Yakult Swallows Home Plate
Japanese Baseball News
Archives: July 1998

July 7, 1998:

Foreign Player Mid-term Report
(Part 1)

While the pennant races are usually thought to begin in earnest after the All-Star break, a more significant starting point has arrived. June 30 marks the last day in which teams may sign new foreign players. After today, we're not going to see any more new gaijin, and all twelve teams are going to have to get by as well as they can with what they have.

This is why there have been several transactions in the last week, with at least three ball clubs trying to fill holes while they still can.

Mid-way through the season, we now have an excellent opportunity to look at this year's imports and see how they shape up and what they have to offer for the rest of the year.

Rather than look at these players on a team-by-team basis, I've arranged them in terms of their current status, how they have performed so far, and what we can expect from them in the future.

So let's start at the bottom and work our way up.

Sayonara: Four players have already come and gone, but only one of them was for performance reasons. Hiroshima's Alfonso Soriano refused a contact offer from the Carp and took his case to arbitration. When a panel of Central League officials ruled against him, Hiroshima released the 20-year-old Dominican infielder. Reportedly, the Arizona Diamondbacks had expressed an interest in Soriano.

The next two players to pack their bags were released because of injuries that threatened to sideline them for the duration of the season. On the last season of a two-year contract, Yomiuri's Eric Hillman was unable to pitch a single inning since opening day. Because the Giants already had two solid foreign pitchers -- Sung Min Cho and Balvino Galvez -- the Kyojin saw no reason to keep Hillman around and released him at the end of May. A former ace with the Chiba Lotte Marines, Hillman's only option appears to have radical shoulder surgery that will leave him unable to pitch for eighteen months.

Scott Davison, who was picked up by the Marines in March, pitched 7 2/3 strong innings (8 hits, 8 strikeouts, 5 walks, 2 runs) before developing arm trouble. After Davison was told that he would need surgery and six months recovery -- and would therefore be unable to pitch for the remainder of the season -- the Marines promptly released him.

Unlike Hillman and Davison, Lyle Mouton's problem was performance -- in 30 games with Yakult, batting .241 with three home runs. According to the Nikkan Sports, Mouton was unable to hit an inside fastball or an outside forkball while the Asahi Shimbun claimed poor defense as a key reason for his release. Other sources cite a disagreement with manager Katsuya Nomura -- who reportedly disagreed with the acquisition of Mouton and is rumored to be on his last leg as Swallows skipper -- as the source of the problem.

Long-term injury: Several players have been out for a week or two, but only two have been side-lined for virtually the entire season. Nippon Ham workhorse Kip Gross developed elbow problems in his pitching arm during the pre-season and was diagnosed with a bone spur. Though initial reports suggested he would be back by early May, the recovery has been a much longer process. Currently, he's in Los Angeles practicing and should arrive in Japan within a week or two. Look for him to make his first start with the Fighters in mid-July.

Likewise, Orix BlueWave third baseman Chris Donnels also injured himself before opening day. In an early-March exhibition game, he was hit in the left hand by a pitch and sat out several weeks. He returned to the BlueWave in late April, but the pain had not gone away. More surgery was in order, and it's still currently unclear when he'll be able to play again.

Buried on the farm: Three players have been stuck in the minor leagues since the beginning of the season while two others appear destined to spend the rest of the season there after having a cup of ocha in the big leagues.

Despite a lack of relief pitching on their top team, the Marines seem satisfied to leave right-hander Shane Dennis on the farm where he's compiled a 2-3 record and a 3.63 ERA in 44 2/3 innings. Fukuoka's Ryan Hancock has pitched so little his stats aren't even printed in any sports paper.

Prior to the start of the season, many critics predicted the Hanshin Tigers to play more competitively this year because they had signed so many foreign players. Six of those seven have played at least briefly on the top team, but outfielder Desi Wilson still sits on the farm. The door was open in late April when Alonzo Powell was floundering, but at the time Wilson was hitting even worse in the minors. Recently, however, he's been learning to adapt to Japanese baseball and his bat has been warming up -- on June 25, Wilson went four for five with a home run. If he stays hot, look for Desi to make his "big league" debut in July.

But if opportunity knocks, Wilson had better be ready to respond with some some hits. Otherwise, his fate may be similar to pitcher Tateo Kaku-ri's. A 29-year-old Taiwanese hurler, Kaku-ri has been with Hanshin for the past six years but has yet to make his mark. Promoted in late April, the right-handed import pitched 13 2/3 innings of middle relief and posted a 2-1 record. But don't let his 4.61 ERA fool you -- he pitched much worse than appears. While allowing 14 hits, Kaku-ri notched just five strikeouts and allowed 14 walks. Because the Tigers have three more reliable foreign pitchers, Kaku-ri has virtually no chance of jumping back to the top team.

Though his stats were nearly identical to Kaku-ri's (far more walks than strikeouts), Kintetsu's Rob Mattson recently returned to Kintetsu's varsity team. While it's unclear how long he will remain up there, his first three appearances since his return have been nearly flawless -- 7 1/3 shutout innings -- and he now has a strong 3.04 ERA.

Hanging in limbo: Unlike the players listed above, several imports shined briefly before getting pushed down to the farm. Exiled for a variety of reasons, most of them appear to have a good shot at bouncing back.

Only Yokohama's Jose Malave appears to be a out for the count. The BayStars -- long on line drive doubles, short on roundtrippers -- had been hoping that Malave would take over the clean-up role. And during March, when he batted .417 with three home runs in about a dozen pre-season games, he looked like he just might live up to expectations. But in 30 regular season games, the former Red Sox line-drive hitter batted .218 with one home run. Both before and after opening day, Malave's stats have been nearly identical to Yakult's recently-released Mouton. And at present, Jose and Lyle appear to have about the same chance of returning to their varsity teams.

In contrast, the six pitchers currently hanging in limbo are waiting for their second chance, not their release.

On a chilly April 4 evening, Hanshin's Doug Creek (6.09 ERA, 0-2) struck out seven and allowed no earned runs in 7 1/3 innings. Though only expecting to pitch six innings, Creek ended up throwing 117 pitches, which proved too much, too early. Without enough rest, he had a lot of trouble throwing strikes and his next three starts were disasters (8Ks, 15 walks, 15 runs), prompting the Tigers to replace him with Kaku-ri, who was in turn pushed out by newcomer Darrell May. After a few weeks in the minors, Creek began to find his control again and is now ready to come back. Both May and reliever Ben Rivera have really exceeded Hanshin's expectations, and unless either of them falter, Creek may have a long wait on the farm.

On the other side of Osaka, Kintetsu's Phil Leftwich followed the same riches to rags path Creek blazed. Allowing just two hits in his eight-inning April 14 debut, the 29-year-old right-hander began to have trouble in May. After giving up five runs in two innings on June 6, the Buffaloes exiled him to Fujiidera Stadium, their minor league park. In that span, his big league ERA rose to 4.86 but aside from a low strikeout total (25 in 56 1/3 innings) his background stats are reasonably solid: 45 hits, 22 walks. In the past few weeks on the farm, Leftwich has dominated his opponents and his return to Osaka Dome shouldn't take long.

