The Lions have a generally solid team, and their only real weaknesses appear to be the lack of a regular second baseman who can hit, a pitching staff that lacks depth, and an aging all-star catcher.

But with the acquisition of several pitchers (mostly starters, however), a new back-up catcher and a foreign infielder, the Lions may have gone a long way in solving their personnel problems. If only manager Osamu Highashio could show a little self-discipline, the Lions may eventually become greater than the sum of their parts.

Pitchers:

Kiyoshi Toyoda: His control might have slipped a little bit from 1996 when struck out 88 batters while only walking 25 in 108 innings, but Kiyoshi Toyoda still had a great year in 1997. The Seibu starter with the lowest ERA (2.93), Toyoda posted a 10-6 record with three shutouts, 86 strikeouts and 54 walks. In his three season career, the twenty-seven year old hurler has compiled a 15-11 record with 178 strikeouts and a 2.96 ERA.

Tetsuya Shiozaki: Primarily a reliever his first seven seasons, Tetsuya Shiozaki became one of the Lions best starters in 1997. With a 2.90 ERA, the right-hander earned an 12-7 record with 108 strikeouts and 49 walks while pitching five complete games, one shutout and one game without a surrendering a base on balls.

With such good control (twice as many strikeouts as walks, and only one wild pitch) in 1997, one has to wonder if his league-leading ten deadballs (hit batters) were entirely accidental. Since 1990, the former reliever has compiled a 58-33 record with 55 saves and a 2.63 ERA.

Fumiya Nishiguchi: The Lions' Fall 1994 first-round draft pick, Fumiya Nishiguchi wasted little time becoming one of the Pacific League's most dominant pitchers. In 1996, the right-hander earned a 16-10 record with a 3.17 ERA while striking out 173 batters and only walking 74.

Proving that his sophomore year was no fluke, the twenty-five year old hurler in 1997 topped the league in wins (a 15-5 record), winning percentage (.750), and strikeouts (192). Posting a 3.12 ERA, Nishiguchi also earned one save and three save points. Since he's thrown more than 200 innings the last two seasons, the biggest question about 1998 is whether Nishiguchi can keep up the same pace.

Yukihiro Nishizaki: The Fighters' ace starter for more than a decade, Yukihiro Nishizaki missed most of the 1997 season with injuries, finishing with a 3-3 record, 23 strikeouts, 23 walks and a 3.24 ERA in 40 1/3 innings.

An on-and-off pitcher, the right-handed all-star earned a 14-7 record in 1996 with 139 strikeouts and a 2.87 ERA. On July 7, 1995, Nishizaki no-hit the Seibu Lions at the Tokyo Dome 1-0 while striking out twelve and allowing one base runner on a walk.

Since his 1987 debut, the 34-year old hurler has compiled a 117-97 record, 1454 strikeouts, 745 walks, and a career 3.24 ERA. After his disappointing 1997 performance, the Fighters traded him to the Lions in return for two players.

Terry Bross: Appearing with the Yakult Swallows the last three seasons, right-hander Terry Bross had a great breakthrough year but has had trouble for the last two years. In three years (1995-97), the 32-year old Texan has compiled a 28-25 record with 325 strikeouts, 156 walks, and a 3.49 ERA.

His first season, Bross no-hit the Yomiuri Giants (September 9, 1995) and led the Central League with a 2.33 ERA while compiling a 14-5 record, 139 strikeouts and 57 walks. But the following year, he went 7-12 and finally in 1997, the slumping hurler posted a 4.99 ERA and a 7-8 record. Though pitching four strong innings in the final game of the Japan Series, Yakult released their 205cm (six-foot-nine) power pitcher.

After receiving offers from several Japanese teams (he reportedly refused to play for Hanshin because his wife prefers to stay in Tokyo) Bross signed a one-year contract with Seibu. Complaining that he doesn't do well when trying to finesse batters, Bross may get a chance to pitch the way he wants with the Lions. Also, the chance to face a fresh supply of opposing batters may give him an opportunity to shine.

