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01/24/2004 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Yomiuri Buys Nomura Because it Wants Somebody Else? Does 51 into 3 Compute in Seattle?"
Draft Politics Shadow Sale of Nomura to Yomiuri
The Hanshin Tigers moved deadweight catcher Katsunori Nomura to Yomiuri Friday for $285,000. Press reports claim that Nomura, a former batting and RBI champion at Meiji University, was moved to the Tokyo side at the insistence of his father, hall of famer Katsuya Nomura. This is the first player deal between the two rival clubs in 13 years, according to Sports Nippon.
The elder Nomura, apparently noting that his 30 year old offspring has little chance of seeing action in Osaka, went to several Pacific League team officials about them obtaining his boy, but those talks came to nothing. He then had a conversation with Hanshin owner Shunjiro Kuman and asked him to send Katsunori somewhere he would have a chance of obtaining some playing time. Yomiuri expressed interest and that was all she wrote.
The younger Nomura, a Tokyo native who was a number three choice for Yakult in 1995, saw no first team action at all in 2003 and hasn't had more than 95 at bats in any one season, accumulating a .224 average in 157 lifetime games with four homers and 11 RBIs in 214 official at bats. He is the younger brother of player agents Don and Kenny Nomura.
The Japanese press is indicating that this will have an effect on where prized pitcher Takahiko Nomaguchi, who is playing under Katsuya Nomura at Shidax in the industrial leagues, will end up. Right now, the Dodgers as well as several Japanese teams are trying to get the young hurler's signature on a contract in time for the 2004 draft. But it is nontheless doubtful that Nomura's dad's aim will be fulfilled with Giants young backstop Shinnosuke Abe on the verge of superstardom and Yoshinori Murata acting as his main stand in.
Hanshin special adviser and erstwhile manager Senichi Hoshino had no idea that this transaction was in the works before it was made, according to Sankei Sports. The irascible former Tigers shot caller then had little comment due to his professed ignorance of the details.
A Yomiuri scout visited the Shidax practice Friday to watch Nomaguchi and send his greetings from the ballclub. Katsuya Nomura, though, denied that where his son ended up would affect Nomaguchi's eventual destination in anyway at all. The Giants may be counting on "onkaeshi," which is the return of a favor for somebody taking care of you or doing something for you in the past, to bring Nomaguchi to their roster. That is, Katsuya Nomura was Nomaguchi's mentor at Shidax, so out of a sense of obligation to Nomura, Nomaguchi would go to the Giants. I don't see how that works unless Nomaguchi is very good friends with Katsunori Nomura. The other way that Nomaguchi could return his "on (obligation)" to old man Nomura would be to tear it up in the pros and give all the credit to Nomura for it, no matter for whom he may be on the mound for. If Nomaguchi ultimately predicates his decision on this deal, he is a moron.
Hanshin's players were informed of Nomura's sale by the press and all expressed surprise and wished their now former teammate well. Current manager Akinobu Okada didn't know anything was in the works it until team officials contacted him Thursday about the proposed sale and told reporters that he was really surprised. However, he also allowed that there had been previous discussions about punting Nomura elsewhere, but none of those preliminary discussions got to what Okada termed "a definitive stage." He then said that he hopes it won't have a negative effect on the Tigers ability to grab Nomaguchi.
Kyojin ace Koji Uehara, when he learned that Nomura was coming on board at Tokyo Dome, stated that he hoped it would help him get a better picture of the Tigers' hitters' tendencies. He otherwise doesn't know Nomura, however.
For his part, Nomura said he was grateful for the chance to play with the Tigers and that he would do the best job he can at his new workplace.
