YSHP Japanese Baseball News Archive -- May 1998

Yakult Swallows Home Plate
Japanese Baseball News
Archives: May 1998

The arrival of May marks the end of the first month of the Japanese baseball season. Already we've seen lots of surprises, and there are sure to be a lot more in the coming months. But for now, let's take an in-depth look at how all twelve teams are doing. [NOTE: All teams are listed in order of their standings on May 4, 1998.]

Hiroshima Carp: Almost nothing has gone wrong for the Carp this year. Though the team lost top slugger Luis Lopez in the off-season, they've gotten great offense from an all Japanese line-up. And while pitching has been the team's weakest link for the last several years, they've gotten great performances from aging Yutaka Ono and a crew of young hurlers.

42-year-old Ono appears determined to prove his 1997 ERA title was no fluke. Though not an overpowering pitcher, the lefty has good control, keeps the ball on the ground and doesn't give up many runs. His 1.14 ERA is currently third among Central League hurlers.

Backing up Ono is a young staff with a lot of potential. One of three leading candidates for the 1998 CL Rookie of the Year Award, Kanei Kobayashi has appeared in twelve games, compiled a 4-1 record, a 1.16 ERA and 26 strikeouts in just under 24 innings. Though 1997 ROTY Toshikazu Sawasaki got blasted in his last start and has an 8.59 ERA, both top 1995 Rookie Yasuyuki Yamauchi and 33-year-old Makoto Kito appear to be making comebacks.

Top closer Shinji Sasaoka has already compiled four saves and six save points, while newcomer Nathan Minchey has posted a 2.98 ERA in six games.

As a whole, the Carp mound staff's 3.51 ERA ranks second in the league, but their post-season chances hinge on how consistent the pitchers can stay for the remainder of the season.

Hiroshima has by far the most well-rounded offense in Japan. They can hit for average (.270 -- second in the league) and power (16 home runs -- third) while stealing their share of bases (21 -- first). Featuring an all Japanese line-up, the Carp offense has been led by right fielder Tomonori Maeda (.370, five home runs) and center fielder Koichi Ogata (.350, eight doubles), and third baseman Akira Eto (.303, four HRs, 17 RBIs). All three are hitting really well in clutch situations.

Chunichi Dragons: The Dragons are a strange team. As of May 3, they were in second place, but their opponents had outscored them by ten runs. Although their 19 stolen bases rank second in the league, in no other batting or pitching category are they doing particularly well: 89 runs scored (third, though they've played more games than any other CL team), eleven home runs (fifth), .248 batting average (tied for fourth), and a 3.81 team ERA (fourth).

Part of their reason for doing so well is their excellent bullpen. Led by closer Dong Yol Sun (0.77 ERA, 3 saves, 2-0), the Chunichi relief staff have been able to protect slim Chunichi leads. Meanwhile the Dragons have gotten excellent starting pitching from 24 year old Shigeki Noguchi (3-1, 0.56 ERA) and rookie Kenshin Kawakami (2-0, 1.13 ERA). Ace starters Shinji Imanaka and Masa Yamamoto got pounded early in the season, but both have had at least one strong start.

Though consistent offense has been a problem for the Dragons, Chunichi batters have been very timely with their hits. Lead-off batter Jeong Bum Lee had compiled a .337 batting average as of May 2 while hitting .500 with men on base. Lee is also leading the league with two triples, ten stolen bases and a .461 on base percentage.

Newcomer Koichi Sekikawa, acquired from Hanshin in a trade that sent Yasuaki Taiho to the Tigers, is batting .314 (and .333 in the clutch) while second baseman Kazuyoshi Tatsunami is hitting .478 in key situations. Although third baseman Leo Gomez has been struggling to make contact (.213, 21 strikeouts), he's managed to clout six home runs.

Chunichi has also made the most of every scoring opportunity by advancing their runners. Though the Dragons stole few bases in 1997, they've already swiped eighteen this season (second in the league).

Good timing and a lot of luck have put the Dragons in second place, but they won't stay there for long if they can't offer more consistent batting and pitching.

Chunichi is apparently hoping that newly acquired Korean pitcher Sang Hoon Lee can help. Lee threw 42 pitches during the team's May 3 batting practice, allowing only one "hit." His fastball has been clocked at 143 kph (about 90 mph) and his change up won compliments from the team's pitching coaches. Lee is scheduled to make his debut on the Dragons farm team on May 9 at Nagoya Stadium, and he could make his first appearance with the varsity team before June.

Yomiuri Giants: Though the Kyojin got off to a great start by winning their first five games of the regular season, the Giants eventually cooled off and briefly dipped below .500 at the end of April. On the surface, everything looks OK for Yomiuri, but the team may have trouble in the coming months and years.

Despite slugger Hideki Matsui's well-publicized slump, as of May 2, the Giants have scored more runs, clubbed more home runs and compiled a higher batting average (.282) than any other Central League team. Though batting a mere .198 with two home runs, Matsui compiled 18 walks (second best in the loop) giving him a respectable .350 on base percentage.

Unfortunately for Godzilla, many of his 21 strikeouts (also tops in the league) have come in close games with the bases jammed. That's one reason he was moved down a floor in the batting order, from the clean-up spot to third.

Now occupying Matsui's traditional role, first baseman Kazuhiro Kiyohara may be headed for a career year. Though he only hit two home runs in April, the former Seibu slugger finished the month with a .354 batting average. While making better contact, he's well above last season's RBI pace. The Giants have also got good offense from infielder Hiroo Ishii, left fielder Takayuki Shimizu (.342), and rookie Yoshinobu Takahashi.

Widely heralded before the season began, Takahashi knows how to use a glove and a bat. The second of his three home runs came off Chunichi relief ace Dong Yol Sun (who hadn't given up a roundtripper in over a year), and his third was a grand slam off Yakult's Kenjiro Kawasaki. With a .293 batting average, the former Keio University grad is hitting .353 in clutch situations. Currently, Takahashi is one of three likely candidates for the Central League Rookie of the Year Award.

Except for Matsui and Takahashi, however, no Yomiuri player has a lock on his position or place in the line-up. As usual, Kyojin skipper Shigeo Nagashima has shifted players in and out of games depending on how they bat against any given pitcher. Aside from those two players, everyone else has either sat out a game or been relegated to pinch-hitting -- and Kiyohara, Ishii and second baseman Toshihisa Nishi have all been briefly sidelined because of injuries. Given the depth of talent the Giants possess, the move makes sense in the short run.

But in the long run, the Giants are cheating their younger players out of an education. Shimizu, for example, bats relatively poorly against lefties, so Nagashima is quick to yank him if the team faces a southpaw. So, the Giants may win a game here or there because of careful managing, but Shimizu won't get a chance to develop into a more well-rounded player. Only Takahashi, who's in the line-up every day, has much potential grow.

