Archived Weblog Entry - 03/06/2003: "Japanese Baseball News: Fujikawa Walks Like a Man"

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03/06/2003 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Fujikawa Walks Like a Man"

Hiroshima Outpitched by Hanshin 3-1

The Hanshin Tigers knocked Hiroshima Carp lefthander Toshikazu Sawazaki around for three runs in the sixth inning Tuesday at Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture to come out on top 3-1. Rookie Yasuhiro Nakamura, despite displaying erratic control that lead to him surrendering the sole Carp run, was credited with the victory for his one inning of work.

Takaya Kawauchi opened on the hill for Hiroshima and was outstanding, weaving five shutout innings of two hit ball, striking out three and walking one and hitting a batter. But he was very unhappy after the game, saying that he wasn't able to get ahead of the hitters with first pitch breaking ball strikes. He averred that this outing only deserved a 30 out of 100.

On the other hand, starter Kyuji Fujikawa's performance for Hanshin, even with a good shuuto and forkball, was a high wire act, as he free passed five Carp hitters, but prevented real disaster during his scoreless four innings thanks to limiting them to one hit and inducing a critical first inning double play ball. Fujikawa then headed off to the bullpen for some more throwing endeavoring to find better command. Fujikawa was clocked at 89mph. While Fujikawa believed that he sucked on this occasion, Tigers coaches complimented him on exhibiting some growth by being able to successfully work his way through his difficulties.

This also marked the debut in a Hanshin uniform of Kintetsu refugee Hiroshi Ishige, who backed off his low to mid-90's stuff in favor of greater control and racked up a perfect inning. His fastball nonetheless showed good life and he had excellent command of his breaking pitches.

So that sixth inning became the ballgame and it was Hiroshima who drew first blood. With one down, pinch hitter Kojiro Machida singled to right and Nakamura plunked first baseman Takahiro Arai. Shortstop Takuya Kimura slapped a single back up through the middle to welcome Machida homeward and it was 1-0 Carp, Arai motoring to third on the play. Centerfielder Shigeru Morikasa lifted a fly ball to right, where it was gathered in by Osamu Hamanaka, who then unloaded a peg to the plate. Arai tagged up and hustled in, but catcher Jin Nakatani had the plate blocked and Arai was toast to end the inning. By the way, for those wondering, Hamanaka had six assists last season.

Sawazaki came on and Hanshin got busy in the bottom portion, as second baseman Shuta Tanaka walked and centerfielder Norihiro Akahoshi was nailed by a pitch. Both men were advanced on a sac bunt. First baseman Shinjiro Hiyama got a 2-1 hanging slider and conked it into centerfield to score the two speedsters on the basepaths and it was 2-1 Tigers. Hamanaka singled to right. Rsserve third baseman Kentaro Sekimoto whistled one down the rightfield line for a double. Hiyama wheeled around to the dish. Hamanaka put it in gear of the promised land as well, but he was gunned down on the relay and it remained 3-1 in favor of the Osaka contingent.

In the seventh, former Hanshin lefty Shinji Nishikawa was touched for a single to left by leftfielder Yutaka Nakamura and then was victimized for an error on a ground ball by second baseman Akihiro Higashide. The two runners were sacrificed along. Nishikawa buckled down, though, and fanned Akahoshi and a groundout by shortstop Yoshinori Okihara to wriggle out of the jam.

Tigers Takehito Kanazawa retired six of the seven men he faced to close it out and secure the win.

Hiyama, who is very uncomfrotable at first, handled the position well, making a nice pick on throw in the dirt by Arias and niftily snagging a bad hop ground ball.

For Hiroshima, rightfielder Jimmy Hurst was 0-2 and is at .000. Starting shortstop Andy Sheets was 0-1 with a walk and is at .000.

For Hanshin, third baseman George Arias was 0-2 and is at .333.

