NPB Bullet Points (2008/08/22)

» 22 August 2008 » In npb »

Japan is getting pounded 8-4 by America as I type this… what a disappointing Olympics for Team Hoshino. Still, Korea and Cuba asserted themselves as winning countries, so I think it’s not a bad result for the game of baseball.

Let’s move on to the bullet points. I’ve got a couple stored up from the last few days.

Japanese Articles:

  • Hitoki Iwase got lit up to the tune of a 13.52 ERA in 4 2/3 innings of Olympic competition, taking 3 losses. On the plus side, his 7:1 K:BB ratio was strong. Nikkan Sports has the stats published for all the Olympic teams (Japanese only).
  • I found a great blog entry about various NPB batters’ stances. Click the å‹•ç”» link above each image to see video highlights on YouTube. My recommendations are Sadaharu Oh and Hitoshi Taneda.
  • Colby Lewis made his return to the Hiroshima Carp on August 21, his first start since July 1. He held Hanshin scoreless in 5 2/3 but didn’t pick up the win.
  • Nagisa Arakaki set a new Japan record with five wild pitches in one game, including three in the fourth inning. This guy has great stuff and would dominate if he could do something about his control.
  • Yu Darvish is heading back to Japan and scheduled to start on September 2 against Softbank.
  • Sales of Kazuhiro Kiyohara goods are up 1000% since he announced his retirement.
  • Unlike their male counterparts, the Japan woman’s softball team took home the gold. I’m mentioning it here because Japan starter Yukiko Ueno pitched back-to-back complete games on consecutive days in the knock-out round, and according to this article threw 413 pitches over the two days. I find that number very hard to believe, even though the semi-final was an extra-inning game.

English Articles:

Well, in the time it took me to type this, Team USA sealed it’s victory over Japan and clinched the bronze medal. Well, the WBC is only nine months away…

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  1. Patrick
    jimmy1138
    24/08/2008 at 12:29 am Permalink

    Ueno threw 9 innings in the morning against the USA then 12 innings in the afternoon against Australia and then the day after that 7 innings against the USA (again).
    28 innings in two days. 400+ pitches should be correct.

  2. Patrick
    Flaker
    31/08/2008 at 1:59 pm Permalink

    Ueno threw 21 innings the first day, in the game against Australia and USA. Both games were extra innings.

    9inning loss 4-1 to USA, then a 12 inning 4-3 victory against Australia.
    I think her total for THAT day was about 319 pitches.
    The next day she threw about 100 pitches in the gold-medal game where she gave up only a run.

    The numbers are correct. Yukiko Ueno is the best softball pitcher in the world today.

  3. Patrick
    Patrick
    01/09/2008 at 5:25 pm Permalink

    Thanks guys — I didn’t pick up on the fact that she had pitched two games on the same day.

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  1. [...] wonder if his confidence took a hit after his poor performance in the Olympics. Or maybe he realizes that…