But then, it shouldn't have taken that long for Chunichi's Kevin Jarvis either. A week after making a strong regular season debut (7 innings, three hits, one run), the Dragons blind-sided Jarvis by informing him that they were acquiring Korean ace lefty "Samson" Lee. The following day, the rattled pitcher couldn't find the strike zone and ended up allowing four runs in less than two innings. Though he managed to make two more decent appearances, the Dragons swiftly demoted Jarvis to make room for Lee on the varsity team. But out-of-shape, Lee spent a month on the top team, giving up ten earned runs in eight innings. Still, when Chunichi demoted the Korean southpaw they apparently forgot to bring back Jarvis -- who has continued to pitch well on the farm despite getting shafted by his own team.

Another forgotten player, Yakult right-hander Mark Acre joined the Swallows varsity team in early May and pitched two games, one bad (four innings, four earned runs) and one good (five shutout innings). During the second match, Acre left early because of a pulled ligament in his knee and was taken off the roster for what was supposed to have been a week. Instead, it's been nearly two months, and only recently has the former Oakland A's reliever been pitching on the Swallows farm team. Acre has the potential to be a really strong power pitcher, but he may have to jog Yakult manager Katsuya Nomura's memory be stringing together a few strong outings.

Which is apparently what happened to his teammate, Travis Driskill. A career minor leaguer who has also played in Venezuela, the 26-year-old right-hander appeared in seven games in April. Despite getting jerked around and asked to pitch middle relief one day and start the next, he still managed to do a decent job. On May 23, he pitched five shutout innings as a starter, but a week later he gave up two homers and three earned runs in three innings, prompting the Swallows skipper to banish his import to the minors, where Travis has been ever since. But in June, Driskill has compiled a 2.84 in five farm games.

Grooming: With the failure of several Major League transplants like Kevin Mitchell and Mike Greenwell, several Japanese teams have learned that it's better to invest their money in several hungry players than one big name. Some ball clubs have taken that reasoning a step further, acquiring foreign players who they don't anticipate using right away but which they hope can be developed and grow into a role on the team. Even before Mitchell and Greenwell, however, the Hiroshima Carp have been leading this movement.

Running a baseball academy in the Dominican Republic makes a lot of sense for cash-strapped Hiroshima. With one of the smallest payrolls in Japan, the Carp can sign players for about one-tenth the cost that other teams pay their foreign players. Among the graduates of the Carp system are Robinson Checo, who is now bouncing between the Boston Red Sox and AAA Pawtucket, and 21-year-old Timoniel Perez.

A three-year veteran in Japan, Perez was one of the hottest players during the 1998 pre-season when he batted .369 with nine doubles in 17 games. Small but aggressive, Perez doesn't offer much power, but he's fast, has a good eye and a lot of potential. And that may cost him his job with the Carp. Within a year or two, the five-foot-eight lefty outfielder may be hitting well enough to demand a substantially higher salary -- which the Carp appear unwilling to provide. Look for Perez to be traded to a AAA or Major League franchise in the coming years.

The other three Dominicans employed by the Carp all show promise but none have been here long enough to make their mark. Originally a shortstop when he first appeared with Hiroshima in 1996, 25-year-old Felix Perdomo was moved to the mound last year where he's still learning the ropes on the Carp farm team along with fellow right-hander Antonio Guzman. Collecting two hits in five at-bats during his first three games in Hiroshima, 20-year-old outfielder Alejandro Quezada shows promise but he probably won't get much playing time on the top team a flurry of injuries strikes the Carp outfield.

Though far behind Hiroshima in acquiring young imports, the Orix BlueWave have begun to stock their farm team with younger players. Though James Bonnici won a Western League triple-crown last year, he couldn't make any contact on the top team during a week's worth of chances in early May. Bonnici has recently been joined by Paul Gonzalez, a career-minor leaguer whom the BlueWave signed a few weeks before the start-of-July deadline to acquisitions. Elsewhere in the Pacific League, Nippon Ham's Rafael Orellano impressed manager Toshiharu Ueda with pitching earlier this season. Though wild, the 25-year-old Puerto Rican lefty will likely be around next year regardless of what happens this season.

While the Dragons would prefer to use Korean ace Samson Lee this season, Chunichi will wait it out until their long-haired left-hander gets in shape. They have him on a two-year contract. Lee was one of the top pitchers in the Korean league, but got off to a disappointing start with the Dragons while compiling a 10.80 ERA in six relief appearances.

Up and down, in and out: For years, one of the top reasons for foreign players to sign with a Japanese team was the opportunity to play every day. But that's no longer guaranteed as teams have recently gone on a gaijin-binge, filling their minor league rosters with imported spare parts. And while that gives Japanese managers more options, it also provides them with a greater opportunity to shuffle line-ups and rosters on a daily basis. And that makes for a more erratic brand of baseball.

The most visible in-and-out player this year has been Yomiuri shortstop/second baseman Mariano Duncan. Though his ten home runs have probably prevented the Giants from evicting him, Duncan's .223 average has left him a part-time player. After declaring that baseball was no fun and he was thinking of retiring, the 35-year-old former Major Leaguer had a "father to son" talk with Giants skipper Shigeo Nagashima. While he claimed after the meeting that he will stay for the duration of the season, that doesn't mean he'll stay in the line-up. Duncan has only appeared in 43 of the Giants 70 games this season, but he'll only have to endure the indignity of pinch-hitting for three more months. Mariano will not be coming back to Japan next year.

Another player who appears destined to receive a one-way ticket home is Fukuoka's Brian Williams. Though he got off to a great start, compiling four straight scoreless relief appearances, Williams gave up five runs in two-thirds of an inning on April 26. Shortly thereafter he was sent to the farm, where he pitched well in a variety of roles and was brought back up to the top team on May 31. His next two games were outstanding, but he's been struggling ever since as his ERA rose to 7.15.

Williams' teammate Ryan Thompson has likewise struggled with the Hawks. Though he swung one of the hottest bats during the pre-season, he's been unable to demonstrate much power since opening day (two home runs in 27 games). While a knee injury has kept him out of the line-up since early June, his batting has also been concern among Daiei coaches. Thompson's overall athletic ability and defense would probably help him succeed in Japan, with or without the home runs, but he hasn't been given much of a chance, yet.

Another player who would probably tear apart the Pacific League if left alone is Seibu's Brian Raabe. This season the 30-year-old second baseman has been jerked in and out of the Lions' line-up so much that he's had little opportunity to show what he can do. No doubt Raabe's .277 average would be significantly higher if given a consistent role on the team. Unlike Raabe, Orix outfielder and designated hitter Harvey Pulliam got off to a slow start. Though he still gets pulled out every now and then, his average has been rising steadily since batting near .200 in the opening weeks of the season. But Pulliam has benefited by the fact that Orix has a much weaker offense than Seibu -- the BlueWave had to give Pulliam a chance because there was no alternative.

