Archived Weblog Entry - 02/28/2003: "Japanese Baseball News: Yeah, This Has Stuff About the Matsui Homer, Too"

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02/28/2003 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Yeah, This Has Stuff About the Matsui Homer, Too"

Team Reports

Yomiuri Team owner Tsuneo Watanabe blasted Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi today at a team function, referring to the popular pol as "ignorant" and blaming him for the inability of the Japanese economy to get going again. Part of that criticism may be related to Watanabe's outlandishly huge ego, as he prefaced that remark with, "it is said that when the Giants win the pennant, it's good for the economy.But it's getting embarrassing saying that every year [with the economy staying in the tank]" ....Yomiuri owned NTV boss Ujiya touched on how the absence of Hideki Matsui and the problematic comeback of injured first baseman Kazuhiro Kiyohara would ultimately have no effect on tv ratings. Though he expected the audience numbers to decline when Matsui defected to the Yankees, ratings improved for the exhibition game with Kintetsu this year over what they were in 2002 at this time....Pitcher Yusaku Iriki lifted weights today as part of a two hour workout, saying that he was feeling a little better every day....Kimiyasu Kudoh said that he experienced discomfort in the calf muscle he is rehabbing after yesterday's bullpen session and he may cease working out altogether until it heals. That makes it unlikely he will open the regular schedule on the roster....Rookie infielder Masahiro Nagata, who is just out of high school, has been drawing raves for his defensive abilities. Well, at least on ground balls. Today, he had a lot of trouble reading fly balls, something that coaches attributed to the difference between high school players and those in the pros. Fly balls by professionals tend to be hit higher and with more spin on them, making them more susceptable to the wind. There was a 7 meter a second breeze today, but nobody else was having any problems with it. Just part of the growing up process for the teenager.

Yakult According to Sports Nippon, third baseman Akinori Iwamura is keeping in touch several times a week with former Nishitetsu (now Seibu) slugger Futoshi Nakanishi by email. Iwamura, who wants to join the .300-30 homer-30 steals club, consults with Nakanishi, who has worked in the past as a special adviser to the Swallows and is now a batting consultant this spring with Yomiuri....Former Yakult owner Jun Kawabara died at his Shibuya Ward, Tokyo home last night of liver failure. He was 72. A former president of the team's parent company, he formally took over the ownership reigns of the Swallows in 1991. However, he resigned his position with the club as well as his duties as chairman of the parent company when it posted a nearly $100 million loss in 1998. He had been in bad health since last year. His funeral is Friday.

Chunichi Sankei Sports is saying that Kenjiro Kawasaki felt quite a bit of discomfort today in his shoulder and it is unlikely he will be ready on opening day. Kawasaki has yet to throw an inning for the Dragons since ankling a three year offer from Boston as a free agent in 2000. He went to spring training with the Dragons in 2001 and promptly blew out his shoulder in an exhibition game against Kintetsu. Yet, he hasn't had it operated on. This is despite the fact that he is pulling in more than $1.6 million a season. If Kawasaki can't get in a fair amount of innings this season, at the very best he is looking at a drastic paycut for 2004. And at worst he may be a civilian starting this coming offseason.....Omar Linares is going to retire, according to Hochi Sports. Both of his knees are hurting and since it has become a chronic problem, he may call it a day....Manager Hisashi Yamada, after watching Alex Ochoa workout, is going to try him out in centerfield....Screwballer Masahiro Yamamoto started in today's practice game against the LG Twins of the KBO and was pummeled for four runs on five hits in three innings. It ended as a 6-6 tie....Martin Vargas also made his first appearance in eons and served up a solo homer....Brazilian-Japanese first baseman Norberto Semanaka had his first pro camp at bat today and singled off of a high fastball in a pinch hit appearance....Third year outfielder Teppei Tsuchiya creamed one into the back net of the ballpark for a homer to right in the eighth inning.

Hanshin The Tigers worked out at Koshien Stadium today for three hours. Four players, infielders Shuta Tanaka and Yoshinori Okihara, as well as outfielders Osamu Hamanaka and Yutaka Nakamura, were all given special defensive practice while infielders Kentaro Sekimoto and Atsushi Fujimoto had special hitting sessions ....Both Lou Pote and Jeff Williams, who are vying for the closer's job, will each get in an inning of work in an exhibition game against Orix Saturday. Pote threw 53 pitches in the pen and said he is feeling real good right now. Williams ran 81 up to the plate today....Shinjiro Hiyama, normally the starting rightfielder, has been used recently at first, which he is uncomfortable with. Today, he put his foot down and manager Senichi Hoshino wouldn't back off, insisting that Hiyama do what he directs or he was going to be sitting on the bench this season. Hiyama had no choice but to concede, though he was obviously upset at having to do so.

Yokohama Manager Daisuke Yamashita disclosed who will be in the starting rotation this season today. Yuji Yoshimi will be the opening day pitcher, while the rest of the starting staff will consist of Domingo Guzman, Kenichi Wakatabe, Chris Holt and Takashi Saito....Yamashita is also seeking a pesky number two hitter to set the table for his number three and four hitters. The leading candidates right now are centerfielder Tatsuhiko Kinjo and infielder Hirofumi Ogawa, though leftfielder Takanori Suzuki may get a look there.

