62 foreign players signed by Japanese teams for 2008 season

By WAYNE GRACZYK
This column, identifying the foreign players signed by the 12 Japan pro baseball teams, normally gets written in mid-to-late February. That's about the time the clubs have usually announced most of their non-Japanese acquisitions for the coming season.
However, this year, the Central and Pacific League teams appear to be already just about finished with their import-hiring. Only the Chunichi Dragons have fewer than four non-Japanese names on their roster, and a total of 62 players, four managers and six coaches are set to participate in the 2008 Japan pro ball campaign.
We have men from the United States, Canada, Australia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, South Korea and Taiwan, one born in Spain and another in Anchorage, Alaska, that hotbed of baseball excitement.
Following is the roll call of those 72 guys who will report to spring camps, which open on Feb. 1:
Yomiuri Giants (8) — P Adrian Burnside, P Chang Chien Ming, IF Luis Gonzalez, P Seth Greisinger, P Marc Kroon, P Wirfin Obispo, OF Alex Ramirez and IF Lee Seung Yeop.
Chunichi Dragons (3) — P Rafael Cruz, OF Lee Byung Kyu and IF Tyrone Woods.
Hanshin Tigers (4) — P Scott Atchison, OF Lew Ford, P Ryan Vogelsong, P Jeff Williams.
Yokohama BayStars (6+1) — IF Larry Bigbie, IF J.J. Furmaniak, P Travis Hughes, P Matt White, P Dave Williams, P Mike Wood and coach John Turney.
Hiroshima Carp (6+2) — P Ben Kozlowski, P Colby Lewis, P Victor Marte, OF Alex Ochoa, IF Scott Seabol, P Mike Schultz, manager Marty Brown and coach Jeff Livsey.
Tokyo Yakult Swallows (5) — P Dicky Gonzalez, OF Aaron Guiel, IF Adam Riggs, P Daniel Rios and P Lim Chang Yong.
Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters (4) — P Ryan Glynn, OF Mitch Jones, OF Terrmel Sledge and P Brian Sweeney.
Chiba Lotte Marines (6+4) — P Winston Abreu, OF Benny Agbayani, IF Jose Ortiz, P Brian Sikorski, P Wu Szu Yo, IF Julio Zuleta, manager Bobby Valentine, farm team manager Lenn Sakata, coach Frank Ramppen and coach Lyle Yates.
Fukuoka Softbank Hawks (5) — P Rick Guttormson, P C.J. Nitkowski, OF Michael Restovich, P Jason Standridge and P Yang Yao-hsun.
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (5) — P Lin En-yu, IF Jose Fernandez, P Domingo Guzman, IF-OF Rick Short and P Lin Ying-chieh.
Saitama Seibu Lions (5) — OF Hiram Bocachica, IF Craig Brazell, P Alex Graman, P Matt Kinney and P Hsu Ming-chieh.
Orix Buffaloes (5+3) — IF Alex Cabrera, P Tom Davey, IF Greg LaRocca, P Jeremy Powell, OF Tuffy Rhodes, manager Terry Collins, coach Mike Brown and coach Jon Debus.
Last week I wrote about Hughes being a promising replacement for Kroon as the BayStars closer, and here are a few more comments about newcomers looking to make an impact in their debut year.
The Softbank Web site quotes Hawks manager Sadaharu Oh as saying he thinks Restovich "could be the second coming of Randy Bass." Not sure if the Rochester, Minn., native and former Twins player can hit 54 home runs in a season or win Triple Crowns as Bass did with Hanshin, but he's got some power.
Restovich, 29, hit 20 homers in only 97 games last year at Columbus, the Class AAA affiliate of the Washington Nationals. He's also had years in Triple-A where he hit 29 and 27 homers and appears to be one of those "4-A" players, as was Bass when he joined the Tigers in 1983, who excel in the highest level in the minors but just can't seem to achieve stardom in the majors.
Seabol, 32, is the successor to Takahiro Arai, who left the Carp as a free agent and signed with Hanshin. Hiroshima has given Seabol Arai's uniform No. 25, his position at third base and probably his cleanup slot in the batting order.
Seabol, from McKeesport, Pa., is coming off an excellent 2007 season with Albuquerque, the Florida Marlins' top farm team. He hit .300 with 32 homers and 105 RBIs in 139 games.
Rios was the 2007 MVP in the Korea Baseball Organization. He won 22 games for the Doosan Bears and comes to Yakult to pick up for Seth Greisinger, another right-hander who pitched in the KBO in 2006 and led the Japan Central League with 16 wins in 2007, then moved on to Yomiuri.
A six-year veteran of Korean baseball, Rios is 35 and a one-time New York Yankees hurler (1997-98). He's the one born in Madrid.
Yokohama pitcher Dave Williams is the guy who began life in the cooler climes of Alaska almost 29 years ago. Like his namesake Jeff Williams of the Tigers, Dave is a situational lefty who has won 22 major league games over five seasons with Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and the New York Mets.
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Finally this week, Jim Bouton, the former New York Yankees speedballer, Seattle Pilots knuckleballer and author of "Ball Four" and other books about his wacky baseball career, is looking for a Japanese team to participate in the Vintage Base Ball Federation World Series, which will be held Aug. 14-17 in Westfield, Mass.
Bouton says, "It's a four-team tournament featuring a California League champion, a Northeast Regional tournament winner, the host Westfield Wheelmen and hopefully a team from Japan.
"We would pay for lodging, plus the vintage uniforms, balls, bats and gloves sent over early, so they could practice with them; they will learn quickly."
Pictures of last year's event may be viewed at www.VintageFederation.com, and Japanese teams interested in participating this summer may contact Bouton through this Web site.
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Contact Wayne Graczyk at: wayne@JapanBall.com