Team Reports
Hanshin Manager Akinobu Okada revealed that he talked to then soon to be former Mariners closer Kazuhiro Sasaki and asked the Daimajin if he was going to come back to Japan and play for Yomiuri. Sasaki reportedly told him that he "wouldn't go to the Giants" and Okada believes that the big righthander is sincere....In the wake of the Katsunori Nomura item, Okada also talked of using versatile Mike Kinkade as the third string catcher. So Mike, if you're reading this, you might want to bone up on your receiving skills....Centerfielder Norihiro Akahoshi is using a new set of spikes that are about 70 grams lighter than the ones he has used in the past. "It feels like I'm running in my bare feet," the fleet steals leaders enthused....Pitcher Hideki Irabu worked out at Naruohama Friday, doing some longtossing with fellow hurler Jun Takeshita and running in an uneventful workout. He then refused to talk to the press and left....Shortstop Takashi Toritani took his graduation finals at Waseda University Thursday. No word on how he did....Pitcher Rui Makino, who came over from Orix this offseason, will have lunch with former teammate and Chunichi moundsman Masafumi Hirai to get the skinny on Central League hitters....Ace Kei Igawa just returned from a U.S. training interlude and has resumed his workouts at a gym in Mito. He said that his changeup wasn't much good for him the first half of his MVP 2003 season, so he is going to throw it a lot during spring training to sharpen it up before the bell rings. Somebody should get him and Jamie Moyer together. Nobody currently in MLB throws that pitch better.
Chunichi Young outfielder Ypshimi Sakurai, who is going to get a look at first base as well this season, said he wants to surpass everything that Hanshin rookie Takashi Toritani does....When the Dragons report for their spring camp February 1st, they will get stuck in straightaway with an intrasquad game that will see Shigeki Noguchi and Kenjiro Kawasaki, the free agent who has spent all three of his seasons in Nagoya on the disabled list, facing off on the hill....Pitcher Atsushi Nakazato will be out for season after having shoulder (maybe rotator cuff?)surgery. He hurt it in the spring of 2003 and then dislocated it last fall. In other words, in typical NPB management fashion, they dicked around before deciding to let him go under the knife. He will be able to begin throwing again in six months and obviously won't be ready to pitch regularly until spring of 2005. There has been some consideration of turning him into a position player since he can apparently hit a little bit, but, at least for now, a pitcher he will remain.
Yomiuri Another injury for the Giants. Righthander Hiroki Sanada, who has been on the shelf since last July due to a shoulder injury, is once again experiencing discomfort in the shoulder and hasn't been able to throw for two weeks. It is thought that he won't be ready when spring training starts as a result.
Yakult Pitching coach Akimitsu Itoh said that the so-called "double stopper" combination of Ryota Igarashi and Hirotoshi Ishii that was being considered is out the window and, at least for now, Ishii is the closer until further notice. So the CL opposition can expect lots of 95-97mph heat in the final inning this season....Shortstop Shinya Miyamoto formally signed his five year deal that will pay him about $1.7 million this season and for the next two campaigns plus incentives. He then gets an increase in the fourth year of up to $600,000 or he can, depending on his performance, be cut by up to $400,000. His defense will be figured into all of this, which is good, since he is a multiple Gold Glove recipient....The Swallows areone of the freer teams when it comes to negotiating with player agents. But in the eyes of club officials, this has meant more drawn out negotiations, so they are going to hire what will effectively be their own agent to represent management at negotiating sessions. This is a much more mature approach to the issue than, say, Yomiuri locking out agents altogether.
Yokohama Leftfielder Takanori Suzuki had a Lasik procedure done in December and it has apparently improved his previously nearsighted vision markedly. Suzuki is a two time batting champion who had worn contact lenses in the past and hopes that the combination of the improved eyesight and his looking at video of his batting style from six years ago will help put him atop the CL heap in that department again...23 team members and other personnel arrived in Okinawa Friday and will all get together for dinner as a prelude to beginning training on the island and to promote group solidarity. The Japanese-style meal will reportedly cost about 3000 yen per person (about $30).
Hiroshima Infielder Kenjiro Nomura saw a specialist in Phoenix and was diagnosed with a groin muscle that was apparently too tight, so Nomura will be focusing on keeping that healthy during spring training. He needs 152 hits to reach the 2000 hit plateau and entrance into the Meikyukai....Hiroki Kuroda, who will almost certainly be the club's number one starter this coming season, met with several unnamed MLB pitchers, who taught him how to grip and throw a changeup. Since Kuroda can run it up there around 93-94mph, if he comes up with an effective offspeed pitch, he can really make some hitters look silly. That probably won't be enough to help a lacking pitching staff, though. New addition John Bale's performance will be critical to help get the team out of fifth place. Bale and another import, Greg Larocca, will arrive in Japan on the 28th and attend a press conference on the 29th. Boys, if you have any questions about Japanese baseball, you know where to come for info.
