Jim Allen / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter
URASOE, Okinawa--Japan manager Senichi Hoshino went back in time Friday afternoon as a flock of young Swallows hurlers showed their stuff in Tokyo Yakult's camp bullpen.
"It's plenty warm here," Hoshino said when asked about whether the cool temperatures put a damper on the pitchers' stuff. "To see these guys really bring one pitch after another is just great."
Although just six months remain before he leads the national team to Beijing for the Summer Olympics, Hoshino was thinking not of gold medals but future seasons of pitching promise.
"Is it six months away? I hadn't really thought about it," Hoshino said. "I don't really know what players will be ready then, but coming here today was so much fun."
Hoshino and his three coaches spent much of their time swapping stories with Swallows skipper Shigeru Takada, Hoshino's former Meiji University teammate.
"We talked a lot about the old days," said Hoshino, who as a pitcher with the Chunichi Dragons made a religion out of beating Takada's team, the Yomiuri Giants.
"Watching these guys throw today, brought me back to those days. Made me remember how it was when I was 20 years old, give or take a year.
"We all wish we were that age again. And though we can't go back, we can help these young guys develop. That is pretty exciting."
The excitement has been building all winter since Yakult drafted Yoshinori Sato in the autumn draft. The fireballer from Sendai Ikuei Gakuen High School had scouts in States shaking their heads last year when he hit 157 kph in a friendly series in the United States.
On Friday, the 18-year-old did his best to put on a show for Hoshino, but he was all over the place and developed a blister, leading him to say afterward that he had failed to impress.
"You think he failed?" Hoshino asked reporters. "He was trying to make an impression? Great. You need to think that way.
"Every pitcher, even a veteran, has good times and bad times. With a youngster it will be very pronounced. I was watching him really carefully, and I'm telling you he did not fail."
With the departure of a pair of big foreign players this season, everyone may be picking the Swallows to struggle. But Hoshino has high hopes for the franchise's future after watching Sato, 22-year-old rookie Mikinori Kato and 20-year-old Kyohei Muranaka.
"This place is going to be a pitcher's paradise," Hoshino said. "I saw Kato last summer and he has improved a lot. He could be a big starting pitcher if he keeps going the way he is.
"I think the manager here is going to take his youngsters and put them in every situation. That's going to pay dividends as these kids learn and this club's pitching will rival SoftBank's.
"For me, there is no place in spring camp more exciting than the bullpen--although two of my coaches, the hitters, might disagree. To sit and watch these kids throw and see the promise they might show this year or next year, it doesn't get any better than that."
If most of the afternoon was spent with an eye on tomorrow, the skipper also had high hopes for a key international veteran.
When Hoshino arrived with his coaches and his media camp followers in tow, he met briefly with a pair of Swallows, center fielder Norichika Aoki and shortstop Shinya Miyamoto, who helped Japan sweep through the Asian Olympic qualifying round in December.
"Miyamoto believes he is going to make it [to Beijing] and that confidence, that desire is what you want," Hoshino said of the 37-year-old, who was the captain on Japan's last Olympic team in 2004.
"He was in Athens and he is keen to go again. You expect he'll do everything in his power to play at a high level this year and get selected. So I'm looking forward to what he's going to show us."
(Feb. 9, 2008)
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Red Sox begin defense of title with 2 games in Tokyo
Feb 9, 2008 By HOWARD ULMAN, AP
BOSTON (Map, News) - Last season, a little bit of Japan came to Boston when Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima bolstered the Red Sox' pitching staff.
This year the route will be reversed, but manager Terry Francona hopes the destination is the same - a World Series championship.
The Red Sox open the 2008 regular season with two games in Tokyo against the Oakland Athletics, a journey that brings jet lag to the players and returns major league baseball - and Dice-K and Okajima - to their baseball-loving nation.
It also throws a curve into spring training.
And the team's first full-squad workout in Fort Myers, Fla., isn't until Feb. 22, although pitchers and catchers report on Thursday.
"If they were all exhibition games, I'd be really excited because I've never been there and I love doing stuff like that," Francona said in an interview with The Associated Press, "but because the games count, two of them, that's our concern."
But "when it was decided that baseball really wanted us to go, I understand. So now it's our responsibility to be good representatives and win."
At least the players won't have to get to know each other.
The biggest addition to the team that swept Colorado in the World Series is first baseman Sean Casey, and he's only a backup to Kevin Youkilis.
Why change a team that spent the last 150 games of 2007 in first place?
No reason, especially with youngsters like rookie of the year Dustin Pedroia at second base, center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury and starting pitchers Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz.
"We feel that we can improve by letting our young players play," general manager Theo Epstein said. "We don't have desperate holes we need to go out and fill at any cost and we can pick and choose what makes sense for us."