Giovanni Carrara: Slated to fill the fifth or sixth-starter role on the Lions pitching staff, 30-year old Giovanni Carrara has compiled a 3-6 record in two Major League seasons with the Cincinnati Reds.

Takashi Ishii: Producing somewhat erratic results in his four-season career, Takashi Ishii became one of the Lions leading relievers in 1997. Earning nine saves and compiling a 8-8 record in 57 games with a 3.99 ERA, the twenty-six year old fireman earned seventeen save points--the most for a Lions pitcher. By the end of the season, Ishii had begun to working as a starter when Shinji Mori took over as Seibu's top closer in the second half of the 1997 season.

Takehiro Hashimoto: The Lions top set-up man in 1997, Takehiro Hashimoto earned a 2-1 record with one save, 48 strikeouts, 18 walks and a 1.68 ERA. Usually working the eighth-inning, the southpaw reliever appeared in 68 games.

After four years of mediocre pitching with Daiei, Hashimoto joined Seibu in 1994 and has maintained a sub-three point ERA for the last four seasons. In his eight-season career, the Lions reliever has compiled a 7-11 record with twelve saves and a 3.47 ERA.

Shinji Mori: Seibu's Fall 1996 second-round draft pick, Shinji Mori had a great '97 rookie season. Earning a 6-2 record with nine saves, the twenty-three year old closer posted a 3.28 ERA with 61 strikeouts and 20 walks in 38 games. Mori saw most of his action after the all-star break.

Hiroshi Shintani: Seibu's reverse-Samson, Hiroshi Shintani has earned headlines for his peculiar habit of shaving his whiskers after pitching poorly. Usually clean-shaven in 1997, the right-handed hurler posted a 2-2 record with a 6.61 ERA as a starter and middle reliever. Usually much better than his 1997 performance would indicate, Shintani has compiled a career 46-35 record with fourteen saves and a lifetime 3.35 ERA. Leading the Pacific League with a 2.91 ERA in 1994, the thirty-three year old pitcher usually strikeouts three times as many batters as he walks.

Catchers:

Tsutomu Ito: The Lions regular catcher for over a decade, Tsutomu Ito is widely considered one of the best defensive backstops in Japan. A rather ordinary hitter since his 1982 rookie debut, the thirty-five year old right-hander has earned a career .250 average while slugging 127 home runs.

Having a good year in 1997, Ito batted .280 with thirteen home runs. Apparently his days behind the plate are numbered since the Lions intend to give the full time catching duties to Taisei Takagi within a few seasons.

Satoshi Nakajima: One of three Japanese free agents to switch teams after the 1997 season, Orix BlueWave catcher Satoshi Nakajima signed a three-year deal with the Lions after refusing a minor league offer from the Anaheim Angels. To be blunt, Nakajima was hallucinating if he ever though he'd make it to the Majors. An unimpressive hitter, the 28-year old would have had a very tough time communicating with pitchers and learning all the batters. He was probably lucky even to get a minor league offer.

In eleven seasons with the BlueWave (1987-97), the right-handed backstop has compiled a .242 career average with 47 home runs and 254 RBIs. His plate discipline is pretty mediocre since he usually strikes out three times more often than he walks. In the last two seasons, the part-time catcher has hit rather poorly, compiling a .222 average in 1996 and .219 the following year. With MVP-runner up Tsutomu Ito currently serving as Seibu's number one backstop, and Taisei Takagi waiting in the wings, Nakajima appears headed for obscurity.

Infielders:

Domingo Martinez: Often referred to by his nickname, "Maru-chan," Domingo Martinez easily filled the offensive gap left by renegade Kazuhiro Kiyohara. Playing first base during the Japan Series, the Dominican designated hitter impressed no one with his defense. During the regular season, belted thirty-one home runs, batted .305 with 106 RBIs.

In fifteen Major League games, the former Toronto Blue Jay batted .409 with two home runs. Unimpressive during the 1997 pre-season, some in the Seibu organization had wanted Martinez released. Had hotter heads prevailed, the Lions would have had a much tougher time winning the Pacific League pennant.