Still the lack of a viable alternative hasn't prevented the Hanshin Tigers from bouncing third baseman Dave Hansen around. A highly successful pinch-hitter in the Major Leagues, Hansen has had some troubles with defense and got subsequently lifted from the line-up. Used as a pinch-hitter through much of June, during which his average bottomed out at .247, the Tigers are now trying to ease him back into a starter role.

Seen better days: Not all the of the players who've been jerked up and down, in and out have been newcomers. Several Japan league veterans have gotten the yo-yo treatment, the most surprising of them being Yokohama's Bobby Rose. Unofficially dubbed "Mr. Consistency" by members of the English-language press, Rose has indeed missed a few games over the last five years, but never because of poor performance. While his disappointing (for him) .274 average, there are several possible reasons for this, including the fact that he and his wife are expecting their fourth child (but she is in the states right now), an arm injury kept him sidelined for several games earlier this season, and Rose's ongoing contract problems with the BayStars. Distractions have been many, but one thing is nearly certain -- while this may turn out to be his worst year in Japan, he's got plenty of better days ahead as well.

But that probably cannot be said for teammate Pat Mahomes. Sidelined because of an arm injury last season and undergoing surgery and rehabilitation last Winter, Mahomes has been struggling this year. After compiling a 5.66 ERA in April and May, the BayStars demoted the 27-year-old right-hander to their minor league team where he continues to get bombed nearly every time he climbs the mound.

Likewise, it's beginning to look like Seibu's Terry Bross (7.20 ERA) is at the end of the line. Though he made a spectacular debut with the Swallows in 1995 -- he pitched a nearly perfect no-hitter while leading the league in ERA -- every year since, there's been less and less to cheer about. Though problems with Yakult's management led Bross to jump leagues, the Lions hurler has suffered arm problems this season and has been unable to dominate opponents like he had a few years ago.

Though Bross and Mahomes have been consistently mediocre since the beginning of the year, at least Orix hurler Willie Fraser has at least been erratic -- a few good outings here and there. Actually, Fraser was doing fine until the middle of May. After that, he got pounded in three straight starts and was sent to the BlueWave bullpen. Just when the three-year Orix vet appeared to have worked through his problems, he gave up five runs in three innings of relief on July 5. Still, Fraser is an asset compared to the rest of the BlueWave staff, so he should get a few more chances to redeem himself.

Like Fraser and Rose, several vets are currently struggling but stand a decent chance of making it back for one more year. Though the days of capturing batting titles are behind him, Hanshin's Alonzo Powell is still producing enough hits to keep him on the top team -- though not as a starter. Like Hansen, Powell has seen a lot of action recently as a pinch-hitter, and that may be why his average is stalled at .293. Migrating to the Hawks home nest, the cavernous Fukuoka Dome, two-time Central League RBI king Luis Lopez (.285, seven home runs) suffered the same fate as befell Powell when the Dragons moved into Nagoya Dome -- big ballpark jitters. But in an interview with Harry Thompson, Lopez explained the largest part of the problem was simply moving to other leagues. The pitchers knew him better than he knew them, placing Lopez at a disadvantage. Despite a sluggish start, the new Daiei infielder has been steadily improving at the plate.

Also improving is Chunichi's Leo Gomez who batted around .200 for the first two months of the season. But after hurting his knee in late May and returning the line-up in June, Gomez went on a hitting binge. Though still only batting .237 (after .315 last year), the 31-year-old third baseman has compiled eleven home runs with 26 RBIs in 39 games. At the end of June, however, he again went on the disabled list.

While Gomez was one of the best-hitting foreign players last year, Yakult's Dwayne Hosey topped the Central League in home runs. Though he missed about a week in April after colliding with the Fukuoka outfield wall, Hosey's problems appear to have little to do with injury. His batting has been off since last September when CL pitchers began throwing him junkballs in an attempt to hand the home run title to Yomiuri's Hideki Matsui. Reportedly, Hosey had tried to change his batting stance earlier this season. Unfortunately, it didn't work, and the Yakult left-fielder (.254, six home runs) has been struggling to figure out how to find the form which carried him to so much success last season. Though the Swallows have been far more patient with Hosey than Mouton, it's unclear whether newcomer Eric Anthony will take over first base or left field. Hosey has about three weeks to prove he deserves top keep a place on the top team.

July 14, 1998

Foreign Player Mid-term Report
(Part 2)

Last week, we took a close look at those foreign players who had a rough time either adjusting to Japanese baseball or who've been unable to recapture the glory of last season. Before taking a look at this year's fourteen most successful imports -- the ones who clawed their way to the top with a mixture of talent and hard work -- we'll take a peek at four pitchers who've gotten by on luck, both good and bad.

Mixed bag: Two of these pitchers are very lucky they didn't get canned earlier in the season. Despite posting unimpressive stats, Seibu's Giovanni Carrara has kept his place on the Lions pitching staff largely because there's no one to replace him with. Though Seibu picked up several quality pitchers during the off-season, few have been able to be effective for more than one or two outings before falling apart. Carrara, in contrast, has been consistent if not particularly successful as a middle reliever.

Likewise, BlueWave hurler Edwin Hurtado has managed to stay with the Orix top team largely because the rest of the team's mound staff is in tatters. Used primarily as a middle reliever and closer, the right-handed pitcher was able to compile a 3-1 record in April despite posting a 4.67 ERA and giving up four home runs in his first eighteen innings. But while Carrara continues to struggle, Hurtado has slowly improved and after 31 games (69 innings) now holds a 7-2 record with six saves and a 3.31 ERA. Had he played for other teams with more options, Hurtado might not have had the chance to acclimate himself to the Japanese leagues. He's now one of the few assets on the BlueWave staff.

Going in opposite directions, Hurtado and Lotte's Joe Crawford pitched against one another at Nagoya Dome on May 13. Going into that game, Hurtado was slowly awaking from his on-the-mound stupor while Crawford had apparently established himself as one of the top hurlers in the PL with a 2-1 record and a 1.70 ERA in six starts. But under the surface, Crawford's stats revealed a pitcher who had gotten by on luck -- 29 hits, 17 strikeouts and 27 walks in 37 innings -- which was soon to run out. Out of the game before he even got his first out, Crawford gave up four runs on five straight hits. Only twice since has he produced a quality start and as of July 5, when he was apparently taken out of the Marines' rotation, Crawford has tallied a 4-6 win-loss record with an ever-expanding 4.77 ERA.