In terms of pitching, one thing is becoming very clear. Eric Hillman is finished. He might as well pack his bags, because he will never again pitch in Japan. Why? First, the pain in his arm is still there, and as he was told by his doctors, the only real hope of fixing it is through an operation that will leave him unable to pitch for sixteen months. Also, there is currently no room for him on the Yomiuri mound staff.

Each team is allowed two foreign hurlers, and the Giants already have two imported aces. Though Korean fireballer Sung Min Cho pitched out of the bullpen last year, his conversion to a starter appears to be highly successful. In addition to an April 1.50 ERA and a 3-0 record, Cho has compiled 35 strikeouts in just 30 innings. On May 2, he pitched a complete game shutout against the Swallows, striking out thirteen Yakult batters. Though Balvino Galvez lost three of four games, he compiled a 2.41 ERA in the first month of the season. Lack of run support has really hurt Galvez.

Though Masumi Kuwata is currently 3-0 with a 3.66 ERA, the best that can be said about the rest of Yomirui's pitching staff is that they've been reasonably consistent. The Giants have compiled a 3.52 ERA (third in the league), but the team appears to still be searching for a reliable closer.

Although Yomiuri has had a great pitching staff for years, three-time Sawamura Award winner Masaki Saito has been throwing blanks since last year and Hiromi Makihara has yet to do anything noteworthy this year. If the Giants hope to win a pennant, their aging pitching staff will have to help Cho and Galvez carry the load.

Yokohama BayStars: For years, the BayStars have had pitching problems, but in April, Yokohama led the league with a 3.28 ERA. In addition to ace closer Kazuhiro Sasaki (see this week's trivia question) who has compiled four saves, both Takeo Kawamura (2.01 ERA, 1-1) and Hiroki Nomura (2.65, 1-2) are leading the team.

Though batting was the team's strength in 1997, Yokohama's offense is largely one-dimensional. They have a good team batting average (.267 -- third in the league) but few home runs (9 -- sixth) or stolen bases (4 -- fifth). Last year, the BayStars got by on a hit-and-run strategy, but they won't get far this season with all hit and no run.

A few more home runs would really help Yokohama, but new slugger Jose Malave hasn't been able to repeat his pre-season performance. Malave has recently been benched after batting .196 with one home run in April. Mr. Consistency Bobby Rose is batting well (.305) but has only clubbed one roundtripper.

Hanshin Tigers: The Tigers started off April losing, briefly came to life in the middle of the month, and resumed their flunky ways shortly before arriving in May. Probably no other team has been as lucky as the Tigers, and that luck appears to be running out.

The entire Hanshin offense relies upon one thing -- hitting home runs. The team has pounded sixteen roundtrippers (third in the league) but is last in batting (.237) and steals (2). Only outfielder Shinjiro Hiyama is batting well (.304, four home runs). The rest of the team is floundering.

A mediocre hitter at best, all-star center fielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo is batting .187 (no home runs). Alonzo Powell has been struggling at the plate since the season began. Newcomer Dave Hansen may be hitting .260, but he's collected sixteen walks, giving him a .387 on base percentage. Desi Wilson, a career minor leaguer, has yet to be given a chance on the Tigers varsity team.

In terms of pitching, the Tigers are doing better than last year. Their 3.74 team ERA ranks fourth in the league, and the team has gotten a big helping hand from newcomer Ben Rivera. In the role of closer, Rivera has compiled five saves in ten games (nine innings), struck out ten and allowed no earned runs. Aside from Shin Nakagome (2.63 ERA, 3-1) and Keichi Yabu (3.52, 2-2), the team's starters have been very erratic. Toshiro Yufune (3.86 ERA, 1-1) suffered a broken foot on April 28 and will miss one month.

Doug Creek pitched one great game on April 5 (7 strikeouts and no runs in 7 1/3 innings) but has had trouble ever since. Part of Creek's problem is he threw too many pitches in his first game, and has yet to fully recover. He was recently taken off the varsity roster, presumably to give his arm a rest, but when he'll return is uncertain.

Barring any sudden downturn, Rivera has a lock on his spot in the top team, and three foreign pitchers will be competing for the other position. Taiwanese hurler Tateo Kaku-ri has been working as a middle-reliever in Creek's absence, but Hanshin needs a starter. Unless Creek comes back in top form, the Tigers may opt to activate import Darrell May.

Yakult Swallows: As mentioned in last week's news, the Swallows have a lot of problems this year: injured and suspended players, the loss of Masato Yoshii to the New York Mets, the lack of clutch hitting and a highly erratic bullpen.

But in the last week, things have begun to look up for Yakult. Shinya Miyamoto has returned to the line-up The team has won three of their last six games, and their offense continues to improve, particularly in the area of clutch-hitting. On May 4, ace lefty Kazuhisa Ishii pitched a complete game victory over the Giants in which he struck out eleven Yomiuri batters. Ishii also led the Yakult offense by hitting a single, a double and knocking in three runs.

A lot of their trouble appears to be psychological. They have the talent to be competitive, but they need to be more consistent in their pitching. This last week should help shed the losing aura.

Chiba Lotte Marines: At this same point last year, the Marines were also in first place... but they eventually finished the season in the Pacific League cellar.

The main reason the Marines are on top right now is because of their extraordinary pitching. The team's 2.20 ERA is by far the best in Japan, and likely accounts for their first place tie with Nippon Ham. Lotte doesn't have a lot of reliable hurlers, but those they have see a lot of action.

Last year, Tomohiro Kuroki led the PL in innings pitched. This season, he's being used a little more sparingly. In 35 innings, the 24-year-old right-hander has compiled a 3-0 record with a 2.57 ERA. Picking up the slack, Satoru Komiyama is getting a lot of work (1.05 ERA, 4-0 in 43 innings) and Joe Crawford has become a steady third starter (2.05 ERA, 2-1). Rookie Tsuneyuki Iso (1-0, 1.08 ERA in two games) has also been quite effective.

It may be tempting to credit Julio Franco with leading the Marines to first place, but it would also be misleading. Franco did get off to a good start, but he's now batting .293 with no home runs and only three RBIs -- rather odd numbers since he is currently the Lotte clean-up hitter.

Part of the reason for the low number of RBIs is that the number three batter, first baseman Kazuya Fukuura has compiled 15 RBIs -- after he bats, there aren't too many base runners left to bat in. In addition, Franco has bat and anemic .172 with runners on base. All things considered, Franco is an odd choice to bat fourth, but his position doesn't appear to have hurt the Marines too much -- the team has currently scored 86 runs -- third in the league.

