Gary Garland / the japanese insider

October 15, 2002

     No games scheduled.

Cabrera Says Hats Off to Lotte for Pitching to Him

     See article by Dan Latham at Japan Times at: http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getsp.pl5?sb20021016a1.htm

Kinkade Japan Bound?

     According to Nikkan Sports, the Kintetsu Buffaloes are checking into the availability of Dodgers reserve Mike Kinkade. The righthanded hitting 29 year old Washington State graduate got his first taste of MLB life with the Mets in 1998 before moving on to the Orioles and then L.A. He posted a .341 batting average with Las Vegas before being called up to the Dodgers, where he hit .380 with two homers and 11 RBIs in 37 games. In 2000, he was part of a U.S. contingent that won a gold medal at the Sydney Olympics. He can play first and third as well as some outfield. For his MLB career to date, he's hit .281 with eight homers and 34 RBIs in 134 games. He is 6'1 and 210 pounds.

Iranian-Japanese High Schooler Darwish Making Impression

     16 year old sophomore Yu Darwish, the eldest son of a former Iranian soccer star and a Japanese woman, tossed an 80 pitch shutout earlier today for Tohoku High School against a contingent from Morioka, Iwate Prefecture to win a regional tournament held in Miyagi Prefecture in northern Japan, allowing just four hits in  a 3-0 victory that lasted only an hour and 19 minutes (and this is nine innings, mind you). He was clocked at a high of 87mph and this was his first ever shutout in high school.

     Darwish was born in Matsubara, Osaka and started playing baseball in second grade and then joined a boys league in junior high school, where he became the team ace, pulling his side to the quarterfinals of a nationwide tournament at one point. In August of 2001, he was part of a Japanese squad that represented that country in an international tournament, winning one of his two starts. The kids from the Land of the Rising Sun finished third.

     Now 6'4" and a skinny 170 pounds, he has been clocked as high as 91mph and should be able to leverage more velocity out of that frame as he adds weight and muscle, especially in his legs. He also has a tough act to follow, as that school's number one starter is one Yuhei Takai, the hardthrowing southpaw with a 94mph heater who is expected to go in the first round of this November's pro draft. There are some who expect Darwish, though, to surpass Takai by the time he finishes his high school days. He says that he would like to be the first Japanese to hit 100mph on the radar gun. Even so, he revealed he tries to lure the hitters into getting themselves out so that when he doesn't have his best strikeout stuff he can still pile up outs. The 5'8" Takai, though, noted to Sports Nippon that "he's stronger than I was at his age." You can see a pics of his delivery at: http://www.sanspo.com/baseball/koukou/02koshien/news/image/071914daruMS181718_b.jpg and
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/hochi/baseball/jul/0718h_tohoku.jpg

     Darwish has been looked upon as something of a novelty due to his mixed parentage, but he insists that "right now, I'm drawing a lot of attention because of my ethnicity and ny name, but those things don't matter. I want to compete based on my ability." Along with the fastball, his repetoire consists of a curve, slider, shuuto and a knuckle ball.

Takatsu Says He May Go to MLB

     Yakult Swallows sidearming sinkerballing righthanded closer Shingo Takatsu announced today that he is unhappy with his team's lack of action on offering a new contract for 2003 and beyond and may decide to head off for MLB. Takatsu is second all time in saves in Japan with 226 saves, just three off of Kazuhiro Sasaki's mark of 229.

     Takatsu, 5'11" and 160 pounds, was drafted on the third round in 1990 out of Asia University. He broke the club's lifetime saves record in 1995 and went on to become a three time Fireman of the Year (1994, 1999 and 2001. He features two types of sinker as well as a slider and fastball that tops out at 87mph. He has been somewhat vulnerable to the home run ball, surrendering 67 homers in 653 innings for his career, but he has been tattoed for six homers in 41.1 innings this season and has his highest ERA, 3.92, since 1998, when he posted a 5.56 figure. He averages 3.28 BB+HBP/9 and 7.15 K/9, a decent, though hardly eye popping, ratio. Lifetime to date, he is 33-35 with 226 saves and a 3.14 ERA.

     In addition to being only one of two men in Japanese baseball annals who have surpassed 200 saves, he also holds the records for career Japan Series saves with six (two of those in the 2001 fall classic) and the standard for most saves in one series with three and is tied with former Seibu hurler Osamu Higashio for total series save points with eight. You can see some stats up through last year at:
http://www.npb-bis.com/player/register/active/29022910.html

     Takatsu grew up in Hiroshima as a Carp fan and went to Hiroshima Industrial High School, where he waspart of teams that played in both the spring and summer Koshien High School Baseball Tournament in 1986. As a child, he had dreams of becoming the next Koji Yamamoto, the great slugger who is now the manager of the Red Hell. At Asia University, he was their number two starter. After being drafted, he onloy got into 13 games in 1992, but in 1993, he made 23 appearances and tossed 82.2 innings in a mixture of starting and middle relief roles. >From 1993, he has been Yakult's closer, registering 20 saves that year, 19 the next, 28 in 1995 and 21 in 1996. Once he rehabbed his elbow in 1998, he racked up 30, 29, 37 and 32 saves over the next four campaigns. Takatsu is one of the Swallows most popular players and is married to wife Maki with two young children.

     The thing that would hinder any MLB ambitions is that he suffered elbow pain in both 1997 and 1998 and still takes injections of painkillers in it at least once a month. He also missed most of the last three weeks with a hamstring problem as well as more elbow discomfort. There has also been at least one occasion where he had back trouble.He is also up there in age, as he will turn 34 in November.

     As a side trivia note, Takatsu was the first pitcher Hideki "Godzilla" Matsui ever took deep (in Matsui's 2nd pro game on May 2nd, 1993 at Tokyo Dome in his seventh career at bat in the ninth inning).

     The Mets and Rangers are appearently interested, but an unnamed MLB scout is quoted as saying that another three or four could be in on the bidding. But he also expects Takatsu to come cheap, between $300-400,000. He makes $1.2 million now. Here is a photo of how he looks delivering the ball: http://www.zakzak.co.jp/spo/s-2001_10/image/s2001102505takatu_b.jpg

Sports Nippon: Nakamura Headed for Hanshin

     According to Sports Nippon, Kintetsu Buffaloes free agent third baseman Norihiro Nakamura is almost certain to end up in Hanshin pinstripes next season, as he is quoted as staing that due to family concerns he is going to stay in Japan. A more cynical individual might say that he wasn't going to receive the same kind of monetary offers from the Dodgers, Mets or several other MLB outfits said to be interested in the burly slugger as compared to what the Tigers are rumored to be proferring the locally born and bred Nakamura.

     If Hanshin does indeed ink Nakamura, it will be a big hit on the bottom line, since in addtion to a $5-6 million salary, they will also owe Kintetsu 1.5 times that salary as compensation, meaning that the total yearly expense is a whopping $15 million or thereabouts. But if Hanshin wants to contend, they absolutely have to bolster their offense and Nakamura would be a good start, especially in the Central League, where the pitching is undeniably better qualitatively, but the ballparks, on average, are also smaller.

     Nakamura told Nikkan Sports that it would be sad not to stay with Kintetsu, but there are issues peripheral to the financial issue that he is apparently concerned with and is reportedly waiting for an answer about from the club;s front office.

     The Tigers are also courting Roberto Petagine, who will say sayonara to Yakult once the schedule concludes. He is also expected to make in the $6 million range for his new team. Hanshin is owned by a wealthy railway concern and can afford it. Now if they could just get some effective middle relief.

     If Petagine does go to Osaka, George Arias will get the heave ho. Arias has expressed a willingness to comeback to Hanshin despite the criticism he endured despite leading the team in homers and RBIs.

Today in Japanese Baseball History

     This report is for October 15th and on that date in Japanese baseball history in 1960, the Taiyo Whales completed a four game sweep of the Daimai Orions in the Japan Series for their only championship to date. They were the first club in Japanese history to finish last one season and then go all the way in the next.

     On the same day, Daimai's owner, an individual by the last name of Nagata, called Orions manager Yukio Nishimoto a "fucking moron" Nishimoto resigned soon thereafter. That turned out to be a bad move, since Nishimoto is now in the Hall of Fame, winning eight pennants with Daimai, Kintetsu, and Hankyu (with whom he won five of those). His managerial record: 2665 games, 1384-1163 with 118 ties. He never won a Japan Series.

     Also  on that date in 1975, on the 25th anniversary since the team was founded in 1950, the Hiroshima Carp won their first pennant.

October 14, 2002

No Record Blast from Cabrera, But Evans Three Run Homer Beats Lotte 3-2

     The 32,000 fans who packed into Chiba Marine Stadium Monday appeared to be getting a double treat, as Daisuke Matsuzaka, easily the most popular pitcher in Japanese baseball, started the game on the mound for the Seibu Lions and the team's first baseman, Alex Cabrera, was going to take his final attempt at shattering Sadaharu Oh's record of 55 homers for a season. Lions manager Haruki Ihara even put Cabrera in the number one hole to ensure that he would get as many chances as possible to go down in history.

     Unfortunately, neither Matsuzaka or Cabrera delivered quite what was hoped, as Matsuzaka went four innings of two run ball on five hits and struckout three and walked two while Cabrera went 1-4, the lone hit being a single, to end the year stuck at 55. The fact that the Lions beat the Chiba Lotte Marines 3-2 to become the first team ever to have registered four 90 win seasons in its history was just a sidelight.

     So the glory went to Tom Evans, whose three run homer in the fourth inning enabled Chang Chia-chiah to earn his tenth victory and hang Lotte starter Koji Takagi with his third defeat.

     Takagi got into trouble in the first, as rightfielder Tatsuya Ozeki and DH Toshiaki Inubushi each cracked one out singles to center. Shortstop Kazuo Matsui, switching places with Cabrera in the lineup, drilled a shot headed into rightcenter. However, Second baseman Koichi Hori was standing right there and he nabbed it and then went to first to double off Inubushi and end the inning.

     Lotte then punished Seibu by seizing a 1-0 lead in the first, as Hori doubled off the rightfield wall with one down and first baseman Kazuya Fukuura singled to center to send Hori scurrying across the plate. Fukuura, the 2001 batting champ, went 2-4 on the night to finally bring his average up to .300 after a long mid-season slump.

     Lotte added on thanks to a wild pitch in the third, when rightfielder Kenji Morozumi leadoff by striking out. But the ball went by catcher Masaumi Shimizu and Morozumi reached. Hori singled to right. One out later, DH Derrick May singled to right and Hori motored around to make it 2-0.

     That state of affairs, however, would change drastically in the fourth. Inubushi singled to center with one out and Matsui singled to right. Takagi then attempted to lure Evans into chasing a forkball in the dirt. Problem was that the pitch didn't do anything and instead just hung in the lower part of the zone and the ex-Tigers put good wood on it, depositing it in the centerfield seats for a 3-2 Lions advantage.

