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11/28/2002 Archived Entry: "Godzilla Hires Agent; Original Hankyu Brave Dies"
Yikes! It's Boras!
According to Sports Nippon, Hideki Matsui has chosen Scott Boras as his agent and will start negotiating with MLB clubs on December 2nd. Whether this will drive off any team who may have been interested before remains to be seen, but Boras represents Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Kevin Brown and has amassed a reputation as a "bloodsucker" among some MLB team officials and fans. This should be real interesting.
Nakamura Rep Meets With Mets
According to Sports Nippon, which is quoting a NY Times piece, a representative of Norihiro Nakamura has met with NY Mets General Manager Steve Phillips at Shea Stadium. The Braves, SF Giants and Dodgers are also said to still be interested in the Osaka native, who has a standing offer from Hanshin. Nakamura says that he would like to make a decision by mid-December. Hanshin manager Senichi Hoshino predicted that Nakamura will opt to stay in Japan.
Interestingly, according to Sankei Sports, MLB scouting reports done at the time of the Sydney Olympics had Nakamura rated lower than So Taguchi, who looked overwhelmed when he went to spring training with St. Louis. At that time, scouts said that Nakamura was no better than a AA or AAA player. Scouts were also concerned that they way Nakamura lobs the bat as he starts his home run trot may invite retaliation from angered MLB hurlers.
Hot Shots....
Pitcher Shintaro Ejiri will be one of the two pitchers that will be sent by Nippon Ham to the Diamondbacks spring camp next February....Hanshin first baseman/outfielder Katsumi Hirosumi had his pay cut by 20% to around $320,000. He said that he was "shocked" and "hurt" by the offer. No word if he intends to sign the contract.... Hirosawa's teammate, righthander Keiichi Yabu had his salary upped by $250,000 to around $700,000 after winning in double figures for the first time in four seasons.... Sankei Sports says that Hanshin also intends to try new acquisitions Hideki Irabu and Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi as starting pitchers. Good luck with these two bums....Another Hanshin pitcher, Taiyo Fujita, was named a ceremonial police chief for the day in Toyonaka, saying that he wants to win 15 games next season. To accomplish that goal, though, the Tigers offense will have to give him a lot more than the pittance he received in run support in 2002....Hanshin sidearming lefthander Makoto Yoshino, who had a nice year, saw his paycheck for next season boosted by around $65,000 to the $165,000 neighborhood....Tigers infielder Kentaro Sekimoto said on a radio program that his hitting will hopefully get him a regular spot in the team's lineup. He is a former minor league batting champ....Another Tiger, pitcher Takehito Kanazawa, a 1999 second round draft choice, was awarded a $90,000 raise to $195,000 despite being a bit erratic this past campaign....Catcher Akihiro Yano showed that he is recovering nicely from the injuries that shortened his season, as he posted a 98 at a team golf event ....Yakult Swallows infielder Akinori Iwamura, who has been very active in various charitable causes, says that if the reaches .300-30 homers-30 steals next season, he will contribute $100,000 to the social welfare organizations in his hometown of Uwajima, Ehime Prefecture. This season, he gave around $15,000....The Daiei Hawks say that they are considering conducting a team training camp in China at some point....A Hawks official says that the team's players can expect some big pay cuts this season, even ones who had good seasons such as Hiroki Kokubo, who might play in MLB next season, and catcher Kenji Johjima, who will see their salaries decline by a whopping $330,000 apiece. This is even though the birds of prey drew over three million fans to Fukuoka Dome last season....Former Mariner Makoto Suzuki is expected to sign with Orix by the mid-December, according to Nikkan Sports....According to the Hochi Shimbun, the team that will play in an asian olympic baseball qualifying tournament for Japan will confront a pro all star team at Fukuoka Dome on November 1st, 2003, before leaving for the tourney, which gets underway the subsequent November fifth ....Yakult second baseman Katsuyuki Dobashi absorbed an $80,000 pay cut to a little over $500,000 for next season. Meanwhile, 2002 CL Rookie of the Year Masanori Ishikawa will pocket around $320,000 next time around, an increase of almost $200,000....In the wake of negotiating with Tampa Bay first baseman Steve Cox and Doosan Bears infielder Tyrone Woods, the Yokohama Bay Stars intend to release outfielder Boi Rodrigues, who batted .262 with 18 homers and drove in 60 runs.
Not All Agree With MLB Opening Day in Japan
See story at:Tacoma Tribune Article
Japanese Olympic Officials Skip Prince's Funeral to Save Baseball
I wonder how Japan's violent rightwing will take this bit of news. See story at:
Agence France Press Article
IOC To Keep Baseball?
See article at:Japan Today Article
More on Koba Running for Hiroshima Mayor
See story at:Japan Times Article
Rivera, Johnson Casualties of Yankees Quest for Matsui?
See story at:Greenwich Time Article
Has Valentine Talked Himself Out of MLB?
See story at:Fort Worth Star-Telegram Article
Korea Hurler Lim to Play in Puerto Rican Winter League
See story at:Korea Times Article
Condolences
We at Baseball Guru.com would like to send out our condolences to the family of former Hankyu Braves player and manager Masao Nishimura, who died today of pneumonia at his home in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture at the age of 90.
The son of parents who owned a traditional Japanese inn, Nishimura graduated from Takamatsu Shogyo High School and then went to Kansai University. From there, he signed a contract with Hanshin in 1936, but the team didn't live up to certain unspecified promises made to Nishimura and the pact was voided soon after. He then slid over to Hankyu, which was in its first year of operation, as a rightfielder. Batting leadoff, he played for 13 years and got into 505 games, hitting .231 with one homer and 65 RBIs and an OPS of .635. One remarkable stat from his playing days was that he was successful on 101 of 105 steal attempts, a sparkling 96% clip. In addition, he never grounded into any twin killings. Clearly, this guy could really run.
An odd highlight of Nishimura's years as an active player was that he participated in the only no hitter in Japanese history in which the club that was so victimized won the contest. On May 6, 1939 at Koshien Stadium, in a faceoff between Hankyu and Nankai, Hankyu was down 1-0 in the sixth when they tied it up. Nishimura worked a walk. The next batter, centerfielder Den Yamada, laid down a sac bunt. But Nankai starter Miyaguchi, trying to hurry off a throw, fumbled it and everyone was safe on the error. Second baseman Fujio Ueda was next and he did lay down a sac bunt to advance the runners. Miyaguchi then plunked leftfielder Koichi Yamashita. Third baseman Kengo Kuroda lifted a sac fly to left and it was a tie ballgame at 1-1.
In the seventh, Hankyu's Masaharu Kishimoto walked to commence the inning. Shortstop Narihide Tanaka bunted down the third base line. Third baseman Kazuto Tsuruoka got to it, but winged it down the first base line and Kishimoto blazed all the way around to make it 2-1 Hankyu, who then held on for the wacky victory.
He did two stints as the team's skipper, 1943-1947 and 1954-1956, ultimately compiling a managerial record of 365-339 with 17 ties for a .518 winning percentage. He opened a coffee shop called "Kissa Braves," which you can still visit to this day in Takamatsu, and ran that before being asked to become a coach with the Toei Flyers (now Nippon Ham) from 1961-1967 and the Chunichi Dragons in 1971. He returned to Hankyu to helm their minor league affiliate beginning in 1974 until he was promoted to an executive slot with the big club in 1980.
He is survived by his eldest son, Masahiko.
Special thanks to the great Japanese baseball history site, Watashi wo Yakyu ni Tsurete for some of the material used here.
