NPB Tracker

The title pretty much says it all: if Orioles pitcher Koji Uehara makes it back from the DL this year, it will reportedly be in the bullpen, limited to one or two innings of work. For his part, Uehara says that he’s going to “prepare for next season with the intent of starting”.

Uehara hasn’t spent a full season as a starter since 2006, as I touched on in the profile I wrote of him last year. He clearly wants to continue as a starter but at this point I have to wonder if he’s not better suited to the ‘pen, because of his health.

Hideki Irabu has taken another step on his comeback trail — the stocky righthander has officially joined the Kochi Fighting Dogs of Japan’s independent Island League (IBL). He’s set to debut on the 23rd and his salary is being reported at between $1500-$1800 a month. Irabu’s goal appears to be to play in NPB again, and joining the IBL should help — he’ll get more direct exposure to NPB scouts and possibly play against NPB minor league ni-gun teams in interleague games.

Hanshin team president Numasawa commented on Irabu’s return to Japan to Sanspo: “We want to see how much he can throw. It’s not that we desperately want him, but he quit because of knee problems, so how far is he coming back and how much can he move? To say we definitely don’t want see him would be a lie.”

My guess is that Irabu winds up in camp with an NPB team next spring.

The difference in the philosophy of pitch counts in the MLB and the NPB is an area where pitchers from Japan need to adjust when they make the jump to the big leagues. The nature of pitch counts remains a hot topic around MLB and the topic has been addressed recent in interesting articles such as The countdown to 100 pitches by Tim Kurkjian and Pitch counts an overrated stat by Hal Bodley.

100 pitches is acknowledged as the magic number around the league and younger pitchers are protected by organizations from an early stage at their career. Even though some NPB managers have implemented the 100 pitch count philosophy it is not rare to see pitchers go the distance in an effective outing surpassing the magic number. Recent outings from Yuuki Karakawa throwing 153 pitches (9.0 innings, 9H, ER) and Naoyuki Shimizu (7.2 innings, 11H, 4ER) pitching 144 pitches illustrates how teams and players are not shy about increasing their pitch counts.

The difference in the philosophy of pitch counts between the two countries comes from number of reasons, of which I will only touch on a few. The beauty of finishing the game as a starter is indoctrinated from an earlier stage, especially dramatized in the National High School Tournament at Koshien Stadium. The legendary three days at the Koshien Tournament for current Boston Red Sox Daisuke Matsuzaka has been well publicized here in the United States with his 17 inning, 250-pitch complete game followed by a relief appearance the next day and his no-hitter performance in the final of the tournament. It will be interesting to see how the pitchers in the Koshien Tournament evolve with the number Major League-minded players increasing in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Another difference between pitchers in the two leagues is how much pitchers throw during spring training, before the season starts. MLB pitchers tend to pitch every other day or have a routine schedule throwing from the mound to prepare for the start of the season. However in the NPB, there are pitchers who start the camp in full-mode, throwing 100 to 200 pitches from the mound on a given day and coming back the next with even more. Throwing a large amount of pitches before the season starts results in a routine for the pitchers and that makes it easier to throw over 100 pitches during the season.

The last point to make here is the difference in the schedule and number of games. NPB pitchers will typically make fewer starts over the course of the season than MLB pitchers, who spend the longer season of traveling around a country that is several times bigger than Japan. That requires the teams to schedule stretches with 20 straight games, compared to NPB which has a more flexible schedule with more off days. Then there are times when teams can have extra inning games which last until a winner is decided, as opposed to  NPB, where games end in a tie after 12 innings. These are practical differences that affect the usage of pitchers in each country.

Japanese pitchers coming over to the MLB need to adjust to the philosophy of pitch counts here in the States, but that is obviously not the easiest thing to do as we all know that routine is important for an athlete. Coming to a different country and then adjusting to a new routine is something that only certain players can do, looking at the results from past players. Even for a pitcher such as Yu Darvish, hyped as the next big star if he ever makes the jump, adjusting to the new routine will be the key for him. So far in 2009, he has pitched a total of 153 innings in 19 total starts averaging 8.05 innings per game. He has thrown seven complete games including two shutouts and you rarely see him leave the mound before hitting 100 pitches.

As long as the nature and philosophy of pitch counts differs in the two countries, adjustments will be required for NPB veterans jumping MLB and both sides need to be aware of that reality in order for both sides to succeed.

NPB Tracker has succombed to the lure of microblogging and opened a Twitter page. We’ll cram as much info as we can in to the 140 characters that Twitter gives you. Expect to see game and player updates.

As Ryo posted on Twitter yesterday, the Red Sox have called Junichi Tazawa up to the MLB team. He promptly took the loss in Boston’s 15-inning defeat to the Yankees, giving up a walk-off homer to Alex Rodriguez.