     In the seventh, Chang walked Hori with one away and Fukuura singled to right. Ihara dialed local and out came Yoshihiro Doi, who induced an infield pop and a strikeout to kill the inning.

     Lotte returned in the eighth, though, for a more serious effort at knotting the contest against Shinji Mori, as leftfielder Yukihiko Sato leadoff with a single to center and was sacrificed to second. Rookie pinch hitter Takashi Kita legged out a bouncer toward short. But pinch hitter Kenji Yoshitsuru struckout and Morozumi flied to left. Kiyoshi Toyoda then struckout the side to secure the triumph in the ninth.

     More on Fukuura: aside from being a rather arduous season at the plate for him, it has been painful, too, as he leads all of Japanese baseball in being hit by pitches with 17. Ouch!

     A breakdown of Cabrera's at bats looked like this: In the first, he popped up a high 85mph fastball that was over the heart of the plate. This is what happens when you muscle up. Earlier in the season, when the Venezuelan slugger was more relaxed, that ball is a souvenir. In the third, he flew out to right on an 86mph heater right down the pipe. Again, Cabrera's swing has gotten longer and he was late on a pitch that should have landed somewhere in Tokyo Bay. In the fifth, he laced an 86mph fastball on the inner half of the plate into leftfield for a single. His last at bat was in the seventh and he struckout on a forkball on the outer part of the plate, to audible moans in the bleachers.

     Sankei Sports gave a detailed breakdown of Cabrera's dingers. His biggest victims were Lotte and Daiei, who each coughed up 13 longballs to the Lions cleanup man. Another 12 came in faceoffs with Kintetsu. Nine were against Nippon Ham and eight were at Orix' expense.

     By stadium, Cabrera transgressed the fences at his homeground, Seibu Dome, 24 times and then did it six times at Fukuoka Dome, Chiba Marine Stadium and Osaka Dome, five at Tokyo Dome, three at Sapporo Dome and Kobe Green Stadium, and one each at Yonego and Nagano. 44 of his homers came in games the Lions won and 11 were in losses. 41 were against righthanders and 14 against lefties. His 104 bombs in two seasons is a record. 37 of his blasts were after July first, when it counts the most. That and just what his mere presence does to the opposition game plan should get him the MVP in a walk. His OBP was .467 and his SLG is a mind melting .756! That is a 1.223 OPS folks. Shinjararenai (unbelievable!). He went homerless in his last 23 at bats and finished with a .336 average.

     For Seibu as a team, the 90 shiroboshi this year are the most for any club since the Yomiuri Giants in 1965, when they won 91. Now let's see if they can cap all this off with a Japan Series title.

     For Lotte, May was 1-4 with a walk and RBI and two strikeouts to decline to .273.

     For Seibu, Evans was 1-4 with three RBIs and two strikeouts and is at .252.

Pitching Lines:

Seibu:

Matsuzaka            IP 4.0 PC 83 H 5 HR 0 K 3 BB 2 R 2 ER 2 ERA 3.68
Chang (W, 10-4)  IP 2.1 PC 38 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.71
Doi                         IP 0.1 PC   3 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.68
S. Mori                  IP 1.1 PC 20 H 2 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.07
Toyoda (W, 38)   IP 1.0 PC 15 H 0 HR 0 K 3 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.78

Lotte:

K. Takagi (L, 3-3) IP 5.0 PC 70 H 7 HR 1 K 0 BB 0 R 3 ER 3 ERA 3.56
H. Kobayashi       IP 2.0 PC 31 H 2 HR 0 K 5 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.61
S. Fujita                 IP 1.0 PC   7 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.09
A. Yoshida           IP 1.0 PC 12 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.48

2B: Hori, Hatsushiba, K. Matsui
HR: Evans (15)
RBI: Evans 3, Fukuura, May

Season Series: Seibu 19, Lotte 8 1 Tie

Game Time: 3:12
Attendance: 32,000
Umpires: Sakaemura (HP), Yanagida (1B), Kawaguchi (2B), Nakamura (3B)

Hanshin Stomps Dragons 10-5

     The Hanshin Tigers ended their season on a high note Monday at Koshien Stadium, as they bombed Chunichi Dragons starter Kenta Asakura for seven runs on eight hits in the second inning to cadillac to a 10-5 victory. It was their third win in a row. The Osaka favorite sons finished with a  66-70-4, the first time in nine years that they had gotten so close to the .500 mark.

     Nobuyuki Hoshino started for the Tigers in his retirement game and struckout centerfielder Takayuki Onishi on a big slow curve ball and bade the fans goodbye. He was then replaced by Masahi Date, who went 4.2 innings of two run ball on five hits to scoop up his second shiroboshi.

     Asakura was charged with eight runs on ten hits in four innings, but due to his own error, only one of those was ruled to be earned and he put 2002 behind him after posting a sparkling 2.61 ERA.

     The Dragons had a momemtary lead in the second, when first baseman Mitsunobu Takahashi unloaded on Date leading off the inning and thumped it off a seat in the leftfield bleachers to make it 1-0.

     Hanshin, though, made a joke of that. In its half, first baseman Atsushi Kataoka singled to left and went to second on a groundout. Shortstop Atsushi Fujimoto singled to left. Catcher Katsuhiko Yamada, who has hit into six double plays in only 106 at bats, hit a comebacker to Asakura, who threw the ball into centerfield attempting to go for the twin killing at second and both Kataoka and Fujimoto kicked it into gear for the plate while Yamada hustled to third. Date beat out a little roller toward short and Yamada crossed. Centerfielder Norihiro Akahoshi singled to center. Third baseman Shuta Tanaka singled to right to load the bases. Rightfielder Shinjiro Hiyama flew out to center and Date scored. Leftfielder Osamu Hamanaka singled to right and Akahoshi went home. Kataoka singled to center to plate Tanaka. Second baseman Taichiro Kamisaka singled to left and Hamanaka reported and it was 7-1 Tigers.

     Asakura begin a mini of his own, though, as he singled to center to begin the third and went to second on a groundout. Second baseman Masahiro Araki singled to center and Asakura stopped at third. Pinch hitter Hiroyuki Watanabe grounded to short and Asakura toed the dish to make it 7-2 Hanshin.

     In the fourth, Asakura's control went walkabout. With two outs, he walked both Hamanaka and Kataoka and Kamisaka slapped a single to right to redeem Hamanaka and Hanshin had an 8-2 edge.

     The Tigers widened that in the seventh, when Kataoka lead off with a walk off of reliever Shinichiro Koyama and Kamisaka singled to left. Fujimoto grounded to first, but Takahashi booted it and Kataoka busted for the plate to make it 9-2. Two outs later, Akahoshi singled to right for an RBI and a 10-2 Hanshin lead.

     Chunichi rallied for three runs in the home half, but it wouldn't be enough. Watanabe commenced it with a double into the leftfield corner. Takahashi singled to center to drive Watanabe in. Backup third baseman So Tsutsui singled to left and Takahashi blazed to third. With rightfielder Kenji Makuta at the plate, reliever Tetsuro Kawajiri somehow allowed the run to score (wild pitch?). He struckout, but catcher Hidenori Tanoue singled to left to bring Tsutsui in and it was 10-5 Hanshin.

     Kawajiri started the ninth by striking out pinch hitter Fumihiro Suzuki and surrendering a knock to left by backup centerfielder Hidenori Kuramoto. Araki grounded to third for the second out. Manager Senichi Hoshino went to the pen for Shoji Toyama, who is going to call it a day. Toyama, who has had a nightmare of a year in middle relief, fanned Watanabe on three pitches to end the game.

     Kosuke Fukudome, who is this year's batting champ, pinch hit for reliever Akira Miyakoshi and swatted a hot shot off of the foot of Taninaka for a single and will finish with a .343 average.

     The Tigers front office that hey were laying off three players. Those are: pitcher Satoshi Funaki (29), infielder Ryuki Nemoto (29), and outfielder Hiroshi Yoshida (30). Yoshida and Funaki are the only ones to see action at the big club level. Funaki threw one inning with an ERA of 18.00. Lifetime, he was 9-24 with a 4.90 ERA in 84 games. He hadn't won a game since 1999.

     Yoshida was 0-7 this season and batted .240 for his career in 213 games (258 total at bats) with three homers and 13 RBIs.

     Nemoto originally began his career with Nippon Ham and then moved to Hanshin in 2000. He hit .248 in 165 games (322 total at bats) with four homers and 27 RBIs.

     Dragons third baseman Masahiko Morino was hit on the arm by a Shinji Taninaka pitch, causing a fracture. He will be out more than a month is thus likely to miss the clubs fall camp.

     Backup outfielder Teruyoshi Kuji, unhappy with his playing time, asked to be released and that request was granted. He will now seek a job with another team.

     No foreign players batted in this game.

Pitching Lines:

Chunichi:

Asakura (L, 11-11)  IP 4.0 PC 86 H 10 HR 0 K 2 BB 2 R 8 ER 1 ERA 2.61
Miyakoshi               IP 2.0 PC 19 H   0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 19.29
Koyama                   IP 1.0 PC 29 H   2 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 2 ER 1 ERA 4.81
M. Kimura               IP 1.0 PC 13 H   0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 6.00

Hanshin:

N. Hoshino       IP 0.1 PC   3 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.39
Date (W, 2-3)    IP 4.2 PC 62 H 5 HR 1 K 3 BB 0 R 2 ER 2 ERA 3.32
Taninaka           IP 2.0 PC 34 H 1 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.43
Kawajiri             IP 1.2 PC 28 H 5 HR 0 K 3 BB 0 R 3 ER 3 ERA 3.02
Toyama             IP 0.1 PC   3 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 9.49

E: M. Takahashi, Morino 2, Kamisaka
SB: Hamanaka
2B: H.Y. Watanabe
HR: M. Takahashi
RBI: H.Y. Watanabe, M. Takahashi 2, Tanoue, Hiyama, Hamanaka, Kataoka, Kamisaka 2, Fujimoto, Date
SF: Hiyama
HBP: Morino (Taninaka)

Season Series: Chunichi 15, Hanshin 11 2 Ties

Game Time: 2:58
Attendance: 36,000
Umpires: Watamari (HP), Suginaga (1B), Shimada (2B), Tani (3B)

Hiroshima's Four Homers Defeat Yokohama 5-4

     The Hiroshima Carp lineup clobbered four homers for a total of five runs and then the team's pitching staff barely stifled a ninth inning charge by the Yokohama Bay Stars Monday at Hiroshima Municipal Stadium. Tetsuto Tomabechi started for the Red Hell and tossed six difficult innings of two run ball on eight hits and five walks to cadge his fifth shiroboshi while Yokohama starter Kuniyuki Taniguchi stepped backward to 1-6.