Instead, Franco has probably given the team the confidence and leadership to do well. Almost everyone is hitting better than last year, including outfielder Mark Carreon (batting .319 with three home runs despite missing most of last week), and third baseman Kiyoshi Hatsushiba (.295 average, .438 with runners on base).

1997 Rookie of the Year Makoto Kosaka is well behind the pace he set last season. Named the April 1997 MVP, Kosaka is now batting a mere .254 with three triples and seven stolen bases (two behind Seibu pace-setter Kazuo Matsui). But his 14 walks (the diminutive shortstop has a small strike zone) has enabled him to compile a respectable .378 on base percentage.

Nippon Ham Fighters: Picked by many pundits to finish near the bottom of the PL standings, the Fighters were a pleasant surprise in April.

Though the Fighting Ham have gotten decent pitching from their mound staff (a team 3.59 ERA), their rise to the top has more to do with their impressive offense. Leading the league with a .266 team batting average, the Fighters have clubbed 29 home runs (almost twice as many as any other team), swiped twelve bases (fifth) and scored a whopping 110 runs (first).

The man who deserves the most credit for driving the Ham's offense is third baseman Atsushi Kataoka, who is currently leading the Pacific League in runs (17), home runs (7 -- tied with Nigel Wilson), RBIs (20), walks (30), on base percentage (.547) and slugging (.719). The third sacker has also batted .344 (.353 with runners on base). Backing up Kataoka are DH Nigel Wilson (.329, seven home runs, 19 RBIs) and Jerry Brooks (.305, six homers, 15 RBIs).

Nippon Ham's line-up has a lot of power, but they could sure use a little more speed on the base paths.

As far as pitching, the Fighters are getting a lot of mileage out of 27-year-old right-hander Tsutomu Iwamoto. Leading both leagues with 51 innings pitched, the right-handed workhorse has helped pick up the slack for injured Kip Gross by going 4-1 with a 1.59 ERA.

Incidentally, Gross last week notified the team that he may be able to return to the mound by mid-June. As quoted in the Asahi Evening News (April 30), Nippon Ham skipper Toshiharu Ueda said that Gross "can start playing catch four weeks [after the surgery] and pitch in a game after eight weeks. But I'm not going to expect too much from him."

Gross's absence leaves an opening for a foreign pitcher on the Nippon Ham mound staff. Erik Schullstrom has been selected as the team's probable closer, but Rafael Orellano has been a little erratic in his five appearances and may need some time on the Ham farm team. But Orellano is young, has a lot of potential, and appears destined to be an eventual replacement for Gross.

Fukuoka Daiei Hawks: The Hawks started out strong, then dropped eight games in a row. Entering May, the team looks as if they're on the rebound.

Though not known for their pitching, the Hawks got some excellent mound performances in the first few weeks of the season. Though they have slipped a bit, Daiei still has the second best team ERA (3.33) in the PL, and they've gotten good pitching from starters Tatsuji Nishimura (1-2, 2.05), Keiji Kimura (2-0, 2.88), Shintaro Yoshitake (2-0, 3.34) and Kimiyasu Kudo (2-0, 0.87). Last week, Kudo pulled himself out of Daiei's rotation so he could receive treatment for an inflammation in his pitching elbow.

The Hawks meanwhile have gotten lackluster offense from their line-up: a .241 team batting average (fifth in the league), 14 home runs (fourth), 18 stolen bases (second). One reason for the drop-off in power-hitting is the loss of Hiroki Kokubo (suspended eight weeks for tax evasion). But Luis Lopez has gotten off to a slow start (.269, no home runs), as have Koichiro Yoshinaga (.133, two), and Kenji Jojima (.224, three).

Once Kokubo returns to the line-up, the Hawks offense should improve, and if the pitching staff can stay consistent, the Hawks could be contenders this year.

Seibu Lions: Like last year, the Lions got off to a slow start, but now seem to be coming around. Though Seibu's current team ERA (3.57) is consistent with their performance last year, they've gotten some highly erratic performances from some of their key pitchers.

1997 Sawamura Award winner and PL MVP Fumiya Nishiguchi has compiled a 1-4 record and a 3.66 ERA while Terry Bross (1-2, 6.20 ERA) will be out of the rotation for at least a week because of arm pain. Import Giovanni Carrara (1-1, 5.17) has given up a lot of home runs. Given Seibu's off-season drive to beef up their pitching staff, the team will likely have to rely on some of their second-string help.

The Lions offense is currently below last year's standards. Domingo Martinez and Ken Suzuki are both batting above .300, but MVP runner-up Tsutomu Ito hasn't gotten much playing time, and shortstop Kazuo Matsui is only batting .265 (although he is leading the league with nine steals). New second baseman Brian Raabe had to fight for a starting job but he's now batting .296. Seibu also has a hole in their outfield, but filling it with Rudy Pemberton (now on the Seibu farm team) is impossible as long as Raabe and Martinez are in the line-up.

While the Lions are leading the league with 26 stolen bases, their 13 home runs is the lowest total in the league and their .259 batting average ranks third.

Kintetsu Buffaloes: The Buffaloes quickly seized the Pacific League lead after the start of the season, but by the middle of April, the team began to slip. First, Daiei tied them for the PL lead then the Marines eventually took over the top spot. By the end of the month, the Buffaloes were sitting in second place (and by May 5, they fell into a tie for fourth place).

Kintetsu remains a dark horse choice for the PL pennant, and they appear to have their pitching problems under control. The team has compiled a 3.39 ERA, and import Phil Leftwich has pitched very well in the last few weeks (2-1, 2.49 ERA).

Leftwich joins starters Hideo Koike (2-1, 3.65), Hiroshi Takamura (0-1, 3.80) and Akira Okamoto (1-4, 3.81), all of whom have shown strong potential. 26-year-old Akinori Otsuka (seven saves) has apparently taken the closer role away from Motoyuki Akahori, whose current position with the team remains unclear.

The team's top two batters, Tuffy Rhodes (.310, three home runs) and Phil Clark (.333, five), have gotten a lot of help from 22-year-old outfielder Naoyuki Omura who is currently batting .377 (.458 with runners on base), with seven stolen bases.

Last year, the Buffaloes played miserably in the first half but made a drive for the PL pennant after the all-star break. This year, they're on a much better pace and have an excellent chance of going all the way.

Orix BlueWave: The BlueWave have a lot in common with the Yakult Swallows. Both have been strong teams for the last few years, and both have fallen hard this season.

In an attempt to bolster their poor offense (team .237 average), the BlueWave have demoted James Bonnici to the farm team and re-hired Troy Neel. When he is activated, Orix will have to decide whether to jettison newcomer Harvey Pulliam (now batting .208) or give Chris Donnels (batting poorly after recovering from a broken hand) a rest.

