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12/09/2002 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Yomiuri Hall of Famer Chiba Dies"
Hot Shots....
According to Sankei Sports, the Daiei Hawks may acquire Yankees minor league righthander Brandon Knight, who won two and saved 12 in 39 games for the team's Columbus AAA outfit this past season....Norihiro Nakamura will meet with the Mets today. The question is, are they really going to now offer him $4 million and not the $2.5 million that was quoted in earlier reports? In any event, the Nakamuras (him, wife Hiroko and their six year old daughter) have cancelled their return flight for the 11th, so we'll see how this all shakes out. It does appear that the Mets are going to ask him to undergo a medical checkup, though....Yomiuri hurler Masumi Kuwata says that he wants to learn Spanish so that he can help new addition Roberto Petagine with any issues he might face adjusting to life with the Giants. While one thinks that Peta-chan can pretty much get around fine after three seasons in Japan, it gives the veteran righthander a chance to add another language to the English, Italian, and Korean he already reportedly has some ability in....Speaking of Korea, Yomiuri may be adding southpaw Gary Rath, a former Dodger who was one of the KBO leaders in wins with 16 this past season for Doosan. He would be used in middle relief and presumably as insurance if someone in the rotation gets injured....And Yomiuri catcher Shinnosuke Abe was retained for around $625,000, a $320,000 rise....Chunichi Dragons manager Hisashi Yamada told Hanshin batting coach Tom O'Malley to mind his own business when O'Malley remarked that new Dragons first baseman Ivan Cruz "can't hit breaking balls." This should inject a little more intensity into Chunichi's battles with Hanshin. The Nagoya side is also hoping to finally get something out of free agent acquistion Kenjiro Kawasaki after he tries to rehab his bad shoulder this offseason in the U.S....For you folks living up in Sapporo, the Nippon Ham Fighters are putting ticket packages on sale for their ten games they will play in that city next season before then moving up to the Hokkaido capital in 2004. If you buy tickets for all ten games, which would cost a total of $400, you will also receive a windbreaker, a guide book and drink tickets....100 former Hankyu Braves players and officials assembled for a group photo at the club's old home ballpark, Nishinomiya Stadium, which will soon be torn down....According to Sankei Sports, Hideki Irabu will be eligible for free agency again due to his accumulated Japanese service time after next season....Teams of retired Japanese pros played an old timer's all star game Saturday at Sapporo Dome in front of a 12,000 strong crowd against an aggregation of foreign players who had been with Japanese teams, which was won 6-2 by the Japanese contingent. Hiroshima Carp great Koji Yamamoto was named MVP after cracking a two run single to center in the first....Sports Nippon says that Yoshitomo Tani will formally get engaged to his girlfriend, judo idol Ryoko "Yawara" Tamura, on January 26th. Their engagement was delayed due to the death of Tani's grandmother....Nippon Ham pitcher Shintaro Ejiri, 25, got married to Mari Takahashi, 24, Sunday. He will be train with the Arizona Diamondbacks next February before heading back to rejoin the Fighters. The Fighters also reupped superstar first baseman Michihiro Ogasawara for $2.4 million, a $960,000 increase. It's the highest amount the club has ever given a player for a season. He was also given an $8,000 bonus for winning the 2002 PL batting title. The team also inked pitcher Hayato Nakamura to a $250,000 contract, a $64,000 raise....Hanshin centerfielder Norihiro Akahoshi re-signed for about $280,000, a $32,000 decrease. Catcher Akihiro Yano, who had a career year despite missing substantial time with injuries, stayed at $600,000. Sidearmer Tetsuro Kawajiri also maintained his $540,000 he made this past year. Pinch hitting specialist Hiroshi Yagi won a $16,000 raise to $320,000....Seibu Lions swingman Koji Mitsui saw his bottom line swell by over $200,000 to a little over $365,000 for his ten wins as both a starter and reliever. Veteran Taisei Takagi had his salary dropped by $135,000 to $425,000....Orix backstop Takashi Miwa will take home an extra $40,000 in 2003 for a total of around $250,000 ....Kintetsu hurler Katsuhiko Maekawa, who had a terrible 2002 campaign, was done for a $65,000 salary decrease to $350,000.... Yokohama formally announced the signing of Tampa Bay first baseman Steve Cox and Doosan Bears infielder Tyrone Woods. Each man was given a one year deal. Cox will make $2.5 million and wear number 3. Woods will take in $400,000 and will have number 44 on his uniform. Presumably, Woods will be moved to the outfield after being a first baseman in Korea. The Stars also subtracted $130,000 from reliever Ryuichi Kawamura, who will now cart off $470,000 next season ....Daiei pitcher Akichika Yamada, who struggled this season, had his pay boosted by $56,000 to $175,000....Veteran Hiroshima Carp starter Shinji Sasaoka was cut by $80,000 to $1.3 million....Daiei number one draft choice Tsuyoshi Wada says that he will concentrate more on doing what it takes to win ballgames instead of piling up massive amounts of strikeouts, as he did at Waseda University.
