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12/02/2002 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Cruz Signs With Dragons and More"
Hot Shots....
Charlie Manuel, who played in Japan with Yakult and Kintetsu, sent an agent to Japan in hopes of landing a managerial job, but there weren't any openings....Seibu Lions ace Daisuke Matsuzaka spent the day giving a baseball clinic for little leaguers in Yokohama. Due to his injuries this past season, Matsuzaka is likely to have his salary reduced by $250,000....Lotte closer Masahide Kobayashi, who set a record this past season for most consecutive save points, said he wants $1.6 million dollars for next year, which would double his current $800,000 salary. Kobayashi also was part of a baseball clinic for youngsters at a park in Chiba Prefecture, signing more than 200 autographs and asking the kids to please come see his team play....Yakult Swallows lefty Shugo Fujii is hoping for a $200,000 raise to $650,000 next season. In 2002, even though he was wildly inconsistent, he still posted his best ever ERA, 3.08....According to Sankei Sports, due to his having three wrist surgeries in his past, Norihiro Nakamura is likely to receive only a one year offer from the Mets when he goes to New York on the fifth. Monetarily, the paper projects something in the $2.5 million range....When Hideki Matsui goes to spring training with his new MLB team, he may have his former manager and Japan's Mr. Baseball, Shigeo Nagashima, watching him go through his initial stateside exertions. "If I can work it out schedule-wise, I may go," said the Hall of Fame third baseman. However, in a bit of bad news for Japan's olympic effort, Nagashima is going to manage their 2004 Athens squad....While doing a baseball clinic for 120 kids at a Swallows practice facility, Yomiuri southpaw Kimiyasu Kudoh, who recently underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery, told reporters that he is giving up golf during his rehabilitation....Lotte hurler Naoyuki Shimizu is aiming for a 150% raise to about $500,000....Hiroshima shortstop Akihiro Higashide and infielder Kojiro Machida will make the same amount next season they did this past campaign....Ivan Cruz has agreed to a contract with the Chunichi Dragons, grabbing a $100,000 signing bonus and a $300,000 salary. Manager Hisashi Yamada claims that the former Cardinals infielder is improved over what he was capable of when he was with Hanshin. Uh huh....The Yakult Swallows have signed former Hanshin and Lotte reliever Toshihide Narimoto and ex-Seibu Lions hurler Hideki Sato, 32. Narimoto, 35 and oft-injured, will pull in about $100,000 while Sato will rake in about $80,000 in salary in 2003....Osaka's mayor appealed through the press to Norihiro Nakamura to stay with Kintetsu....Yomiuri reliever Junya Sakai had his salary nearly doubled from around $55,000 to just a little over $100,000....
Foreign, Japanese Oldsters Get Together for a Little Baseball
Sunday in the city of Kure at Nikawa Stadium, a team of foreign players who had been with Japanese teams in the past faced off against a side of retired Japanese players, the result being a 4-4 tie in the seven inning affair. Pitching great Masaichi Kaneda managed the Japanese squad while Daryle Spencer did the same for the foreign contingent. Former Hiroshima Carp outfielder Henry Garret, who cracked 102 homers during the late 70's in Japan, was named the game's MVP after going 2-3 with an RBI.
Former Hanshin Tiger Randy Bass had a pair of knocks as well and said the whole thing was really enjoyable even if he didn't go deep. Moreover, the former Triple Crown winner was dingerless in a pre-game homer contest.
Ex-Hankyu Braves three time steals champ Roberto Barbon, 69, hadn't picked up a baseball in six years, but that didn't stop him from turning a 6-4-3 double play from his shortstop position. "I can still play defense, but my batting sucks now," said the Cuban speedster, in Kansai dialect. After he retired, Barbon worked as an interpreter for Orix.
Also among those taking part were Gene Bacque, Clyde Wright, Greg "Boomer" Wells and Brad "The Animal" Lesley.
Time to Give Godzilla a Break
See story at: Asahi Shimbun Article
No Matsui Contact With Shapiro Says Sporting News
See story at: Sporting News Article
Clemens Put on Backburner While Yanks Pursue Matsui
You have to scroll down a good ways to get to the relevant, though the entire piece is worth reading, imho. See story at: Boston Globe Article
A Brit Whines About No Cricket Coverage in USA
See story at: Guardian Article
On a personal note, as an American, I have had the displeasure of having cricket rammed down my throat on the one satellite sports station that was available to me when I was in Korea and it makes soccer look positively scintillating by comparison. So shut up and deal with it, buddy.
Today in Japanese Baseball History
This report is for December 2, 1944 and on that date in Japanese baseball history in 1944, famed Tokyo Giants pitcher Eiji Sawamura, who was then in the Japanese military, died when the transport ship he was riding in was sunk off of Taiwan by U.S. forces. He was 27.