     Carp third baseman Takahiro Arai pulled his side ahead in the second when he went yard  to left for the first of his two big flies on the night and it was 1-0 Hiroshima.

     Yokohama shortstop Takuro Ishii restored equilibrium with a shot into the rightcenterfield stands in the fourth and it was 1-1.

     The Stars then pushed out to a lead in the sixth when rightfielder Boi Rodriges carromed a one out long single off the leftfield wall and first baseman Hirofumi Ogawa doubled to rightcenter. Pinch hitter Hitoshi Nakane walked to load the bases. Catcher Ryoji Aikawa tapped one toward third and outran it while Rodrigues crossed to make it 2-1 Yokohama.

     That advantage was gone two hitters later when Hiroshima came to bat. Leftfielder Tomoaki Kanemoto lead it off with a walk and Arai cleaned and jerked one beyond the centerfield fence for a "gyakuten two run" and it was 3-2 Carp. First baseman Itsuki Asai then cleared the centerfield wall, too, for back to back jacks and it was 4-2.

     In the seventh, Hiroshima made that 5-2 when centerfielder Koichi Ogata connected for his 25th roundtripper with one out.

     Yasuhiro Oyamada entered in the ninth to go for his 30th save. It didn't come easy.Aikawa leadoff with a single to right. Pinch hitter Masaaki Koike beat out a bleeder toward second. Pinch hitter Takahiro Saeki singled to center to plate Aikawa. Koike advanced on a groundout and then went home on a groundout to second by Ishii. With the tying run on third, Rodrigues grounded to Asai and it was "game setto."

     With the loss, Yokohama has lost the season series with the other five Central League clubs.

     Kanemoto told reporters after the game that he is indeed thinking about staying in Hiroshima. One can't see why he wouldn't want to.

     For Yokohama, Rodrigues was 2-4 with a walk and is at .262.

Pitching Lines:

Yokohama:

Taniguchi (L, 1-6) IP 5.0 PC 92 H 6 HR 3 K 3 BB 4 R 4 ER 4 ERA 4.55
Chiba                      IP 1.1 PC 24 H 3 HR 1 K 0 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.38
N. Okamoto           IP 0.2 PC   9 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Hata                        IP 1.0 PC 14 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.14

Hiroshima:

Tomabechi (W, 5-3) IP 6.0 PC 111 H 8 HR 1 K 4 BB 5 R 2 ER 2 ERA 4.55
S. Tamaki                   IP 1.1 PC   25 H 0 HR 0 K 3 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.34
Yamauchi                  IP 0.1 PC     4 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.50
Amano                      IP 0.1 PC     3 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.20
Oyamada (S, 30)      IP 1.0 PC   22 H 4 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 2 ER 2 ERA 2.72

E: Ishihara
SB: Kinjo
2B: H. Ogawa
HR: Arai 2 (28), T. Ishii (8), I. Asai (4), Ogata (25)
RBI: Saeki, T. Ishii 2, Ryoji Aikawa, Ogata, Arai 3, I. Asai
GIDP: Taneda, K. Nomura

Season Series:Yokohama 13, Hiroshima 14 1 Tie

Game Time: 3:23
Attendance: 12,000
Umpires: Tomoyori (HP), Yoshimoto (1B), Tsuchiyama (2B), Kittaka (3B)

Shoda Five Hits Orix 5-0

     Nippon Ham's 20 year old rookie southpaw, Itsuki Shoda, won his ninth game of the season Monday, as he scattered five hits and struckout six  against the Orix Blue Wave for his second shutout of the year.

     Shoda, who has a solid 3.45 ERA is being touted in the press as the leading Rookie of the Year candidate. But where does that leave Chang Chieh-chia, who has won ten games in just little more than half a season and has an ERA almost a run lower? Unlike most foreign players, Chang is reportedly eligible for the award. So why, one must wonder, isn't he the leading candidate?

     Anyway, Tsutomu Tamura started for Orix (the first time he's ever opened a game on the mound) in his retirement game and struckout rightfielder Hichori Morimoto and then passed the ball to Satoshi Tokumoto, who went 6.1 innings of four run ball, two earned, on six hits for his fourth kuroboshi.

     Nippon Ham did most of its damage in the fifth, as leftfielder Yukio Tanaka leadoff with a single to center and DH Kuniyuki Kimoto singled to right and Tanaka sprinted for third. First baseman Takaya Hayashi flied to leftfielder Ryota Aikawa, who geeked it. It was scored a sac fly and an error. The runners were moved over on a sac bunt. One out later, shortstop Hiroshi Narahara singled to right and Hayashi and Kimoto crossed for a 3-0 advantage.

     Fighters third baseman Kokichi Akune walked to start the seventh and was sacrificed to second. Narahara singled to left to usher Akune in and it was 4-0.

     In the eighth, Tanaka singled to center with one down and Kimoto pounded one into the rightcenter alley and the speedy Kimoto galloped in to cap off the scoring at 5-0. Orix finished the schedule 37 games under .500, a team record for futility.

     Fighters first baseman Michihiro Ogasawara sat out his third game in a row with back trouble. Even so, he has pretty much locked up the batting title, the first by a Nippon Ham player since Isao Harimoto in 1974.

     No foreign players batted in this game.

Pitching Lines:

Nippon Ham:

Shoda (W, 9-11)  IP 9.0 PC 111 H 5 HR 0 K 6 BB 2 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.45

Orix:

Tamura                       IP 0.1 PC  5 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 13.50
Tokumoto (L, 1-4)    IP 6.1 PC 98 H 6 HR 0 K 3 BB 2 R 4 ER 2 ERA 3.34
Y. Ogawa                   IP 1.1 PC 19 H 2 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 6.00
Aiki                             IP 1.0 PC 12 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.94

E: M. Shiozaki, Ryota Aikawa
2B: Y. Tanaka, Kimoto
RBI: Kimoto, Hayashi, Narahara 3
SF: Hayashi
HBP: Ryota Aikawa (Shoda)
GIDP: Ken Tanaka, Ryota Aikawa

Season Series: Nippon Ham 16, Orix 10 2 Ties

Game Time: 2:32
Attendance: 13,000
Umpires: Okada (HP), Iizuka (1B), Kakigizono (2B), Nagami (3B)

Elephants on Verge of Championship After Fending Off Whales Comeback

     See Taipei Times story at: http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2002/10/14/story/0000175713

Taichung Threatening to Sweep Kaohsiung in TML Series

     See Taipei Times story at: http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2002/10/14/story/0000175716

Today in Japanese Baseball History

     This report is for October 14th and on that date in Japanese baseball history in 1966, an incident involving a vote of confidence by team officials in manager Yukio Nishimoto was revealed by the press. Nishimoto had taken a pathetic Hankyu club from last in 1963 to second the following year then saw them on to fourth and fifth place rankings. So at the beginning to the Braves fall camp, he gathered the players together and asked them to vote on whether they had faith in him. He won by a 32-11 vote while four players abstained. Neverthless, upset by the 11 negative ballots, Nishimoto, who displayed a stern hand in dealing with his charges, declared his intention to resign. But as front office officials hurriedly set about trying to find a replacement, owner Kozo Kobayashi said that they were to talk Nishimoto out of leaving. Nishimoto stayed and in 1967, Hankyu won their first ever pennant.

     Also on the same date in 1974, Yomiuri Giants third baseman Shigeo Nagashima retired. The tv broadcast of the retirement ceremony drew the largest rating of any program that year.
 

Matsui Triple Crown Bid Ends With 0-5 Night in Giants Win

     Yomiuri Giants centerfielder Hideki Matsui has feasted on Hiroshima Carp pitching over the years, butthat wasn't the case Friday, as he struckout three times as part of an 0-5 night to concede the batting title to Chunichi Dragons rightfielder Kosuke Fukudome and to deny himself the Triple Crown. However, let me say this: Fukudome sitting out games when a historical accomplishment such as a Triple Crown is on the line is really a disgrace. Fukudome-kun, kisama bakayarou! Kuso wo kurae!

     Now that I've vented my spleen, let's talk about the game: Giants catcher Shinnosuke Abe thundered his 19th homer and drove in four runs to spur Yomiuri to a 6-2 victory. Junya Sakai started for the winners and went four innings of two run ball on two hits. Rookie Hiroki Sanada then entered and claimed the shiroboshi after he fashioned four innings of no hit ball, striking out three and walking none.

     Shinji Sasaoka started for Hiroshima and he was roughed up for five earned runs in five innings on six hits to absorb the defeat and make it two seasons in a row with a losing record, something he hasn't done since 1994.

     The Giants broke out some small ball in the third to be the first to get on top 1-0, as third baseman Koji Goto walked, was sacrificed to second with one out, and crossed on a single to left by leftfielder Takayuki Shimizu, his 191st of the year and one off of Bobby Rose's league record.

     But the Carp would overturn that in their half, as Sasaoka walked, second baseman Kazuki Fukuchi singled to left, and both were sacrificed along. Centerfielder Koichi Ogata singled to left to recall Sasaoka and leftfielder Tomoaki Kanemoto grounded to second to redeem Fukuchi and make it 2-1 Hiroshima.

     However, in the fifth, Yomiuri tattooed Sasaoka and they were on their way. Goto kicked it off with a single to center and second baseman Toshihisa Nishi singled to left. Pinch hitter Takahiro Suzuki singled to center to load the bases. Shimizu flew out to center and Goto tagged and toed the dish to knot it at 2-2. Shortstop Tomohiro Nioka grounded to Sasaoka, who held the runner at third and threw to first for the out. That brought Abe up, and he rocketed a Sasaoka delivery into the centerfield seats and it was 5-2 Yomiuri.

     In the ninth, Yomiuri acquired it's final tally when pinch hitter Yoshinori Murata walked and Nioka singled to right one out later. Abe then seared a double to rightcenter and Murata hustled home to make it 6-2 Giants.

     Tsuyoshi Jobe was assigned the closer's duty in the ninth and, after being touched for a single to center by Ogata, he struckout two and popped up another to put it in the books.

     Shimizu's third inning single was his only safety of the contest and so he finished as second all time for hits in a season in the CL.

     Matsui, who had his first five hitless plate appearances showing in 2002, ended up at .334. As part of his attempt to land Matsui, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is going to permit Bernie Williams and Jason Giambi to play in this November's NPB-NLB all star series, the first time a Yankee will have participated in one of these events since
1979.

     No foreign players batted in this game.