It didn't make enough sense to add two-time Cy Young award winner Johan Santana to a strong rotation led by 2007 Cy Young runner-up Josh Beckett, not if Epstein had to part with much lower-paid contributors like Lester or Ellsbury.
Minnesota traded Santana to the New York Mets. Though Curt Schilling's shoulder injury is a major concern, Boston still has Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, Lester and Buchholz to fill out the rotation.
Dice-K, one of baseball's biggest stories last year, had to adjust to a new country, culture and league and still was a respectable 15-12 with a 4.40 ERA and the sixth most strikeouts in the AL.
"I can't imagine doing what he did," Francona said.
Okajima was more of a puzzle. After 12 seasons in Japan, the manager wasn't sure what to do with him.
"With two weeks left in spring training, I remember saying to Theo one day, `How are we going to use this guy?' I couldn't see the role," Francona said. "He said, `A couple of weeks into the season you're going to be wanting to pitch this guy.' Without him, we don't get where we want to go."
That proved prophetic when the lefty became an outstanding setup man for star closer Jonathan Papelbon. In his first season facing batters he'd never seen, Okajima was 3-2 with a 2.22 ERA.
Ellsbury should get his first extended exposure to AL pitchers. He played just seven games for Boston last season before being recalled and playing 26 in September, most of them as a starter. Then he led the Red Sox in the World Series with a .438 batting average.
His speed and Pedroia's bat handling ability could make them effective table-setters for sluggers David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.
J.D. Drew was inconsistent most of the season but hit a grand slam against Cleveland in Game 6 of the ALCS. Mike Lowell was MVP of the World Series. Jason Varitek, going into the last year of his contract, is one of the best catchers at handling pitchers.
Youkilis had the second best on-base percentage among Boston's regulars. Julio Lugo had some tough times at the plate but was a better than average fielder at shortstop.
Francona hopes Drew and Lugo will improve in their second season with the Red Sox, just as Beckett did last year when he went 20-7 with a 3.27 ERA.
"We have basically the same names," Francona said, "but I think with the addition of Ellsbury, Lester and Buchholz, that's three additions to our team that we really didn't have for the whole year last year, so it's not the same team."
If Ellsbury wins the center field job, the Red Sox would have a strong backup in Coco Crisp, unless he's traded. Casey, a three-time All-Star with a .301 career average, is an upgrade over Eric Hinske as the top lefty hitter off the bench.
Now, like his new manager and teammates, he must prepare for a season that starts on the East Coast - of Asia.
"You've just got to get your rest," Casey said. "Guys should embrace the fact that we're getting the opportunity of a lifetime to go to Japan."
The regular season will begin there for the third time. The Mets and Chicago Cubs did it in 2000 and the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays followed in 2004. Lugo was on the Tampa Bay team that beat Mike Mussina 8-3 in the opener that year.
That trip might have contributed to the Yankees' slow start - 8-11 with five losses in six games to Boston - but they finished the season with 101 wins. Then they led the Red Sox 3-0 in the ALCS but lost the next four games and Boston went on to end its 86-year championship drought.
If the Red Sox struggle after the trip to Japan, "I would never want to use that as an excuse," Francona said.
They'll have time to readjust with three exhibition games at the Los Angeles Dodgers before the next two regular-season games at Oakland.
"Major League Baseball really has tried to do a lot to ease the travel," Francona said. "They try very hard to not have it be painful again."
A couple of wins could make the jet lag worthwhile.
"That's our goal," Francona said, "so it won't be a vacation."
BOSTON (Map, News) - Last season, a little bit of Japan came to Boston when Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima bolstered the Red Sox' pitching staff.
This year the route will be reversed, but manager Terry Francona hopes the destination is the same - a World Series championship.
The Red Sox open the 2008 regular season with two games in Tokyo against the Oakland Athletics, a journey that brings jet lag to the players and returns major league baseball - and Dice-K and Okajima - to their baseball-loving nation.
It also throws a curve into spring training.
And the team's first full-squad workout in Fort Myers, Fla., isn't until Feb. 22, although pitchers and catchers report on Thursday.
"If they were all exhibition games, I'd be really excited because I've never been there and I love doing stuff like that," Francona said in an interview with The Associated Press, "but because the games count, two of them, that's our concern."
But "when it was decided that baseball really wanted us to go, I understand. So now it's our responsibility to be good representatives and win."
At least the players won't have to get to know each other.
The biggest addition to the team that swept Colorado in the World Series is first baseman Sean Casey, and he's only a backup to Kevin Youkilis.
Why change a team that spent the last 150 games of 2007 in first place?
No reason, especially with youngsters like rookie of the year Dustin Pedroia at second base, center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury and starting pitchers Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz.