While the others have had good times and bad, Hanshin's Darrell May has pitched gem after gem but still holds a dismal 1-4 record. The problem for the lefty import is simple -- lack of run support. In all four of his losses, he's given up a mere one or two runs, a total that the hapless Tigers' offense has proven unable to match. Though arriving late, May has had eight straight quality starts since May 24, including a complete game four-hit shutout on June 6 in which he struck out ten Yokohama batters. It's still early, but already the acquisition of May looks like a smart move on the part of the Tigers.

Worth Every Yen: While May has had a great season so far, he's got plenty of company. Six pitchers and nine batters already look like they've earned a contract for one more season. These players have been broken down into four groups: starting pitchers, relievers, position players and designated hitters.

Starting pitchers: Kip Gross may be out for a few more weeks, but Hiroshima Carp pitcher Nathan Minchey has already copied his formula for success -- it's all right to give up a lot hits as long as you keep the ball on the ground and don't give up many walks. A workhorse like Gross, six-foot-eight right-hander reportedly asked the Hiroshima to put him on a five-day rotation instead of the usual six, something the pitching-deficient Carp were happy to do. In 19 games, Minchey is currently leading the Central League with 126 and 2/3 innings pitched while holding an 8-6 record with a 2.84 ERA. He doesn't get a lot of strikeouts, but his control (only 35 walks) has been great and he's only given up ten home runs despite pitching half his games in Japan's smallest ballpark, Hiroshima Stadium. For the Carp, who have had pitching problems all decade, Minchey's success means that at least once a week, they'll have pretty good chance of winning.

Until last week, Minchey and Yomiuri's Balvino Galvez held the dubious distinction of being the league's top head-hunters. But since drilling two Tigers batters on July 11, the title belongs solely to Galvez, who was even ejected from a game in April after successfully bouncing a fastball off an opponent's batting helmet. This kind of intimidation has no doubt given the Dominican right-hander the upper-hand. Despite a lack of run support which has left him with a deflated 7-6 record, Galvez has compiled a 2.98 ERA with 70 strikeouts and 31 walks in 114 and 2/3 innings. Despite the impressive numbers, Galvez is still only the second-best hurler on the Giants pitching staff.

Working primarily in the Yomiuri bullpen last year, the Giants converted 25-year-old Sung Min Cho to the starting rotation this year. One of four Korean citizens currently playing in Japan, Cho quickly developed into the league's top starter. With a 95 mph fastball, the six-foot-four right-hander has already thrown three shutouts and six complete games en route to a 7-5 win-loss record and a 1.99 ERA -- the best mark in either league. With 81 strikeouts, 31 walks and three "deadballs" (hit batters) in 99 and 1/3 innings, Cho has demonstrated superb control. Moreover, he's been very stingy when it comes to giving up hits (51) and home runs (3). Lack of run support has hurt Cho to some extent, and may be the only thing that prevents him from winning the coveted Sawamura Award. Pitchers who win the "Japanese Cy Young" award usually need fifteen wins and at least a .750 win-loss percentage.

Relievers: Finding success in Japan a year before Cho, Korean relief ace Dong Yol Sun led the Central league in Saves in 1997 and has positioned himself as the most indispensable part of Chunichi's outstanding bullpen. Using a 95 mph fastball and a slider, Sun has limited opponents to just three runs in twenty-five relief appearances this year while compiling a 2-0 record, 17 saves and a 0.98 ERA in 27 and 2/3 innings. One key example of Sun's importance: despite the fact that opponents have outscored the Dragons by eight runs since opening day, Chunichi holds a second-place 38-32 record. When the Dragons have been able to carry a lead into the eighth or ninth inning, Sun has made sure it stays a lead.

While Sun's success this year has come as no surprise, the Hanshin Tigers got more than they bargained for when they hired stopper Ben Rivera. A former starter with the Philadelphia Phillies, the six-foot-seven Dominican tore up his shoulder while playing Winter ball in his home country. After surgery, his fastball lost its zip, and Rivera wound up playing the 1997 season in Taiwan (19 saves, 2.51 ERA, 112 strikeouts in 86 innings) where he earned the attention of the Hanshin Tigers. Originally acquired as insurance in case either Doug Creek or Tateo Kaku-ri stumbled, Rivera has pleasantly surprised his new employers by grabbing 13 saves with a 2-1 record and a 1.74 ERA. He's been most successful when pitching one inning of relief as his fastball quickly loses velocity -- five of the six runs he's given up have come when he pitched more than one inning. Still, with 25 strikeouts and 14 walks, Rivera has displayed good control and an ability to protect leads on rare occasions in which the Tigers outscore their opponents.

While Rivera passed through Taiwan before arriving in Japan, Nippon Ham reliever Erik Schullstrom (interview) spent one spectacular season in Mexico (39 saves, 0.31 ERA) before trying out with the Fighters. Though facing much tougher opposition, the six-foot-five right-hander has held up well under the pressure of playing for a Japanese team. Working primarily as a closer, Schullstrom has posted a 6-1 record with six saves and a 2.83 ERA. He gets a lot of strikeouts (26 in 28 and 1/3 innings), his control has been pretty good (eleven walks), but he's had to fight to hold onto the closer role. Junji Kuroki and Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi both have been used in the late innings, and Schullstrom's role continues to fluctuate day-to-day.

Position Players: All four of the top imported position players this year have gotten off to good starts but have passed through slumps. But for whatever reasons, all four have been indispensable to their teams.

Schullstrom's teammate and Nippon Ham left-fielder Jerry Brooks got off to a sensational start in April and May when he was batting well over .300 but his batting average continues to sag and he's only hit six doubles this year. But while leading the league with 19 home runs, he's compiled 55 RBIs and 45 runs.

Though usually not much of a power-hitter, Lotte's Julio Franco has already clubbed ten home runs -- the same amount he hit for the Marines in the entire 1995 season. The popular team captain, Franco (currently batting .298) went through a slump in June which unfortunately coincided with the team's 18-game losing streak. But after a few games on the bench -- during which the Marines snapped their streak -- Franco is back in the regular line-up. Despite the face-saving move, the Marines would have never played as well as they did in April and May had it not been for Franco, who currently leads the all-star balloting for Pacific League second basemen.

Probably the best all-around foreign position player in Japan as well as another likely foreign all-star, Kintetsu's Tuffy Rhodes has it all -- solid defense, speed (twelve stolen bases), power (twelve home runs) and a good ability to reach base (.398 on base percentage). Though his average has slipped in the last month, Rhodes has proven over the last two years in Japan to be one of the best hitters in the PL and should improve once he gets out of his current slump.

But one player who won't be improving this year is Chunichi lead-off hitter Jeong Bum Lee. Nicknamed the "Korean Ichiro" because of his superstar status in his home country, Lee joined the Dragons and his former Haitai Tigers teammate Sun in 1998. Though his defense has often lacked grace, Lee had been the spark plug on the Dragons offense: .285 batting average (.350 with runners in scoring position), .392 on-base percentage, nine home runs and seventeen stolen bases in 56 games But on June 23, Hanshin submarine pitcher Tetsuro Kawajiri ended the Chunichi shortstop's season by fracturing Lee's elbow with an inside pitch.