Boston used three Japanese pitchers in the game — Tazawa, Hideki Okajima and Takashi Saito; and another, Ramon Ramirez, who has NPB experience.

I’ve written about Tazawa extensively on this site, including this early scouting report-ish post, a deeper analysis of reasonable expectations for him, and an interview with Portland sports writer Kevin Thomas on his progress.

Remember Chris Resop? The Jiji Press reports that he’s left the Hanshin Tigers and returned to America to recover from pain in his right (throwing) elbow. He doesn’t have immediate plans to return to Japan.

Resop signed a deal through the end of the 2009 season with Hanshin in June of 2008. He hasn’t pitched for the top team at all this year and is unlikely to get another shot with the Tigers.

I’m finishing up a post on Daisuke Matsuzaka’s very public bust-up with the Red Sox front office, but it’s not quite done yet. For now, here’s a translation of Matsuzaka’s latest comments for the Nihongo-impaired.

On finishing up his discussion with the front office

We’ve had exchanges on the phone but it was good to be able to meet face to face. Our misunderstanding has been resolved. Going forward I’ll be able to train thoroughly. We’re certainly going in a good direction.

On meeting with the pitching coach (John Farrell) for over one hour

Because I the environment I grew up in was in a different culture, our opinions were bound to collide. Until now, we’ve had meeting on top of meeting to get to a good answer. While we’re both holding ill feelings, we won’t be able to combine our strengths, and I don’t think I can take the mound under those circumstances. It was a huge relief.

Going forward

I don’t know how long I’ll remain in Fort Myers (camp grounds) but I’m feeling good. Although I don’t like stretching this out, I want to train without rushing, and supress my desire to return soon.

On the lessons taken from this incident

I thought I understood (American) culture, but I didn’t really. I want to communicate more with various people. Not just about baseball, I have a lot to learn about personal matters.

The Hanshin Tigers will be looking to expand their player search to the Dominican Republic, where opponents such as the Chunichi Dragons and Tokyo Yomiuri Giants have had recent success finding sukketo. The Tigers have had trouble with their recent sukketo acquisitions and will revamp their international scouting in hopes of finding the next Tony Blanco (Chunichi) or Wirfin Obispo (Yomiuri).

Adding younger players from the Dominican will be a cost effective strategy in the long-run, as Wirfin Obispo was signed as an ikusei player earning close to the league minimum. Developing ikusei players could allow the Tigers to avoid spending hundreds of thousands to millions to a risky veteran players, only to have them fail to meet expectations. Kevin Mench is a recent example of this.

The Tigers have already researched the strategy of their rival teams and they have been sending scouts to the United States for next season. If they decide to go the Chunichi way of developing players, the Tigers might be sending players to the Domican Winter League. In recent years, the Tigers have been sending their young players to the Hawaii Winter League, but since the league dissolving the Dominican Winter League would make sense as an alternative.

Another strategy for investment is developing a Tigers Academy similar to the one Hiroshima has developed, or  strengthen an existing relationship with by investing in its facilities and operations. The Tigers had attempted to build a path in Dominican Republic with their acquisition of Esteban Yan in the 2006 off-season. The Tigers should be in search of new ways to compete and not fall into the vicious circle that kept them in a ten year drought of lower-division finishes in Central League between 1993 and 2002.

Looks like the Cardinals have cut bait on lefty Katsuhiko Maekawa. Maekawa was ineffective in 39 3A innings, walking 32 batters against 33 strikeouts.

The Cards pulled Maekawa off the scrap heap after an uninspiring career in Japan and problems with the law.

With the success from Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters’s Konkatsu Seat, a second team, the Chunichi Dragons will attempt to follow the trend hosting a Konkatsu event in mid-September. The team will partner with a travel agency and a wedding reception company to organize the event, “Chunichi Dragons de Konkatsu.”

The Dragons will take another step in thier Konkatsu event partnering with different organizations and make it a full day event. Participants will be taken to a wedding reception room from Nagoya Station on a bus for ice breakers before the game. The party will be headed to the ballgame afterwards with a similiar program to the Fighters’s event, and after the game the event will head back to the wedding reception room with the popular mascot Doala joining as well.

Surveys will be given to the participants beforehand to match people with similar interests, favorite players, and their personalities to make this a successful event. Teams following the act will do the best to “differentiate” from the previous ones and with two teams creating a konkatsu event for thier fans more may follow to join the trend. The game of baseball has come a long way in Japan, but who would’ve thought that it would be a place where a future couple meet? I have to give props to the Nippon Ham Fighters for making the first attempt and succeeding in starting a new trend that may continue.

If interested people may be able to apply here.