"We feel that we can improve by letting our young players play," general manager Theo Epstein said. "We don't have desperate holes we need to go out and fill at any cost and we can pick and choose what makes sense for us."
It didn't make enough sense to add two-time Cy Young award winner Johan Santana to a strong rotation led by 2007 Cy Young runner-up Josh Beckett, not if Epstein had to part with much lower-paid contributors like Lester or Ellsbury.
Minnesota traded Santana to the New York Mets. Though Curt Schilling's shoulder injury is a major concern, Boston still has Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, Lester and Buchholz to fill out the rotation.
Dice-K, one of baseball's biggest stories last year, had to adjust to a new country, culture and league and still was a respectable 15-12 with a 4.40 ERA and the sixth most strikeouts in the AL.
"I can't imagine doing what he did," Francona said.
Okajima was more of a puzzle. After 12 seasons in Japan, the manager wasn't sure what to do with him.
"With two weeks left in spring training, I remember saying to Theo one day, `How are we going to use this guy?' I couldn't see the role," Francona said. "He said, `A couple of weeks into the season you're going to be wanting to pitch this guy.' Without him, we don't get where we want to go."
That proved prophetic when the lefty became an outstanding setup man for star closer Jonathan Papelbon. In his first season facing batters he'd never seen, Okajima was 3-2 with a 2.22 ERA.
Ellsbury should get his first extended exposure to AL pitchers. He played just seven games for Boston last season before being recalled and playing 26 in September, most of them as a starter. Then he led the Red Sox in the World Series with a .438 batting average.
His speed and Pedroia's bat handling ability could make them effective table-setters for sluggers David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.
J.D. Drew was inconsistent most of the season but hit a grand slam against Cleveland in Game 6 of the ALCS. Mike Lowell was MVP of the World Series. Jason Varitek, going into the last year of his contract, is one of the best catchers at handling pitchers.
Youkilis had the second best on-base percentage among Boston's regulars. Julio Lugo had some tough times at the plate but was a better than average fielder at shortstop.
Francona hopes Drew and Lugo will improve in their second season with the Red Sox, just as Beckett did last year when he went 20-7 with a 3.27 ERA.
"We have basically the same names," Francona said, "but I think with the addition of Ellsbury, Lester and Buchholz, that's three additions to our team that we really didn't have for the whole year last year, so it's not the same team."
If Ellsbury wins the center field job, the Red Sox would have a strong backup in Coco Crisp, unless he's traded. Casey, a three-time All-Star with a .301 career average, is an upgrade over Eric Hinske as the top lefty hitter off the bench.
Now, like his new manager and teammates, he must prepare for a season that starts on the East Coast - of Asia.
"You've just got to get your rest," Casey said. "Guys should embrace the fact that we're getting the opportunity of a lifetime to go to Japan."
The regular season will begin there for the third time. The Mets and Chicago Cubs did it in 2000 and the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays followed in 2004. Lugo was on the Tampa Bay team that beat Mike Mussina 8-3 in the opener that year.
That trip might have contributed to the Yankees' slow start - 8-11 with five losses in six games to Boston - but they finished the season with 101 wins. Then they led the Red Sox 3-0 in the ALCS but lost the next four games and Boston went on to end its 86-year championship drought.
If the Red Sox struggle after the trip to Japan, "I would never want to use that as an excuse," Francona said.
They'll have time to readjust with three exhibition games at the Los Angeles Dodgers before the next two regular-season games at Oakland.
"Major League Baseball really has tried to do a lot to ease the travel," Francona said. "They try very hard to not have it be painful again."
A couple of wins could make the jet lag worthwhile.
"That's our goal," Francona said, "so it won't be a vacation."
Orix makes proposal
Japan Times
Feb 9, 2008
MIYAKOJIMA, Okinawa Pref. (Kyodo) The Orix Buffaloes will accept the Pacific League's recent ruling to give the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks the right to acquire Jeremy Powell if the PL suspends the right-hander for one year, instead of three months, senior Orix official Katsuhiro Nakamura said Friday.
Nakamura offered the compromise proposal in a meeting with PL Chairman Tadao Koike in an Okinawa hotel three days after he said Orix cannot accept the PL's nonbinding ruling in favor of Softbank and three-month suspension of Powell. Koike declined to respond.
The PL had earlier said the contracts Orix and Softbank insist they agreed on with Powell are both valid but made the move to end a dispute between the two clubs.
"A three-month suspension is too short. It's not acceptable particularly because the two clubs concerned are in the same league," Nakamura said after the meeting.
Nakamura also said he asked the PL to have hearings with Orix and Softbank officials who had contract talks with Powell this offseason, but Koike again gave no response.