Red Sox's Okajima relishes return to Tokyo Dome

Jan 17, 2008

Jim Allen / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter
Hideki Okajima is keeping his focus on his second major league season with the Boston Red Sox, but said Wednesday he can't escape the emotion of his return to Tokyo Dome in March.
When the World Series-champion Red Sox open Major League Baseball's 2008 season with a pair of games against the Oakland Athletics on March 25 and 26, it will be a homecoming for Okajima--who began his pro career at Tokyo Dome with the Yomiuri Giants in 1995.
"I am trying not to think of it, but the fans will have big expectations and I want to do my best," Okajima told a press conference in Tokyo. "I think this is a great opportunity for us, the World Series champion Red Sox, to appeal to the Japanese fans.
"I am excited to open the season in Japan. This is really going to happen and I vow to do my best here and all season."
The left-handed reliever played 11 years for the Giants before a March 2006 trade to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters re-energized his career.
After impressing Boston scouts in 2006, Okajima signed as a free agent but quickly found himself in the shadow of the Red Sox's marquee acquisition, right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka.
"My experience after this season was markedly different from what happened to me in the past," said Okajima, who pitched in 66 games with 3-2 record and five saves. "So many more people came up and said, 'Congratulations!' On top of that I met so many new people, so it was a wonderful experience.
"I am the kind of guy who just tries to make the most of every day. I got into a good situation and...Things worked out better than I had hoped."
Although things ended well, they started poorly: Okajima's first major league pitch was hit for a home run.
"I threw a fastball on the outside part of the plate and the guy took it over the center-field fence," Okajima said. "That wasn't supposed to happen.
"I turned it over and over in my mind that night. It was a good lesson for me because I realized things were not going to be easy in the majors."
It might not have been easy, but Okajima proved to be a quick learner. Although the major league season is not longer, there are more games and much more travel.
"You don't have many days off," he said. "It seems you are playing every single day and that is tough."
Although Okajima announced at season's end he wanted to develop a new pitch, that is still on the back burner.
"Right now I'm planning to go with the same fastball, change and curve," he said. "Of course if I get hit alot, I will try something new--even though I know the first time I throw it I might get hit for a home run like last yea's first pitch."
Tickets for the Red Sox's and A's opening games and the exhibitions against the Giants and Hanshin Tigers will go on sale on Feb. 9, with pre-sale Internet registration for a chance to buy field seats beginning on Jan. 18.
(Jan. 17, 2008)