Designated Hitters: While it's difficult to judge defense statistically -- errors may either reflect sloppy play or an aggressive take-a-chance attitude -- it can be difficult to judge the worth of different position players. But when it comes to designated hitters, only one thing matters -- hitting the ball and driving in runs. Here are five players who've passed the test.

Like Lee, Mark Carreon's season with the Marines has been marred with injury. Last year, Carreon claimed that he wants to retire from baseball (or at least Japanese baseball) as soon as his contract expires this year but considering how he's played, the Marines just might try to lure him back for one more year. Despite missing thirteen games, the left-handed DH (bats right) is currently batting .303 (and .333 with runners in scoring position) with eight home runs, and 37 RBIs. His strikeout total (19) is one of the lowest in either league.

Like Carreon, BlueWave DH Troy Neel missed a lot of games this season -- but for entirely different reasons. Released after the end of last season, Orix brought Neel back when BlueWave finished April in last place. Since his return, the former Oakland A's slugger has clubbed ten home runs while batting .274. Without Neel, the BlueWave might still be mired in last place.

A year after Neel won the 1996 Pacific League home run crown, Nippon Ham's Nigel Wilson claimed it as his own. Though Wilson got off to a slow start in April, his home runs have been coming more easily the past few months and he's helped keep the Fighters in first place with his powerful bat. Though batting just .265, the left-handed Canadian has already produced 15 homers while leading the PL with 69 RBIs.

Though Wilson, Brooks and three other Fighters batters have their sights set on this year's home run title, so does Seibu DH Domingo Martinez. Popularly known as "Maru-chan," the good-natured Dominican is currently batting .321 with 17 roundtrippers and 53 RBIs. Even more amazing, perhaps, is that the portly slugger has managed to collect three stolen bases and one triple. In recent years, the Lions have shifted their offense away from power and toward speed. Martinez will therefore continue to play an important role as the guy who can clear the bases.

Rivaling Martinez as the top foreign batter in Japan, Kintetsu's Phil Clark boasts stats nearly identical to his Lions counterpart: .325 average, 14 home runs, 52 RBIs and two triples. Though not very fast, Clark's one clear edge over Martinez has been in extra-base hits, where he leads Martinez in doubles 22 to eleven. Clark has played some defense at first base, but with six errors, his batting still remains his biggest asset.

Looking Ahead: While Clark is already batting better than any of his foreign colleagues in either league, one thing should be kept in mind. Last year, Clark went on a tear after the all-star break and nearly stole the batting title from Ichiro Suzuki. If the pattern remains the same this year, both Clark and the Buffaloes will be making some headlines in September.

Other players to watch closely include Hanshin's Darrell May, who has already pitched great and should continue to be strong throughout the year. Though not much was expected of him, Kintetsu knuckleball pitcher Rob Mattson recently won his first game while striking out ten Nippon Ham batters. Given a chance as a starter, Mattson could really blossom. Likewise, teammate Brian Shouse, who just arrived in Japan a few weeks ago, has the potential to be devastating -- in his first game with the Buffaloes, Shouse pitched one and 2/3 innings of relief, and struck out all five batters he faced.

And though he's still working only as a part-time infielder, Japan's number one foreign prospect remains Hiroshima's Timoniel Perez. It may not happen this year, but if he stays in Japan, Perez is going to be one of the top players in the Central League.

July 21, 1998

International baseball

Plans for international baseball competition have gained momentum in the past few weeks. Two weeks ago, the Seibu Lions announced that they would play two pre-season games against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Seibu Dome on March 20 and 21, 1999. The Devil Rays, who have a cooperative agreement with the Lions, will be the first team to tour Japan prior to the regular season since the San Francisco Giants made the trip in 1970. This arrangement comes in the wake of plans by Major League baseball to hold two opening day games in Japan. The Japanese commissioners office, fearing the games would interfere with local celebrations commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the two league system in Japan, had voiced opposition to the idea.

In a related story, the Daily Yomiuri disclosed more details regarding this year's Major League tour. Prior to the "Merrill Lynch Super Dome Series," a team composed of Major League all-stars will challenge the Yomiuri Giants on November 6. The series then begins in earnest as all-stars from both sides of the Pacific face each other in a seven game series from November 7 to 15. All games will be played indoors, at Tokyo Dome, Fukuoka Dome and Osaka Dome. Merrill Lynch and the Yomiuri Shimbun will sponsor the tour, which will be the first to significant cash rewards -- a total of 70 million yen (roughly $400,000) -- divided among the winners. It is anticipated that such prize money will inspire a more serious atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Donald Fehr, head of the Major League Baseball players union, last week began holding meetings with owners' representatives to discuss ideas for international competition, including using professional players during the Olympics, holding a baseball World Cup, or establishing a "World Series" between Japanese and North American leagues.

1998 Sanyo All-Star games
set for July 22 and 23

The final rosters for the 1998 Japanese All-Star games have been selected. Orix BlueWave outfielder Ichiro Suzuki led the fan balloting with 660,833 votes, and three rookies will take part in the games: Yomiuri outfielder Yoshinobu Takahashi and Chunichi pitcher Kenshin Kawakami, both selected by fans, will join Hiroshima's Kanei Kobayashi on the Central League team.

Hiroki Kokubo, voted by fans to fill the Pacific League third base position despite missing the first eight weeks of the season while suspended for tax evasion, has withdrawn citing injuries.

The reserve players were selected by team managers: Seibu's Osamu Higashio of the Pacific League and Yakult's Katsuya Nomura of the Central League. The two All-Star games will be played at Nagoya Dome (July 22) and Chiba Marine Stadium (July 23). Regular season play will resume Saturday, July 25.

Players selected by fan balloting are marked with a double asterisk (**).

Central League

PITCHERS:
** Kenshin Kawakami (Dragons) 7-3, 2.75 ERA
Kenjiro Kawasaki (Swallows) 8-6, 2.84
Takeo Kawamura (BayStars) 7-2, 2.54
Kazuhiro Sasaki (BayStars) 1-1, 25 saves, 0.61
Kanei Kobayashi (Carp) 6-3, 9 saves, 2.75
Nathan Minchey (Carp) 8-6, 2.84
Masaki Saito (Giants) 7-5, 3.30
Sung Min Cho (Giants) 7-5, 2.49
Tetsuro Kawajiri (Tigers) 6-3, 2.58
Shigeki Noguchi (Dragons) 8-5, 2.35

CATCHERS:
** Atsuya Furuta (Swallows) 5 HRs, 29 RBIs, .281 AVE
Motonobu Tanishige (BayStars) 11, 31, .253
Takeshi Nakamura (Dragons) 4, 32, .275