Pitching Lines:

Hiroshima:

Kawauchi IP 5.0 BF 17 PC 57 H 2 HR 0 K 3 BB 2 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Sawazaki (L, 0-1) IP 1.0 BF 7 PC 25 H 3 HR 0 K 0 BB 2 R 3 ER 3 ERA 27.00
Nishikawa IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 14 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Tamaki IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 10 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00

Hanshin:

Fujikawa IP 4.0 BF 16 PC 61 H 1 HR 0 K 2 BB 5 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Ishige IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 10 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Y.H. Nakamura (W, 1-0)IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 22 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.50
Yoshino IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 9 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Kanazawa (S, 1) IP 2.0 BF 7 PC 28 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.50

E: Higashide
2B: Sekimoto
RBI: T. Kimura, Hiyama 2, Sekimoto
HBP: Hamanaka (Kawauchi), T. Arai (Y.H. Nakamura)
GIDP: T. Arai
LOB: Hiroshima 6, Hanshin 5

Season Series: Hiroshima 0, Hanshin 1

Game Time: 2:31
Attendance: 12,000
Umpires: Tsuchiyama (HP), Kittaka (1B), Nemoto (2B), Watamari (3B)

Yoshii Perfect, Maekawa Rocked in 4-3 Orix Victory

Masato Yoshii changed speeds well in his first Japanese appearance in six years to notch a perfect three innings on a very economical 28 pitches and his teammates in the batting order ran up three tallies in the second inning to help down the Kintetsu Buffaloes Tuesday at Osaka Dome 4-3. Yoshii snared the shiroboshi while Katsuhiko Maekawa, who belongs in the minors after not getting anyone out since beating Seibu early last season, continued his misfortune in absorbing the defeat.

New Orix addition Roosevelt Brown catalyzed the second inning revolt when he wheedled a walk with one away. Second baseman Tatsuya Shinjo also waited out a "four ball," as they say in Japan. Rightfielder Kazuhiko Shiotani then whizzed a shot down the leftfield line to get Brown back to the bench and to set up a second and third, one out situation. Catcher Takashi Miwa singled to left to cash those runners in and it was 3-0 for the Kobe crew.

An inning later, Maekawa tried to spot a first pitch fastball down and away to first baseman Takeshi Yamasaki with a man down and missed, the ball voyaging right down broadway instead at a leisurely 86mph. Yamasaki punished the mistake, sending it a few feet beyond the centerfield wall to put the Blue Wave in front 4-0.

Rui Makino spelled Yoshii for the fourth and the Buffs jumped on the big board for the first time, as centerfielder Naoyuki Omura drilled one into the rightfield seats with one out to make it 4-1 Orix.

Satoshi Tokumoto was next on Orix duty roster and worked a perfect fifth, but made it tense in the sixth. Catcher Fumitoshi Suzuki walked to spark the Buffs offense. DH Daisuke Masuda laced a gapper to leftcenter. As Suzuki lumbered home, Masuda blazed around to third for an RBI triple. One out later, rightfielder Koichi Isobe zapped one into the rightcenter alley for an RBI double to shrink the deficit to 4-3. Backup second baseman Yasuo Nagaike singled to center, Isobe holding at third. Unfortunately for the Osaka faithful, leftfielder Kenshi Kawaguchi then rolled into a 4-6-3 double play and Kintetsu was never heard from again.

Yoshii had met up with former teammate Norihiro Nakamura before the game and the burly third baseman asked Yoshii to throw him a fastball when they faced each other. Yoshii did that in the second inning, but it was an 80mph fastball with some run on it and Nakamura was jammed and popped out meekly to Miwa. Yoshii was clocked at a high of 85mph. Orix' pitching coach said that Yoshii set a good example for the team's young pitchers by throwing strikes early and often and minimizing his pitch count.

For Orix, DH Scott Sheldon was 0-3 and is at .167. Brown was 0-2 with two walks and is at .000.