Pitching Lines:

Yomiuri:

J. Sakai                  IP 4.0 PC 67 H 2 HR 0 K 4 BB 3 R 2 ER 2 ERA 4.24
Sanada (W, 6-3)  IP 4.0 PC 52 H 0 HR 0 K 3 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.73
Jobe                      IP 1.0 PC 21 H 1 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.16

Hiroshima:

Sasaoka (L, 8-9) IP 5.0 PC 78 H 6 HR 1 K 3 BB 1 R 5 ER 5 ERA 3.46
Kawauchi           IP 2.0 PC 40 H 0 HR 0 K 4 BB 2 R 0 ER 0 ERA 5.73
Amano                IP 1.0 PC 19 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.23
Kawano              IP 1.0 PC 26 H 2 HR 0 K 3 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 6.43

E: Kawauchi
SB: Nishi, Takayuki Saito, Fukuchi
2B: S. Abe
HR: S. Abe (18)
RBI: T. Shimizu 2, S. Abe 4, Ogata, Kanemoto
SF: T. Shimizu

Season Series: Yomiuri 16, Hiroshima 11 1 Tie

Game Time: 2:50
Attendance: 11,000
Umpires: Kittaka (HP), Yoshimoto (1B), Tomoyori (2B), Manabe (3B)

Ishikawa Wins 11th in Toppling Yokohama 3-2

     Yakult Swallows rookie lefty Masanori Ishikawa continues to make his case for the Rookie of the Year award, as he went seven innings and allowed a mere run on six hits for his 11th victory in the Swallows 3-2 triumph Friday at Meiji Jingu Stadium. Domingo Guzman had a solid night, permitting three runs, two earned, on seven hits, but ultimately suffered his fifth kuroboshi.

     Yakult seized the upper hand in the bottom of the first, as centerfielder Atsunori Inaba doubled to left and shortstop Yoshiyuki Noguchi singled to right to usher Inaba in. Yokohama rightfielder Boi Rodrigues air mailed the relay over the head of catcher Takeshi Nakamura and Noguchi sped to third before the ball was finally coralled. First baseman Roberto Petagine flew out to center and Noguchi tagged up and made a beeline for the plate for a 2-0 Swallows lead.

     The Stars shaved a run off of that disadvantage in the fourth, as first baseman Takahiro Saeki pounded a double off the leftfield wall and, one out later, scored on a single to right by second baseman Hitoshi Taneda to make it 2-1 Yakult.

     Inaba, though, would push his side back up by a pair in the seventh. Second baseman Noriyuki Shiroishi leadoff with a single to left and was sacrificed to second. One out later, Inaba torqued one through the leftcenter gap and to the fence. As Shiroishi busted a move for home, Inaba made the turn at second and headed for third and slid in safely for a triple and it was 3-1 Swallows.

     In the eighth, Yokohama shortstop Takuro Ishii throttled an offering from Hirotoshi Ishii, who was clocked at 96mph in this one, and deposited it in the leftfield bleachers to bring the Stars within 3-2. The lefthanded setup man then brought the curtain down by striking out the last two men he faced in a perfect ninth to secure the W for Yakult.

     For Yokohama, Rodrigues was 2-4 with an error and is at .260.

     For Yakult, Petagine was 0-1 with two walks and an RBI and is at .321. Leftfielder Alex Ramirez was 1-4 and is at .298. Brazilian rightfielder Yuichi Matsumoto was 1-4 and is at .250.

Pitching Lines:

Yokohama:

Guzman (L, 5-5)  IP 7.0 PC 100 H 7 HR 0 K 2 BB 1 R 3 ER 2 ERA 2.79
Fukumori            IP 1.0 PC   19 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.02

Yakult:

Masanori Ishikawa (W, 11-9)IP 7.0 PC 97 H 6 HR 0 K 3 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.38
H. Ishii (S, 3)                            IP 2.0 PC 46 H 2 HR 1 K 5 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 1.55

E: Rodrigues
2B: Inaba, Ramirez, Iwamura, Saeki
3B: Inaba
HR: T. Ishii (7)
RBI: T. Ishii, Taneda, Inaba, Noguchi, Petagine

Season Series: Yakult 16, Yokohama 9 1 Tie

Game Time: 2:40
Attendance: 6,000
Umpires: Shikida (HP), Sasaki (1B), Arisumi (2B), Ino (3B)

May Three Run Homer Highlights Lotte Victory Over Nippon Ham

     Gazing at their fourth place standing in the Pacific League race, it is easy to forget that they have won the season series against three of the circuit's other five ballclubs and that they have a winning record at home. But the Daiei Hawks and Seibu Lions have sliced and diced Lotte and thus the second division finish. Tonight's tilt, though, was against the Nippon Ham Fighters, who Lotte has owned in 2002, and DH Derrick May mashed a first inning three run homer to guide his team to a 5-3 victory Friday at Chiba Marine Stadium. Kosuke Kato earned his tenth win with seven innings of two run ball on seven hits, striking out eight and walking two.

     Hayato Nakamura started for Nippon Ham and surrendered five first inning runs, three of them earned, on seven hits to accept his 11th defeat. Five of those knocks were in the first as well. Unfortunately, whatever adjustment he made came too late to help his cause. He has lost six in a row.

     As pointed out above, Lotte went on a rampage to snatch a lead it would never relinquish in the first. With one down, shortstop Makoto Kosaka walked and first baseman Kazuya Fukuura singled to right. May then decimated a Nakamura delivery and thudded it into the rightcenterfield seats to make it 3-0. Second baseman Koichi Hori tapped one to third baseman Kuniyuki Kimoto, who kicked it. Rightfielder Takashi Tachikawa singled to left. One out later, catcher Masaumi Shimizu lasered a shot off the centerfield fence for a two run double and a 5-0 Lotte advantage.

     Nippon Ham got off the shnide in the fifth when catcher Kazunari Sanematsu singled to center, as did centerfielder Hichori Morimoto, and both were advanced on a sac bunt. Second baseman  Hiroshi Narahara flew out to center and it was 5-1 Lotte.

     The following inning, the Fighters narrowed the gap a bit more when leftfielder Yukio Tanaka walked and, one out later, Kimoto singled to center. Rightfielder Yutaka Nakamura lashed a shot into the leftcenter alley and Tanaka scored easily to shrink the disparity to 5-2. Kato struckout the next two men to ensure that Nippon Ham wouldn't really get a fire burning.

     In the eighth, Tanaka commenced things with a triple to right and, one out later, pinch hitter Shinji Takahashi grounded to third. Tanaka, running on contact, slid into home while Kiyoshi Hatsushiba went over to first for the out and it was 5-3 Lotte.

     Lotte closer Masahide Kobayashi jogged in and while it took him 15 pitches, he retired the side in order for his 36th save and the Lotte victory.

     For Lotte, May was 1-4 with three RBIs and two strikeouts and is at .273.

Pitching Lines:

Nippon Ham:

H. Nakamura (L, 7-11)  IP 7.0 PC 102 H 7 HR 1 K 4 BB 2 R 5 ER 3 ERA 4.26
Ko. Yamaguchi             IP 0.1 PC     7 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.50
Ejiri                                 IP 0.2 PC     6 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 5.40

Lotte:

K. Kato (W, 10-15)      IP 7.0 PC 111 H 7 HR 0 K 8 BB 2 R 2 ER 2 ERA 4.59
H. Kobayashi               IP 0.1 PC     7 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 2.77
T. Kawai                        IP 0.2 PC    7 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.76
M. Kobayashi (S, 36)  IP 1.0 PC  15 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.86

E: Kimoto
SB: Morozumi
2B: Masaumi Shimizu, T. Nakamura
3B: Y. Tanaka
HR: May (23)
RBI: Narahara, S. Takahashi, T. Nakamura, May 3, Masaumi Shimizu 2
SF: Narahara
GIDP: Imae, Hori

Season Series: Nippon Ham 9, Lotte 18

Game Time: 2:41
Attendance: 6,000
Umpires: Tsugawa (HP), Nakamura (1B), Yamazaki (2B), Tachibana (3B)

Showalter New Rangers Manager; Hillman to Leave for Japan

     See Fort worth Star-Telegram article at: http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/sports/4260800.htm

Steinbrenner Makes Concessions for Matsui

     In the past, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner wouldn't allow his players to participate in MLB all star matches in Japan due to injury concern. That just changed: http://www.nypost.com/sports/yankees/23259.htm

Ferguson Jenkins Named Commissioner for New Canadian League

     See Montreal Gazette article at:  http://www.canada.com/montreal/sports/story.asp?id=%7BA7C3BAB4-6041-4966-B715-5412F86EF16D%7D

(note: you may have to copy and paste the URL into your browser).

Taiwan's Best Baseball Strategists Set for Showdown

     See Taipei Times story at: http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2002/10/11/story/0000175351

Today in Japanese Baseball History

     This report is for October 11th and on that date in Japanese baseball history in 1961, Nishitetsu Lions hurler Kazuhisa Inao picked up his 42nd win of the year to match the Yomiuri Giants' Victory Starfin's 1939 record.

     Also on that date in 1976, Sadaharu Oh passed up Babe Ruth with his 715th lifetime homer in a game against Hanshin.

October 10, 2002

No Homer From Cabrera, as Suzuki Three Run Blast Powers Seibu

     While there was some controversy over an intentional walk to Seibu Lions first baseman Alex Cabrera, seeking a record 56th homer, in the ninth inning of last night's wingding at Kobe Green Stadium against the Orix Blue Wave, there was none Thursday. Unfortunately, there was also nothing leaving the yard off of the slugging Venezuelan's bat, as he singled and struckout twice in five at bats. One of the problem's is that like Alfonso Soriano and Vladimir Guerrero, he is so geared up to hit the heater out that he allowed a hanging curve ball from Takashi Aiki to go by in the fifth. Aiki told reporters that he was glad he got that ball back.

     So if your big bopper isn't going to etch his name in history, the least you could do is win the game anyway, and that is what the Lions did, as third baseman Ken Suzuki blasted a second inning three run homer to back a superlative outing from starter Hsu Ming-chieh, who went five innings of three hit ball (one of those was of the infield variety) in a 6-2 victory. The shiroboshi was Hsu's first in a month and a half.

     Lions shortstop Kazuo Matsui kicked off the game with a single to left and went to second on a sac bunt. Centerfielder Kazuhiko Miyaji singled to center and Matsui blazed across the plate to make it 1-0 Seibu. Cabrera then flew out to right.

     Orix came back to tie in the home portion, as centerfielder Koji Takamizawa leadoff with a double to center and went to third on a sacrifice. DH Yoshitomo Tani grounded to short and it was 1-1.

     Seibu then rocked Orix starter Hisashi Ogura. DH Taisei Takagi walked and leftfielder Susumu Otomo singled to right. Suzuki dug in and crushed an Ogura offering into the rightfield seats. Catcher Kosuke Noda singled to left. Second baseman Hiroyuki Takagi singled to right. One out later, rightfielder Tatsuya Ozeki singled to right and Hiroyuki Takagi came around to make it 5-1 Lions.

