NPB Tracker

実際に起こった時に載せることはしなかったのですが、広島がアンディ・フィリップスを加えてスコット・ドーマンと縁を切ったときにもう一人ピッチャーを獲得するために動くのではという噂がありました。

関係者によると、カープはマリナーズAAAに所属するランディー・メッセンジャーと契約合意に至ったのだが、マリナーズと金銭的合意に至ることが出来ず実現には至らなかった事が明らかにされました。

カープはプレイオフ進出を目指す戦いが続いているので、今後とも動きに注目です。

I never posted on this when it happened, but around the time that Hiroshima added Andy Phillips and subtracted Scott Dohmann, there were rumblings that the Carp were going after another pitcher.

Baseball sources indicated to me today that the Carp had a deal with Seattle AAA pitcher Randy Messenger, but couldn’t work out a financial arrangement with the Mariners.

The Carp are gunning for a playoff spot, so we’ll watch this space.

Nikkan Sports has a report saying that the Seibu Lions are aiming to acquire Toronto Blue Jays AAA righty Jonah Bayliss. According to the report, Seibu has a team representative in the US making progress with negotiations. Bayliss, 28, has an ugly 6.75 era in 64 MLB innings, but has also 54 MLB strikeouts. In 200.2 career AAA innings, he’s racked up 186 k’s to go with 87 walks and a 4.00 era.

The Lions have been looking for bullpen help ever since Alex Graman went down with an arm injury, and has already picked righty Taiyo Fujita from Hanshin.

このブログを読んでくれている方々は、高い確率でキース・ローさん(Keith Law)の事はご存知かと思います。キースさんは長年ベースボール・プロスペクタス、そしてトロント・ブルージェーズで経験を積み、現在はESPNのScouts Inc.のリードベースボール・アナリストとしてご活躍されています。キースさんはお忙しい中ダルビッシュ有投手と2009年にワシントン・ナショナルズによってドラフト１位選択されたステーブン・ストラッツバーグを比較するべきいくつかの質問に答えてくれました。

NPB Tracker：ストラッツバーグの球種はダルビッシュに比べるとどうですか？

Keith Law: ダルビッシュの方がストラッツバーグに比べて見せ球を多く持っていて、四つの球種を持っていますが春の期間は二つしか主に使っていませんでした。

NT: どちらの投球フォームを好みますか？

KL: ストラッツバーグですね- 簡単でバラつきがない - ですがまっすぐな彼の腕のふりの速さは予想できない部分もあります。 我々はあれだけ速い球をあれほどの腕のふりの速さで投げる先発投手に触れた経験はあまりありません。

NT: 二人のうちの一人を今年中にメジャーリーグのローテーションにいれるとしたらどちらですか？

KL: どちらでも間違った答えにはならないと思いますが、高いレベルの相手との経験値を踏まえて私はダルビッシュを選びます。

NT: どちらの方に今後の可能性を感じますか、それは何故ですか？

KL: 良い質問ですね、その答えについては私も行ったり来たりという状態です。ストラッツバーグの直球とカーブのキレの方がダルビッシュの決め球二つを上回ると思っていますので、ストラッツバーグを取ります。

NT: キースさんありがとうございました。

The other day, Sponichi ran some comments from Hideki Matsui in response to the revelation that Hanshin might be interested in signing him after the season. Here’s what he had to say:

When told about Hanshin’s interest…

“I’m happy that they would say that, I have to appreciate it. Because I was a Hanshin fan when I was a kid.”

When asked if he’d prefer to finish his career in the States…

“Basically that’s right, but since I don’t know what will come up I don’t know what will happen.”

It’s worth noting that Sponichi put the “I don’t know what will happen” quote in the headline, which I find a little out of character for the ultra-speculative Japanese media.

Sponichi has more from after the Yankees’ June 17 game against Washington:

“I flat-out can’t have this discussion now. But I appreciate that they have interest. I was a Hanshin fan when I was a kid.”

So there you have it. Keep an eye on this space come November.

While we’re here, to give you an idea of how analytical the Japanese press can be, the same blurb points out that Matsui’s batting average in games after he’s hit a home run is .111.

Comments made by an unnamed member of the Hanshin Tigers front office about the possibility of Hanshin going after Hideki Matsui this offseason are making the rounds in the Japanese media. Here’s what was said in Sponichi:

“There’s a feeling that if he comes back to Japan, it will be with Hanshin. He’s had knee issues, and if he’s going to play in Japan the natural grass at Koshien would be good.”

And Nikkan Sports:

“Certainly with that type of hitter, it wouldn’t be that we don’t have interest. Are the Yankees really not going to resign him, and if so, how much would we need? We want to do our homework so that if it comes to that, we’ll be able to move quickly.”

“Realistically money would be a problem.”

Comments attributed to Matsui appear in Sponichi:

“Of course, the best thing would be to continue to be a player who is needed by the Yankees. Of course I can’t even imagine playing for another team.”

“I might have to return to Japan.”

