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03/01/2004 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Exhibition Schedule Opens With Two Martin Homers, Lee Debut; Matsuzaka in MLB in 2005?"
Seibu Owner Approves Matsuzaka Going to MLB, Perhaps Under New System
Will Daisuke Matsuzaka be in Seattle or another destination in 2005? That is now a possibility with discussions being initiated by Seibu Lions owner Yoshiaki Tsutsumi that would create a new player movement system and modify the current agreement between Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and the major leagues on the Japanese end.
Yomiuri owner Tsuneo Watanabe, who is kind of a shadown government unto himself in Japanese pro ball, has iterated on several occasions his dissatisfaction with the posting system that puts Japanese players up for auction, something that he has equated with pimping. Instead, he would like to allow direct trades with MLB ballclubs.
Tsutsumi, though, whether the posting system is abolished or not, wants to give a player's original team the right of first refusal should that player return to ply his trade in Japan. And, in discussing this with the press, also said that he would allow the Pacific League's best pitcher and most popular player, fireballing righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka, to go to MLB if he should be so inclined. The Yokohama High School grad has been often quoted that his dream is to go stateside. But for now, he says that he says that he has to put up some tremendous numbers this season to make that a viable proposition and is focusing on getting himself ready to do that.
Matsuzaka, who lead the PL in wins each of his first three seasons out of high school, certainly has the stuff to succeed, as he is blessed with a fastball that reaches 95-96 every now and again and consistenly hits better than 150km/h (93mph). He added a cutter before the start of the 2003 season that was a very effective pitch for him. In addition, he throws a pretty good slider and his control has improved markedly. He also has a curve ball and forkball, but he told reporters earlier this spring that he is abandoning the pitch totally even though he pulled it out of mothballs used it very effectively in a couple of games last season when he was having trouble with the command of his heater.
As for who would be interested, Seattle's international scouting department has been closely tracking Matsuzaka's career from when he was a teenager and Dodgers pitching coach Jim Colborn has seen Matsuzaka up close from when he was in a similar position with Orix. However, no team has come right out and hinted that they look forward to Matsuzaka being available.
From a marketing perspective, Matsuzaka would bring a publicity bonanza, since he has big following among young women, which makes up the largest share of the travelling public in Japan, not to mention the same kind of obsessivedaily reports from the Japanese print and television press that now features Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui and Mariners all star Ichiro Suzuki.
In any event, there is a hurdle to this: kind of glorified rental system: whether the MLB player's union and the commissioner's office will allow a Japanese player to be moved with the player's old team retaining his rights when he returns to NPB. One doesn't foresee problems with Bud Selig, who probably wouldn't care what happens once the player leaves North American shores, but the player's union may feel it is too reminiscent of the old and much despised reserve clause.
Takahashi Slam a Bridge Too Far for Lotte in 6-4 Defeat
Anything arising from this game in Kagoshima on the island of Kyushu was completely dwarfed by the fact that it was Korean slugger Seung-yeop Lee's first time playing against Japanese competition, leading to it being broadcast back to the homeground of Lee's former Samsung Lions squad, Taegu, on Korean television.
A close second to that was the return of Bobby Valentine to Japanese shores and the optimism that has engendered from the faithful in Chiba Prefecture. Unfortunately for both Lee and Valentine, however, Yomiuri Giants DH Yoshinobu Takahashi dissolved a 1-1 tie with a grand slam off of Tomohiro Kuroki and the kyojin had it well in hand from there to take a 6-4 triumph. In addition, Lee went 0-3 with two strikeouts and a walk.
Keita Asama commenced this one for Lotte with a scoreless inning before being pulled in favor of Kuroki after a planned one inning assignment. They then snuck to a 1-0 lead in the third, as second baseman Koichi Hori singled to centerwith one away and, one out later, Lee and centerfielder Benny Agbayani walked to juice the bags. Rightfielder Saburo Omura beat out a little bouncer toward short and Hori crossed tomake it 1-0.
