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01/20/2003 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Matsui Stops Fingering His Knob"
Hot Shots....
Petco Park? Are the Padres serious? I guess that means the players AND fans will be in the doghouse everytime a game is played. But just think of the signs when the Padres start sinking back into the NL west cellar. And I thought Minute Maid Park (why don't they just put a skirt on the thing) was bad. As the late, great Jim Healy would say, mamma mia!....A note to the Saipan Tribune: the Kintetsu Buffaloes are not owned by a hotel, but by the Kintetsu rail and travel concern in Japan....According to Hochi Sports, Hideki Matsui will depart for the states again sometime between February 2nd and the 4th. He engaged in a 150 swing batting practice session off of a tee Sunday at a Giants workout facility in front of 200 fans and then followed that up with a 120 cut practice Monday. He was no longer putting his little finger over the knob of the bat as he had the last three years and he has lowered his hand position slightly. Godzilla says that he is trying different ideas right now in order to deal with MLB pitching. That extends to his bat, which is half an inch longer than what he had previously wielded. He then spoke to a group of Yomiuri rookies, urging them to get themselves ready to play well enough so that the Giants can win consecutive Japan Series....Congratulations to Seibu reliever Yoshihiro Doi, who will marry model and commercial actress Reina Ogura on the 26th. They met in April of 2001 through mutual friends....Chiba Lotte Marines hurler Kosuke Kato has taken up the piano and practices two hours every day, according to Sports Nippon. He also hopes that it will have the side benefit of giving him better feel for his pitches. Kato reportedly likes to relax by listening to Beethoven's ninth symphony while driving his car....Chunichi owner Junnosuke Nishikawa said he talked to Kevin Millar Sunday and confirmed that the former Marlin is indeed willing to play in Japan....Yomiuri Giants righty Masumi Kuwata, who is in Australia right now, had a nice throwing session in 87 degree weather with team backup catcher Kohei Ono and then headed off to play golf. Ono commented that Kuwata is already looking like he is in mid-season shape....Daiei righthander Hayato Terahara, who, one year ago, was the new rookie everyone was talking about, said during an eight hour workout in his hometown of Miyazaki that he doesn't want to be topped by this year pair of sensations, Tsuyoshi Wada and Nagisa Arakaki. "I don't want to be beat by Arakaki in terms of velocity and I won't allow Wada to best me in strikeouts and complete games," he insisted. Hawks pitching coach Takao Obana has reportedly told the 19 year old that he expects both Terahara and Kazumi Saito to win 15 games this coming season....Roberto Petagine will wear number 13 with Yomiuri. The Giants also announced that their slogan for 2003 will be "show the spirit." Yawn. At least it makes sense even if it is totally meaningless. More meaningful, perhaps, was rookie shortstop Masahiro Nagata's vertical leap, which was measured at 30 inches today, which compares favorably with numbers posted by members of Japan's international volleyball team. This is just more proof that Nagata has the athletic ability to be the next Kazuo Matsui....Hanshin hinted again that it intends to run on Petagine, who hit just .250 against the Tigers last season and who will now be stationed in right....Kintetsu moundsman Hideo Koike has switched to a sidearm delivery, though why is still a mystery at this point. He lead the PL in wins in 1997 with 15. The team also announced that new acquisition Kevin Beirne will make about $450,000 this season for them and wear number 23 while tentatively being penciled into the rotation. Further on the pitching tip, swingman Ken Kadokura may be given a shot at the closer's job, though why is difficult to fathom given the presence of Akinori Otsuka, Motoyuki Akahori and Akira Okamoto already in the pen. In addition, due to requests from Central League teams, the Buffs will conceal the logo of their new sponsor, Acom, when they face clubs from that circuit in spring play, as the CL nines have their own sponosorship deals and don't want to run into any conflicts with them during tv broadcasts. Finally, the team trainer has reccommended that players chew gum so as to make them less likely to catch the flu. Their reasoning? If they chew gum, it will keep their throats moist and make them less susceptible to viruses. Any doctors in the house who want to comment on this?....Yokohama free agent closer Takashi Saito has reportedly given up on MLB, according to sources quoted by Sports Nippon. This is very good news for a rather thin pitching staff....Contrary to what a doctor said yesterday, Yakult reliever Ryota Igarashi, who nearly severed a tendon on his pitching hand washing the dishes over the weekend, expressed reservations about being recovered in time to make it onto the opening day roster. A Swallows trainer, though, reassured him that he would.... Lotte ace Tomohiro Kuroki threw 25 pitches in the bullpen earlier today and was none the worse for wear, though he said that he was only throwing at about 30% of normal. He revealed that he will step the intensity up in another session in about ten days.... Yokohama manager Daisuke Yamashita said that he will de-emphasize the sac bunt that was favored so much by his predecessor, Masaaki Mori. He is also looking for a new nickname for his batting order. How about the "barefoot bunch." Why? No sock.
Dragons Stand Firm on Keeping Millar
See story at: Associated Press Article
Is This Finally the End of the Millar Saga?
See story at: Boston Globe Article
Move Allows Pedraza to Continue Japan Career
See story at: Victoria Advocate Article
MSNBC's Robinson on Matsui
See story at: MSNBC Article