Pitching Lines:

Orix:

Yoshii (W, 1-0) IP 3.0 BF 9 PC 28 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Makino IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 20 H 2 HR 1 K 2 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 9.00
Tokumoto IP 3.0 BF 12 PC 39 H 3 HR 0 K 2 BB 1 R 2 ER 2 ERA 6.00
T. Kawaguchi IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 23 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Kase (S, 1) IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 11 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00

Kintetsu:

Maekawa (L, 0-1) IP 4.0 BF 19 PC 62 H 4 HR 1 K 1 BB 3 R 4 ER 4 ERA 9.00
Misawa IP 2.0 BF 8 PC 30 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Arime IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 21 H 1 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 6.00
Yoshikawa IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 17 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
T. Matsumoto IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 16 H 0 HR 0 K 3 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00

SB: Moritani
2B: Shiotani, Isobe, R. Tsuji
3B: Masuda
HR: T. Yamasaki (1), N. Omura (1)
RBI: T. Yamasaki, Shiotani, Miwa 2, Masuda, N. Omura, Isobe
WP: Maekawa
GIDP: K. Kawaguchi 2
LOB: Orix 7, Kintetsu 3

Season Series: Orix 1, Kintetsu 0

Game Time: 2:33
Attendance: 2000
Umpires: Tamba (HP), Hayashi (1B), Yamamura (2B), Yoshikawa (3B)

Yakult Still Zero for the Season After Defeat by Hawks

Third baseman Hiroki Kokubo and DH Pedro Valdez chipped in RBI singles while catcher Kenji Johjima slugged a two run homer to spur the Daiei Hawks to a 4-2 triumph over the Yakult Swallows Tuesday at Fukuoka Dome. Brandon Knight came into his first Japanese start a little too pumped up and had some early problems, but settled down to finish with a perfect fifth inning, striking out the final two men he encountered, to earn the victory. He was clocked at 94mph.

Nobuyuki Ebisu started for Yakult and stunk, permitting four runs, two of those earned, on five hits in three innings to get the kuroboshi.

Knight appeared to be headed to an early shower in the first, as he issued one out walks to shortstop Shinya Miyamoto and third baseman Akinori Iwamura. Leftfielder Alex Ramirez singled to center. Miyamoto made the left turn for home and was meat at the plate. First baseman Todd Betts grounded to third and Knight had survived the frame.

The Hawks then turned on Ebisu. With one down, rightfielder Hiroshi Shibahara singled to left. Johjima got something in his wheelhouse and massacred it into the mezzanine section of the leftfield bleachers for a quick 2-0 Daiei lead.

Knight got into more hot water in the second, as rightfielder Atsunori Inaba walked and, one out later, catcher Kosei Ono singled to right. DH Ken Suzuki singled to center to score Inaba to halve the disparity to 2-1. But second baseman Yoshiyuki Noguchi flied to left and Miyamoto flied to right and that was that.

However, Knight had his pocket picked again in the third. Iwamura walked and went to second on a groundout. One out later, Atsunori Inaba singled to center and Iwamura scooted in to knot it at two all.

Daiei then exploited a sloppy defensive play by the Swallows to ring up another pair of runs in the home half and surge back in front. Centerfielder Arihito Muramatsu grounded to Noguchi, who threw the ball away to allow Muramatsu to get to second. Two outs later, Kokubo singled to left to usher in Muramatsu. Kokubo stole second. First baseman Nobuhiko Matsunaka singled to right, Kokubo holding at third. Valdez then dribbled one up the first baseline and beat it out, Kokubo checking in to widen the Hawks hegemony to 4-2

Yakult got a couple of singles in the fourth and didn't make anything happen and then the offense went into hiding, producing one hit and a walk the rest of the way, Katsunori Okamoto keeping the Swallows on the infield in the ninth to pocket the W for the home team.

Suzuki is a retread from Seibu and he is now 5-7 this spring. Coaches have been working with him on hitting the ball inside and all of today's hits were on inside pitches

For Yakult, Ramirez was 1-4 and is at .214. Betts was 0-3 and is at .364.

For Daiei, backup DH Bryant Nelson was 0-1 with a walk and is at .200. Valdez was 1-2 with an RBI and is at .333.