Yomiuri would tilt things back in their favor, though in the bottom of the inning, as second baseman Mototsugu Kawanaka walked with two outs and leftfielder Takayuki Shimizu singled to right. Rightfielder Ichiro Horita singled to left to slingshot Kawanaka in to restore equilibrium at 1-1. Third baseman Akira Etoh walked to jam the basepaths. Kuroki then either went 1-1 or was behind 2-0, depending on which report you want to believe, to Takahashi and threw him a get me over fastball that was about letter high and right in the middle of the hitting zone and the Keio University product throttled it well into the rightfield bleachers and the Tokyo nine were up 5-1. By the way, in case you were wondering, Takahashi has seven regular season slams.
In the seventh, reserve shortstop Makoto Osuga walked and Kawanaka clocked a single to center. Backup leftfielder Takahiro Suzuki singled to right for the RBI and a 6-1 Giants advantage.
Lotte backup catcher Tasuku Hashimoto basted one into the rightfield stands in the eighth to keep his team within four 6-2.
Junichi Kawahara mosied in to bring the curtain down on this thing, but not before he was stung a bit. With one away, third baseman Toshiaki Imae singled to right. Shortstop Kazuya Harai singled to center. One out later and with the runners on second and third, pinch hitter Takashi Tachikawa singled to right to make it a two run ballgame at 6-4. Kawahara retired the next man to finally put it to bed. Not exactly what manager Tsuneo Horiuchi wanted to see to be sure.
Takahashi is experiencing some elbow pain, thus his being slotted into the DH role. Other regulars Kazuhiro Kiyohara, Tuffy Rhodes and Hiroki Kokubo sat it out.
Horiuchi said that Kawahara was able to keep his arm up and not drop it and his forkball had good sink on it.
Giants starter Hiroshi Kisanuki had trouble with the command of his breaking pitches, walking three and throwing 76 pitches in four innings as a result.
Satoru Komiyama made his first aoppearance back in Japan and threw well.
Kuroki hurt himself and kept pitching anyway, which got him a scolding from Valentine. This was his first appearance at the top club level in 29 months since going down with injuries.
For Lotte, Matt Franco went 1-3 and is at .333. Agbayani was 0-2 with a walk and is at .000.
For Yomiuri, centerfielder Chris Latham was 1-3 and is at .333.
Pitching Lines:
Lotte:
Asama IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 13 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
T. Kuroki (L, 0-1) IP 1.2 BF 10 PC 39 H 3 HR 1 K 1 BB 2 R 5 ER 5 ERA 27.00
Komiyama IP 2.1 BF 8 PC 21 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
H.Y. Kobayashi IP 2.0 BF 9 PC 35 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 2 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.50
K. Kato IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 13 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Yomiuri:
Kisanuki (W, 1-0) IP 4.0 BF 20 PC 76 H 4 HR 0 K 5 BB 3 R 1 ER 1 ERA 2.25
Kashiwada IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 7 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Jobe IP 2.0 BF 6 PC 19 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Kamoshida IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 20 H 1 HR 1 K 2 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 9.00
J. Kawahara IP 1.0 BF 6 PC 15 H 3 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 2 ER 2 ERA 18.00
E: T. Sogawa
SB: Hori, Harai, Imae
HR: Y. Takahashi (1), T. Hashimoto (1)
RBI: Tachikawa 2, T. Hashimoto, S. Omura, T.H. Suzuki, Horita, Y. Takahashi 4
GIDP: Kato (Giants)
Balk: Komiyama
Game Time: 2:34
Attendance: 30,000
Umpires: Shikita (HP), Yanagita (1B), Kasahara (2B), T. Yamamoto (3B)
Martin Homers Twice to Cave Yokohama in
The Yakult Swallows jumped all over YokohamaBay Stars starter Yuji Hata for seven runs Saturday at Ginowan, Okinawa and cruised to an easy 9-4 victory. Katsutoshi Ishido notched his first spring triumph with three solid innings of one hit, one run ball.
Swallows leftfielder Mitsuru Manaka leadoff the game by beating out a ground ball toward third. Shortstop Shinya Miyamoto, not exactly your brawny type, lofted a low 1-0 fastball to right. He got it up into the wind and it carried out for an opposite field two run roundtripper for an instant 2-0 lead.
