Minor Notes: Tsujimoto, Shoda, Softbank
Alright, let me pass along a few notes on some minor leaguers while I’m getting over the writer’s block/analysis paralysis that’s keeping me from wrapping up the last three offseason reviews.
- Former Hanshin Tiger and Nippon Ham Fighter Itsuki Shoda has officially signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox. The lefty has spent the last two seasons in Taiwan.
- It’s a good time to be a former Hanshin Tiger, as Kento Tsujimoto has caught on with the Mets on a minor league deal. Tsujimoto made history a few years ago, when at age 15, he became the youngest player ever drafted in NPB history. According to Nikkan Sports he hit 94 on the gun in the indy leagues last year.
- Softbank is working out four young players for possible ikusei contracts: outfielder Josh Short (2010 team: Lake County of the independent Northern League), infielder Landon Camp (San Angelo of the United League), outfielder Josh Roberts (Brisbane of the Australian Winter League), and outfielder Edgardo Baez (2A Harrisburg).
- And as a bonus, the Orix Twitter feed is actually pretty good. Here’s a pic of a training schedule for their ni-gun pitchers.
14/02/2011 at 11:49 pm Permalink
While Murton is working on bringing out his inner ARod+Jeter:
http://www.daily.co.jp/tigers/2011/02/12/0003798964.shtml
Happy Valentine’s, folkies!
+Billy
15/02/2011 at 1:51 am Permalink
I found a gem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95vWU1fhI7I
17/02/2011 at 4:27 am Permalink
Itsuki Shoda is such a weird case. I still have a Fighters 2003 Fan Club booklet with him on the cover of it as Rookie of the Year from 2002. He was such a promising young kid, a 1st-round pick out of high school who won ROY and then faded into obscurity. He pitched Kiryu Daiichi to the Koshien victory in 1999 (literally — he threw every inning of every game except one inning thrown by Yasuhiro Ichiba, remember him?) and was the first player ever drafted from their school.
Fighters fans still talk about him fondly, I had a friend who actually went to Taiwan to see him pitch just because she never stopped being a fan. I’m just wondering what exactly the Red Sox see in him, it’s a very curious case. Wonder if we’ll see Tomoya Yagi playing for the Sox someday too 😉
17/02/2011 at 9:47 am Permalink
>>> I had a friend who actually went to Taiwan to see him pitch just because she never stopped being a fan.
Japanese baseball fans are without a doubt the best I’ve encountered.