INFIELDERS:
1B ** Kazuhiro Kiyohara (Giants) 13, 46, .266
2B ** Toshihisa Nishi (Giants) 3, 11, .300
3B ** Akira Eto (Carp) 17, 53, .290
SS ** Daisuke Motoki (Giants) 5, 28, .271
Takahiro Ikeyama (3B Swallows) 13, 40, .308
Takuro Ishii (SS BayStars) 1, 17, .313
Norihiro Komada (1B BayStars) 6, 48, .300
Kenjiro Nomura (SS Carp) 9, 26, .301
Makoto Imaoka (SS Tigers) 2, 14, .308

OUTFIELDERS:
** Hideki Matsui (Giants) 19, 52, .293
** Yoshinobu Takahashi (Giants) 10, 46, .290
** Kazuyoshi Tatsunami (Dragons) 4, 30, .273
Takanori Suzuki (BayStars) 10, 46, .340
Tomohiro Maeda (Carp) 14, 46, .336
Takayuki Shimizu (Giants) 9, 30, .303

Pacific League:

PITCHERS:
** Akinori Otsuka (Buffaloes) 1-0, 21 saves, 1.65 ERA
Shinji Mori (Lions) 6-5, 3 saves, 3.97
Denney Tomori (Lions) 6-2, 3 saves, 3.00
Edwin Hurtado (BlueWave) 7-2, 6 saves, 3.31
Hiroshi Takamura (Buffaloes) 6-5, 3.41
Satoru Kanemura (Fighters) 6-0, 1 save, 2.63
Tsutomu Iwamoto (Fighters) 9-4, 3.09
Hiroyuki Sekine (Fighters) 7-2, 3.16
Kazuhiro Takeda (Hawks) 7-5, 3.97
Tatsuji Nishimura (Hawks) 7-3, 2.77
Satoru Komiyama (Marines) 6-6, 2.83
Tomohiro Kuroki (Marines) 7-5, 4.02

CATCHERS:
** Kenji Jojima (Hawks) 11, 37, .235
Tsutomu Ito (Lions) 3, 23, .260
Toshihiro Noguchi (Fighters) 6, 18, .263

INFIELDERS:
1B ** Taisei Takagi (Lions) 8, 47, .258
2B ** Julio Franco (Marines) 12, 44, .300
3B ** Hiroki Kokubo (Hawks) -- WITHDRAWN
SS ** Kazuo Matsui (Lions) 3, 32, .321 and 27 SB
Ken Suzuki (3B Lions) 11, 35, .273
Takashi Muto (SS Buffaloes) 0, 25, .282 and 10 SB
Atsushi Kataoka (3B Fighters) 11, 53, .333
Kiyoshi Hatsushiba (3B Marines) 14, 45, .289
Shikato Yanagida (3B Hawks) 0, 28, .280

OUTFIELDERS:
** Ichiro Suzuki (BlueWave) 7, 40, .380
** Koji Akiyama (Hawks) 6, 33, .279
** Tuffy Rhodes (Buffaloes) 12, 42, .280 and 12 SB
Naoyuki Omura (Buffaloes) 0, 29, .315 and 16 SB
Mitsuchika Hirai (Marines) 5, 18, .369

A look around the leagues:
Central League

BayStars: The hottest team in Japan at the moment, the Yokohama BayStars have won their last eight straight games by blowing away opponents by scores of 11-2, 10-2, and 12-0. Before going wobbly and blowing a few save opportunities earlier this month, Yokohama ace reliever Kazuhiro Sasaki was named June CL pitching MVP after setting records for career save points, consecutive save points and consecutive saves. The BayStars currently have a 4.5 game cushion between second-place Chunichi, owing largely to Yokohama's line-drive offense -- a .280 team batting average despite relatively few home runs or walks. Although the BayStars were neglected in the fan balloting for the 1998 All-Star roster, several players made were selected by Central League manager Katsuya Nomura, including Sasaki and shortstop Takuro Ishii.

Dragons: Kenshin Kawakami looking strong Having a strong hold on second place despite scoring just 276 runs while allowing 274, the Dragons remain a mysterious team. Though their home ballpark, Nagoya Dome, doesn't help the team's batting the Dragons now have a dismal .248 batting average. And though the team has had serious trouble with starters Masa Yamamoto, Shinji Imanaka and Ken Kadokura, their pitching still looks awesome. Their CL-best 3.38 ERA owes a lot to their exceptional bullpen as well as starters Shigeki Noguchi and Kenshin Kawakami and Shigeki Noguchi. Rookie Kawakami was selected by fan balloting to join the Central League All-Star roster.

Giants: Two days after Harry Thompson's profile of him appeared in the Asahi Evening News (July 14), Mariano Duncan returned to the United States to be with his wife, who will soon have heart surgery. Considering the family crisis and his disappointment with the team, it is now open to debate whether he will return later this season. But Duncan's absence is unlikely to affect the Giants, who have only used him in two of thirteen games this month. Starter Sung Min Cho, selected last week to join the CL All-Star roster, has struggled his last two times on the mound, giving up six runs in two innings against the BayStars on July 14 while allowing Yakult to score five runs in four innings a week later. Joining Cho on the All-Star team are Hideki Matsui, who's currently leading the CL home run derby, rookie sensation Yoshinobu Takahashi, popular first baseman Kazuhiro Kiyohara and several others. Masumi Kuwata, now sporting an unfashionable 5.36 ERA, has reportedly been bumped to a middle relief role while Hiromi Makihara remains the teams closer despite blowing a few recent leads.

Carp: In their last four games, all losses, opponents have outscored Hiroshima by a 34-6 margin. Appearing invincible earlier this season, the Carp first dropped out of contention as their pitching fell to pieces. 1997 Rookie of the Year Toshikazu Sawasaki has been a bust in his sophomore year, while aging lefty Yutaka Ono (led CL with 2.90 ERA last year) has been in and out of the rotation since taking a line-drive to the abdomen a few months ago. In fact, the only bright spots on the Hiroshima mound staff have been rookie reliever Kanei Kobayashi and first-year import Nathan Minchey, who was selected to join the CL All-Star team. Lack of run support has also hurt the Carp recently. While part of that can be traced back to the absence of injured right-fielder Koichi Ogata (.335, 10 HRs, 14 steals), the entire teams appears in a funk as they slide further and further out of contention.

Swallows: While the Carp have been headed south all month, the Swallows are planning a revival. Winners of seven of their last nine games, the Swallows are playing much more evenly than earlier this year -- since the beginning of June, the Swallows have won 19 games and lost 15. Part of the reason has been hot-hitting third baseman Takahiro Ikeyama, who won the June Central League MVP award, but Yakult's pitching has also improved. Although ace lefty Kazuhisa Ishii is chasing down the record for wild pitches, Kenjiro Kawasaki now leads the CL with nine wins (five of them against the Giants), and Mark Acre pitched 7 and 1/3 strong innings on July 19 (two hits, no runs). New import Eric Anthony joined the Swallows on July 14, but suffered a mild leg injury that will keep him sidelined until after the All-Star break. Yakult's biggest problem, however, remains the BayStars, who have defeated the Swallows in eight out of ten games this season.