Feb 9, 2008
MIYAKOJIMA, Okinawa Pref. (Kyodo) The Orix Buffaloes will accept the Pacific League's recent ruling to give the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks the right to acquire Jeremy Powell if the PL suspends the right-hander for one year, instead of three months, senior Orix official Katsuhiro Nakamura said Friday.
Nakamura offered the compromise proposal in a meeting with PL Chairman Tadao Koike in an Okinawa hotel three days after he said Orix cannot accept the PL's nonbinding ruling in favor of Softbank and three-month suspension of Powell. Koike declined to respond.
The PL had earlier said the contracts Orix and Softbank insist they agreed on with Powell are both valid but made the move to end a dispute between the two clubs.
"A three-month suspension is too short. It's not acceptable particularly because the two clubs concerned are in the same league," Nakamura said after the meeting.
Nakamura also said he asked the PL to have hearings with Orix and Softbank officials who had contract talks with Powell this offseason, but Koike again gave no response.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Powell can pitch for Hawks but receives suspension
TOKYO (AP) -- The Pacific League ruled Monday that former Major League pitcher Jeremy Powell can play for the Softbank Hawks this season but will be suspended for three months for causing a dispute between two teams in Japanese professional baseball.
Both the Orix Buffaloes and the Softbank Hawks claimed the 31-year-old pitcher signed a contract with them for the upcoming season.
Powell, however, said he signed a fax that was sent to him by the Buffaloes, but believed that document was not an official contract and was only to be used in connection to his visa application to work in Japan.
He later signed an official contract with Softbank.
"We reached this decision based on discussions with Powell and other factors," Pacific League chairman Tadao Koike said Monday. "The two clubs remained divided so I had to break the impasse."
Powell will not be put on the Hawks' active roster until June 22. The Pacific League regular season begins March 20.
The Buffaloes still insist they have a contract with Powell.
Powell, who played for the Montreal Expos from 1998-2000, played for the Yomiuri Giants last season but was released after a knee injury limited him to seven starts with a 0-2 record in 2007.
Powell led the Pacific League with 17 wins for the Kintetsu Buffaloes in 2002 and has recorded double-digit wins in four of his seven seasons in Japan.
Related articles
Two Japanese teams lay claim to former major leaguer Powell
（Mainichi Japan） February 5, 2008
Both the Orix Buffaloes and the Softbank Hawks claimed the 31-year-old pitcher signed a contract with them for the upcoming season.
Powell, however, said he signed a fax that was sent to him by the Buffaloes, but believed that document was not an official contract and was only to be used in connection to his visa application to work in Japan.
He later signed an official contract with Softbank.
"We reached this decision based on discussions with Powell and other factors," Pacific League chairman Tadao Koike said Monday. "The two clubs remained divided so I had to break the impasse."
Powell will not be put on the Hawks' active roster until June 22. The Pacific League regular season begins March 20.
The Buffaloes still insist they have a contract with Powell.
Powell, who played for the Montreal Expos from 1998-2000, played for the Yomiuri Giants last season but was released after a knee injury limited him to seven starts with a 0-2 record in 2007.
Powell led the Pacific League with 17 wins for the Kintetsu Buffaloes in 2002 and has recorded double-digit wins in four of his seven seasons in Japan.
Related articles
Two Japanese teams lay claim to former major leaguer Powell
（Mainichi Japan） February 5, 2008
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Which Japanese talent will shine in '08?
By Tom Singer / MLB.com
As Hideo Nomo, who was invited by the Royals to Surprise, Ariz., for another stab at resurrecting his pitching career, returns to the Major League orbit, he may start every day by shaking his head in amazement.
The intriguing right-hander from Osaka, Japan, now 39, could also keep reminding himself, "Look what I've wrought!" The big league melting pot has dramatically changed since The Tornado twisted himself into a Dodgers uniform in 1995, quickly morphing from guinea pig to pioneer.
The rosters of 40 percent of Major League teams now include players from Japan. There were three Japanese natives in the most recent World Series, six in the most recent postseason. The assimilation is full throttle: Including nonroster guests such as Nomo, more than 20 Japanese natives will be in camps from Arizona to Florida.
Many of them are established big league stars, from the Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki to the Yankees' Hideki Matsui. But their ranks also include the new wave, the latest to put reputations on the line when they cross the foul line.
There are two significant differences between this winter's influx and that of a year ago. Then, "posting process" was on everyone's lips as big league clubs bid for negotiating rights to several younger Japanese players made available by Japanese clubs which still had control over them. And a pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka, topped the list.
This time, whether coincidentally or in conscious response to the controversial posting process, MLB clubs exclusively pursued more veteran Japanese who had earned unconditional free agency. And the biggest magnet was an outfielder, Kosuke Fukudome.
So another stage is set, but there is no telling how the performance will unfold. Dice-K was expected to be the star last season and, while he got good reviews with his 15 wins, the show was virtually stolen by someone else on his own staff -- lefty reliever Hideki Okajima.