Japanese veteran Kuwata signs minor league contract with Pirates

TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese pitcher Masumi Kuwata has signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the veteran right-hander said on his official Web site Tuesday.
"I'm very grateful for the opportunity," said Kuwata, who will turn 40 in April. "As I did last year, I really have to compete in spring training for a spot on the major league roster."
Kuwata made his major league debut with the Pirates on June 10, 2007, and had a 0-1 record with a 9.43 ERA in 19 relief appearances. He was designated for assignment in mid-August.
In September, Kuwata underwent surgery on damaged right ankle ligaments he suffered in a collision with an umpire during a spring training game in late March.
Kuwata has a 173-141 career record with 14 saves and a 3.55 ERA in 21 seasons in Japan, all with the Yomiuri Giants.
（Mainichi Japan） January 9, 2008

Cabrera stays in Japan league, joins Orix for $2.2 million

January 9, 2008

TOKYO -- Alex Cabrera, whose name appeared in the Mitchell report issued last month, agreed to a $2.2 million, one-year contract Wednesday with the Orix Buffaloes of Japan's Pacific League.
The deal is expected to be finalized in the next few days, and comes with the condition that Cabrera pass a doping test when he arrives in Japan in February.
American Terry Collins manages the Buffaloes.
Cabrera, who played for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2000, denied using steroids after his name appeared in the report published by former Sen. George Mitchell.
Since playing for the Diamondbacks, Cabrera has spent seven seasons in Japanese baseball -- all with the Seibu Lions. In 2002, he tied the Japanese single-season home run record of 55 homers.
He has a career .306 batting average with 273 homers and 686 RBIs in Japan. Last season, Cabrera hit .295 with 27 homers and 81 RBIs.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Saito to miss start of 2008 season

The Japan Times
Jan 7, 2008

FUKUOKA (Kyodo) Softbank Hawks right-hander Kazumi Saito will have endoscopic surgery to repair a damaged rotator cuff in his pitching shoulder at a U.S. hospital on Wednesday, the club said Sunday. It is unknown how long Saito will be out for, and Softbank likely will be forced to spend the early part of the season without the ace pitcher. Saito once opted to rehab the shoulder when he underwent an examination in the United States after a 2007 season plagued by shoulder muscle fatigue. But Saito revisited the United States and the latest examination found he has not recovered enough muscle strength. "I decided to undergo surgery due to an increased possibility that I might be in a situation similar to last season's," Saito said. He had a 6-3 record with a 2.74 ERA in 12 starts in 2007 after sweeping four major Pacific League pitching titles the previous year with 18 wins, a 1.75 ERA, a .783 winning percentage and 205 strikeouts.

Nomo aiming for MLB return after signing Royals deal

MIAMI (Reuters) - Japanese pitcher Hideo Nomo is bidding to return to Major League Baseball after a three-year absence by signing a minor-league deal with the Kansas City Royals.
The Royals said on Friday that the 39-year-old Nomo would take part in their spring training camp.
Right-hander Nomo spent 11 seasons in MLB after joining the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995 when he became just the second Japanese player in the Majors.
In his first season he was named 'Rookie of the Year' and also made the All-Star team for the National League.
"He's obviously been a very successful pitcher and we're going to give him an opportunity to compete for a job out of spring training," Royals' general manager Dayton Moore told the team's Web site (kansascity.royals.mlb.com).
Nomo had two spells with the Dodgers which were separated by seasons with the New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox.
His final club was the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2005 and he has most recently been playing in the Venezuelan league.
Nomo will become the Royals' second Japanese pitcher at camp next month in Arizona after they earlier signed reliever Yasuhiko Yabuta, a right-hander from the Chiba Lotte Marines.
(Reporting by Simon Evans in Miami; Editing by John Mehaffey)