Tigers: Call it a failure of deja-vu proportions for the Tigers. The big-bang offense they had signed during the off-season and nurtured during Spring training has utterly fallen flat. Hanshin now boasts the worst offense in either league, with a .240 team batting average, 45 home runs and 22 stolen bases. Every year, it seems, the Tigers growl and hiss during the pre-season then are reduced to whimpering pussycats by the All-Star break. While Alonzo Powell got off to a terrible start, his average for the past three months has been around .300. If he's the source of the problem, it's only because the Tigers have been foolish enough to use his bat only in pinch-hit situations. Dave Hansen, meanwhile, has been sidelined since last week because of a mild ankle injury sustained during batting practice. But the real trouble lies in the Japanese batters, particularly the king of the Hanshin waste-heap, centerfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo (.195, two HRs) -- for reasons impossible to understand, he's still managed to hold onto a starting role. If anyone has a reason to be irate, it's Hanshin lefty hurler Darrell May, who before pitching on Monday had a pathetic 1-5 record despite a solid 3.09 ERA in nine low-scoring games. After watching the Tigers bullpen blow an early lead on Monday, starter May sat in the dugout rolling his eyes.

Pacific League

Fighters: Though it hasn't been reported when he will pitch again, Kip Gross has returned to Japan and is presently working out with the team. Meanwhile slugger Yukio Tanaka (18 HRs) has finally allowed himself to be taken off the team's line-up after suffering elbow trouble. Tanaka, who will be out until after the All-Star break, has kept playing despite leg problems the last few months. But his absence probably only means that the Fighting Ham will win a few 8-3 ball games instead of the usual 10-3. Nippon Ham batters have already slugged 108 HRs (tops in either loop). But it's not just the fireworks that have given the weenie-boys an eight game lead atop the PL pack -- they've got enough pitching to go around, including a team 3.86 ERA. On July19, Ham starter Tsutomu Iwamoto became the Pa-league's first ten-game winner.

Lions: Despite a few foreign player notes -- Terry Bross has been brought back to the Lions varsity squad while Giovanni Carrara has been designated for weed-pulling on the farm -- much of the Seibu news recently has come from owner Yoshiaki Tsutsumi. In addition to the team's announcement that they would play two pre-season games against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Seibu Dome -- in defiance of the Japanese commissioner -- Tsutsumi once again reiterated his disillusionment with the idea of interleague play which, in his mind, doesn't go far enough. The Lions owner, quoted in the July 17 Asahi Evening News, declared: "Even though interleague play move prove to be a good thing, I don't think we should waste our time. Instead, we should be thinking about a one-league system with a revised playoff format in place of the Japan Series." Both plans have been repeatedly turned down by Central League owners.

Hawks: Ace pitcher Kimiyasu Kudo has recently returned to the mound after two months of arm trouble while third baseman Hiroki Kokubo announced that nagging injuries would prevent him from appearing in either of this year's two All-Star games. Meanwhile, the Hawks have been getting a lot of runs recently, scoring in the double digits six times over their last fourteen games. The team's batting has improved, but their pitching remains a question mark.

Buffaloes: Much of the news relating to the Buffaloes recently has been related to their foreign players. Pitcher Rob Mattson stunned the Nippon Ham Fighters on July 9 with his bewildering knuckleball -- an appearance which apparently inspired the local weekly sports magazine Baseball Shukan to publish a special article about different pitches. It seems that no current Japanese pitchers throw the knuckleball. That unfamiliarity allowed Mattson to issue ten strikeouts while only giving up six hits in 8 and 1/3 innings. But Mattson was less lucky the next time out, when he was clobbered to the tune of six earned runs in five innings. Newcomer Brian Shouse, meanwhile, got off to a terrific start in Japan, striking out all five batters he faced in his July 8 debut. Outfielder Tuffy Rhodes became one of only two foreign players to be chosen by fans for the Japan All-Star roster.

BlueWave: Superstar outfielder Ichiro Suzuki once again led fan-balloting for the All-Star roster, and is set to appear for the fifth consecutive year. Currently batting .385, Ichiro is also gunning for his fifth-straight batting crown. Surprisingly, Ichiro will be joined on the PL All-Star team by Orix reliever Edwin Hurtado, who has slowly improved despite several bad relief trips earlier this season. Foreign BlueWave twirler Willie Fraser has been just the opposite, starting out great in April but falling to pieces the past few months. First demoted to the Orix bullpen, Fraser may next travel the BlueWave farm team where recently acquired lefty Mark Mimbs (AAA Norfolk) has been posting strong numbers,

Marines: After halting their record 18-game losing streak on July 9, the Marines have won six of their last ten. Lotte's hopes apparently hinge on lefty reliever Yasyuki Kawamoto (back after months of arm trouble) and new reliever Brian Warren, who has been nearly flawless in four relief appearances this month. Lotte's All-Star contributions include temperamental pitcher Satoru Komiyama, workhorse Tomohiro Kuroki, and second baseman Julio Franco.

July 28, 1998

Admittedly, I don't care much for all-star games. I much prefer to follow teams and pennant races. When I do root for individual players, it's usually for the underdogs -- the kind of player who never makes it to all-star games anyway. With fan balloting -- a nod to us, the folks who buy tickets and pay the players' salaries -- you're guaranteed of seeing the most popular players, not necessarily the best.

But probably my biggest objection has to do with that team. Players like shortstop Daisuke Motoki and second baseman Toshihisa Nishi have no business even dreaming of playing in an all-star game, but because they belong to the oppressively popular Yomiuri Giants, they get a free pass.

So there I am, alternately cheering for the Central League team when a Swallows, Carp or Dragons player is at bat, but hoping for a 150 kph deadball to the cranium whenever someone in orange and black steps up to the plate. Usually I wind up really not caring who wins, and that always makes for a bad baseball experience. If it's not worth watching until the last out, why watch at all?

What compounds the problem is that in Japan there isn't just one All-Star game. Usually there are two, sometimes three. And there's also a "Junior" all-star game featuring the best (or maybe just the most popular?) minor league players. It's overkill all over again.

That's why, even though the first All-Star game at Nagoya Dome drew a capacity crowd, the second game at Chiba Marine Stadium (seats 30,000) only drew 25,000 fans. And the Jr. All-Star match only attracted 5,000 curious spectators.

Meeting in Toyama on Tuesday, July 22, the Western all-stars defeated the Eastern League in the Jr. game 7-6. Hiroshima farmhand Alejandro Quezada was named MVP after smacking a two-run homer in the third inning and an RBI single in the seventh.