So, your cast of leading men:
OF Kosuke Fukudome, Chicago Cubs
He will wear No. 1, and he is No. 1. There really is no other uniform Fukudome (careful: it's pronounced Foo-ka-doe-may) could wear. The 30-year-old veteran of nine seasons with the Chunichi Dragons becomes the Cubs' first Japanese player, a status he expressly wanted and which influenced his choice among the dozen teams that pitched for him.
How close to the 30-year-old's heart is this whole deal? He welcomed a new son a couple of weeks after signing with the Cubs and named him Hayato which, according to Japanese linguists, is a blend of "Windy City" and "uniform number 1."
There is no mystery why Fukudome wore Cubs general manager Jim Hendry's bull's-eye from the outset, he is considered the ideal right-field complement to Alfonso Soriano and Felix Pie. Hendry's scouting report: "We feel he's a high-average guy, high on-base percentage, well-above-average base runner, Gold Glove-caliber fielder with a great arm."
He is also a hitter who swings from the left side ... last season, the Cubs got a total of 27 homers from lefty hitters, and 14 of those dingers (by Jacque Jones and Cliff Floyd) have moved on. In Japan, Fukudome won two batting titles (including in 2002, when he denied Hideki Matsui a Triple Crown by edging him .343-.334), and was the 2006 Central League MVP. He is a .305 career hitter who averaged 29 homers in a four-year span through 2006.
Incidentally, published statistical references to Fukudome always seem to drop off at 2006, because last season he dipped to 13 homers and 48 RBIs while being limited to 269 at-bats by a right (throwing) elbow injury that required surgery. The condition of the elbow is no longer an issue.
RHP Hiroki Kuroda, Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are hoping for a second strike of the Osaka lightning from this 32-year-old right-hander who shares Nomo's hometown. Fukudome may have raised the biggest stir and boldest headlines, but Kuroda triggered the biggest commotion. As many as 20 teams showed an interest in the hard-thrower with impeccable control.
Kuroda parlayed the competition into a hefty raise, signing a three-year deal for $35.3 million after earning less than $3 million in his swan season with the Hiroshima Carp. His modest Japanese numbers -- 103 wins in 11 seasons, with a 3.69 ERA -- are mitigated by circumstances and tools.
He spent half his time on the mound in claustrophobia-inducing Shimin Stadium, with its 300-foot corners and 386 feet to dead center. The Dodgers were more interested in the 96-mph heater that tops a repertoire that also includes a mid-80s forkball and a slider, and and going the distance 74 times in 244 career starts that earned him the Nippon nickname of "Mr. Complete Game."
RHP Masahide Kobayashi, Cleveland Indians
The entire Japanese trail, of course, began 44 years ago, with relief pitcher Masanori Murakami, and among those retracing those steps this spring is Kobayashi, whose own trail is well-worn. The 33-year-old righty has saved 20-plus games in seven straight seasons, and the Indians consider him the ideal partner for setup man Rafael Betancourt, and a possible occasional substitute for closer Joe Borowski.
Like any successful reliever, Kobayashi brings an out pitch, in his case the slider. Unlike the typical short man, though, he mixes in a couple of other pitches (mid-90s fastball and two-seamer) with equal confidence. Another Japanese staple -- a deceptive delivery, made famous most recently by Okajima's no-look windup.
With AL saves-leader Borowski back on call, however, Kobayashi's season figures to fall short of Meikyukai caliber. That would be Japan's Golden Players Club for those with 2,000 hits or 200 wins or 250 saves; Kobayashi stands at 227.
RHP Yasuhiko Yabuta, Kansas City Royals
Relief pitchers have most consistently made a sensational Japan-to-MLB transition (Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Takashi Saito, Okajima) and Yabuta is another right-hander expected to mirror that success. That expectation appears widespread: Even though he is 34, Baseball America ranks him No. 9 among Royals prospects.
Yabuta spent all of his 12-year career with the Chiba Lotte Marines in the gray: Sometimes starting and sometimes closing, but mostly pitching in long relief. He has progressively gotten better in that role, with a 2.70 ERA in 222 games across the last four seasons.
That places him in the minority of Japanese players washing up on our shores: Not a superstar, but a respectable veteran reaching for the highest level. He wormed into the minds of big league people during the 2006 World Baseball Classic, by striking out the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon and Derrek Lee.
RHP Kazuo Fukumori, Texas Rangers
It is an ultimate sign of progress, and of regarding Japanese not as sensational marquee grabbers but as basic ingredients, when marginal players begin enhancing rosters. So it is with another reliever brought to The Show by the Rangers.
