the PL Gakuen grad won't be in an MLB uniform next season. He also said that he would like to play in Athens as part of the Japanese olympic baseball squad. MLB teams are said to be preparing offers in the four year range worth a total base of $16 million for him when he jumps, according to Sankei Sports, and it looks like the Cardinals and SF Giants have jumped into the sweepstakes for his services in addition to the previously noted involvement of the Mariners, Dodgers, and Mets ....The Braves and Marlins are said to be interested in Kazuhito Tadano, as are the Twins and Padres....Pitcher Satoshi Iriki, who was released by the Yakult Swallows and had a couple of tryouts for other ballclubs not go too well, is contemplating playing overseas if he can't catch on with a Japanese team....With the signing of Todd Betts, the Swallows have signed their first ever Canadian-born player. They are also billing him as the second coming of Tom O'Malley....Kazuhisa Ishii is reworking his pitching motion so that his elbow no longer strikes his leg during his windup....According to Nikkan Sports, if the Hanshin Tigers acquire Nakamura, they will move Atsushi Kataoka to first, George Arias to second and Makoto Imaoka to shortstop. However, Imaoka is very unhappy with that proposal, asserting that he is more suited to second and that his arm isn't strong enough for short.... Taiwanese draftee Lin Wei-tzu has been given number 38 and says that he wants to be like Hideki Matsui.....Chunichi Dragons shortstop Hirokazu Ibata will be changing his number from 48 to 6.
Note About Draft Special
Because researching the draft choices as well as doing my regular articles has become more time consuming than I had originally anticipated, the promised draft special for tomorrow is going to be delayed another week. I apologize for that.
Should Yankees Make Contreras A Bigger Priority Than Matsui?
See story at: NY Post Article
Baseball May Get World Cup
See story at:Brisbane Courier News
Today in Japanese Baseball History
This report is for November 26th and on that date in Japanese baseball history in 1973, Yakult changed its nickname from the Atoms to the Swallows.
Replies: 1 Comment
Gary:
I've been logging onto your site for some time now and I just want to say what a great job I think you're doing. You're like a walking encyclopaedia of Japanese baseball. Keep up the great work.
bob whiting
Posted by Robert Whiting @ 11/26/2002 08:14 PM EST