     Koji Mitsui took the mound for Seibu in the sixth and scattered three hits in three innings. In the meantime, the Lions threw another run up on the big board. Matsui leadoff with a double to rightcenter and went to third on a groundout. Seibu manager Haruki Ihara didn't want to give Orix boss Hiromichi Ishige any excuse to walk Cabrera, so he ordered up a squeeze bunt from Miyaji, who did as he was told and it was 6-1. Rui Makino was summoned from the bullpen and he delivered a 92mph fastball right down broadway to Cabrera. Cabrera mashed it, but he didn't lift it and it went for a line single to left.

     In the ninth and with Jun Hagiwara, who also throws in the low 90's, on the hill, Cabrera struckout. He is now homerless in his last 19 at bats. Seibu reliever Yoshihiro Doi then mosied in to fashion a perfect inning to turn out the lights.

     Orix has lost 22 games against the Tokorozawa contingent. The last time they had dropped so many contests to one club was in 1961, when they did it against the Nankai Hawks.

     The normally light hitting Miyaji has benefited enourmously from the focus on Cabrera's record chase,. as he has gone 7-14 with two walks since Cabrera hammered his 55th.

     For Seibu, third baseman Tom Evans walked in his only plate appearance after being put in as a defensive substitute and is at .252.

Pitching Lines:

Seibu:

Hsu (W, 9-7)  IP 5.0 PC 74 H 3 HR 0 K 3 BB 3 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.65
Mitsui             IP 3.0 PC 60 H 3 HR 0 K 2 BB 2 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.15
Doi                  IP 1.0 PC 15 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.70

Orix:

Ogura (L, 7-4)        IP 2.1 PC 43 H 7 HR 1 K 0 BB 1 R 5 ER 5 ERA 3.50
T. Kawaguchi        IP 2.0 PC 35 H 1 HR 0 K 3 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.45
Aiki                         IP 1.1 PC 24 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 5.05
Y. Ogawa                IP 1.0 PC 18 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 5.40
Makino                   IP 0.0 PC   5 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.91
T. Yamamoto          IP 0.2 PC 15 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.21
J. Hagiwara             IP 1.2 PC 33 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 2 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.64

E: M. Shiozaki
2B: Takamizawa, Otomo, K. Matsui
HR: K. Suzuki (5)
RBI: Ozeki, Miyaji 2, K. Suzuki 3, M. Shiozaki, Tani
GIDP: M. Shiozaki

Season Series: Seibu 22, Orix 6

Game Time: 3:16
Attendance: 12,000
Umpires: Fujimoto (HP), Hayashi (2B), Sugimoto (2B), Tamba (3B)

Matsui Becomes First Giant Since Oh to 50 in 5-3 Victory

     Similar to what Norihiro Nakamura did at Osaka Dome a few days ago, Yomiuri Giants centerfielder Hideki Matsui, if he is indeed going to cross the Pacific to play for the Yankees, gave his fans something to remember in his team's last match at Tokyo Dome Thursday, as he homered twice to become the eighth man in Japanese history to reach 50 circuit clouts in a campaign and the second Giant since Sadaharu Oh in 1977 to do it while in that club's uniform. Hiromitsu Ochiai, who twice surpassed that mark, did it while a member of the Lotte Orions before moving to Yomiuri later on. Godzilla's heroics enabled the Giants to beat the crosstown rival Yakult Swallows 5-3.

     Chunichi Dragons rightfielder Kosuke Fukudome is friends with Swallows lefthander Shugo Fujii and asked Fujii to shut Matsui down so that Fukudome can clinch the batting crown. It didn't quite work that way, though. Giants shortstop Tomohiro Nioka singled with one out in the first and one out later, the lefthanded hitting Matsui (George King at the NY Post might want to make a note of that since he erroneously reported that Godzilla hit righthanded) jacked a Fujii delivery into the leftfield seats for a 2-0 Giants lead. That was Matsui's sixth longball of 2002 off of Fujii. You can see a pic of the swing on that shot at: http://www.nikkansports.com/news/baseball/bb-021011-4.jpg

     Yakult second baseman Noriyuki Shiroishi bashed one off of Yusaku Iriki in the top of the third into the leftfield stands to halve that advantage to 2-1.

     However, the Giants doubled down to grab that one back, as leftfielder Takayuki Shimizu doubled into the rightfield corner for his 190th hit of the season, just two off of former Yokohama Bay Star infielder Bobby Rose's Central League record. Nioka then carromed one off the centerfield wall to usher in Shimizu for a 3-1 Giants edge.

     John Wasdin ascended the hill in the eighth for Yomiuri and the Swallows evened the game. Catcher Tomohito Yoneno singled to right and pinch hitter Atsuya Furuta whistled one down the rightfield lin for a double and was pinch run for by Munehiro Shida. Centerfielder Atsunori Inaba singled to right to redeem both Yoneno and Furuta to make it 3-3.

     Ryota Igarashi relieved Fujii in the bottom of the inning and he was promptly greeted by Nioka socking one of his pitches into the centerfield seats. One out later, Matsui got jammed on a fastball and popped it up. However, Yoneno had difficulty locating the ball and it fell to the turf without anyone getting a glove on it. Matsui then torched a sixth pitch 1-2 fastball that was up and on the outer half of the plate and lined it more than 420 feet into the leftcenterfield bleachers to put his team ahead 5-3. He is within four points of Fukudome, who only played a couple of innings as a defensive replacement, and will need to go 4-5 to pass him in his final game of the year. You can see a pic of the pass he made at Igarashi's heater at: http://www.sanspo.com/baseball/top/bt200210/image/02101101matuiNK230A10.jpg

     Takashi Kamoshida, 18, who was in a high schoolers uniform this time last year rather than a pro baseballer's, worked a 1-2-3 ninth to become the first ever rookie fresh out of secondary school to post a save for Japan's most famous nine.

     Giants starter Masumi Kuwata won the ERA title today, as Kenshin Kawakami got lit up against the Hanshin Tigers to fall to second. The veteran righthander last won an ERA crown for Yomiuri in 1987.

     Yakult is seeking more  pitching depth and have invited nine hurlers who had been released the last couple of weeks to tryout for a spot in the organization.

     Kazuhiro Takeda, 37, started for Yomiuri in his retirement game and induced a flyout to right by Inaba leading off the first before passing the ball to Iriki. Takeda is just one of three pitchers to have beaten all 12 pro clubs. His knees, though, won't let him go any further and he decided to hang 'em up.

     Korean righthander Cho Shing-min, who turned down a deal from the L.A. Dodgers to sign an eight year contract with Yomiuri, asked out of the final season of that pact due to chronic elbow problems. Cho was once able to throw easy 95mph gas, going 7-6 with a 2.75 ERA in 15 games in 1998, but he blew his elbow out during an all star game that season and now wants to concentrate on rehabbing the wounded wing. He finishes his Japanese career with an 11-10 record and 11 saves.

     For Yakult, first baseman Roberto Petagine was 0-4 with two strikeouts. He may have lost a homer in the fourth when he launched a high drive to right that struck the roof and came down in the mit of rightfielder Yoshinobu Takahashi for an out. He is at .322. Leftfielder Alex Ramirez was 2-4 and is at .299. Brazilian rightfielder Yuichi Matsumoto was 0-4 and is at .250.

Pitching Lines:

Yakult:

S. Fujii                      IP 7.0 PC 116 H 5 HR 1 K 10 BB 2 R 3 ER 3 ERA 3.08
R. Igarashi (L, 8-2)  IP 1.0 PC   26 H 3 HR 2 K  1 BB 0 R 2 ER 2 ERA 2.13

Yomiuri:

Takeda                        IP 0.1 PC   4 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.22
Y. Iriki                          IP 6.2 PC 85 H 4 HR 1 K 9 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.05
Wasdin                       IP 0.1 PC 13 H 3 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 2 ER 2 ERA 4.54
Kashiwada (W, 1-0)  IP 0.2 PC   5 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
Kamoshida (S, 1)       IP 1.0 PC 12 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00

SB: T. Suzuki
2B: T. Shimizu, Nioka, Ramirez, Furuta
HR: H. Matsui 2 (50), Shiroishi (6), Nioka (24)
RBI: Inaba, Iwamura, Shiroishi, Nioka 2, H. Matsui 3,
SF: Iwamura

Season Series: Yakult 10, Yomiuri 18

Game Time: 2:53
Attendance: 55,000
Umpires: Honda (HP), Kamimoto (1B), T. Kobayashi (2B), Sasaki (3B)

Arias Homers Twice in Yabu 7-0 Shutout of Dragons

     Hanshin Tigers righthander Keiichi Yabu registered his first season in four years in which he has won at least ten games, as, backed by a pair of homers from first baseman George Arias, he threw a complete game five hitter against the Chunichi Dragons Thursday at Koshien Stadium before easily the Tigers smallest crowd of the season. The final was 7-0.

     Kenshin Kawakami started fot the Dragons and had one of those days, as he will conclude the schedule with a 2.35 ERA in the wake of being bullied for four runs, three earned, in 5.2 innings to cede the ERA crown to Giants righty Masumi Kuwata. More ominously, however, is that Kawakami reportedly is experiencing some pain in his shoulder.

     Hanshin obtained theonly tally it would need in the first, as centerfielder Norihiro Akahoshi walked and then sprinted home on a triple into the rightcenter gap by rightfielder Shinjiro Hiyama for a 1-0 lead.

     The Tigers then expanded on that in the third when Akahoshi whizzed one down the leftfield line for a double and stole third. He then got up and busted for home when catcher Fumihiro Suzuki's throw went into leftfield and it was 2-0 Hanshin.

     In the sixth, Arias leadoff by getting real gone to rightcenter. One out later, shortstop Shuta Tanaka doubled down the rightfield line and went to third on a groundout. Yabu singled to center and Hanshin was solidly in control at 4-0.

     Next time up, Akahoshi got aboard on an error by shortstop Hirokazu Ibata. Hiyama singled to right and Akahoshi motored to third. Leftfielder Osamu Hamanaka flied to right and Akahoshi tagged and scored. Arias then cannonaded one deep into the leftfield bleachers and it was 7-0 Tigers.

     Yabu put the last six men away in order to wrap it up.

     Arias went 2-3 with a walk, a steal, and three RBIs. He has 32 homers and yet Hanshin is uncertain as to whether they will bring him back for 2003. I'm not sure where Hanshin thinks it's going to get that kind of power and RBI production. Nobody else on the roster is even close to his numbers. It's not going to come from Atsushi Kataoka. If Hanshin does manage to lure Norihiro Nakamura, they will still need a first baseman.
With everyone pursuing Roberto Petagine, Hanshin, with its less than competent front office and a jerkoff as a manager, is hardly an attractive ballclub for the former Phillie.