The BlueWave also appear to have quite a lot of pitching problems. The loss of middle reliever Tadahito Nomura has taken a toll (traded to Yomiuri), but so has the poor performance of ace Nobuyuki Hoshino (0-5, 6.67 ERA). Reliever Edwin Hurtado, acquired from the Seattle Mariners is also struggling (3-1, 4.37). Only Willie Fraser (2-1, 2.67) is carrying his own weight.

Two foreign players who have been in Japan longer than any of their peers, Hanshin's Alonzo Powell and Yokohama's Bobby Rose traded places this week. Not at the ballpark, but on the stats page.

Powell, who had been struggling since the beginning of the season, entered May batting .130. But after collecting eleven hits, two home runs, and three walks in 27 plate appearances, Zo is now batting .254.

Meanwhile, Rose has been traveling the opposite direction. Two weeks ago, the Yokohama second baseman was still among the league's top ten batting leaders, but entering May, his average dipped to .286. When it dropped to .235 on Sunday, the BayStars benched him.

Though they've had their ups and downs, both stars have been able to avoid demotion to the minor leagues. Many of their foreign peers, however, have not been so lucky.

Of the 57 foreign players currently in Japan, ten have been on the farm since the beginning of the season and about ten others have spent part of their first month on the ni-gun (second-string) squad. Though demotion in the states often means that a player is not ready for the big leagues, there can be several other reasons in Japan.

The biggest is that there's simply no room for a player on the varsity team. Although each franchise may employ as many foreigners as they like, only four (two pitchers, two position players) may appear on the top team roster at any given time. The Tigers currently have seven gaijin, the BlueWave six, and several others host five. Until a few weeks ago, the Dragons only had four.

But with the addition of Korean ace Samson Lee, Chunichi bumped import Kevin Jarvis to the farm team. Though the Kentucky-native pitched well in his regular season debut, the Dragons plucked Lee from his cash-strapped Korean team, and Jarvis spent much of April looking over his shoulder. When Chunichi activated Lee on their varsity roster for their May 9 game against the Yomiuri Giants, Jarvis got demoted.

Several other teams have only four foreigners under contract, but have felt little need to use all of them. Hiroshima, currently leading the Central League by 4.5 games, has given a spot to Nathan Minchey on their starting rotation and part-time first-base work to Dominican Timoniel Perez. But their other two imports -- outfielder Alejandro Quezada and pitcher Felix Perdomo -- may stay on the bottom team for the entire season.

The Carp have what is widely regarded as the finest farm system in Japan. In addition to a Dominican academy from which they draw many of their foreign players, the team has stressed development on their ni-gun squad. Rather than signing proven Major League talent, the Carp have invested their limited funds in foreign players they can develop. Before he bolted to the Boston Red Sox, Robinson Checo came up through the Hiroshima system. Perez, a young and aggressive outfielder who's been shifted to the infield this year, may be the next star in the making.

Apparently other teams have seen what Hiroshima is doing, and are trying to copy a winning formula. The Marines picked up Shane Dennis last year from the Padres organization, and have been using him on the ni-gun team. Likewise, the Fighters acquired minor leaguer Rafael Orellano from the Red Sox. Raffy is still a little raw, but the team has him on a two year contract and may be planning on him becoming an eventual replacement for Kip Gross. Over the Winter, Orix retained James Bonnici, who won a minor league triple crown last year.

Still, few teams are willing to go as far as Hiroshima. For most clubs, the farm is out of sight, out of mind -- a place to banish varsity players who screw up. Several years ago, then BlueWave manager Shozo Doi took a strong dislike to one of his rookies, an independent-minded outfielder named Ichiro Suzuki, whom he exiled to the minor leagues for two years. After Doi got canned, Ichiro was quickly promoted by new skipper Akira Ogi and proceeded to win his first of four straight batting titles.

With more foreigners to choose from and a general increase in the quality of Japanese players, managers are now more willing to send a message by demoting one of their imports. Yakult Swallows pitcher Travis Driskill was one of the latest to receive this kind of punishment. Though he had pitched five scoreless innings as a starter the week before, when the right-handed Texan gave up two home runs in one inning on April 29, Swallows manager Katsuya Nomura gave him the heave-ho -- ten days in exile.

Never mind that Nomura may have been part of the problem. With his entire pitching staff in disarray, the surly skipper has tried every juggling combination imaginable, but to no avail. Like several other Yakult pitchers, Driskill was used as a starter and middle reliever. With no clear role from day-to-day, it's no surprise he and other Yakult hurlers have been inconsistent.

But to change things would mean challenging one of Japanese baseball's central tenets -- all players are interchangeable spare parts possessing nearly identical talents. Those who excel do so because they work hard and listen to their coaches -- except for foreigners who are bigger, stronger and have a head start. Otherwise, take any player, train him, tell him what to do, and you should get predictable results. If you have a square peg that needs to go in a round hole, keep pounding -- it'll fit eventually.

But Japan has a large trash heap of burnt out arms that point to the system's failure. Different players have different needs and rhythms. Some pitchers, like Driskill, need a stable role. Others need a schedule. Take Doug Creek for example.

On April 5, the new Hanshin import held the Yokohama BayStars to one unearned run over seven innings. While scattering five hits and three walks, Creek struck out seven and threw 117 pitches. Since he was the first Tigers pitcher to shut down the opposition, Hanshin rushed him back to the mound on April 11. In three innings, he gave up four runs. His next two appearances were just as bad.

Creek's problem is similar to that of New York's Hideki Irabu -- both need a long recovery after big starts. After throwing so many pitches so early in the season, Creek floundered until he was taken off the varsity roster at the end of the month. He needed some time to rest his arm.

There seems to be a prevalent misconception that if a guy can do well in the Major Leagues or AAA, he can do even better in Japan. But it doesn't usually work that way.

Maybe Randy Johnson or Mark McGwire could make the transition without any trouble, but for most other players it takes more than just talent to succeed in Japan. Almost every year, some team brings over a big name player who flops. Kevin Mitchell played a few games for the Hawks in 1995 before catching the first plane home. Last year, Mike Greenwell came late, played for one week, broke his foot and announced his retirement.

Overwhelming talent may, in fact, hinder a player's chances of succeeding because it increases the chances of him bailing out. In essence, Mitchell and Greenwell said to themselves: What the hell am I doing in Japan, taking this crap, when I could be back in the states, playing baseball for people who appreciate me?

That thought probably doesn't occur as much in younger, more hungry players who never got much of a chance in the big leagues. Those are the guys -- like Nigel Wilson, Dwayne Hosey, Domingo Martinez, Tuffy Rhodes, Alonzo Powell, and Bobby Rose -- who have come to Japan, put up with the crap, and made names for themselves.