Pitching Lines:

Yakult:

Ebisu (L, 0-1) IP 3.0 BF 16 PC 67 H 5 HR 1 K 1 BB 2 R 4 ER 2 ERA 6.00
T. Yamamoto IP 2.0 BF 9 PC 33 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
H. Sato IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 15 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Kamada IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 16 H 0 HR 0 K 3 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.50
Hanada IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 23 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.00

Daiei:

Knight (W, 1-0) IP 5.0 BF 23 PC 90 H 6 HR 0 K 5 BB 4 R 2 ER 2 ERA 3.60
S. Ogura IP 2.0 BF 7 PC 33 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Yoshitake IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 13 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
K. Okamoto (S, 2) IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 17 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00

E: Betts, Y. Noguchi
SB: Kokubo
HR: Johjima (1)
RBI: Inaba, K. Suzuki, Johjima 2, Kokubo, P. Valdez
HBP: Chen (Ebisu)
LOB: Yakult 8, Daiei 7

Season Series: Yakult 0, Daiei 1

Game Time: 3:16
Attendance: 42,000
Umpires: Maeda (HP), Suginaga (1B), Kakigizono (2B), Manabe (3B)

Team Reports

Yomiuri Kimiyasu Kudoh did some light windsprints and played some catch today, but says he isn't ready yet to even throw batting practice. It is still unknown at this point if his calf injury is going to keep him off the opening day roster. Sankei Sports mentioned April 10th as a possible return date....Rightfielder Roberto Petagine is scheduled to begin hitting off of a tee Wednesday. He didn't practice Tuesday at all, instead taking accupuncture and electro-stim treatments....Rookie infielder Masahiro Nagata attended his graduation ceremony today at Tokaidai Boyo High School, setting off a commotion since he is the first alumnus of that institution to play pro baseball.

Yakult Reliever Ryota Igarashi had his first bullpen session Tuesday after almost severing a tendon in his middle finger on his throwing hand in mid-January. All 55 deliveries were fastballs and they showed some life despite the layoff. Team management thinks that the righty has a chance to be ready for opening day....The Swallows had to cancel instructional league games set for the 8th and 9th due to a rash of injuries to the organization's pitchers.

Chunichi Outfielder Alex Ochoa will make his Japan debut Wednesday against Orix at Nagoya Dome....The Dragons front office received 2200 pieces of mail in a bid to name the top third of the club's batting order. The most popular designation seems to be "Idaten Trio," which means "swift running heavenly warrior trio," according to Australia'sMonash University's online Japanese dictionary.

Hanshin Yuya Ando made an instructional league start Tuesday and went six innings of two run ball on six hits on a frosty cold day.

Hiroshima The Hiroshima rotation will be six deep, with the first four slots already decided. The last two will be decided in a battle between Alan Newman, Chris Brock, Tetsuto Tomabechi and Kawauchi....A Carp coach said that shortstop Andy Sheets and outfielder Jimmy Hurst are still a little flummoxed by the Japanese strike zone, accounting for their early bad start, though each has only had eight at bats.

Yokohama Groundskeepers are putting the finishing touches on a new artificial surface for Yokohama Stadium, as it will now feature Field Turf, which is also utilized at Tokyo Dome.

Seibu Righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka worked out today at a Lions practice facility in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture and threw 40 pitches. He hopes to get into three games before opening day and toil a total of 15 innings in that stetch....Alex Cabrera has been moved back up to the big club roster and he worked out for about two hours Tuesday. He was awful in a defensive drill, though, a sign of how rusty he is. Cabrera will see his first exhibition action on the 15th against Yokohama. His mother, Tomassa, will arrive in Japan in April. Last season when she was in country, Cabrera decimated PL pitching staffs. And looking at the big Venezuelan, it seems to me that reports of his having gained 35 pounds (about 16kg) aren't accurate. 16 POUNDS is certainly possible and seems more reasonable.