Mets Admit to Matsui Interest
See story at: Associated Press Article
Yankees to Forego Matsui in Favor of Vlad Guerrero?
Like I needed that news to start my week. See story at: Japan Times Article
Condolences
We at Baseball Guru.com would like to express our condolences to the family of former Yomiuri Giants second baseman and Kintetsu Buffaloes manager Shigeru Chiba, who passed away in his sleep earlier today at his home in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward. He was 83. A native of Saijo, Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, Chiba went to Matsuyama Shogyo High School, for whom he played on a Koshien summer national baseball tournament winner. He then joined the Giants in 1938, hitting .300 or better four times in 16 seasons, amassing a reputation as a pesky top of the lineup batsman who could work a walk and inside out the ball with the best of them. In fact, he lead the Central League in that category four times, including a personal best of 105 in 1950, which was the Japan record until it was broken by Sadaharu Oh's 129 in 1963. His six runs scored in a game against Taiyo (not to be confused with the team that became the Taiyo Whales) on October 16, 1948 is still a record. He was ultimately named to five all star teams and seven Best Nines while wearing the number 3 that was subsequently handed over to eventual Hall of Fame inductee Shigeo Nagashima after Chiba retired in 1956. He was perhaps lucky to do all this, as he served four years of military duty from 1942-1945.
Chiba then went on to manage Yomiuri's minor league affiliate in 1958 before being tapped to run a terrible Kintetsu nine starting in 1959 for three seasons, all last place finishes, one of them the worst showing of any Japanese team in history, 36-103-1 (.259). That club had come into the Pacific League as the Pearls, but changed its nickname to the Buffaloes after Chiba's own nick of "the fierce Buffalo."
Following the end of his stint in Osaka, he caught on as a baseball commentator, first for Sports Nippon. He has also been affiliated with Tokyo Sports. In 1980, he was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.
Current Yomiuri skipper Tatsunori Hara noted about Chiba, who had received coaching from Chiba, "to be frank, he could be tough on us. He was very pleased at a gathering of former Giants players I went to last week at us winning the Japan Series. He appeared to be in good shape, so [his death] is hard to believe."
Former Hankyu Braves and Daimai Orions manager Yukio Nishimoto remarked: "Chiba is one of the forebears of today's players. He was able to make a name for himself at second base early on. I faced him when he managed with Kintetsu and I was with Daimai. Kintetsu wasn't doing very well back then and it mush have been hard on him."
Nagashima: "this is really sad because he really took care of me during my playing days. He entrusted me with his number 3. I really loved and respected him. He was instrumental in the development of Japanese baseball."
Daiei Hawks manager Sadaharu Oh offered, "I remember him as someone who wasn't afraid to fail. He looked like a wizard and was a generous man. He was beloved even by those who came after him. I saw him in Matsuyama during an all star game there and talked to him on the phone during our fall camp. I'm astonished. May he rest in peace."
Chiba's old teammate, Tetsuharu Kawakami, Japan's "God of Hitting," revealed that he was "startled. He sat next to me at the party for former Giant players and we had a nice talk. He worked to get the all star game for Matsuyama and he was pleased when [Shikoku-born poet] Shiki Matsuoka made it into the Hall of Fame. He made a lot of good memories this year. We both joined the Giants in 1938 and we fed off each other. Now that class of 1938 is down to one. That's sad."
Commissioner Hiromori Kawashima stated, "he was someone who had an extraordinary love for his team. He helped build the second Giants golden age. A precious man died. He also put a lot of effort into bringing the all star game to Matsuyama and that dream was fulfilled this season. He had a good life in baseball."
He is survived by his wife, Kasumi, who said that until he wouldn't wake up when she tried to rouse him this morning, he appeared to be in good health.
You can see a photo of Chiba swinging the bat in a game at: Photo
Chiba's Career Stats
G 1512 AB 5643 R 981 H 1605 2B 194 3B 52 HR 96 RBI 691 TB 2191 Sac 151 SF 9 K 515 BB 913 IBB 0 HBP 6 SB 155 CS 60 GIDP 69 AVG .284 OBP .384 SLG .388
One homer every 58.8 AB. Best Nine (1947-1953) Managerial record: 118-281-5 (.296).