Pitching Lines:

Chunichi:

Kawakami (L, 12-6) IP 5.2 PC 97 H 7 HR 1 K 1 BB 3 R 4 ER 3 ERA 2.35
Koyama                   IP 0.1 PC   2 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.63
Hiramatsu               IP 2.0 PC 32 H 2 HR 1 K 1 BB 1 R 3 ER 3 ERA 7.56

Hanshin:

Yabu (W, 10-6)  IP 9.0 PC 130 H 5 HR 0 K 9 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.14

E: Morino, F. Suzuki, Okihara
SB: Akahoshi 2, Hiyama, Arias
2B: Araki, Akahoshi, S. Tanaka
3B: Hiyama
HR: Arias  2 (32)
RBI: Hiyama, Hamanaka, Arias 3, Yabu
SF: Hamanaka

Season Series: Chunichi 15, Hanshin 10 2 Tie

Game Time: 2:30
Attendance: 16,000
Umpires: Shimada (HP), Watamari (1B), Nemoto (2B), Tani (3B)

Powell Shelled in 8-4 Loss to Lotte

     Jeremy Powell was looking to be tops in all of Japanese pro ball with 18 wins, but he didn't get it thanks to being cuffed around for eight runs, seven earned, in 6.1 innings, as the Kintetsu Buffaloes were drubbed by the Chiba Lotte Marines Thursday at Chiba Marine Stadium 8-4.

     Shingo Ono started for Lotte and was barely good enough, as he was charged with four runs (one earned) on seven hits in six innings for his fourth victory. Three relievers combined for three innings of two hit ball to keep the Buffs lineup from catching fire.

     Lotte was the fastest with the first, as DH Derrick May leadoff the second inning with a scorcher into the rightfield corner for two bases and then went to third on a single to right by Koichi Hori. Third baseman Kiyoshi Hatsushiba singled to left to score May and it was 1-0.

     Kintetsu, though, was the recipient of some bad fielding by Lotte in the third and it was they who were on top before it was over. Centerfielder Naoyuki Omura singled to center. DH Kenshi Kawaguchi grounded to Hori, who booted it. One out later, with leftfielder Tuffy Rhodes at the plate, Ono threw a third pitch wild pitch and the runners moved up. Rhodes then hit a bouncer to first baseman Kazuya Fukuura, who attempted to go to the plate with it, but it was late and it was dead even at 1-1. Third baseman Norihiro Nakamura whiffed, but first baseman Yuji Yoshioka spanked one into center and Kawaguchi strutted in to make it 2-1 Buffs.

     Powell hit Lotte centerfielder Saburo Omura in the bottom of the third. Lotte didn't put any runs on the big board in that frame, but you will see why it was important later on.

     In the fifth, Naoyuki Omura leadoff with a single to left to catalyze another Buffs rally. He went to second on a groundout. Second baseman Eiji Mizuguchi singled to right. Rhodes flew out to center for a sac fly while Mizuguchi advanced to second on the throw home. Nakamura singled to center to turn in Mizuguchi and it was 4-1 Kintetsu.

     Powell, though, had no staying power in this one and Lotte quickly caught up. Catcher Masaumi Shimizu singled to center. Two popouts later, leftfielder Kenji Morizumi singled to center. Fukuura smoked one into the leftcenter alley and all the way to the wall, which gave both Shimizu and Morozumi time to gallop in. May singled to right and it was a deadlock at 4-4.

     Lotte then sleazed into a lead in the sixth when Shimizu singled to center, shortstop Makoto Kosaka singled to right and backup leftfielder Hiromi Oho, a fifth year player with less than 30 lifetime at bats, collected his first pro RBI when he rifled a slider on the inner half of the plate down the rightfield line for a double to make it 5-4 home team.

     Things then got massively ugly in the seventh. Fukuura commenced the inning with an infield hit. One out later, Powell plunked Hori. He also nailed Hatsushiba and the benches emptied and we had ourselves a donnybrook. Powell got in several punches to the face of Lotte batting coach Norihito Yamashita and was ejected. Now with the bases loaded, Daisuke Miyamoto was called in to spell Powell and rightfielder Takashi Tachikawa flew out to left to get Fukuura in. Shimizu ripped a hot down the rightfield line for a two run double and it was now 8-4.

     Curiously though, despite the Buffs apparent outrage at Powell hitting three of their players, Lotte never retaliated even though Brian Sikorsky could have put a major hurt on someone with a 93mph fastball. So that's how it concluded, an 8-4 Lotte triumph.

     With the defeat, Powell missed a chance to tie for most victories by a foreign pitcher in a season since Hanshin's Gene Bacque racked up 18 35 years ago.

     Oho displayed the difference between Japanese thinking and that of Americans, as he missed his 87 year old grandmother's funeral on October eighth because Lotte had a game.

     For Lotte, May was 2-5 with an RBI and is at .273.

     For Kintetsu, Rhodes was 2-4 with two RBIs and a steal and is at .272. The two runs batted him also put him at the summit of the Pacific League ahead of Alex Cabrera.

Pitching Lines:

Kintetsu:

Powell (L, 17-10) IP 6.1 PC 135 H 12 HR 0 K 3 BB 4 R 8 ER 7 ERA 3.78
D. Miyamoto       IP 0.2 PC     8 H  1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.11
S. Yamamoto       IP 1.0 PC   15 H  1 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.41

Lotte:

S. Ono (W, 4-8)  IP 6.0 PC 110 H 7 HR 0 K 5 BB 2 R 4 ER 1 ERA 3.61
T. Kawai             IP 0.2 PC   13 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.78
Sikorsky              IP 1.1 PC   29 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.44
H. Kobayashi     IP 1.0 PC     4 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.66

E: Rhodes, T.T. Maeda, Hori
SB: Rhodes, S. Omura, Kosaka
2B: May, Hori, Fukuura 2, Oho, Masaumi Shimizu
RBI: Rhodes 2, Nakamura, Yoshioka, Oho, Fukuura 2, Hatsushiba, Tachikawa,
Masaumi Shimizu 2, May
SF: Rhodes, Tachikawa
WP: S. Ono
HBP: S. Omura (Powell), Hori (Powell), Hatsushiba (Powell)
GIDP: Tachikawa

Season Series: Kintetsu 12, Lotte 14

Game Time: 3:24
Attendance: 7,000
Umpires: Akimura (HP), Yamamoto (1B), Kawaguchi (2B), Yanagida (3B)

Will Media, Management Give Hillman a Chance in Japan?

     Dan Latham at the Japan Times ponders that question at: http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getsp.pl5?sb20021011a2.htm

Contreras May Be Forced into Draft

     I would feel sorry for him if he ends up in Tampa Bay. He might decide to go back to Cuba. Anyway, see ESPN article at:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2002/1010/1443935.html

Contreras Interests Mets

     See North Jersey.com article at: http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?level_3_id=112&page=5260238

Taiwanese Baseball Fan and Legislator Under Attack for Going to Game

     See Taipei Times story at: http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2002/10/10/story/0000171380

Yankees Wang: Expect More Taiwanese in MLB and Japan

     See Japan Today article at: http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=6&id=234032

Korea Just Too Strong for Taiwan

     See Taipei Times story at: http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2002/10/10/story/0000171370

Today in Japanese Baseball History

     This report is for October 13th and on that date in Japanese baseball history in 1969, Masaichi Kaneda, who started his career with the Kokutetsu Swallows before moving on to the Yomiuri Giants, registered his 400th victory. He is the all time wins leader in Japanese annals.

     Also on that date in 1943, pitcher Takehiko Bessho, who had  signed contracts with both Nankai and Yomiuri, was ruled to belong to Nankai. He did eventually move to Yomiuri in 1949. For his career, he went 310-178 with a 2.18 ERA. He was a .254 lifetime hitter with 35 homers and was often used as a pinch hitter. His finest campaign with the stick? That would be in 1950 with the Giants, when he posted a .344 mark with four homers and 28 RBIs. He also struckout just six times in 151 at bats. He only had 180 Ks in 1972 total at bats. Mike Hampton had nothing on this guy.

     Also on that date in 1967, Yomiuri Giants righthander Tsuneo Horiuchi tossed a no hitter against the Hiroshima Carp at Korakuen Stadium. He also homered three times in the game for the greatest day any pro pitcher has ever had anywhere.Horiuchi had a total of 21 homers in his 18 season career while batting .172. He had four homers (a lifetime best that he tied in 1974)  that season and drove in 12 runs while batting .241.
 
 

Cabrera Still Driving 55 in Seibu Victory Over Orix

     Perhaps trying too hard and muscling up in order to break the 55 homer barrier, Seibu Lions first baseman Alex Cabrera just missed driving the ball out in the third inning, getting it off the end of the bat and seeing it misujudged by centerfielder Koji Takamizawa at the warning track for a gift double. Then he popped up on a fastball that was up and in his wheelhouse in the fifth. Make no mistake about it, the former Diamondback is feeling the pressure.

     But even with their big bopper basically on a one man quest right now, the Lions still managed to prevail in this game, as starter Fumiya Nishiguchi rang up his 15th victory of the season and the 100th of his career Wednesday at Kobe Green Stadium by a 4-1 margin.

     Hidetaka Kawagoe, who has been awful the second half of the schedule, started for Orix and indeed was terrible, as he surrendered four runs on 11 hits in five innings to absorb his 15th loss. However, to the disappointment of even his club;s own fans, he kept Cabrera in the ballpark.

     Orix went out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, as Takmizawa steamed one down the leftfield line for a double and DH Yoshitomo Tani singled to right. First baseman Yuji Goshima lifted a sac fly to center and Takamizawa tagged and scored.

     Seibu, though, made that upended that advantage and siezed an edge in the third. With one down, shortstop Kazuo Matsui walked and went to second on a groundout.Centerfielder Kazuhiko Miyaji singled to center and Matsui sped around to knot it at one all. Cabrera then drove a deep fly ball that fooled Takamizawa and it bounced into the seats for a ground rule double. Both runners came around on a subsequent single to right by DH Taisei Takagi to make it 3-1 Lions.

     In the fourth, Kawagoe couldn't get the third out until he was dented again. With one away, catcher Kosuke Noda singled to center and went to second on a groundout. Matsui singled to center and Noda wheeled in for a 4-1 Lions lead.

     Nishiguchi kept Orix pretty quiet after the first and handed the ball over to Koji Mitsui in the eighth, who immediately got himself into a big jam. With one away, pinch hitter Ryota Aikawa pinged a shot off the rightfield wall for a double. Ledtfielder Manabu Satake singled to right. But second baseman Tatsuya Shindo struckout and pinch hitter Daisuke Hayakawa fouled out to first and the inning was at an end.