Succeeding in Japan isn't easy because it usually means adapting to less than ideal playing conditions. Both Hosey and Martinez were ridiculed before the 1997 season even began... but both became the top sluggers in their leagues. Rose has asked for a multi-year contract, but no matter how consistently he plays, the BayStars keep claiming they don't give deals like that to foreigners -- even though they offered a two-year contract to Glenn Braggs a few years back. Powell was benched for a large part of April, but he's making his comeback.

Adapting to Japanese baseball often means meeting the team more than half-way. With so many foreign players to pick from, if one doesn't fit and can't be made to fit, a ball club can easily sign someone else. Why should Japanese managers care about their foreign players special needs?

Driskill, Creek and Jarvis are finding similar problems. While Creek needs to adjust physically to succeed, the other two need to mentally adapt. Playing for a Japanese team, Driskill may never get to pitch regularly unless he can prove his consistency -- but how can he do that when he's constantly getting jerked around? If there were an easy answer to that, anyone would be able to come to Japan and win 20 games.

For Jarvis, who this week joins Driskill and Creek in the minor leagues, adapting may mean making the best of a lousy situation.

The minor leagues offer an atmosphere quite different from that on the varsity team. Games are sparsely attended and there's virtually no media coverage. Since no one really cares about the minor league standings, there's also less pressure, so foreign players can relax and learn to adapt in a less-hostile environment. No one likes the word, "demotion," but in some cases a trip to the minor league team can be just what it's supposed to be -- a learning experience.

On May 7, former Major League manager Davey Johnson made a high profile visit to Japan, where he played two years for the Yomiuri Giants in the mid-1970s. The highly successful Major League skipper met with Yomiuri pilot Shigeo Nagashima, watched the Giants play the Yokohama BayStars, and appeared on Asahi TV's NewsStation, where he fielded a variety of questions.

Asked about the game he had just seen, Johnson said he was disappointed by the quality of Japanese pitchers who, he claimed, couldn't keep the ball down in the strike zone. And the former manager of the Orioles, Mets and Reds offered nothing but kind words for Nagashima, who he described as a great manager.

In a separate interview, Johnson was quoted in the Daily Yomiuri (May 10): "In the States, the minor league system is what makes the major league club thrive. I've always felt the Japanese should further develop their minor league system."

Fired by Baltimore last year because because he improperly fined a player, and unable to find a job with any other Major League club, speculation arose several months ago that Johnson was interested in managing a Japanese team. Currently unemployed, his visit has prompted those rumors to resurface. Asked directly if he would like to manage a Japanese team, Johnson remained non-committal. But his week-long visit appears motivated to keep the clubhouse door open.

Carp: Hiroshima center fielder Tomohiro Maeda (.370, 5 home runs, 16 RBIs) and pitcher Kanei Kobayashi (12 games, 4-1, 1.16 ERA) earned the Central League MVP honors for April.

Dragons: On Saturday, May 9, Chunichi promoted Korean hurler Samson Lee to their varsity team. Lee, who took the mound in the eighth inning, gave up a home run to Daisuke Motoki, the first batter he faced. After surrendering a hit and a walk, the long-haired hurler got Yomiuri's Yoshinobu Takahashi to ground out and end the inning. The following day, an eighth-inning one-out Dragons rally was halted when the plate umpire called pinch runner Takayuki Onishi out at the plate. Subsequent video replays clearly reveal that Giants catcher Shinichi Murata had failed to tag Onishi. The Giants won the game, 3-2.

Giants: In the fourth inning of Wednesday's game (May 6) against the BayStars, a one-hop ground ball hit starting pitcher Masumi Kuwata on his left thumb. Complaining of pain and swelling, Kuwata underwent subsequent examination which revealed a bruise (no fracture) that will keep the right-handed hurler sidelined for three.

Tigers: Benched a few weeks ago, Hanshin outfielder Alonzo Powell is making a comeback. In the last week, he has gone 11 for 27 with two home runs and three walks, lifting his batting average from .130 to .254.

Swallows: Even when their opponents offer no offense, Yakult pitchers have figured out a way to keep their losing streak alive. With the Swallows leading the Carp 1-0 on May 7, Yakult starter Koji Takagi surrendered a two-out third-inning single to Hiroshima second baseman Kozo Shoda. Takagi then walked the next two batters to load the bases, and hit Carp left fielder Tomoaki Kanemoto in the back to force home the tying run. A pitching change brought Yakult's Hisanobu Watanabe to the mound. Thirteen pitches and three walks later, Hiroshima led the game 4-1 -- which turned out to be the final score.

Fighters: With their 9-4 victory over the Buffaloes on May 5, the Fighters reached first place for the first time in 615 days (since August 28, 1996).

Hawks: The Hawks have been a streaking club. Upon ending their eight-game skid on April 30, Daiei won seven in a row.

Marines: On May 8, import Julio Franco clubbed three home runs with seven RBIs as the Marines defeated the Nippon Ham Fighters 14-2.

Lions: 1997 Sawamura Award winner Fumiya Nishiguchi continues to struggle on the mound. On May 10, the Seibu ace surrendered four earned runs against Hawks, bringing his ERA up to 3.97. Nishiguchi has compiled a 1-5 record this season.

Buffaloes: After batting .394, Kintetsu outfielder Naoyuki Omura earned the Pacific League April MVP.

BlueWave: What are two things BlueWave hurlers Willie Fraser (2.67 ERA, 2-1) and Edwin Hurtado (3.71 ERA, 4-1) have in common? Aside from their lack of Japanese citizenship, until May 8, the pair combined for all six of the Kobe-based team's wins. Masao Kida became the first Nihonjin BlueWave winner on Friday when he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, leading Orix to their seventh victory of the season by defeating Kintetsu 7-1. Kida benefited from the return of Troy Neel, released by Orix after the 1997 season and reacquired two weeks ago, who hit a home run in his first at-bat of the year.

Continuing a semi-regular post-season ritual, a team of Major League all-stars will tour Japan this November, playing seven games against local players. Sponsored in part by the Yomiuri Shimbun, the series kicks off on Friday, November 6 at Tokyo Dome when the Yomiuri Giants baseball team plays an exhibition game against the visiting big leaguers.

The remaining seven games will feature a team of Japanese all-stars selected by fan balloting. In a new twist, which many fans believe to be a move to ensure that popular Yomiuri manager Shigeo Nagashima will pilot the Japanese squad, the manager for the home team will also be selected by popular vote.