Taisei Takagi: Probably the only thing preventing twenty-five year old Taisei Takagi from becoming the Lions full-time catcher is his defense. Until that improves, the Lions 1995 first round draft pick will likely continue playing at first base. While only playing in eighty games, Takagi had a relatively good rookie season in 1996, batting .278. Last year, the inevitable backstop pounded seven home runs, stole 24 bases and earned a .295 average.

Kazuo Matsui: The hottest star in the Seibu line-up, twenty-three year old Kazuo Matsui had a great year in 1997, leading the league with thirteen triples and 62 stolen bases while batting .309. Appearing in his first all-star game last year, the fleet-footed shortstop swiped a record four bases, and earned MVP honors on the first day of the two-game series.

Nicknamed "Little Matsui" (as opposed to Yomiuri slugger Hideki "Big" Matsui), the orange-haired switch-hitter showed little power his first two years. In 1997, however, the smaller Matsui pounded seven home runs, including a solo shot on the day the Lions clinched the Pacific League pennant.

Viewed by many as Japan's best lead-off hitter, Little Matsui has in his three-season career compiled a .284 average with ten home runs, nineteen triples and 133 stolen bases.

Ken Suzuki: An often inconsistent batter from year to year because of injuries, Ken Suzuki had his best season in 1997. Helping the Lions win a Pacific League pennant, the third baseman led the team in batting with a .312 average while clubbing 19 home runs. Suzuki also led the league with a .431 on-base percentage and with 90 walks.

At twenty-eight, the Seibu slugger has compiled a .291 career average with 64 home runs in nine seasons (1989-97). Playing nearly every game in 1997, it will be interesting to see if Suzuki can stay healthy for the duration of the 1998 season. If so, he and the Lions may have another great year.

Hiroyuki Takagi: Part-time infielder Hiroyuki Takagi saw his role with the team expand in 1997. At twenty-five, Takagi became the Lions primary second baseman, batting .275 with no home runs. He may keep the starting job in 1998 unless his offensive production starts to falter.

Brian Raabe: An infielder who's only played a handful of games in the Major Leagues, 31-year old Brian Raabe might fill the Lions' hole at second base. Briefly appearing with the Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies, Raabe has compiled a .231 average in 15 big league games.

Outfielders:

Tetsuya Kakiuchi: After five floundering seasons, Tetsuya Kakiuchi really pulled himself together in 1996, slugging 28 home runs while stealing sixteen bases and batting .253. Injured and ineffective for most of the 1997 season, the twenty-seven year old outfielder watched Seibu win the pennant without him.

In seven seasons since 1991, Kakiuchi has hit 55 home runs and earned a .226 career batting average. If he returns to form in 1998, the Lions may be headed for their second straight pennant. Even if his '96 season turns out to be the lone bright spot in a long mediocre career, the Lions can apparently survive without him.

Makoto Sasaki: A thirty-four year old veteran who moved from the Hawks to the Lions in 1994, Makoto Sasaki has been slowing down for the last few seasons. Since 1985, he has earned a .278 career average with 235 stolen bases and 168 home runs.

His best year in 1992, Sasaki led the Pacific League with a .322 average and 40 stolen bases. Two years later, with Seibu, he again topped the league in steals. But since his batting title, the left-handed outfielder has struggled at the plate. Maybe then, it was the synergy of playing on a winning team in 1997 that lifted Sasaki to one of his best outings in the last five years. Patrolling right field, he batted .307 with twelve home runs.

Susumu Otomo: The Lions new center fielder and designated bunter ("hitting" second in the line-up), Susumu Otomo had a pretty good sophomore year in 1997. Because the second batter is often called on to sacrifice bunt, Otomo's .278 average may have been somewhat higher had he batted elsewhere in the line-up. Still, the twenty-three year old outfielder hit seven triples and stole 31 bases while slugging five home runs and only committing three defensive errors.

Rudy Pemberton: Because of a late-season injury outfielder Rudy Pemberton didn't compile statistics worthy of his reputation. In just 25 games with the Lions in 1997, the right-handed 27-year old compiled a .175 average with one home run and five doubles.