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03/20/2008 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball Team Preview 2008: Chiba Lotte Marines"
Japanese Baseball Team Preview 2008: Chiba Lotte Marines
Glenn Davies, Tokyo Japan
CHIBA LOTTE MARINES TEAM PREVIEW 2008 SEASON |
Bobby Valentine returns for his 4th year at the helm having led the Marines to 4th,1st (Japan Series win), 4th and 2nd. He will feel that he has the horses to get the Marines there again and will be expecting more selective at bats to get on base and push them past the Fighters and Hawks in the playoffs. Key pitching departures have been covered but the lineup looks a little thin, that said the division is fairly weak and the Marines look safe for third in 2008.
PREDICTION: 3rd in Pacific League
PROBABLE LINEUP |
Avg | HR | RBI | ||
| SS | Nishioka | .300 | 3 | 40 |
CF | Hayakawa | .283 | 5 | 44 |
| 1B | Fukuura | .258 | 4 | 57 |
DH | Zuleta | .267 | 15 | 51 |
| C | Satozaki | .270 | 14 | 75 |
| RF | Saburo | .269 | 7 | 68 |
| 2B | Ortiz | .284 | 7 | 39 |
LF | Omatsu | .300 | 5 | 22 |
| 3B | Imae | .249 | 9 | 42 |
PH | Agbayani | .272 | 13 | 51 |
The Marines were 4th in average and HRs in 2007, make no mistake that pitching got them into the playoffs. Unfortunately the lineup has changed little and a number of hitters will need to bounce back in 08 in order for the Marines to contend. Agbayani continued to decline and will likely share time with up and coming Omatsu in left and Hayakawa in center. Imae and Saburo haven't been able to replicate their career season of 2005 (Chiba won the Japan Series) and offer little in the lower part of the lineup. Satozaki remains consistent and is still Japans #1 catching choice, Zuleta and Ortiz will need full seasons and strength for the Marines to put any fear into opposition. Fukuura has never provided the power you would want from a first baseman, yet as a favourite of Bobby V...
PITCHING |
|
|
| W | L | ERA | SV |
SP | Naruse | 16 | 1 | 1.82 | |
| SP | Kobayashi | 13 | 3 | 2.69 |
|
| SP | Watanabe | 9 | 6 | 2.44 | |
SP | Ono | 7 | 9 | 3.25 | |
SP | Kubo | 9 | 8 | 4.00 | |
CL | Shimizu | 6 | 10 | 4.78 | 0 |
The Marines pitched themselves to 2nd in the PL last year but lost key closer Yabuta to the Kansas City Royals (MLB) and starter Kobayashi to the Cleveland Indians (MLB) in the off season. The emergence of wunderkind Naruse and Kobayashi's bounce back to form have Marines fans confident for 2008.The search to replace the closer has former starter Shimizu auditioning in spring games with rookie Tatsuya Uchi waiting in the wings. Shimizu finds himself out of the rotation heavy with arms and at 33 will look to reinvent himself as a closer. Watanabe won 15 in 2005 and Kubo won 10 in the same year. If Shimizu settles then the Marines look to have enough quality to see them in the playoffs again in 2008.