Seibu Looking for the ideal number three hitter, manager Haruki Ihara put outfielder Tatsuya Ozeki, normally stationed in the two hole, in that slot in today's intrasquad game and contributed three RBIs, including laying down a squeeze bunt. Shortstop Kazuo Matsui went 4-4, stole a base, and scored each time he was on base. Last season, the Lions used 12 men immediately in front of slugger Alex Cabrera. Ozeki showed that he is at least a fine situational guy as well as someone who racked up a .314 average in 2002....Both starters for this game, Koji Mitsui and Kenichi Toriyabe, stunk it up, as Mitsui was tattooed for eight runs on ten hits in three innings while Toriyabe got shaken down for seven runs on six hits....Taisei Takagi had a first inning triple and three singles in a 4-4 afternoon, though he made an error at his new position, second base....Speaking of Cabrera, he is looking for a Hall of Fame season this year, saying that he wants to of 56 homers, which would eclipse Sadaharu Oh's single season homer record of 55 and the 1950 mark of 161 RBIs held by Shochiku Robins outfielder Makoto Kozuru. The former Diamondback worked out for two hours today at a team practice facility, taking 70 swings in batting practice. He also offered that he might want to comeback to Japan next season, which contradicts reports that he would like to play in MLB in 2004....Daisuke Matsuzaka was in the intrasquad game today and went three innings of one unearned run ball on two hits. He also developed a blister on the big toe of his right foot.

Daiei Manager Sadaharu Oh says that he plans to use rookie southpaw Tsuyoshi Wada possibly as soon as March 9th, when the Hawks play an exhibition game against Hiroshima. Today, Wada did some longtossing that then went to the bullpen for 30 pitches....The Hawks held an intrasquad game before a packed house at Fukuoka Dome today and Brandon Knight was clocked at 94mph during his four inning scoreless stint. He scattered two hits and walked two while striking out three....Matt Skrmetta was clocked at 96mph and tossed one shutout inning, allowing one hit....Number four draft choice Taiki Mizoguchi and number seven draftee Naoki Tanaka were in a car driven by a friend that was involved in a head on collision today in Fukuoka Prefecture. Both men were late for the team's dormitory curfew when the accident occuredand were suspended for a week and fined $850 apiece. Too, Mizoguchi may have a fractured right foot. It will be examined again tomorrow.

Kintetsu According to Nikkan Sports, the Buffaloes front office are contemplating suing the respected weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun for defamation after it ran an article about the posting of closer Akinori Otsuka. The article accuses Kintetsu of sabotaging Otsuka's sale by having a consultant for the team send out a resume and stats to all 30 MLB clubs last October 29th. Before a player is posted, no contact with MLB outfits may take place concerning that player. Commissioner Bud Selig's office sent an email to the Buffaloes saying that the consultant's actions "violated the spirit of the agreement between [MLB and [NPB]." Moreover, MLB officials apparently believed that the actions were on behalf of Kintetsu and not from a consultant who was attempting to act as an agent without portfolio. The consultant claims that the article is accurate and now it looks as if Otsuka is going to bring in agent Dan Nomura to represent him. Nomura is the guy who brought Hideo Nomo from Kintetsu to the Dodgers and who pried Alfonos Soriano from the Hiroshima Carp. Now as to why any of this would make any difference in Otsuka's dispostion vis a vis MLB isn't really spelled out in the Nikkan Sports article and I haven't seen the Shukan Bunshun piece. Kintetsu asserts that Nomura has no standing with NPB to represent any of its players. Boy, this is finally getting interesting....Motoyuki Akahori, who is now the putative closer in Otsuka's absence, threw in an intrasquad game and was clocked at 91mph while permitting a run over two innings. He struckout four. Akahori, who has 139 lifetime saves, was satisfied with his showing since he was able to keep the ball down and away consistently....Jeremy Powell started in that game and twirled two hitless innings of one run ball, throwing all fastballs. He was clocked at 84-85mph ....Third baseman Norihiro Nakamura was limited to one at bat in the intrasquad game by a tired right calf. After being replaced in the third inning, he went and took some wacks off of a pitching machine indoors.... Infielder Katsumi Yamashita launched a 425 foot shot over the scoreboard in centerfield off of a fastball from Kanehisa Arime for his eighth spring homer overall. He also played some nice second base and could be a more powerful alternative to light hitting and oft injured regular Eiji Mizuguchi....First baseman Yuji Yoshioka finally cracked his first spring homer today, saying that he hopes to reach 30 homers and 100 RBIs this year. He has been bothered by a bad back and it has slowed his workouts.

