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01/26/2003 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Orix' Tani Coughs Up the Rock"
Hot Shots....
Former Angels righthander Lou Pote is expected to arrive in Japan to pitch for Hanshin on the 29th. During his MLB career, Pote was 4-4 with a 3.29 ERA in 127 games. He will wear number 35....The Yomiuri Giants have "intervened" in the training routine of their first baseman, Kazuhiro Kiyohara, according to Sports Nippon. Apparently, the Giants leadership felt that the regimen put together by the slugger's personal trainer, Kevin Yamasaki, was too rigorous. Over the last three years while working under Yamasaki's guidance, Kiyohara has suffered five injuries, including the severe hamstring pull that kept him from playing in even half of his team's games in 2002. Of course, Kiyohara is in his mid-30's and players tend to become more prone to physical breakdowns during that time anyway, so the aches and pains aren't necessarily Yamasaki's fault....Yokohama number one starter, Daisuke Miura, is hoping to make some minor league starts beginning in late March and then wants to be ready to come back up with the big club by the time his side is to face Yomiuri in a series that kicks off on April 25th at the Bay Stars homeground. Miura, who is recovering from elbow surgery, made 60 throws playing catch Saturday and said he and his arm both feel good....The SK Wyverns of the Korean league will play Yakult in two games on February 15th and 16th. Also, despite the fact that Kevin Hodges lead the team in wins last season with 17, Swallows pitching coach Akimitsu Itoh said that the opening day start against Hiroshima will go to either Shugo Fujii or Masanori Ishikawa. When asked why Hodges won't be given that opportunity, Itoh asserted that Hodges has a hard time with the Carp. The Swallows will also get a new owner, as present headman Naoki Matsuzono, 80, will step down due to health issues in favor of 67 year old Sumiya Hori...The Seibu Lions are said to be planning to start rookie Shuichiro Osada against Hanshin on February 23rd. Osada threw in the bullpen today and pitching coach Hirohisa Matsunuma was pleased with the 22 year old's arm action and the way he used his legs....Lotte third baseman Kiyoshi Hatsushiba lead a baseball clinic for elementary age youngsters in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture Saturday and expressed confidence of holding on to his position even though manager Koji Yamamoto has said that nobody is guarenteed a job. He will battle both Koichi Hori and Rick Short for that role in the spring. In other Lotte news, infielder Bobby Rose has a mild cold and cancelled his workout today....Hanshin training coach Ken Maeda is working with righthander Hideki Irabu on strengthening the inner muscles of his thighs in the hope that will aid Irabu in attaining 100mph. This is a little bit of jumping the gun, no? The big jellyfish needs to focus first just on getting people out before attempting to hump his velocity up. In other news, the Tigers coaching staff is serving notice that Atsushi Kataoka could lose his regular's job to Kentaro Sekimoto if he doesn't show more life at the plate this spring than he did last season. Also, Yoshinori Okihara, Atsushi Fujimoto and Shuta Tanaka will battle it out for the shortstop position, though if none of them impress enough there, Sekimoto, a former minor league batting champ, could be slotted in there, too, at least on a trial basis. Neither Fujimoto nor Tanaka showed the necessary mental sharpness last season to be a top flight infielder and Okihara hasn't been able to hit enough to clinch the position. So somebody has to really step it up here. One note, though: the Makoto Imaoka to short idea has apparently been spiked....Boy, it sure would be nice if the U.S. baseball media would stop treating Pudge Rodriguez' threat to go to Japan seriously. The latest sucker was Jack O'Connell at the Hartford Courant, who mentioned it as if it was credible today....Hideki Matsui said, when asked, that he doesn't know who will win the Super Bowl since he's never seen an NFL game, but he did make this comment to the NY Post: "My first experience with American football was while I was in New York last time," he said. "I had some training at Yankee Stadium and one of the days the coach said he wanted to watch my batting practice [in the morning]. I'm not an early riser. But I found out it's because the coach wanted to see the Bucs' football game. So I was surprised that they're so into American football." That would be like an MLB coach being surprised that Matsui is into sumo. Sheesh....But even dumber than that was the Delaware News Journal, who noted, "the Mariners finally acquired the leadoff-hitting center fielder they needed, getting Randy Winn." I hope this was sarcastic. I mean, isn't this guy forgetting something? Like Ichiro Suzuki is already the one hole man? And that Winn will play left?....There is a pretty nasty flu going around Okinawa right now and the teams that will hold their spring training there are lecturing their players on how they can prevent being infected. The Yokohama Bay Stars have already had their players get flu shots, as have the Chunichi Dragons....Nippon Ham manager Trey Hillman took in a sumo match earlier today in Tokyo and then met with former Yokozuna Akebono. You can see a pic of the two chatting Here ....Hideki Matsui may open an office to handle his affairs in Japan, according to Nikkan Sports. After he signed with the Yankees, the former Yomiuri slugger has been deluged with endorsement offers and inquiries from media organizations. Agent Arn Tellem will be flying to Japan to talk over the office issue with his client, though it doesn't appear that Tellem himself is going to put out his own shingle there in the hopes of landing more Japanese players just yet....Lotte righthander Tomohiro Kuroki threw 84 pitches in a bullpen session today and didn't feel any discomfort. However, he emphasized that he is still a long way from being in game shape....And definitely worse for wear is Orix centerfielder Yoshitomo Tani's bank account, as Chunichi Sports reports that the ring he slipped on fiance Ryoko "Yawara" Tamura's lefthand was worth in the neighborhood of $350,000 and weighed in at 7.5 carats. Tamura, 27, who is an idol among Japanese women for her exploits on the judo mat and is thus a much bigger star than even Tani is, will nonetheless fight under the name Ryoko Tani when she appears in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Ex-Hawk Randel Signs With Yomiuri
According to Sankei Sports, former Daiei Hawks and U.S. independent league righthander Matt Randel has been picked up in a minor league deal by the Yomiuri Giants and has already reported. The 25 year old Vancouver, Washington native was previously with Daiei for the 1999 and 2000 seasons, but got into only one game with the big club before they let him go. He then went to Fort Worth in a U.S. independent league last year, where he posted a 4-5 record with one save and a 3.05 ERA.
Randel is a graduate of Lewis and Clark College and is an amateur singer-songwriter. bringing both acoustic and electric guitars with him to Japan with which to while away his free time. He also just got married this month, but his new spouse won't be able to come to Japan until March. You can see a pic of him upon his arrival in the Land of the Rising Sun Here
Orix Formally Signs Makoto Suzuki
See story at: Japan Today Article
Kintetsu Wants Otsuka to Decide Soon
See story at: Japan Today Article