In the second, Yakult DH Billy Martin got a first pitch fastball on the inner half of the plate and creamed it deep into the leftfield stands. Centerfielder Tetsuya Iida then pasted a big fly to right and the Swallows advantage doubled to 4-0. Two outs later, Manaka singled to left and sprinted home on a shot off the centerfield wall from Miyamoto that went for a triple. Third baseman Akinori Iwamura collected his second hit of the day, a double to left, and Miyamoto checked in and elevate Yakult to 6-0.
Yokohama chipped one off of that disadvantage when they took their turn in the same frame, as Ishido hit third baseman Shuichi Murata, who went to second on a groundout. First baseman Takahiro Saeki singled to left, Murata holding at third. Centerfielder Tatsuhiko Kinjo flew out to left and Murata tagged up and hustled in to make it 6-1.
Yakult, though, saw that one in the third when Martin, who hadn't showed much power at all to the point where Yakult had started looking to bring in another foreign player, thundered another first pitch heater, but this time the other way, for a solo jack to right to put the score at 7-1 Swallows.
They spattered another one on the big board in the fourth on Manaka's infield hit, a groundout, and a single to right by Iwamura and it became 8-1.
Murata obtained some revenge for being struck by Ishido when he, too, went to right on a delivery from Hirotsugu Maeda in the sixth. Seldom used catcher Kazunari Tsuruoka went the distance in the seventh, again to right, and it was 8-3.
Martin was in evidence again in the ninth, as he walked with two outs and moved back home on a double to left by first baseman Hirobumi Watarai.
Aside from his hitting problems this spring, at least until this game, Martin is said by his teammates to resemble a character from the Anpanman cartoon series called Jam-ojisan (Uncle Jam---hey, does George Clinton know about this?). So now "Jam" has become his nickname.
The Stars mustered only a run in their final at bat and it was see you later.
For Yakult, Martin was 2-4 with a walk and two RBIs and is at .500.
For Yokohama, first baseman Tyrone Woods was 1-2 and is at .500.
Pitching Lines:
Yakult:
Ishido (W, 1-0) IP 3.0 BF 11 PC 40 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.00
Hanada IP 2.0 BF 9 PC 25 H 3 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
H.T. Maeda IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 10 H 1 HR 1 K 1 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 9.00
Sugimoto IP 2.0 BF 9 PC 33 H 2 HR 1 K 1 BB 2 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.50
Kawabata IP 1.0 BF 6 PC 15 H 3 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 9.00
Yokohama:
Y. Hata (L, 0-1) IP 3.0 BF 18 PC 71 H 10 HR 4 K 1 BB 0 R 7 ER 7 ERA 21.00
Taniguchi IP 2.0 BF 8 PC 29 H 2 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.50
N. Okamoto IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 16 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 2 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Azuma IP 2.0 BF 8 PC 23 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
T. Kawamura IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 23 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 9.00
E: Taniguchi, Y. Yoshimura
2B: Iwamura, Shiroishi, Manei, Uchikawa 2, Koike, Watarai
3B: S. Miyamoto
HR: S. Miyamoto (1), Martin 2 (2), T. Iida (1), S. Murata (1), Ryoji Aikawa (1)
RBI: S. Murata, Kinjo, Ryoji Aikawa, Tsuruoka, S. Miyamoto 3, Iwamura 2, Martin 2,
T. Iida, Watarai
HBP: S. Murata (Ishido)
GIDP: Miyade, Martin
LOB:
Game Time:
Attendance: 8,000
Umpires: Kobayashi (HP), Nishimoto (1B), Hagiwara (2B), Tomoyose (3B)
Tigers Torch Taninaka 9-5; Kinkade Goes Yard Again
Orix starter Makoto Suzuki, going exclusively from the set position, had some trouble finishing hitters off early in the count, thus needing 91 pitches to get through his five inning stint, but he limited the Hanshin Tigers to just one run on two hits as he continues his surge of good performances since September of last season. However, Hanshin then body slammed the Blue Wave bullpen for eight runs in the seventh inning and walked off with a 9-5 victory. Rookie Kodai Sakurai's bases clearing double in that frame was the signal blow that finished the Kobe side off.