Questions still linger for Japan

Japan won a ticket to what could be the final baseball tournament in the Olympic Games with the Asian Championship victory in early December, led by strong pitching, solid defense and timely hitting.
Takahiro Arai was one of the leaders at the plate for Japan at the Asian Championship in Taiwan last month. Japan won the tournament to earn a berth in the 2008 Olympics. KYODO PHOTO
While some baseball observers respect the type of baseball Senichi Hoshino's players showed in the championship — hitting for singles and trying to score one run at a time, instead of swinging for the fences, others are concerned about a lack of power in the lineup.
Japan had a total of 40 hits in beating the Philippines, South Korea and host Taiwan in the Dec. 1-3 final round of the championship in Taichung.
Seven of those were extra-base hits, with three coming from cleanup hitter Takahiro Arai and two from Shinnosuke Abe, who batted fifth and was named the tournament MVP after going 10-for-13 with four RBIs.
Michihiro Ogasawara, Yoshinobu Takahashi and Hitoshi Tamura, who have could hit in the heart of the lineup, had to pull out of the roster because of injuries.
The two Yomiuri Giants players were members of the bronze-winning Athens Olympic team, while Softbank Hawks outfielder Tamura played a significant role in Japan's World Baseball Classic victory in March 2006.
Their withdrawals put more pressure on the pitchers to keep opponents from scoring, in addition to the tournament's tiebreaker rules that put an emphasis on the defensive part of the game.
Hideaki Wakui, Yoshihisa Naruse and Yu Darvish were all expected to put up quality starts, or at least keep the team in the game if they did not last six innings.
Wakui, the Pacific League's winningest pitcher with 17 wins in 2007, threw a one-hitter over six scoreless innings in a 10-0 win over the Philippines.
Naruse, who led the PL with a 1.817 ERA and a .941 winning percentage (16-1), was relieved by Chunichi Dragons ace Kenshin Kawakami with two outs in the fourth inning against South Korea but left with a 3-2 lead. Japan went on for a 4-3 win in a four-hour contest.
PL MVP and Sawamura Award winner Darvish allowed Taiwan to take a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning on a two-run homer by former Los Angeles Dodger Chen Chin-feng, but Japan came right back to score six runs in the seventh on its way to a 10-2 rout of the host.
Darvish became the winning pitcher after working seven solid innings.
The three young pitchers apparently hold the key to Japan's success in Beijing.
Hoshino has called them "the ones who will lead Japanese baseball in the years to come." Wakui and Darvish are 21 years old and Naruse 22.
Koji Uehara and Shunsuke Watanabe are the top candidates to join the three starters as the number of games each team plays increases to a maximum of nine in the Olympics from three in the Asian Championship.
Uehara was the closer in Taiwan but is likely to be in the starting rotation in Beijing, in line with a change in his role for Yomiuri following the club's acquisition of Marc Kroon.
Watanabe was cut when Hoshino reduced the roster to the final 24 players shortly before the Asian Championship final round.
But he was one of the three starters on the WBC team, along with Uehara and Daisuke Matsuzaka, and is one of the rarest and most successful submarine pitchers in the world.
Kawakami and Hiroyuki Kobayashi are also starter candidates and likely will also be used in middle relief.
Hitoki Iwase and Kyuji Fujikawa are expected to handle late-inning duties, while Japan manager Hoshino will see how Kohei Hasebe, who was the only amateur player on the Asian Championship roster, performs in his rookie season with the Rakuten Eagles.
Whether to proceed in bringing the best players to the national team in August when the regular season heats up in Japan is also an issue.
Club owners agreed in January 2007 to provide full support for Hoshino and that there will be no regulations such as two players from each club for the national team in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Chiba Lotte Marines manager Bobby Valentine, whose team sent six players to the Olympic qualifying tournament, has said national team members should be selected equally from each club.
Japan has appeared in the baseball tournaments of all six previous Olympics, including the 1984 and 1988 Games when the sport was a demonstration event.
Japan beat the United States in the 1984 final in Los Angeles and lost to the United States in the 1988 final in Seoul.
Since baseball became an official medal sport in 1992, Japan has won a silver and two bronzes, with one fourth-place finish.
The International Olympic Committee has decided to drop baseball and softball from the 2012 London Games.
"I know the next one could be the final Olympic baseball competition, so I'll try to have people around the world rediscover the excitement of the game," Hoshino said.
"I want to meet the United States in the final because baseball is a national sport for both nations," he said.
Aside from Japan, the United States, Cuba and the Netherlands have booked their places in the Olympic tournament.
China automatically qualified as host and will be joined by three more teams to be decided at the final qualifying competition next March.