Daiei Number one draft choice Takahiro Mahara was throwing about 87mph in a 39 pitch workout Friday, which he says was only at about 70% of full speed. He said he was focusing on keeping the ball down and that was about it this time around. Teammate Tsuyoshi Wada said he was impressed by the frist year man's pitch movement. Mahara also has footage of Koji Uehara on his PC and uses it to breakdown how the Giants ace approaches hitters. In addition, in the wake of a scandal that has snared a Japanese parliament member, Junichiro Koga, who was discovered to not have attended UCLA after all, Mahara confessed that he doesn't have enough units to graduate from college and he will just likely drop out to pursue his pro career....Pitcher Junji Hoshino had his first throwing session Friday, delivering 50 pitches at a Daiei indoor practice facility. There is talk that this could be Hoshino's last season with the team, but we'll have to wait and see.....The Japan Players Association filed a formal complaint with a Tokyo area labor committee seeking to loosen the qualifications for free agency. This probably won't get very far, though....Righthander Hayato Terahara had a 45 pitch bullpen session with lefthander Tsuyoshi Wada, who acted as pitching coach. Wada worked on the former fireballer to keep his front shoulder closed. Nikkan Sports showed a stop motion photo of each man's delivery and one can see Terahara pulling off toward first base as he delivers the ball. As a result, his back is staying up, which will bring his pitches up, too, and the arm drag plays havoc with his balance and control not to mention the health of his shoulder. So if he can stay closed and come over his front foot better, which will also allow for a better weight transfer, then he should get more pop on his fastball and leave fewer pitches in hitter's dining rooms. Terahara's saga really is sad. Even as the Hawks have built one of the best rotations in the Japanese game, you don't see anywhere near the 95-98mph heat that Terahara once had in high school. I blame the Daiei pitching coaches to an extent, especially for the disappearance of Terahara's once terrific curve ball, but I also blame the fact that perhaps the youngster just wasn't psychologically ready for pro ball. He's a good kid, but I think that he hasn't been handled properly and that he is feeling overwhelmed. Daiei, if they truly want him to be successful, will send him to an MLB camp to work with pitching coaches there who can maybe help straighten him out. Then they will keep him in the minors all this year just to grow up. But I doubt that will happen due to management egos. And that is a pity. Here's to hoping he doesn't become Japan's Rick Ankiel.
Seibu Number one draft choice Satoshi Yamazaki had his first pro bullpen session and a Lions pitching coach was not impressed. "His upper and lower body are all out of sync," the coach grumbled. Yamazaki threw about 60 pitches at 70-80% of full strength and admitted that he was a little tense. He did get good marks, though, for his fielding ability during the workout....Third year pitcher Takumi Kuriyama gave a 40 minute lecture to seventh graders Friday at Daisanji Junior High School in Kobe, telling them to decide what their dream is and to go for it.
Kintetsu Manager Masataka Nashida said that he might wear team color red underwear for good luck in important games. The fact that he was able to say that with a straight face is amazing.
Lotte Parents of children who go to a kindergarten in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture gathered 1700 signatures to have one of the team's three mascots, Ma-kun, make an appearance on the school grounds. However, the club is revisiting its marketing strategy and appear to be putting off the request despite the fact that Lotte mascots have been visiting Chiba area schools for more than six years. Sheesh. This is an easy one, guys. Your fan base is small enough without pissing more people off.
Nippon Ham It remains incredible how much attention that daft outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo is bathed in back in Japan. The city of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, which will also host a cherry blossom festival that is popular with tourists, is calling for volunteers to work security at the local ballpark when Shinjo and company comes to town for spring training. The regular police will be preoccupied with keeping order during the festival, so to bolster what city officials feel is needed security for the stadium, they are hoping to find people to patrol the grounds to avert anything untoward going on. Several hundred mostly female fans at a time, have been turning out back on Honshu just to watch the married Shinjo workout. Now there is talk of opening a Shinjo museum in Sapporo as a rallying point for fans of the Fighters. The ex-Met has to be the most celebrated .249 career hitter in the history of pro baseball....The team's front office is adding another five public relations people in hopes of deepening the Fighters' relationship with the inhabitants of Sapporo. Really, Nippon Ham has handled this move pretty well and displayed a lot of hustle during this move. Too bad that they are likely to repeat their fifth place showing, though....Seven Fighters players have already arrived in Nago to begin workouts there. Among them are infielders Yukio Tanaka and Michihiro Ogasawara and pitcher Satoru Kanemura.