Dubbed the "Super Dome Series," all eight games will be played indoors on the following dates:

Nove	mber	Teams	Place	Time
Fri.	6	Yomiuri vs. MLB	Tokyo Dome	6:00 PM
Sat.	7	Japan vs. MLB	Tokyo Dome	6:00 PM
Sun.	8	Japan vs. MLB	Tokyo Dome	6:00 PM
Tues.	10	Japan vs. MLB	Fukuoka Dome	6:00 PM
Wed.	11	Japan vs. MLB	Osaka Dome	6:00 PM
Thurs.	12	Japan vs. MLB	Osaka Dome	6:00 PM
Sat.	14	Japan vs. MLB	Tokyo Dome	1:00 PM
Sun.	15	Japan vs. MLB	Tokyo Dome	12:00 PM

Except for the strike-shortened 1994 season, a Major League all-star team has toured Japan every even-numbered year since 1986. In that span, the visitors have won 22 games, the Japanese 12, and the remaining seven have ended in ties. Since teams will only play nine-innings, the possibility for more draws remain this year. Though the Japanese team prevailed in the 1990 series, four games to three, the Major Leaguers edged their hosts 4-2 in 1996.

While Cal Ripken clubbed a home run in game three, San Diego's Steve Finley was named the 1996 series MVP after batting .400 with four doubles, a home run and eight RBIs. That year also saw Hideo Nomo make a triumphant return after no-hitting the Colorado Rockies a few months earlier. In a controversial move, George Steinbrenner refused to allow any Yankees players, including former Hanshin Tigers first baseman Cecil Fielder, to participate in the series.

Along with fan balloting to select the Japanese team, this year also will feature one significant departure from the past. For the first time, significant financial incentives will be offered to the winning team, a move widely interpreted as an attempt to promote more serious play.

For years, organizers, critics and fans have been mulling the possibility of a real "world" series against Japan and the Major Leagues. And this year will bring that idea a little closer to reality. But the format for such a post-season championship still needs to be resolved. Neither of two currently popular ideas appear very satisfying.

One would have each country field a team of professionals that would participate in the summer Olympics every four years. One big problem, however, is that virtually every team on both sides of the Pacific is against it. It would pull key players off of teams just as the pennant races were heating up. Yomiuri Giants owner Tsuneo Watanabe has already flatly declared he would never allow his stars to leave in mid-season.

Another idea would have the World Series champion play a team of Japanese all-stars -- the assumption being that no established Japanese team would be able to compete against any Major League champ. But the problems with this plan are many.

First, it's not clear how far apart the two leagues really are. In recent years, the Japanese and Major League all-star teams have both played well enough to be considered near equals. Allowing Japan to compile a team of all-stars to face the World Series champs would merely institutionalize the Japanese leauge's supposed inferiority. Moreover, it's quite likely in such a series, the Japanese team would have a strong advantage, so even when they win, it won't mean much.

A more simple and meaningful arrangement would be to have the Japan and World Series Champs meet in a best of seven series in late-October or early November.

Sure the Major Leaguers would have an advantage, but so did the National League almost a hundred years ago. Facing a stronger opponent might also prompt the Japanese to strengthen their leagues by expanding their farm systems, raising player salaries, easing requirements for free agency and eliminating the quota on foreigners. Many Japanese players have the talent to play in the Majors -- but more comprehensive development and extra competition will make them better prepared to take on the big leaguers.

With the 100th anniversary of the World Series arriving in 2003, what better time to kick of the "Pacific Series"? The timing is right and the leagues are ready. The only thing that's lacking is the verbal public support that will prompt the baseball powers to get off their duffs and start laying plans.

Carp: Though still clinging to first place by two games, the Carp have now lost four straight and the rest of the league is smelling blood. Pitching is the problem. In one week, the team's batting remained consistent but their ERA jumped from 2.98 to 3.56. The first cracks appeared on May 10, when Hiroshima rookie sensation Kanei Kobayashi surrendered a grand slam to Yokohama's Norihiro Komada that allowed the BayStars to score a gyakuten (come from behind) victory.

Three days later, Carp starter Makoto Kito gave up a first inning grand slam to Yakult's Dwayne Hosey. The following night, it was closer Shinji Sasaoka's turn to give aid and comfort to the enemy -- in the form of a forkball that Swallows rookie Hirofumi Watarai dropped into the left field stands for a sayonara game-winning home run. In two days (May 16-17), the Carp gave up eighteen runs to the Hanshin Tigers.

Dragons: Struggling since the beginning of the season, third baseman Leo Gomez (.202, six homers) was pulled from the line-up on May 13 after sustaining a mild knee injury. He'll be out for two or three weeks. New foreign pitcher Samson Lee (0-0, 7.71 ERA) has gotten off to a rocky start. In his third relief appearance of the season (May 17), the Korean hurler lasted just one-third of an inning after surrendering three hits and one run. In the same game, rookie starter Kenshin Kawakami (2-2, 2.52), one of three likely candidates for the CL Rookie of the Year Award, got roughed up to the tune of five earned runs in just under five innings.

Giants: On May 12, several publications ran stories dealing with current salary levels. For the fourth year in a row, the Giants posted the highest payroll, almost 50% higher than any other Japanese team. At the ballpark, the Kyojin got a very impressive performance from Masaki Saito on May 17. In addition to pitching a complete game and holding the Swallows to two runs, Saito clubbed a three-run homer to put the game away. Clubbing five home runs in the last seven days, slugger Hideki Matsui has apparently pulled himself out of a widely publicized slump.

Tigers: An otherwise bottom-rung team, Hanshin got great performances from three of their players this past week. Returning to respectability after a dismal first month (.140, two home runs), left fielder Alonzo Powell went seven for fifteen with four walks last week to bring his average up to .288. Ben Rivera, Hanshin's new ace stopper has yet to give up an earned run (in 14 games), and pinch-hitter Hiroshi Yagi (.469, two homers) has finally earned a place in the Hanshin starting line up, filling in for struggling first baseman Yasuaki Taiho.

BayStars: In a week that saw the BayStars slide to fifth place, the team's only good day arrived on May 14 when Yokohama humiliated the Giants 11-1 and catcher Motonobu Tanishige clubbed his third home run of the week.

Swallows: Despite bullpen problems which led Yakult two drop two games against the Giants, it was a pretty good week. The team has won five of their last eight games and they got good performances from starters Kazuya Tabata and Kenjiro Kawasaki -- both pitched complete games. Dwayne Hosey, recently in a slump clubbed two home runs, including a grand slam on May 13.

Fighters: The Fighting Ham have reached a tie for first place with the Hawks thanks entirely to their powerful bats. The Fighters have already compiled 42 roundtrippers, by far the most in the Pacific League, and they are monopolizing the loop's home run derby. With Nigel Wilson (9) leading the pack, four of the circuit's top five sluggers wear Nippon Ham pinstripes.

Hawks: A good week, but a boring week, the Hawks won three of five games. After a few weeks on the farm club, Ryan Thompson hit a home run in his first full game back with the varsity squad.