Daiei Tsuyoshi Wada tossed 70 pitches in the pen Tuesday, using his fastball, curve and slider. He will make his pro debut in a relief appearance on the 9th against Hiroshima at Fukuoka Dome. The number one choice said that his pitch quality is about 50-50 at this point....Hayato Terahara threw 100 pitches in the pen today and said he felt no shoulder discomfort. He will start against the LG Twins in a Thursday practice game....Junji Hoshino has an elbow imflammation and wasn't able to make his scheduled appearance Tuesday in the game with Yakult. He will not throw for the next few days until the problem disappears.

Kintetsu Recalcitrant closer Akinori Otsuka told Sports Nippon Tuesday that he has not signed any deal for Dan Nomura to represent him, contradicting earlier reports that Nomura, who is the Saddam Hussein of agents to the Buffs after he helped Hideo Nomo join the Dodgers, is indeed acting on Otsuka's behalf in the ongoing curious little dance between Kintetsu and their hard throwing stopper....Tuffy Rhodes and Norihiro Nakamura made the rounds of Osaka City Hall and affiliated agencies pressing the flesh and saying hello. Osaka Prefecture Governor Fusae Ota also made an appearance to greet the pair.

Lotte Infielder Rick Short is kind of messed up mechanically right now, as he broke a couple of bats in batting practice today. "He can't seem to read breaking pitches," said an unnamed coach. Short is 1-5 with two strikeouts in exhibition action. He has widened his stance and says that he is comfortable with it, expressing hope that he will begin putting up numbers. It's still premature, though, to judge Short this early in the season, especially with what he did last season the PCL.

Hideki Matsui According to the Houston Chronicle, Astros GM Jerry Hunsicker begged the Yankees to bring Hideki Matsui with them for Tuesday's exhibition game. The Yankees, though, chose to rest him instead and left him in Tampa....Agent Arn Tellem is in Tampa right now and said he was happy with the way Matsui has started his MLB career so far. Tellem also offered that Matsui has the kind of inner strength and mental toughness that two of his other clients, Jason Giambi and Nomar Garciaparra, possess.

Miscellaneous Tomokazu Ohka one hit the Atlanta Braves over three shutout innings Tuesday. Ohka attributed the fine outing to throwing strikes....Tsuyoshi Shinjo entered a game Tuesday against Florida as a pinch runner and then singled to right in the eighth in his one at bat....Ichiro extended his spring hitting streak to five Tuesday against the Brewers, cracking a single to center in the third in three at bats....Cardinals outfielder So Taguchi came in as a defensive replacement in a game against the Dodgers and grounded out in his one trip to the plate....21 year old SK Wyverns third year righthander Um Jeon-ok (and I hope that I transliterated that correctly) was clocked at 100mph in an intrasquad game Monday at its Okinawa training camp, according to Nikkan Sports. He is reportedly the first Asian to hit three figures on the radar gun. Um, who is 6'3" and just under 200 pounds, joined the Kia Tigers after graduating high school, for whom he played in the minors his first season before moving over to SK last year. He only has six innings of experience at the elite level uncer his belt due to his shaky control. In a practice game against Yakult, he coughed up three runs on two hits in two innings while walking three and striking out one....The Koshien Spring High School Baseball Tournament begins on the 15th....UC Santa Barbara beat Keio University at Santa Barbara Tuesday 6-3....AM/PM Mini Marts in Japan are giving away a roundtrip to NYC as well as a big screen tv and digital theater system as part of a promotion revolving around the MLB opener in Tokyo. Basically, you pick how you think the series will end up (a Mariners sweep, an A's sweep, or a split). Winners of the prizes will be chosen from those who answer correctly. You must be able to read Japanese since the info and online entry is Here.

Today's Pictures

Shinjiro Hiyama Spanks a Two Run Single

Another View of the Hiyama Knock

Kimiyasu Kudoh In the Bullpen Tuesday

Nakatani Shows Who is Really on the Block at the Plate

Kenji Johjima Looks to See how Far it Went

Matsui a Hit With Yankees

See story at: Houston Chronicle Article

Yomiuri Officials Have a Blast Visiting Matsui

See story at: Stamford Advocate Article

Yokohama's Furuki Ready for Stardom

See story at: Japan Times Article