Orix Pitcher Yuki Tanaka just returned from Arizona, where he was hanging out with Makoto Suzuki and doing a lot of long tossing and running. Tanaka hopes to start spring training in the minor league camp in Okinawa as he attempts a comeback from the shoulder and back maladies that sidelined him for most of last season. The top team will begin its workouts at Kobe Green Stadium while Tanaka favors the warmer Okinawa climate that will host the minor leaguers.
Miscellaneous Contrary to a report in the press Thursday, reliever Shingo Takatsu will wear number 10, not 33, with the Chicago White Sox. Takatsu also said that he was grateful for the opportunity to pitch in the windy city and that he hopes to bring his baseball career to a successful conclusion in the big leagues. He also prays that Chicago will become "my town." Yakult owner Yoshikazu Tagiku, when informed that Takatsu had passed his physical and was signed, said, "isn't that wonderful?" Takatsu will now head back to Japan and hold a press conference in Tokyo on the 26th....Former Hanshin and Yomiuri pitcher Darryl May has concluded a two year deal with Kansas City for a total of $4.95 million, according to Sports Nippon. He won ten games for the surprising Royals last season....In more Takahiko Nomaguchi-related news, he indicated at a sports award banquet Friday that he wants to be on the Japanese olympic team. Unfortunately, it is expected that the Japanese squad will be all professionals. Manager Shigeo Nagashima laughed off Nomaguchi's request, but also said that he may watch him pitch in an industrial league tournament in March. However, I believe that is more likely to be in his executive with the Giants hat and not as part of considering him for the olympic team....Mets shortstop Kazuo Matsui took part for 90 minutes in a baseball clinic for children who lost a parent in the September 11th terror incidents. "I was glad I could see them smile," said the former Seibu superstar. "I want to contribute to this cause more in the future"....Hideo Nomo's industrial League team, which is based out of Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, had its first practice Friday, with him in attendance. The team will have a practice game in the first week of March....It has been much discussed before, especially since he is always in the top five or six with runners in scoring position in the American League, but this spring, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer quotes Mariners manager Bob Melvin as saying he will be experimenting with putting Ichiro in the three hole as well as other slots in the order. Centerfielder Randy Winn would bat first and first baseman John Olerud would bat second. That's what happens when you don't have a big power bat in the upper part of the order. The exit of Kazuhiro Sasaki and the total of $9.5 million he could have made gives the Seattle club an opportunity they had better use since local fans are in a state of near revolt after not making the playoffs last season. The additions of Raul Ibanez and Rich Aurilia are nice, but neither is the kind of big statement player that would make the Washington outfit truly great. Seattle already has one of the outstanding pitching staffs 1-5 in the game. It doesn't need Greg Maddux. They would do well to get Magglio Ordonez. A well known MLB agent I talked to recently thinks that Bill Bavasi is just the tonic that team needs. Well, here is a chance to prove it. Another season of the Mariners GM sitting on his hands, which are often tied by folks higher up the chain of command, will make the team a joke. Because I'm a Mariners honk, I've talked to a lot of the team's fans in the last year and they are fed up. I mean, they are palpably pissed.The time is now!
Sasaki's Wife Ill, Says Report
Note that so far, there hasn't been anything in the Japanese press about Kaori-san's reported illness. Hopefully, somebody over there will verify that. See story at: Everett Herald Article
Takatsu "Sinking" into Chicago
See story at: Chicago Sun-Times Article
Chicago Writer Welcomes Takatsu with Verbal Raspberry
Is this guy always a cheap shot artist? See story at: Chicago Daily Southtown Article
Matsui Here to Play
See story at: Newark Star-Ledger Article
Mets Have to Figure Out How to Handle Throng of Japanese Press
See story at: Parsippany Daily Record Article
Matsui Feeling Pressure
See story at: NY Post Article
See related story at: MLB.com Article
May Might Get Multi-Year Deal
See story at: MLB.com Article
A Who's Who of Foreigners in Pro Yakyu in 2004
It says that Yomiuri had retained Julio Santana after reports at the end of last season implied that he was going to be released. Matt Randell, I thought, had been released, too, but apparently is still with the ballclub. Sorry for the apparent errors. See story at: Japan Times Article