Nippon Ham Manager Trey Hillman imposed a no throw day for his position players, who weren't even allowed to play catch. Instead, they took batting practice while the pitchers headed to the bullpen. This made for a short practice, only about 75 minutes. The reason for the unconventional restriction was that Hillman wanted his players to rest their arms and elbows. This move was welcomed by team captain and first baseman Michihiro Ogasawara, who averred that at this point in spring training, a lot of the players are feeling a little sore, so this break in the routine is "positive"....Itsuki Shoda threw 50 pitches in the bullpen and revealed that while he has some discomfort, it's not bad enough to be annoying....Satoru Kanemura threw 68 pitches in the bullpen today....Hillman wants his pitchers to start ratcheting up their pitch counts now to the 90-100 neighborhood.

Lotte Manager Koji Yamamoto said that unless ace Tomohiro Kuroki's recovery progresses much more rapidly that it has so far, he is likely to open the season in the minors. Unlike what the Chunichi Dragons did last season with Shigeki Noguchi, they won't put Kuroki into games at the top level until he is in 100% game shape
.... Yamamoto told Hochi Sports that unlike last season, when he would lock himself up in his hotel room when the team lost, this year he will go out even if they lose.

Orix Masato Yoshii has been selected to start Saturday's game against Hanshin.

Hideki Matsui If a Canadian press report is correct, it looks as if the first pitcher Hideki Matsui will face in regular season MLB action will be Roy Halladay.... 30 people showed up at a local event hall in Matsui's hometown of Neagari-cho, Ishikawa Prefecture to watch the game live, according to Sankei Sports. The folks cheered and applauded when Godzilla smacked the ball over the fence. Mayor Fumio Harada complimented Matsui on homering amid all the pressure he is under. Matsui's former boss at Yomiuri, Shigeo Nagashima, when he got the news, smiled, "we've had a good morning today. I watched it on the tv news and I'm glad he's off to such a good start this exhibition season. Because he is technically sound, I hope that this will give him comfidence that he will carry through out the season." Ichiro Suzuki stated that he was "surprised. Especially with everybody around him wondering how well he will do here. With everybody looking at him and amid the pressure, he homered. I didn't think he would do that." Tsuyoshi Shinjo offered, "I didn't think he was up there looking to hit it out. He just took his best swing and put it on the good part of the bat as you would expect him to do. Next is swinging like he did with the [Yomiuri] Giants." Batting instructor Rick Down was more sober: "just because he homerted today doesn't mean that tomorrow we change his practice routine. But he drilled a ball he was supposed to hit and I think that this is a big moment for him." So Taguchi enthused, "amazing. He won't have any problems. He'll be fine." Ryan Dempster, who had previously faced Matsui in an all star series in Japan before inducing a ground ball out of him today, evaluated, "he's a good hitter. You can see that he is gaining confidence and he is adjusting." Jimmy Anderson, who gave up the dinger, posited, "whatever I threw him he was on it. I think he'll do well here." The fastball Matsui clobbered was clocked at 85mph....Growing up, Matsui odloized Hanshin Tigers third baseman Masayuki Kakefu. Kakefu, who is now a baseball commentator, visited the Yankees camp Wednesday, and interviewed Godzilla for Hochi Sports. In that talk session, Matsui says that he plans on playing in every game and that he hopes to get good enough to one day be the Yankees cleanup hitter. In addition, he is concentrating at this point on just trying to hit the ball hard rather than attempting to knock it out of the park. When Kakefu remarked that he was kind of sad to hear that, Matsui retorted that if you try to muscle up on the pitchers here, you'll never catch up with them.....Another Hochi writer noticed that Matsui is being bothered by hay fever here. In Japan, he used to get it so bad that he would hole up in a hotel to get away from the pollen. So we'll have to see how he deals with that issue here in the states.

Miscellaneous Phillies manager Larry Bowa, a former coach with the Mariners told a writer for a Philadelphia news site about the activities of the Japanese press when Kazuhiro Sasaki first signed with that team: "They followed him as he dressed, walking to the car,'' Bowa said. "No matter what he did, he was on TV. It's a distraction to the other players at first, then you get used to it"....According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, there has been no conversations between Ichiro Suzuki's agent, Tony Attanasio, and the M's on a new contract. Talks, though, are expected to begin later in the year....MLB has banned the use of ephedra products by minor league players....Hideo Nomo went two scoreless innings against Detroit in an exhibition game today on one hit and two walks. He was clocked unofficially at 90mph ....Tsuyoshi Shinjo went 0-1 and dropped a fly ball and So Taguchi was 0-2 in the Mets vs. Cardinals exhibition faceoff....Ichiro tripled to right in three at bats against San Diego....Former Sumo yokozuna Takanohana will throw out the first pitch in the Mariners-A's regular season opener in Tokyo. Then for the second game, seven year old Shun Iida, representing the Japanese Make a Wish Foundation, will do the honors.

Today's Pictures

Tatsuya Ozeki Gets Down to Lay the Squeeze Down

Motoyuki Akahori Delivers the Ball

Tsuneo Watanabe: Little Man, Big Mouth

Matsui Lines Two Run Homer Against Reds

See story at: MLB.com Article

See related story at: Associated Press Article

Matsui: I'm Not Ready Yet

See story at: Associated Press Article

Patience Key Word With Matsui

See story at: Hartford Courant Article

Chinese-American Police Officer Met Matsui at Newark Airport