Fukumori, a 31-year-old right-hander who immediately becomes a key cog in manager Ron Washington's overhauled bullpen, doesn't have a resume that glows. In 12 seasons of pitching primarily relief for Yokohama, Osaka and Tohoku Rakuten, he had a record of 34-42, with consistently fewer strikeouts than innings pitched.
But the Rangers regard him a flexible option in their bullpen, from where half of last season's 42 saves are gone. Lefty C.J. Wilson has first dibs on the back of the pen, but Fukumori provides the club with veteran insurance.
Jan 30, 2008
Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
As Hideo Nomo, who was invited by the Royals to Surprise, Ariz., for another stab at resurrecting his pitching career, returns to the Major League orbit, he may start every day by shaking his head in amazement.
The intriguing right-hander from Osaka, Japan, now 39, could also keep reminding himself, "Look what I've wrought!" The big league melting pot has dramatically changed since The Tornado twisted himself into a Dodgers uniform in 1995, quickly morphing from guinea pig to pioneer.
The rosters of 40 percent of Major League teams now include players from Japan. There were three Japanese natives in the most recent World Series, six in the most recent postseason. The assimilation is full throttle: Including nonroster guests such as Nomo, more than 20 Japanese natives will be in camps from Arizona to Florida.
Many of them are established big league stars, from the Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki to the Yankees' Hideki Matsui. But their ranks also include the new wave, the latest to put reputations on the line when they cross the foul line.
There are two significant differences between this winter's influx and that of a year ago. Then, "posting process" was on everyone's lips as big league clubs bid for negotiating rights to several younger Japanese players made available by Japanese clubs which still had control over them. And a pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka, topped the list.
This time, whether coincidentally or in conscious response to the controversial posting process, MLB clubs exclusively pursued more veteran Japanese who had earned unconditional free agency. And the biggest magnet was an outfielder, Kosuke Fukudome.
So another stage is set, but there is no telling how the performance will unfold. Dice-K was expected to be the star last season and, while he got good reviews with his 15 wins, the show was virtually stolen by someone else on his own staff -- lefty reliever Hideki Okajima.
So, your cast of leading men:
OF Kosuke Fukudome, Chicago Cubs
He will wear No. 1, and he is No. 1. There really is no other uniform Fukudome (careful: it's pronounced Foo-ka-doe-may) could wear. The 30-year-old veteran of nine seasons with the Chunichi Dragons becomes the Cubs' first Japanese player, a status he expressly wanted and which influenced his choice among the dozen teams that pitched for him.
How close to the 30-year-old's heart is this whole deal? He welcomed a new son a couple of weeks after signing with the Cubs and named him Hayato which, according to Japanese linguists, is a blend of "Windy City" and "uniform number 1."
There is no mystery why Fukudome wore Cubs general manager Jim Hendry's bull's-eye from the outset, he is considered the ideal right-field complement to Alfonso Soriano and Felix Pie. Hendry's scouting report: "We feel he's a high-average guy, high on-base percentage, well-above-average base runner, Gold Glove-caliber fielder with a great arm."
He is also a hitter who swings from the left side ... last season, the Cubs got a total of 27 homers from lefty hitters, and 14 of those dingers (by Jacque Jones and Cliff Floyd) have moved on. In Japan, Fukudome won two batting titles (including in 2002, when he denied Hideki Matsui a Triple Crown by edging him .343-.334), and was the 2006 Central League MVP. He is a .305 career hitter who averaged 29 homers in a four-year span through 2006.
Incidentally, published statistical references to Fukudome always seem to drop off at 2006, because last season he dipped to 13 homers and 48 RBIs while being limited to 269 at-bats by a right (throwing) elbow injury that required surgery. The condition of the elbow is no longer an issue.
RHP Hiroki Kuroda, Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers are hoping for a second strike of the Osaka lightning from this 32-year-old right-hander who shares Nomo's hometown. Fukudome may have raised the biggest stir and boldest headlines, but Kuroda triggered the biggest commotion. As many as 20 teams showed an interest in the hard-thrower with impeccable control.
Kuroda parlayed the competition into a hefty raise, signing a three-year deal for $35.3 million after earning less than $3 million in his swan season with the Hiroshima Carp. His modest Japanese numbers -- 103 wins in 11 seasons, with a 3.69 ERA -- are mitigated by circumstances and tools.
He spent half his time on the mound in claustrophobia-inducing Shimin Stadium, with its 300-foot corners and 386 feet to dead center. The Dodgers were more interested in the 96-mph heater that tops a repertoire that also includes a mid-80s forkball and a slider, and and going the distance 74 times in 244 career starts that earned him the Nippon nickname of "Mr. Complete Game."