I think we can expect to see this kind of speculation about Matsui’s future more frequently as the season goes on. In the US media, Matsui has been pretty consistent in saying that he’d like to stay in MLB, so his Sponichi comments come as a little bit of a surprise to me.

It feels like Hanshin is posturing a little bit with these comments, though the are openly acknowledging that it would be an expensive move for them. Hanshin talked a pretty good game when Kenshin Kawakami was on the market last year as well. It’s also hard to see where Matui fights in with the Tigers in a baseball sense. Still, Hanshin was Matsui’s favorite team growing up, and he’d obviously be a huge draw anywhere in Japan, so I wouldn’t rule this out completely.

Found this while Googling for more information on Shingo Takatsu’s tryout with the Giants (there is none) - my home state of Illinois officially offered their friendship to Shingo back in 2004 when he was with the White Sox. Unfortunately, I was not a resident of Illinois at time this was issued, so I wasn’t included in the 12.5 million Illinoisians Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn was representing. I hope Shingo considers me a friend anyway.

Here is the text of the declaration:

State of Illinois

Office of Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn

WHEREAS, Japan - which enjoys a rich, century-old baseball tradition - has contributed greatly to Major League Baseball in the United States; and

WHEREAS, the Chicago White Sox – who visited Japan in 1913 to play the New York Giants in a goodwill tour – recently signed their first Asian-born player - Shingo Takatsu - who is a worthy ambassador; and

WHEREAS, drafted by the Yakult Swallows in 1991, Shingo Takatsu has had an illustrious career, becoming Japan’s all-time saves leader with 260 saves and not allowing a single run in post-season play, earning him the nickname “Mr. Zero”; and

WHEREAS, Shingo Takatsu has already distinguished himself in the White Sox uniform by breaking a 17-year old record for pitching scoreless innings; and

WHEREAS, Major League Baseball has truly become global, with more than 3,100 players from 16 different nations playing professional baseball in the United States, including players from Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, China and Taiwan; and

WHEREAS, in these times of conflict, baseball’s international accent has enriched our culture, and fostered understanding and tolerance among diverse groups; and

WHEREAS, at least 28,000 persons of Japanese descent reside in Illinois and a Japanese-American community has existed continuously in Chicago for more than a century; and

WHEREAS, we are humbled to join the Consul General of Japan - the Honorable Yutaka Yoshizawa - in welcoming Shingo Takatsu to Illinois,

THEREFORE, I, Pat Quinn, Lieutenant Governor of the State of Illinois, hereby extend a hand of friendship to Shingo Takatsu on behalf of Illinois’ 12½ million people, including our growing Asian American community and baseball fans everywhere.

Dated this 24^th day of June, 2004.

Pat Quinn

Illinois Lieutenant Governor

Sponichi has more on Kazuo Fukumori — according to their most recent report, the Rangers are going to bit the bullet on whatever they still owe the righty and release him outright. Assuming he clears waivers he’ll be free to negotiate with NPB teams. Sponichi is speculating that a return to Rakuten is likely, which makes sense as manager Katsuya Nomura has been complaining about his bullpen all season.

Randy Johnson won his 300th game on Thursday, proving everyone who said we wouldn’t see another 300 winner after Tom Glavine wrong.

Lets look back at Johnson’s phenomenal career through his appearances in the old US-Japan Nichibei Series, which used to take place in November of even-numbered years.

1990

Johnson vs. Hiromitsu Ochiai

Johnson vs. Koji Akiyama

Johnson vs. Akinobu Okada

Interestingly, Ochiai and Akiyama are now managing NPB teams, and Okada ran Hanshin for five years. Note that Johnson is pretty wild here, and is inconsistent with his follow through. Still, none of the hitters look good against him.

Now let’s fast forward ten years, to 2000.

2000

Johnson vs Hideki Matsui

Johnson vs Tsuyoshi Shinjo

Johnson vs Norihiro Nakamura

Interestingly, all of these guys played in the majors in the years following this series. Johnson looks a lot more mature as a pitcher and a lot more fluid with his mechanics. He made Shinjo look like a fool in that at bat, though Shinjo was actually pretty good overall in the series.

According to Nikkan Sports, the Rangers had two scouts watching high school lefthander Yusei Kikuchi on May 21st. Kikuchi didn’t appear in his team’s game, the first of an Iwate Prefectural tournament, but the Rangers watched him work out with a long toss excercise. Kikuchi was quoted as saying, “I’m happy to get this attention but I can’t consider how to proceed until the end of summer”. The Dodgers had assistent GM Logan White watch Kikuchi in a practice game in March, and he appears on the draft lists of all 12 NPB teams.

Kikuchi is among the consensus top class of this year’s draft candidates. Brandon Siefken has brief profile of him in English, and Draft Reports has more on him in Japanese. The Nikkan Sports Draft Guide gave him a “BA” rating, a rating that we would normally denote in English as “a/b”, saying that his fastball is good but he can work on his deliver to get a more movement on his pitches.