In the first "major league" All-Star game, at Nagoya Dome on July 22, the Central League defeated the Pacific 4-1. Giants slugger Hideki Matsui clubbed the only home run of the game, a towering drive into the right-field upper-deck bleachers, while rookie pitcher Kenshin Kawakami of the Chunichi Dragons earned the game MVP -- only the third rookie to ever win the distinction. Throwing the first three innings, Kawakami allowed just two hits and no runs.

The following day at Marine Stadium, Matsui earned MVP honors with a two-run homer, but it wasn't enough as the game ended in a 3-3 tie. It was the seventh all-star game to end in a draw since 1950. The Pacific League has won 68 games and lost 52.

With the All-Star break behind us, the CL and PL pennant races have begun in earnest, so let's take...

A look around the leagues:
Central League

BayStars: Though only batting only .265 a few weeks ago (well below his five-year .313 average with Yokohama), second baseman Bobby Rose has collected 26 hits in 48 bats (a .541 average) with five homers, 14 runs and 18 RBIs during his last ten games. Now batting .317 (the fourth highest mark in the CL), Rose stands an excellent chance of being named the league's player of the month for July. Emphasizing the point on July 25 and 26, the late-blooming infielder swatted nine-straight singles, only two short of the record set by Taiyo Whales import R.J. Reynolds collected eleven hits in a row in 1991. On Tuesday, Rose will have a shot at breaking that record as the BayStars attempt to extend their current ten-game winning streak.

Dragons: A few days ago, Chunichi manager Senichi Hoshino remarked that the BayStars were too strong to beat. Instead of going after the league-leader, the Dragons skipper declared that his team must concentrate on the other four teams. It was an odd remark, particularly since Chunichi is the only ballclub which currently has a winning record (6-5) against Yokohama. If that's Hoshino's strategy, look for the Dragons to drop out of the PL hunt fairly quickly -- for every game against Yokohama that Chunichi loses, they must win two against the rest of the league to keep pace. While the Dragons have the pitching and the bullpen to control opponents, their lack of offense leaves the team considerably unbalanced.

Giants: Gone are the "make drama" and "make miracle" slogans of years past. Other than Hideki Matsui's run for the CL home run crown, the Giants haven't had much to crow about recently. While Mariano Duncan has returned from his wife's bedside in America, it's not yet certain if the Giants have any plans to use him in the future. Since the beginning of the season, the Yomiuri's relief staff has been a revolving door. Starters Masumi Kuwata, Hiromi Makihara and Masaki Saito have served time in the bullpen, but none have found much success there. All three have begun to show signs of age, leaving the heavy lifting to starters Balvino Galvez and Sung Min Cho. But during the second All-Star game, Cho complained of elbow stiffness. Though he returned to pitch that evening, he has since been taken off the Giants roster, leaving a huge gap in their pitching rotation. Meanwhile, Yomiuri's team ERA has ballooned to 3.99, second-worst in the CL. Things are not looking too good for the Kyojin right now.

Carp: After nearly two months on the DL, center fielder Koichi Ogata has returned. He'll give Hiroshima some much needed speed and a good bat. The Carp have lost six-straight and eight of their last ten. While their pitching has always been a problem, recently, they simply haven't been scoring enough runs.

Swallows: With their 4-0 victory over the Carp on July 27, Yakult has pulled into a virtual tie with Hiroshima for fourth place. Meeting the Carp as both teams head in opposite directions, the Swallows have won four in a row and eight of their last ten. They've gotten some great pitching from lefty ace Kazuhisa Ishii, who struck out fifteen Hiroshima batters on July 26, and Tomohito Ito. With his victory over Hiroshima on July 27, Ito has compiled the best ERA in the Central League. Meanwhile foreign slugger Dwayne Hosey (.256, seven homers) has slowly disappeared from the Yakult line-up.

Tigers: If it hadn't become such a predictable ritual, Hanshin's plummet to the CL cellar might have been painful to watch. The Tigers have lost seven-straight games and nine of their last ten. After getting pummeled by Yokohama last weekend, their ERA has shot through the roof (4.07, worst in the loop), and they just aren't scoring any runs. Though an all-around lack of Japanese talent may have something to do with that, manager Yoshio Yoshida has not yet demonstrated the insight to use those players who can contribute. Both Alonzo Powell and Dave Hansen can hit when played regularly, but Yoshida seems determined to use them only as pinch-hitters. With a line-up lacking in consistency, it's no wonder Hanshin has been on a downward spiral.

Pacific League

Fighters: With a nine-point-five game lead, the Fighters are well-positioned to seize the Pacific League pennant. The biggest thing standing in their way, however, is a fourteen-game road trip (which began July 25). The Ham swept the first two games against the Lions (which dropped Seibu to third place), but they'll soon travel north to Sapporo and Fukushima. All those kilometers are going to add a little wear and tear, and if the Fighters are going to stumble, this is when it'll happen. Still, the team will soon get some much needed help from starter Kip Gross and infielder Yukio Tanaka -- both recovering from earlier injuries.

Buffaloes: It's going to be tough catching up with Nippon Ham, but Kintetsu has the opportunity to make it an interesting race. Since they were really hot after last year's All-Star break, the Buffaloes are looking to make history repeat itself. Since he led Kintetsu's late-season surge in 1997, Phil Clark may be someone to watch this month.

Lions: Daily Yomiuri sportswriter Ken Marantz named the Lions as the team to watch after the All-Star break. Sure, they've got a lot of potential, but virtually all of it has been unrealized this season. Their pitchers seem to be in a deep funk, and aside from Domingo Martinez, all the imported help has been dumped on the farm. During the All-Star break last year, the Lions were virtually tied with the BlueWave and weren't able to clinch the PL flag until October. It's going to be a lot more difficult to erase Nippon Ham's nine-and-a-half game lead this year.

Hawks: If the Hawks are thinking about making a run for the PL flag, they're apparently keeping the plans to themselves. Though their "big bang" offense has made headlines by winning several lopsided games this month, Daiei's pitching just hasn't been able to keep pace. Currently, they only have one starting pitcher with an ERA under 4.00. Aside from Luis Lopez, who is now batting .303 while leading the league with 28 doubles, the Hawks are also having trouble with their line-up. Slugger Hiroki Kokubo is still injured while former Olympics star Tadahito Iguchi (.207, ten homers, 71 strikeouts, 17 walks) is all-power, no-brains.

BlueWave: Last week, Orix announced they were releasing import James Bonnici. Though he won a minor league triple crown while playing for the BlueWave's farm team last year, Bonnici was unable to get a hit when he was called up this May. With Harvey Pulliam and Troy Neel both hitting well, Orix probably felt they had no need to keep Bonnici around. Since they have virtually no chance of winning a pennant this year, Ichiro (currently leading the PL with a .381 batting average) is about the only thing the BlueWave have to feel good about this year.

Marines: Despite a record eighteen-game losing streak, the Marines recently announced that they intended to retain manager Akihito Kondo. Not only, it appears, has Lotte given up on this season, but they've conceded the next one as well.

Back to Archives page