     Cabrera was the fourth scheduled hitter of the ninth and the fans hoped that he would get one more chance at history. Matsui struckout against reliever Yusuke Ogawa. Pinch hitter Tom Evans singled to left. Lions manager Haruki Ihara, wanting to prevent a possible double play so that Cabrera could bat, ordered Miyaji to sacrifice, which he did. That brought up Cabrera and Orix boss Hiromichi Ishige ordered that the big Venezuelan be walked. The crowd in the stands went apoplectic, and showered the field with plastic bottles and other debris, causing the game to be interrupted for five minutes. This didn't deter Ishige and amid loud booing, Cabrera got four wide ones. Pinch hitter Toshiaki Inubushi flew out to right and that was that. Admittedly, Ishige gave Cabrera four chances to light up the scoreboard, but this was a meaningless game in terms of what it would mean in the standings and so he should have pitched to Cabrera.

     Kiyoshi Toyoda came on and allowed an infield hit before retiring the next three men in order for his 43rd save point, a new Pacific League record.

     Ihara was incensed at the intentional walk, saying that there were maybe ten fans who had come to see the game itself while the rest were there in the hopes that Cabrera would best the old homer mark. Ishige replied that he wanted to win the game and that since first base was open, the situation dictated that Cabrera be walked.

     Nishiguchi became the 118th hurler in Japanese history to reach triple figures in shiroboshi.

     The two teams will meet again Thursday.

     For Seibu, Cabrera went 1-4 with two strikeouts and a walk and is at .338. Evans was 1-1 and is at .252.

Pitching Lines:

Seibu:

Nishiguchi (W, 15-10) IP 7.0 PC 132 H 6 HR 0 K 5 BB 4 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.51
Mitsui                           IP 1.0 PC    26 H 2 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.15
Toyoda (S, 37)             IP 1.0 PC   12 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.80

Orix:

Kawagoe (L, 3-15)  IP 5.0 PC 94 H 11 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 4 ER 4 ERA 4.92
T. Kawaguchi         IP 1.0 PC 17 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.00
Makino                    IP 2.0 PC 30 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.91
Y. Ogawa                 IP 0.2 PC 14 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00
J. Hagiwara             IP 0.1 PC   4 H 0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.71

SB: Otomo
2B: Takamizawa, Cabrera, Ryota Aikawa
RBI: K. Matsui, Miyaji, T. Takagi 2, Goshima
SF: Goshima
IBB: Cabrera
GIDP: M. Satake

Season Series: Seibu 21, Orix 6

Game time: 3:22
Attendance: 16,000
Umpires: Yamamura (HP), Kakigizono (1B), Nagami (2B), Higashi (3B)

Nakamura, Yoshioka Two Run Homers Unravel Lotte 9-1

     Chiba Lotte Marines starter Nathan Minchey went out to the mound Wednesday seeking a career high 16th victory, but instead he got hammered for seven runs in 7.1 innings on 11 hits, including Kintetsu Buffaloes third baseman Norihiro Nakamura's 40th bomb of the year, in a 9-1 loss to the Osaka team. Nakamura also raised his average to .292 with a 2-3 night.

     Yasunari Takagi started for Kintetsu and continues to pitch well, going six innings of five hit, one run ball with seven strikeouts and one walk to earn his third win. If Takagi can reproduce this next season, they would have a first three of Jeremy Powell, Hisashi Iwakuma and Takagi and Akira Okamoto can close, so manager Masataka Nashida would have to feel pretty good about that. If they do add Ed Yarnell, that would give them a strong fourth starter. Now the question is, can they somehow hang on to Nakamura and will Tuffy Rhodes produce again as he has this season and last?

     Kintetsu blasted their way into the lead and never looked back, as in the first, DH Kenshi Kawaguchi leadoff with a single to center and was sacrificed to second. Leftfielder Rhodes then seared a double down the rightfield line to plate Kawaguchi and to acquire a tie with Alex Cabrera for the PL lead in RBIs with 115. Minchey tried to freeze Nakamura with a big slow curve ball, but Nakamura waited on it and then punished it, lining the ball up into the mezzanine section of the leftfield seats with the wind blowing in as it always does at Chiba Marine Stadium to make it 3-0. Nakamura has four big flies in his last four games and is only four RBIs behind Cabrera himself.

     Takagi no hit Lotte for four innings until being touched for a pair of singles in the fifth, but he easily pitched out of that predicament. However, Lotte did get something off of Takagi in the sixth. With one out, second baseman Koichi Hori beat out a little bouncer. First baseman Kazuya Fukuura drilled a double off the rightfield wall. DH Derrick May singled to left and Hori crossed and it was 3-1 Buffs. That was as far as it went, though, since third baseman Kiyoshi Hatsushiba grounded into a 6-4-3 twin killing to throw cold water on a potential big inning.

     Minchey had appeared to have found his ryhthm after that first inning, permitting just four hits over the following six innings. But then he endeavored to go eight and that was a miscalculation. Second baseman Eiji Mizuguchi leadoff by crashing one off the leftfield wall. One out later, Nakamura was intentionally walked. First baseman Yuji Yoshioka grounded to Hatsushiba, who let the ball get through him and Muzuguchi toured third and home. Rightfielder Fumitoshi Takano then beat out a roller toward third to load the bases. Shortstop Tadatoki Maeda singled to center for two RBIs and catcher Akihito Fujii also went back up through the middle for another and it was 7-1 Buffs.

     Lotte loaded the bases with one down on a pair of singles and an HBP, but a popup and a strikeout did that opportunity in.

     The Buffaloes then finished this game as they began it, with some pop, as Rhodes doubled into the leftfield corner and, one out later, Yoshioka bigtimed Soichi Fujita with a shot into the leftfield bleachers to make it 9-1 and that is how it ended.

     For Lotte, May was 1-3 with a walk and an RBI and is at .272.

     For Kintetsu, Rhodes was 2-5 with an RBI and is at .271.

Pitching Lines:

Kintetsu:

Y. Takagi (W, 3-2) IP 6.0 PC 93 H 5 HR 0 K 7 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 2.47
Misawa                   IP 0.2 PC 13 H 2 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.97
A. Okamoto            IP 0.1 PC   9 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.70
T. Yoshida              IP 1.0 PC 18 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.17
D. Miyamoto         IP 1.0 PC 13 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.15

Lotte:

Minchey (L, 15-14) IP 7.1 PC 122 H 11 HR 1 K 5 BB 2 R 7 ER 6 ERA 2.85
T. Kawai                   IP 0.2 PC     5 H  0 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.81
S. Fujita                    IP 0.2 PC   25 H  4 HR 1 K 0 BB 0 R 2 ER 2 ERA 4.29
J. Kuroki                   IP 0.1 PC    4 H  0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.50

E: Heiuchi
2B: Rhodes, Fukuura, Masaumi Shimizu, Mizuguchi
3B: Rhodes
HR: N. Nakamura (40), Yoshioka (26)
RBI: Rhodes, N. Nakamura 2, Yoshioka 3, T.T. Maeda 2, A. Fujii, May
IBB: N. Nakamura
HBP: May (Yoshida)
GIDP: Yoshioka, Hatsushiba

Season Series: Kintetsu 12, Lotte 13

Game Time: 3:04
Attendance: 10,000
Umpires: Hirabayashi (HP), Tachibana (1B), Tsugawa (2B), Yamazaki (3B)

Furuki Homers Again in 5-2 Yokohama Triumph

     Yokohama Bay Stars rookie third baseman Katsuaki Furuki mashed his ninth homer of the year, good for two runs, and number one draft choice Yuji Hata tossed 6.1 excellent innings of two run ball on four hits to beat the Hiroshima Carp 5-2. Furthermore, Hata is the first Yokohama rookie to win a game right out of high school for the team since Tomokazu Ohka in 1994.

     Masayuki Hasegawa started for the Carp and had another disappointing outing, as he was done up for four runs on four hits in three innings to be saddled with the loss, his tenth.

     Yokohama slapped Hasegawa around in the first, as shortstop Takuro Ishii doubled down the rightfield line and went to third on a groundout. First baseman Takahiro Saeki singled to right to make it 1-0. Furuki got a fastball that was up and on the outer half of the plate and waylaid it into the leftfield seats for a 3-0 Stars advantage.

     Then in the third, Hasegawa struckout leftfield Kazunori Tanaka with one down, but the ball went to the backstop and Tanaka went to first. Saeki roasted one into the leftcenterfield alley and Tanaka set the controls for the heart of home plate to widen his side's lead to 4-0.

     Hata was throwing a nice little ballgame, but tired in the seventh. With one away, third baseman Takahiro Arai walked. First baseman Itsuki Asai doubled into the rightfield corner to sent Arai to third. Atsushi Kizuka relieved Hata. Catcher Kazuyoshi Kimura grounded to short to recall Arai and to get Asai over to third. Pinch hitter Kenjiro Nomura doubled off the centerfield fence to dispatch Asai homeward to make it 4-2.

     Yokohama's last run came in the eighth, when Furuki singled to center and was pinch run for by Takashi Manei, who stole second. Manei then somehow got to third (wild pitch?) and hit the dish on a groundout to second by rightfielder Boi Rodrigues and it was 5-2.

     Kazuo Fukumori was assigned closer duty and he was mugged for a single to right by Arai. Asai grounded to Manei, who booted it. But Fukumori struckout the next two hitters and second baseman Kazuki Fukuchi grounded to short and it was see you later.

     For Yokohama, Rodrigues was 0-4 and is at .258.

Pitching Lines:

Hiroshima:

Hasegawa (L, 12-10)  IP 3.0 PC 45 H 4 HR 1 K 2 BB 0 R 4 ER 4 ERA 3.88
Kawauchi                    IP 1.0 PC 21 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 5.98
Kawano                       IP 2.0 PC 35 H 1 HR 0 K 3 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 6.33
K. Kobayashi             IP 2.0 PC 37 H 1 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.18

Yokohama:

Hata (W, 1-0)       IP 6.1 PC 106 H 4 HR 0 K 4 BB 1 R 2 ER 2 ERA 3.38
Kizuka                  IP 0.2 PC      9 H 1 HR 0 K 0 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.95
Fukumori (S, 2)   IP 2.0 PC    36 H 2 HR 0 K 3 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.09

E: Hata, Manei
SB: T. Ishii, Manei
2B: T. Ishii, Saeki, Kinjo, K. Kimura, I. Asai, K. Nomura
HR: Furuki (9)
RBI: K. Kimura, K. Nomura, Saeki 2, Furuki 2

Season Series: Hiroshima 13, Yokohama 13 1 Tie

Game Time: 3:03
Attendance: 10,000
Umpires: ? (HP), Mori (1B), Kiuchi (2B), Ino (3B)

Yankees Cox on Asian Baseball Talent Pool

     See article in english language Malaysian newspaper The Star at:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2002/10/9/latest/7938ASIADAsi&sec=latest

Fear and Loathing on Home Run Record Trail

     The Yomiuri Shimbun's Jim Allen analyzes how Alex Cabrera is being pitched to (or not) in his quest to break Sadaharu Oh and  Tuffy Rhodes record: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20021010wo51.htm

     More on this subject by Jim at: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20021010wo52.htm

Almonte Makes an Ass of Himself Again

     What is up with this guy? During spring trainning, Yomiuri Giants reliever Hector Almonte, brother of Yankees infield prospect Erick Almonte, was dissatisfed with the team's practice routine, so he made a scene and is lucky they just didn't tell him to get lost. Almonte then resurrected his career after a joke of a showing in 2001 by posting a strong 2002 season. But earlier today, Almonte started whinging about being forced to do some running and proclaimed in a loud voice, "when the Japan series is over, it's goodbye to Japan and goodbye to the Giants." He then threw his hat in a trash can and stalked off.