Marines: After catching the flu during Golden Week and spending a few days on the farm team, 1997 Rookie of the Year shortstop Makoto Kosaka is back on the varsity line up. Also back is Mark Carreon who is swinging a hot bat (.324, four home runs) despite health problems.

Lions: Terry Bross (1-2, 6.04 ERA) continues to struggle with injuries while 1997 PL MVP Fumiya Nishiguchi (1-5, 3.65) has been temporarily moved to the bullpen -- he earned a save on May 17. Although second baseman Brian Raabe was batting really well, manager Osamu Higashio sidelined him and brought up Rudy Pemberton (.000).

Buffaloes: A decline in hitting (team .250 average) and several poor pitching performances (4.37 ERA) has dropped Kintetsu into fifth place. But they're only 3.5 games out of first and the season is still very young. The Buffaloes recently brought up Rob Mattson (5.40 ERA in two varsity appearances) from the farm team in an attempt to bolster their relief staff.

BlueWave: Though they've only won three of their last ten games, things are looking up for the BlueWave. And that's largely because of Troy Neel. Since May 8, Neel has been batting .364. Despite catching the flu and asking to sit out the team's May 15 game (both the umps and Hawks manager Sadaharu Oh refused to allow a line up change), the Orix DH clubbed a first inning two-run homer that sparked a 13-2 BlueWave win. Immediately after crossing home plate, Neel left for the nearest hospital where he was given medicine and told to get some sleep.

Meanwhile, BlueWave first baseman Chris Donnels, complaining of pain in his hand (which he broke during the pre-season), has returned to the states for one week to for examination.

This week, we take a look at a very special reader of this web site -- New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine -- and some of the players he has worked with over the years.

I just wanted to thank you for keeping me posted on Baseball in Japan... As you must know, I have a keen desire to win a world series but also to return to Japan and complete the job I started a few years ago. I have Masato Yoshii and Jim Tatum on my team and we all have a part of our heart in Japan... Thanks for the good work...

A year after becoming skipper of the Texas Rangers, Valentine took a seventh place team and delivered an 87-75 record, an achievement which earned him the 1986 American League Manager of the Year award. When he and the Rangers parted ways in 1992, Valentine had compiled a 581-605 record -- not too bad for a team with few marquee players.

Accepting an invitation by Chiba Lotte Marines GM Tatsuro Hirooka in 1995 to manage the Korean-owned ball club, Valentine took over a team that hadn't compiled a winning record in over a decade. Though the Marines had finished with a fifth place 55-73 record in 1994, at the end of his first season in Japan, the visiting manager led Chiba to second place (69-58) -- their best finish since 1974.

Despite guiding the Marines to their best finish since 1974, Valentine was dismissed because, according to Hirooka, his blunders prevented the team from claiming the PL flag. With the American out of the way, the Marines finished the following season in fifth place (60-67). This time, it was Hirooka's turn to be fired.

Valentine, meanwhile, got a coaching job in the states and was eventually promoted to Mets skipper.

As Takashi Kashiwada's manager in 1997, Valentine's face again appeared regularly on Japanese television. But at the end of the season the middle-reliever was released and returned to the Yomiuri Giants. This year, Kashiwada has pitched exclusively for the Kyojin's minor league team -- he's compiled a 3-1 record in 12 games -- an odd fact considering Yomiuri's bullpen problems on their top team.

Despite Kashiwada's departure, when Masato Yoshii joined the Mets before the 1998 season, it guaranteed that Valentine would remain a regular feature on Japanese TV for at least one more year.

This week, Valentine has been joined by another foreign celebrity often seen on Japanese television, catcher Mike Piazza. Well known for his close on-the-field relationship with Hideo Nomo, the former LA catcher spent seven days on the fish shelf before being introduced to Yoshii, another Japanese pitcher. Speculation has already arisen, however, the Piazza may soon be packing his bags for Baltimore or some other locale. But should he stay, his powerful bat may be enough to push the Mets into the National League's wild card spot -- and help Valentine achieve his dream of a World Series championship.

Yoshii has already helped the Mets take a big leap toward that dream. One of the league's top pitchers, the 33-year old right-handed hurler has appeared in eight games, earning a 3-1 record with 42 strikeouts in 52 innings and a 2.25 ERA. At that pace, he stands a good chance of becoming one of the oldest Rookie of the Year players in Major League history. His last game (May 21) was one of his most impressive -- a complete game in which he allowed one run and struck out nine.

While Yoshii is blooming in his new role, teammate Jim Tatum, who played with Yoshii in Japan last year, is still struggling. Though he had a great half-season with the Swallows in 1997 -- .309, 13 home runs, 25 RBIs in 51 games -- and helped Yakult win the first game of the Japan Series with his solo home run to left field, Tatum is finding it difficult to be consistent in New York. He still has a powerful bat (.436 slugging percentage) but the Mets journeyman is only hitting .205 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in 26 games.

Still, in the nexus that connects Valentine with Japanese baseball, Tatum is an exception. Most who have worked with the popular manager have had the best years of their lives. Take Eric Hillman, for example.

A six-foot-ten lefty who never had enough time to establish himself in the big leagues, Hillman came alive under Valentine's watch. His first season in Japan, the Lotte hurler posted a 12-9 record with a 2.87 ERA in 1995. The following year, he was just as impressive (14-9, 2.40) but a shoulder injury sustained and aggravated during that campaign may have ruined his arm.

Shortly after signing a lucrative two-year deal with the Yomiuri Giants, Hillman found himself nearly unable to throw because of the pain. In 1997, he appeared in only six innings on the mound and this year he's been limited to occasionally tossing a ball on the practice field. Already the Giants are scrambling to cut him loose, and appear ready to make a deal to get rid of him.

The Japanese media have already drawn their own conclusions -- in one post-season sports program last year, TV Tokyo ran a story about Hillman's arm trouble while music to The Great Pretender played in the background. And last Sunday, the Nikkan Sports ran a dubious headline -- Hillman says "Sayonara Giants" -- implying that the gaijin pitcher is ready to take his money and run.

In Valentine's one year in Japan, he also got a lot of help from infielders Julio Franco (.306, 10 home runs, 58 RBIs) , Kiyoshi Hatsushiba (.301, 25, 80) and Koichi Hori (.309, 11, 67). Franco bolted the team after Valentine's release, ending up with Cleveland and Milwaukee before returning to Japan this year as Lotte's team captain. The well-respected all-star is currently the top foreign batter in Japan, hitting .353 with nine home runs (three short of the league lead) in the clean-up spot.