Shinobu Fukuhara opened at the center of the diamond for the Osaka contingent and was done up for three runs, two earned, on four hits. Hanshin is so pitching stacked right now that they don't need Fukuhara, but they hope he can improve on this from here on in just to have some more depth and versatility in their deployment of arms.
It was scoreless until the fourth, when Orix spackled a three spot on the big board. Leftfielder Takashi Hida leadoff with a walk and DH Roosevelt Brown spanked a single to left. First baseman Takeshi Yamasaki copycatted Brown's knock to load the bases. Third baseman Kazuhiko Shiotani then lined a single into left as well that brought home a pair to make it 2-0. They would then go on to tack on another in the inning to enlarge that to a three run advantage.
In the bottom of the stanza, third baseman Mike Kinkade leaned into a hanging breaking ball and pounded it more than 390 feet away to leftcenter to lend Hanshin its first tally to make it 3-1.
The Tigers would comeback in the sixth to load the bases on a single and two walks with two gone, but rightfielder Ikuro Katsuragi couldn't do anything more than ground out to short against his old club and Orix preserved their two run edge.
In the seventh, with Hiroshi Santo pitching for Hanshin, catcher Takeshi Hidaka singled to left and went to second on a groundout. Shortstop Mitsutaka Goto found some empty ground in left to hail Hidaka in and restore Orix' three run lead at 4-1.
Reliever Shinji Taninaka, an ex-Tiger, was dispatched to the mound for his second inning of work in the seventh and really got hurt. Second baseman Kentaro Sekimoto singled to left. Catcher Toshihiro Noguchi singled to center. Pinch hitter Koji Hirashita singled to right to load the bases. Shortstop Takashi Toritani, in his debut pro game, grounded out to second to recall Sekimoto. Centerfielder Kanichi Matoba walked, as did Katsuragi to force in a run. Sakurai then socked a 3-2 fastball that was down and out over the plate on one hop off the centerfield wall as everybody and their mother galloped in and Hanshin was now in the driver's seat 6-4. Rookie first baseman Tsuyoshi Kida flied out to center. Hiroshi Yagi was sent up to pinch hit and cracked a knock to left to redeem Sakurai. Taninaka was mercifully yanked and Shuichi Iwashita put in his stead. Sekimoto singled to left, too for his second safety of the inning. Noguchi kept the party going with a two RBI single and it was 9-4 Tigers.
Ramon Morrell entered from the bullpen to see his first Japan action and he looked nervous, as, with one down, backup catcher Daisuke Maeda got aboard on a single to center. Morrell went to the set position, but neglected to make a complete stop before delivering to the plate and was called for a balk. He then wild pitched Maeda to third. Yuichiro Mukae grounded out to second to cash Maeda in to pull the Blue Wave within 9-5. Morrel then retired the final man and that was the ballgame.
Suzuki was clocked at 91mph, as was Fukuhara.
Sakurai, who may be a future cleanup hitter for the Tigers, will begin the season on the farm even though he has been impressive in intrasquad games and in this contest.
This was also manager Akinobu Okada's first win as the Tigers field boss. His 67 year old mother Sakayo and nine friends and relatives caravaned to Aki to see her son's first shot calling experience at the top level.
Hanshin reliever Yuya Ando learned how to grip a forkball last season from former Chunichi hurler Kazuhiko Ushijima and used it very effectively here, obtaining all three outs in his perfect inning on it.
For Orix, Brown was 1-2 with a walk and is at .500. First baseman Jose Ortiz went 0-2 and is at .000.
For Hanshin, Kinkade was 1-2 with an RBI and is at .500. First baseman George Arias was 0-2 and is at .000.
Pitching Lines:
Orix:
M. Suzuki IP 5.0 BF 21 PC 91 H 2 HR 1 K 2 BB 4 R 1 ER 1 ERA 1.80
Taninaka (L, 0-1) IP 1.2 BF 11 PC 49 H 4 HR 0 K 2 BB 2 R 6 ER 6 ERA 32.40
Iwashita IP 0.1 BF 5 PC 18 H 4 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 2 ER 2 ERA 54.00
J. Hagiwara IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 14 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Hanshin:
Fukuhara IP 4.0 BF 19 PC 70 H 4 HR 0 K 2 BB 3 R 3 ER 2 ERA 4.50
H. Ishige IP 2.0 BF 6 PC 16 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Santo (W, 1-0) IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 11 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 9.00
Y. Ando IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 12 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Morrell IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 23 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 1 ER 0 ERA 0.00
2B: Sakurai
HR: Kinkade (1)
RBI: M.T. Goto, Shiotani 2, Mukae, Toritani, Kinkade, Katsuragi, Sakurai 3, Yagi, T.