     Yomiuri had intended to bring Almonte back for next season, but now his future in Japan is in doubt. This guy should be glad to just have a job. Now he may have blown it. Can someone please tell me what he's thinking?

Sasaki Begging Off Elbow Surgery for Bone Chips

     What an idiot. See Mariners.org story at:
http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/sea/news/sea_news.jsp?ymd=20021008&content_id=153373&vkey=news_sea&fext=.jsp

(note: you may have to paste the URL into your browser window).

Hawks Parent Company Still Dealing With Debt

     See Seattle Times article at:  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/134551082_zombiecos09.html

Japan Awarded Softball Gold Medal Thanks to Rain

     What a joke this is. See Asahi Shimbun article at:  http://www.asahi.com/english/sports/K2002100700245.html

Korea Wins Asian Games Baseball Gold Medal

     See Xinhua News article in english at: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2002-10/09/content_590417.htm

     Also, see article at: http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/2002/10/10/1034211405.htm

Mexican Billionaire Asks MLB Permission to Bid for Angels

     See San Jose Mercury News story at:  http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/4243883.htm

Contreras in San Diego

     See Baseball America article at: http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/news/contreras100802.html

Aussies Beat Japan in Women's Baseball World Series

     See St. Mary's Star (an Australian paper) article at: http://www.stmarysstar.com.au/read.asp?article=001n3032867.txt&s=sport

Barnum and Bailey's Japanese Baseball Team

     Cute little anecdote in the following article from the Alva Review-Courier:
http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=348&NewsID=373388&CategoryID=263&show=localnews&om=2

(note: you may have to paste the URL into your browser).

Today in Japanese Baseball History

     This report is for October 9th and on that date in Japanese baseball history in 1962, the Hanshin Tigers won their first pennant in 15 years while the Yomiuri Giants suffered their first second division finish since the two league system was introduced.

     Also on that date in 1969, the so-called father of Japanese pro baseball, Matsutaro Shoriki, died.

     Also on that date in 1971, Lotte Orions first baseman Shinichi Etoh locked up the PL batting title. He had won one when he was with the Chunichi Dragons, so he thus became the only man in Japanese baseball history to win hitting crowns in both leagues.
 
 
 

Cabrera Homer Record Bid Rained On

     The game scheduled between the Seibu Lions and the Orix Blue Wave at Kobe Green Stadium Tuesday was rained out. There is another game between the two clubs scheduled for Wednesday.

Takagi Throws Four Hit 4-0 Shutout at Kintetsu

     Chiba Lotte Marines centerfielder Saburo Omura slugged a first inning solo homer and a three hitters later DH Derrick May blasted a two run roundtripper and starter Koji Takagi handled it from there, tossing a six hit complete game shutout in a 4-0 victory over the Kintetsu Buffaloes Tuesday at Chiba Marine Stadium. That was Takagi's first shutout since he was with Yakult in 1999.

     Hisashi Iwakuma started for the Buffaloes and he was tattooed for all four runs in 1.2 innings on six hits and was hung with his seventh loss.

     Omura got things off to a rousing beginning for Lotte by leading off the bottom of the first with a drive into the leftfield seats for an instant 1-0 lead. Leftfielder Kenji Morozumi singled to center and went to second on ground ball. May then hammered a shot into the rightfield bleachers to make it 3-0.

     Kintetsu made a little noise in the second when third baseman Norihiro Nakamura singled to left and first baseman Yuji Yoshioka singled to right. But rightfielder Fumitoshi Takano grounded into a 6-4-3 double play and shortstop Tadatoki Maeda flied out to left to end the inning. Takagi, who is on his fourth ballclub, had only one other mild threat later on and he cruised the rest of the way.

     Lotte then got after it again in the bottom of the frame, as rightfielder Takashi Tachikawa walked and, one out later, shortstop Makoto Kosaka doubled down the leftfield line. Omura singled to right and Tachikawa jogged in for a 4-0 advantage. It got really dull after that, as both offenses pretty much going into a deep sleep until it was finally over. This was only the fourth time that Kintetsu had been shutout this season.

     Kintetsu manager Masataka Nashida expressed interest in acquiring Ed Yarnell, who was recently released by Orix. Yarnell would be the replacement for Sean Bergman, who was cut loose by the Buffs after being dogged by a shoulder problem.

     But the thing they are most focused on is keeping Nakamura on the club and to that end they are making him a firm offer of six years with a total base of $29 million (just under $5 million a year) with a $4 million signing bonus and another $1.25 million a season in incentives to bring the potential worth of that contract to $38 million.  However, Hanshin is apparently prepared to go on a mad spending spree, as the parent railway firm is reportedly willing to part with whatever cash is necessary to scoop the burly slugger up as well as perhaps two other high profile free agents.

     For Kintetsu, leftfielder Tuffy Rhodes was 1-4 and is at .269.

     For Lotte, May was 2-4 with two RBIs and is at .272.

Pitching Lines:

Kintetsu:

Iwakuma (L, 8-7) IP 1.2 PC 48 H 6 HR 2 K 2 BB 1 R 4 ER 4 ERA 3.75
S. Yamamoto       IP 3.0 PC 38 H 3 HR 0 K 2 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 2.48
Fujisaki                IP 1.1 PC 13 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.42
T. Matsumoto    IP 2.0 PC 24 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 0.00

Lotte:

K. Takagi (W, 3-2) IP 9.0 PC 118 H 6 HR 0 K 5 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 3.32

2B: Kosaka
HR: S. Omura (8), May (22)
RBI: S. Omura 2, May 2
GIDP: Takano, Hori

Season Series: Kintetsu 11, Lotte 13

Game Time: 2:29
Attendance: 10,000
Umpires: Yanagida (HP), Kawaguchi (1B), Sakaemura (2B), Yamamoto (3B)

Yakult Edges Dragons 4-2

     Yakult Swallows first baseman Roberto Petagine crushed his 40th homer of the year in the seventh and Hiroki Hongo bashed a two run triple in the fourth while Hirotoshi Maeda, Hirotoshi Ishii and Ryota Ishii followed struggling starter Yataro Sakamoto with five superb innings of one hit relief to roll to a 4-2 victory against the Chunichi Dragons Tuesday at Meiji Jingu Stadium. Dragons rightfielder Kosuke Fukudome, leading Giants centerfielder Hideki Matsui by six points in the Central League batting race, didn't start due to a supposedly hurt elbow and then was sent in for two innings, but didn't get a plate appearance.

     The Dragons blew a scoring opportunity in the second, as third baseman Masahiko Morino leadoff with a single to right and Sakamoto plunked catcher Nakano. Rightfielder Kenji Makuta singled to center to load the bases. But Sakamoto fanned the next two hitters and shortstop Hirokazu Ibata flew to right and Sakamoto had wriggled out of the predicament.

     Sakamoto did get dented, though, in the third. Second baseman Masahiro Araki beat out a roller toward third. Two outs later, Morino walked and Eiichi Nakano beat out a bouncer toward short to pack the sacks. Makuda singled to center and both Araki and Morino crossed to make it 2-0 Dragons.

     Yakult halved that deficit in the home segment, as shortstop Yoshiyuki Noguchi tripled off the centerfield fence and scored on a groundout to second off the bat of third baseman Akinori Iwamura and it was 2-1 Dragons.

     In the fourth, Ramirez leadoff by getting in the way of a delivery from Dragons starter Daisuke Yamai. Rightfielder Yuichi Matsumoto singled to left. Second baseman Noriyuki Shiroishi grounded to third and Kazuyoshi Tatsunami stepped on the bag for the force, but the throw to first was tardy, so no double play. One out later, Hongo, pinch hitting for Sakamoto, found a seam in rightcenter between the two outfielders and blazed around for a triple as Matsumoto and Shiroishi galloped to the plate to put the Swallows in front 3-2. That was Hongo's first RBIs in three years.

     The pitching dominated on both sides until the seventh, when Petagine flattened one over the centerfield seats for the Venezuelan's 40th homer to widen it to 4-0 Swallows. With the circuit clout, the ex-Phille becomes just the second non-Japanese since Randy Bass in 1986 to have two 40 homer campaigns during his time in Japan.

     Igarashi came on for the ninth when closer Shingo Takatsu said his elbow wasn't feeling very good and he put the tying run on first with a walk and a hit batter, but struckout two others and induced a foul out in a 26 pitch outing for his fourth save.

     For Chunichi, Omar Linares struckout in a pinch hit appearance and is at .174.

     For Yakult, Petagine was 1-3 with a walk and an RBI and is at .325. Leftfielder Alex Ramirez was 0-3 with an HBP and is at .297. The 21 year old Brazilian youngster, Matsumoto, was 1-3 and was hit by a pitch and is at .313.

Pitching Lines:

Chunichi:

Yamai                       IP 3.0 PC 57 H 3 HR 0 K 2 BB 1 R 1 ER 1 ERA 3.93
M. Kimura (L, 0-1)  IP 2.0 PC 46 H 3 HR 0 K 2 BB 1 R 2 ER 2 ERA 9.00
Hisamoto                 IP 2.0 PC 27 H 1 HR 1 K 2 BB 0 R 1 ER 1 ERA 4.50
Koyama                   IP 1.0 PC 14 H 0 HR 0 K 1 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.70

Yakult:

Sakamoto                 IP 4.0 PC 89 H 6 HR 0 K 7 BB 1 R 2 ER 2 ERA 3.68
H. Maeda (W, 3-1)  IP 2.0 PC 39 H 1 HR 0 K 2 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 4.45
H. Ishii                      IP 2.0 PC 24 H 0 HR 0 K 4 BB 0 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.48
R. Igarashi (S, 4)      IP 1.0 PC 26 H 0 HR 0 K 2 BB 1 R 0 ER 0 ERA 1.92

E: Petagine
2B: Y. Noguchi, Ibata 2
3B: Y. Noguchi, Hongo
HR: Petagine (40)
RBI: Makuta 2, Iwamura, Petagine, Hongo 2 <