After Valentine's departure, Hatsushiba went into a tailspin, batting .264 and .211 the following two seasons, but now appears headed for another career year: .303, eight home runs and 25 RBIs in 35 games. Hori, however, is only hitting .188. Outfielder Mitsuchika Hirai (.260 under Valentine), is now having the best season of his career, batting .337 with a .407 on-base-percentage in 30 games.

In addition to Hillman, Valentine worked with several other promising pitchers. While relief aces Toshihide Narimoto and Yasuyuki Kawamoto have both been injured this year, two of his former pitchers are doing great.

Satoru Komiyama (11-4, 2.60 ERA, 169 strikeouts in 1985) is currently leading the PL in complete games (5), shutouts (2) games without a walk (3) and wins (5). His 2.37 ERA is just a fraction below teammate Joe Crawford's league-leading 2.35 mark.

Hideki Irabu hung on with the Marines for one year after Valentine's departure, then demanded to be traded to a Major League team. Out of shape and out of control when he first arrived with the Yankees, Irabu is only now reclaiming the fearsome reputation he earned in Japan. In six starts this year, he's compiled a 3-0 record with a 1.40 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings. With a 32-10 record, the Yankees look like the AL favorite to go the World Series, and Irabu may have a shot at being the first Japanese player to pitch in the Major League fall classic.

That is, unless Masato Yoshii gets there too. With the powerful Braves dominating the NL East, it's a long-shot, but a New York subway series would quickly become a "Yoshii vs. Irabu" series in the eyes of Japanese fans.

In stark contrast to their portrayal of Irabu, one Japanese sports tabloid earlier this year created a special headline using the city's initials: Nice Yoshii. Since most Japanese consider Irabu as lovable as a canister of sarin gas, there's little doubt that if the Mets face the Yankees in October, Valentine and Yoshii will have the bulk of Japan supporting them.

Carp: Despite his team hanging on to first place by two games, foreign pitcher Nathan Minchey is reportedly unhappy. Bad working conditions? Overwork? Cockroach-infested apartment? No. Loneliness is the problem. On Sunday's televised Carp vs. Giants game, one of the announcers remarked that Minchey wants a foreign teammate he can talk to. The team's four other foreign players -- Timoniel Perez, Alejandro Quezada, Felix Perdomo and Leiby Gusman -- all arrived from the Dominican Republic. And none of them can speak English.

Dragons: Despite Chunichi pitcher Shigeki Noguchi's league leading 1.20 ERA, not all is well with the Dragon's pitching staff. Shinji Imanaka continues to struggle, as he gave up three runs in 2 2/3 innings on May 23, elevating his ERA to 6.43. Also struggling is new import Samson Lee. In the same game, the Korean star pitched two shutout innings to improve his ERA to 6.14. The previous day, first baseman Takeshi Yamazaki started a home run binge with a three-run blast in the sixth inning to lead the Dragons to a 10-1 bludgeoning of host Yakult. It was Senichi Hoshino's 500th win as Chunichi manager.

Giants: On May 23, two Central League players compiled their 1,500th hit -- Yomiuri's Kazuhiro Kiyohara and Hanshin's Yutaka Wada (guess who got the headline in all the papers?). Two days earlier, Yomiuri starter Hiromi Makihara came one pitch away from throwing his second career perfect game. At Fukuoka Dome, site of his first gem, the Giants hurler struck out seven in a complete game victory. The only base runner he allowed was Hanshin's Dave Hansen, who pulled a fourth-inning single that went through the gap between first and second base. The Giants rumor mill is currently grinding at full speed, with the Nikkan Sports (which has a history of fabricating stories) reporting that Yomiuri wants to buy out the remainder of Eric Hillman's contract and that Mariano Duncan, currently suffering a mild wrist injury, is thinking of calling it quits.

BayStars: It was Kazuhiro Sasaki's week. The BayStars won five of their six games and the Yokohama fireman saved four of them, giving him 212 career save points -- second on the all-time list. In eleven appearances this season, Sasaki has compiled a 0.00 ERA, ten saves and 19 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings.

Tigers: In his fourteenth relief appearance of the season, Hanshin closer Ben Rivera (1-0, 7 saves, 1.69 ERA) finally surrendered an earned run -- actually three of them. Yutaka Wada compiled his 1,500th hit on May 23, and the team activated import Darrell May who made his debut the following day. May surrendered three earned runs in five innings.

Swallows: Returning from a suspension for tax evasion, Tetsuya Kitagawa earned his first career win (May 23). Hardworking outfielder Atsunori Inaba, out the past several months while recovering from arm surgery, will rejoin the varsity team on May 26.

Fighters: With 53 team home runs, the Fighters have pounded their way into first place. Their seven game winning streak ended on Sunday, when the BlueWave defeated Nippon Ham 7-6. Though a bit shaky earlier in the month, Erik Schullstrom (3-0, 2.25 ERA), appears ready to take over as the team's closer.

Hawks: Joining several other players who have returned to the playing field after serving suspensions for tax evasion, Hawks pitcher Hidekazu Watanabe bowed to fans and apologized when he took the mound on May 24. Though he pitched a complete game and only allowed two runs, Hidekazu (as he prefers to be called) took the loss. On Daiei's minor league team, where he had been working out until his his suspension had expired, Hidekazu had compiled a 4-0 record with a 1.01 ERA (second best in the league).

Lions: There's been some cross-dressing in the Seibu clubhouse recently. After struggling through his first several starts of the season, 1997 MVP Fumiya Nishiguchi has been pushed into the Lions bullpen, where he notched his first save on May 17. Though he's picked up two more since, it's unclear how long he can last in that role. In his last four relief appearances, the lanky right-hander has surrendered four earned runs over 7 1/3 innings. Meanwhile reliever Shinji Mori started his first game of the season (May 24), pitching six shutout innings and picking up the win.

Marines: Losing four of their last six games, the Marines dropped to fourth place in the PL standings. 1997 Rookie of the Year Makoto Kosaka, suffering through a prolonged slump since catching the flu earlier in the month, has been bumped from the lead-off position to ninth in the batting order.

Buffaloes: In what was apparently a steal, the Buffaloes traded two minor league pitchers for Yomiuri first baseman Takeshi Omori. Unable to play on the varsity team, which already has three first baseman -- Kazuhiro Kiyohara, Hiroo Ishii and Katsumi Hirosawa -- Omori had been tearing up the Eastern League. As of May 18, Omori had played 27 minor league games while compiling a .391 average with two home runs and 17 RBIs. Look for him to get more varsity playing time with the Buffaloes.

BlueWave: It's taking some time, but the BlueWave are slowing climbing themselves out of their hole. And they're getting some great help from former Seattle Mariners hurler Edwin Hurtado. Known around the PL as "Win," the 28-year-old right-hander has compiled a 4-3 record with three saves and a 3.93 ERA.