Noguchi 2
WP: Morrell
HBP: Satake (Fukuhara)
Balk: Morrell
GIDP: Katsuragi
LOB:
Game Time: 3:01
Attendance: 5,000
Umpires: Kiuchi (HP), Tamba (1B), Sasaki (2B), Shirai (3B)
Chunichi Goes Zip for Six in 4-0 One Hit Shutout by Fighters
The Nippon Ham Fighters had insurmountable pitching problems in 2003, which was why they ended up in fifth place. But you wouldn't have known it Saturday, as a lone third inning single by Chunichi Dragons catcher Akihiro Maeda prevented the Nagoya outfit from being the victims of a perfect game in a 4-0 Fighters victory at Ginowan, Okinawa. Masaru Yoshizaki struckout four in four innings to earn the shiroboshi while Kenta Asakura had control issues and accepted blame for the defeat.
Nippon Ham struck for the only digit it would require in the second, as Asakura plunked centerfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo on the left hip with an 86mph fastball. Shinjo went to second on a groundout. Furuki dropped a single into right and the former Met sped home with a 1-0 lead.
It stayed that way until the seventh, when Fighters backstop Shinji Takahashi mortared one into the leftfield bleachers to expand the disparity to 2-0.
Shinjo was then in the middle of the scoring in the ninth, as backup catcher Kazunari Sanematsu walked with two away and DH Kazuteru Shimada singled to right. Shinjo ripped a forkball off the glove of second baseman Masahiro Araki and two runs flew across the plate for the final margin of victory, 4-0.
For Chunichi, DH Omar Linares struckout in all three of his plate appearances and is at .000.
Pitching Lines:
Nippon Ham:
Yoshizaki (W, 1-0) IP 4.0 BF 13 PC 53 H 1 HR 0 K 4 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Yokoyama IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 10 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Tateishi IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 13 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Tsu. Itoh IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 9 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
N. Takahashi IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 16 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Kiyo. Sasaki IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 11 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Chunichi:
Asakura (L, 0-1) IP 3.0 BF 16 PC 60 H 2 HR 0 K 4 BB 4 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.00
S. Takahashi IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 16 H 2 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Kawagishi IP 2.0 BF 10 PC 33 H 1 HR 0 K 2 BB 2 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Yamakita IP 1.0 BF 4 PC 14 H 1 HR 1 K 2 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 9.00
Endo IP 2.0 BF 9 PC 42 H 1 HR 0 K 3 BB 1 R 2 ER 0 ERA 0.00
E: M. Araki, S. Maeda, Morino
SB: Shimada, Koyano, Furuki 2
HR: S. Takahashi
RBI: S. Takahashi, Furuki
HBP: Shinjo (Asakura), Shimada (Asakura)
LOB:
Game Time: 2:34
Attendance: 8,000
Umpires: Nako (HP), Manabe (1B), Fukatani (2B), Tani (3B)
Seibu Edged by Hiroshima 4-3
Hiroshima first baseman Takahiro Arai went 3-5 and drove in three runs to edge out the Seibu Lions Saturday at Miyakonojo 4-3. Reliever Masaki Hayashi cadged credit for the win and Lions rookie Mayama absorbed the loss.
Seibu displayed their aggressive baserunning style in the first, as rightfielder Hiroyuki Oshima singled to center and went to third on a knock to center by shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima. When the throw back from the outfield was offline, Oshima attempted to score, but was thrown out to end the inning.
Hiroshima then countered by actually registering a couple of runs when, in the bottom of the first, rookie shortstop Ogata doubled to right and second baseman Greg LaRocca was hit with a pitch. Both men then somehow moved up 90 feet. Arai got a pitch down and away and guided it back through the middle to convert Ogata to put the Carp in front 2-0.