RHP Masahide Kobayashi, Cleveland Indians
The entire Japanese trail, of course, began 44 years ago, with relief pitcher Masanori Murakami, and among those retracing those steps this spring is Kobayashi, whose own trail is well-worn. The 33-year-old righty has saved 20-plus games in seven straight seasons, and the Indians consider him the ideal partner for setup man Rafael Betancourt, and a possible occasional substitute for closer Joe Borowski.
Like any successful reliever, Kobayashi brings an out pitch, in his case the slider. Unlike the typical short man, though, he mixes in a couple of other pitches (mid-90s fastball and two-seamer) with equal confidence. Another Japanese staple -- a deceptive delivery, made famous most recently by Okajima's no-look windup.
With AL saves-leader Borowski back on call, however, Kobayashi's season figures to fall short of Meikyukai caliber. That would be Japan's Golden Players Club for those with 2,000 hits or 200 wins or 250 saves; Kobayashi stands at 227.
RHP Yasuhiko Yabuta, Kansas City Royals
Relief pitchers have most consistently made a sensational Japan-to-MLB transition (Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Takashi Saito, Okajima) and Yabuta is another right-hander expected to mirror that success. That expectation appears widespread: Even though he is 34, Baseball America ranks him No. 9 among Royals prospects.
Yabuta spent all of his 12-year career with the Chiba Lotte Marines in the gray: Sometimes starting and sometimes closing, but mostly pitching in long relief. He has progressively gotten better in that role, with a 2.70 ERA in 222 games across the last four seasons.
That places him in the minority of Japanese players washing up on our shores: Not a superstar, but a respectable veteran reaching for the highest level. He wormed into the minds of big league people during the 2006 World Baseball Classic, by striking out the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon and Derrek Lee.
RHP Kazuo Fukumori, Texas Rangers
It is an ultimate sign of progress, and of regarding Japanese not as sensational marquee grabbers but as basic ingredients, when marginal players begin enhancing rosters. So it is with another reliever brought to The Show by the Rangers.
Fukumori, a 31-year-old right-hander who immediately becomes a key cog in manager Ron Washington's overhauled bullpen, doesn't have a resume that glows. In 12 seasons of pitching primarily relief for Yokohama, Osaka and Tohoku Rakuten, he had a record of 34-42, with consistently fewer strikeouts than innings pitched.
But the Rangers regard him a flexible option in their bullpen, from where half of last season's 42 saves are gone. Lefty C.J. Wilson has first dibs on the back of the pen, but Fukumori provides the club with veteran insurance.
Jan 30, 2008
Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Kuroda confident he can help Dodgers
Japanese starter prepping himself for debut season in Majors
By John Klima / Special to MLB.com
LOS ANGELES -- Hiroki Kuroda threw long toss and ran poles Friday morning at Dodger Stadium, then met the media from two continents.
Rounding himself into condition for his first American season at a time when the Dodgers need him to become one of the few Japanese starting pitchers to translate success in Japan into success in the Major Leagues, Kuroda, who will turn 33 on Feb. 10, expressed confidence that he can immediately contribute.
But Kuroda also acknowledged the unknown.
"I think it is difficult to estimate what kind of numbers I might put up," Kuroda said through a translator. "It is obviously a longer season. If I go out and help the Dodgers win, the numbers will come with that."
The Dodgers signed Kuroda to a three-year, $35.3 million contract in December and believe he can translate his career 103-89 record in Japan to success with the Dodgers. Armed with a sinkerball, above-average command of modest fastball velocity and four pitches, Kuroda will need to step into a Dodgers rotation with Brad Penny, Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley and himself as the four certainties and then assert himself immediately.
To that extent, Kuroda said he is trying to get acclimated to life in the United States after 11 seasons pitching for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Kuroda has won in double figures in six of the past seven years, with a high of 15 victories in 2005. He has pitched over 200 innings twice in his career and has the makings of a dependable back-end starter if he can duplicate his success.
He turned down overtures from the Mariners, Diamondbacks and Royals to sign in Los Angeles, where he is acquainted with Dodgers closer Takashi Saito, who pitched for Yokohama for 14 seasons. Kuroda also said the large Japanese community in Los Angeles helped lure him there. He has children, the oldest of which is 5 years old.
"The Japanese community is one of the biggest reasons I chose Los Angeles," Kuroda said. "I think it will help my acclimation to the states."
Kuroda said he is already familiar with or getting used to some American baseball nuances. He pointed out that a Major League baseball is much slicker than a Japanese baseball. Kuroda also worked on pitch counts in Japan under an American manager for the past two seasons, Marty Brown.
"I had an American manager the past two seasons," he said. "I was used to [the pitch counts]. It depends on how the manager here wants to use me."
Kuroda said he has yet to speak to new Dodgers manager Joe Torre, but it's no secret that Kuroda will walk into the rotation. Penny and Lowe are proven starters, Billingsley needs to repeat his success, Jason Schmidt's shoulder is a question mark and Esteban Loiza could pitch his way into the mix.