Seibu returned the favor in the third, as catcher Toru Hosokawa singled to left and second baseman Mizuta walked. Following two strikeouts, Oshima worked a free pass to load the bases. Nakajima seared a shot into the leftfield corner to cash Hosokawa and Keisuke Mizuta in and even it at two all.
The party from Tokorozawa would subsequently pop out ahead in the fourth when first baseman Takahiro Sato brought some major pain to a 1-1 curve ball that was down and out over the plate and boosted it beyond the leftfield bleachers and completely out of the stadium more than 420 feet away to make it 3-2 Lions.
Mayama, though, couldn't hold the line and, in the seventh, Hiroshima turned it around. Shortstop Kazunori Okagami walked and backup second baseman Ahihiro Higashide singled to left. Arai hooked another pitch heading toward the outer half of the dish and parachuted it into left to push Okagami across with the equalizer. Higashide went to third on a groundout and, after a walk to third baseman Kenta Kurihara that packed the sacks, Shigeru Morikasa lifted a fly ball to center deep enough to enable Higashide to tag up and blaze homeward for a 4-3 Carp advantage.
Seibu would do nothing the rest of the way and pinch hitter Kenta Matsuzaka flied out to left for the last out to seal it.
Nakajima takes an average of 700 swings a day just by himself in addition to his regular workouts with the team. Filling Kazuo Matsui's shoes is a huge responsibility, but so far, he's doing it pretty well.
Sato is the first rookie to homer for Seibu in its initial exhibition game since Toshiro Maeda in 1988. Because he compeltely left the yard, he was given a ten thousand yen bonus (about $90).
Alex Cabrera will make his first start of the year on the seventh against Kintetsu at Osaka Dome.
For Hiroshima, LaRocca was 0-1 with an HBP and is at .000.
Pitching Lines:
Seibu:
Onuma IP 3.0 BF 16 PC 55 H 5 HR 0 K 2 BB 3 R 2 ER 2 ERA 6.00
Yamazaki IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 17 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
H. Aoki IP 2.0 BF 7 PC 25 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Mayama (L, 0-1) IP 1.0 BF 7 PC 30 H 2 HR 0 K 1 BB 2 R 2 ER 2 ERA 18.00
Okamoto IP 1.0 BF 5 PC 26 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 2 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Hiroshima:
Otake IP 4.0 BF 19 PC 74 H 5 HR 1 K 4 BB 2 R 3 ER 3 ERA 6.75
Hiroike IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 14 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Masaki Hayashi (W, 1-0) IP 2.0 BF 6 PC 28 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Nibe IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 10 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Sawazaki (S, 1) IP 1.0 BF 3 PC 16 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
E: Ogata
SB: Shima
2B: H.Y. Nakajima, Ogata, Ishihara
HR: T.H. Sato (1)
RBI: Nakajima 2, T.H. Sato, T. Arai 3, Morikasa
SF: Morikasa
WP: Onuma
HBP: LaRocca (Onuma)
GIDP: Kurihara
LOB:
Game Time: 3:09
Attendance: 5,000
Umpires: Honda (HP), Tsugawa (1B), Uemoto (2B), Kawaguchi (3B)
Team Reports
Yomiuri It is still uncertain when slugger Kazuhiro Kiyohara will see his first exhibition action since he just came down with a cold and fever and there may be rain during a scheduled practice game against Kintetsu Sunday....Roberto Petagine worked out at both first base and in the outfield Saturday and was impressive in batting practice. He says that mentally and physically he is feeling okay....Righthander Masumi Kuwata threw 107 pitches in the bullpen Saturday. He will start an exhibition game against Daiei on the seventh....After being hammered very rudely by Seibu Friday, southpaw Masanori Hayashi delivered 76 pitches in the pen Saturday as Kuwata looked on along with a Giants pitching coach. "Yesterday was just too terrible," Hayashi told a beat writer. "I want to do better next time."
Yakult Lefthander Masanori Ishikawa has resumed throwing, tossing 31 pitches in Saturday's workout. He will make a minor league start this coming week and is expected to be ready to come back to the top team by the 16th....Southpaw reliever Hirotoshi Ishii's injury was diagnosed as a sprain of the oblique muscle and he may not be able to open the regular schedule on the roster. He won't even be able to throw for at least two weeks. He hurt the same area last spring. Fortunately, he indicated that this one doesn't feel as serious as the one he suffered in 2003. So that leaves righthander Ryota Igarashi with the closer's job for now.
Daiei Catcher Kenji Johjima, noting that he will be gone for three weeks with the Japanese olympic baseball team, is considering letting the pitchers call their own games during the exhibition season so that they will be ready to do that when he's in Athens....Lefthander Tsuyoshi Wada was back in the bullpen after an eight day layoff due to elbow discomfort. He threw 80 pitches and said that he is pain free. He will make an appearance on the second against Chunichi....Here's something that should give manager Sadaharu Oh pause: the last time Bobby Valentine was in the opposite dugout during a season, the Hawks went 5-21 against him, with ten of those defeats being consecutive. Of course, Daiei was then trying to extricate itself out of a couple of decades of second division.finishes and are now a much stronger team than in 1995. Just something to think about as you take the current season in....Japan Series MVP Toshiya Sugiuchi will start on the third against Chunichi. Saturday, he threw 59 pitches in the bullpen and will apparently be focusing on sharpening up his breaking pitches in that faceoff....Rookie Takahiro Mahara was seen fooling around with a changeup as part of his 102 pitch bullpen session. "It will mainly be a 'show me' pitch," the top draft pick disclosed.
Seibu Daisuke Matsuzaka threw 307 pitches in his workout Saturday, making it 1750 for the spring camp so far.
Kintetsu A lot is riding on the young arm of Kenta Abe and he will make an appearance in Sunday's exhibition game. Saturday, he tuned up with a 30 pitch bullpen session and vowed to shut Tuffy Rhodes, an ex-teammate, down now that the former Cub is a Yomiuri Giant....Outfielder Larry Barnes received some instruction Saturday on keeping his front side closed. The former Angel hit just .185 in intrasquad action against a mediocre Buffs pitching staff. Therefore, he could end up batting as low as seventh Sunday.
Nippon Ham Third baseman Michihiro Ogasawara sat out the team's first exhibition game and instead worked on his opposite field stroke during a 151 swing bp session.
Miscellaneous Padres reliever Akinori Otsuka threw batting practice Saturday in a 30 pitch stint and showed off his changeup....Ichiro, after his workout Saturday, signed plenty of autographs for fans in an event set up by the Mariners....Both Hideo Nomo and Kazuhisa Ishii of the Dodgers had bullpen sessions Saturday. Nomo may start against Atlanta on the fourth...At the Yankees spring training site, centerfielder Kenny Lofton asked Hideki Matsui, "how do you pronounce your name?" Godzilla only powered two balls out of the park in 29 bp swings with manager Joe Torre looking on from behind the cage. The former Cardinals and Braves infielder assessed that Matsui doesn't have any one dominant tendency and can hit both lefties and righties equally well. "That's why it's not necessary for him to change his style from last year"....Over in the Mets camp, Kazuo Matsui so impressed infield coach Matt Gallante on how sneaky he is on pickoff plays at second that he had the other infielders meet at the mound with the former Seibu superstar to learn how Matsui does it....Former Chiba Lotte coach Lenn Sakata is entering his sixth season as manager at San Jose, a SF Giants affiliate, according to the Honolulu Advertiser....In the Seattle Times, writer Larry Stone culled the following two comments from Shingo Takatsu's new teammates: "He has totally different mechanics from anybody I've ever caught," White Sox catcher Sandy Alomar said. "Hopefully that will help him mess up the timing of hitters he's going to be facing." Added Miguel Olivo, the Sox other catcher: "He has good stuff. I've never seen a ball move like that."
In the News
Hole Up the Middle Shrinks with Matsui and Reyes Combo
See story at: The Insiders Article
Ishii's Control Improving?
See story at: Vero Beach Press-Journal Article
Steinbrenner on Japanese Baseball
See story at: Associated Press Article