Kuroda has the Dodgers' track record of success with Japanese pitchers in his corner. Of the eight Japanese starting pitchers in the Majors since 1995, only three have had winning records, including former Dodgers Hideo Nomo and Kazuhisa Ishii. Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka also has a winning record after one season. Previous Japanese Major League starting pitchers Hideki Irabu, Tomo Ohka, Mac Suzuki, Masato Yoshii and Kei Igawa haven't posted winning records.
The Dodgers think Kuroda can win in the Majors in 2008. Director of Asian operations Acey Kohrogi, who believed strongly that Saito would have immediate success, also believes in Kuroda, as does assistant general manager Logan White, who cross-checked Kuroda in Japan and came away impressed.
For his part, Kuroda said he is ready for the expectations, the challenge, the longer season and the pitfalls and success of those starters who have come before him.
"Some of my concerns are how I have to take care of my body," Kuroda said. "I think it is all part of a new challenge I hope to overcome."
Long toss is a long way from where he's come and where the Dodgers hope he is going, but his team thinks bringing him to a new land is worth the price.
John Klima is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Two Japanese teams lay claim to former major leaguer Jeremy Powell
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Feb 1, 2008
TOKYO - Two Japanese baseball teams claimed they have reached an agreement with former major-league pitcher Jeremy Powell on a contract for the 2008 season.
The Orix Buffaloes and the Softbank Hawks of the Pacific League both say the 31-year-old has signed a contract to play for them in the upcoming season.
"We have his (Powell's) signature and the Pacific League recognizes it," Katsuhiro Nakamura, a senior Orix official, said Friday.
Powell, who played for the Montreal Expos from 1998-2000, played for the Yomiuri Giants last season but was released after a knee injury limited him to seven starts with a 0-2 record in 2007.
------------------------------------------------------------------
TOKYO (AP) -- Two teams in Japanese professional baseball claimed they have reached an agreement with former major-league pitcher Jeremy Powell on a contract for the 2008 season.
The Orix Buffaloes and the Softbank Hawks of the Pacific League both say the 31-year-old has signed a contract to play for them in the upcoming season.
"We have his (Powell's) signature and the Pacific League recognizes it," Katsuhiro Nakamura, a senior Orix official, said Friday.
Powell, who played for the Montreal Expos from 1998-2000, played for the Yomiuri Giants last season but was released after a knee injury limited him to seven starts with a 0-2 record in 2007.
Earlier Softbank stressed the legitimacy of its contract, claiming that the completion of the deal between Orix and Powell had yet to be announced officially by the league, leaving it ineffective.
Powell led the Pacific League with 17 wins for the Kintetsu Buffaloes in 2002 and has recorded double-digit wins in four of his seven seasons in Japan.
The Nikkan Sports newspaper reported Friday that Powell's agent said the document Powell signed with the Buffaloes was not an official contract but a document for use in his application for a work visa to enter Japan.
（Mainichi Japan） February 2, 2008
Feb 1, 2008
TOKYO - Two Japanese baseball teams claimed they have reached an agreement with former major-league pitcher Jeremy Powell on a contract for the 2008 season.
The Orix Buffaloes and the Softbank Hawks of the Pacific League both say the 31-year-old has signed a contract to play for them in the upcoming season.
"We have his (Powell's) signature and the Pacific League recognizes it," Katsuhiro Nakamura, a senior Orix official, said Friday.
Powell, who played for the Montreal Expos from 1998-2000, played for the Yomiuri Giants last season but was released after a knee injury limited him to seven starts with a 0-2 record in 2007.
------------------------------------------------------------------
TOKYO (AP) -- Two teams in Japanese professional baseball claimed they have reached an agreement with former major-league pitcher Jeremy Powell on a contract for the 2008 season.
The Orix Buffaloes and the Softbank Hawks of the Pacific League both say the 31-year-old has signed a contract to play for them in the upcoming season.
"We have his (Powell's) signature and the Pacific League recognizes it," Katsuhiro Nakamura, a senior Orix official, said Friday.
Powell, who played for the Montreal Expos from 1998-2000, played for the Yomiuri Giants last season but was released after a knee injury limited him to seven starts with a 0-2 record in 2007.
Earlier Softbank stressed the legitimacy of its contract, claiming that the completion of the deal between Orix and Powell had yet to be announced officially by the league, leaving it ineffective.
Powell led the Pacific League with 17 wins for the Kintetsu Buffaloes in 2002 and has recorded double-digit wins in four of his seven seasons in Japan.
The Nikkan Sports newspaper reported Friday that Powell's agent said the document Powell signed with the Buffaloes was not an official contract but a document for use in his application for a work visa to enter Japan.
（Mainichi Japan） February 2, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
