A look back at 1997: The Hawks entered the 1997 season with only one way to go. Finishing last with a 54-74 record in 1996, Daiei played somewhat better than their final standings indicate. Scoring 551 runs while only allowing 565 runs, the Hawks finished the season with a mere 14 run deficit, which should have been good enough for fourth place in 1996.

Opening the 1997 season with four straight wins, the Hawks stayed in the Pacific League top spot for most of April, and near the lead for the next several few months. Compiling a third place 42-38 record going into the all-star break, the Hawks perched three games out of first place in late July. But after a pair of seven game losing streaks in August, the Hawks quickly fell out of the pennant race, finishing the season tied at fourth place with a 63-71 record.

Dropping off in the second half, both Daiei's batting and pitching faltered. Posting a team .269 average at the all-star break, the Hawks finished the season hitting .264 while their team ERA rose from 4.11 to 4.26. With a 23 run deficit, Daiei slightly out-played the Fighters, who tied the Hawks for fourth place while compiling a 28 run deficit. Despite rising in the standings, the team really didn't improve much over their 1996 outing.

Pitching: When a team posts the worst Pacific League ERA in the best pitchers' park in Japan, that ball club has some issues to deal with.

Arguably the worst pitching staff in Japan, Daiei's hurlers compiled a 4.26 ERA in 1997 while allowing the most hits (1278), runs (610) and earned runs (570) in the PL. But the news wasn't all bad. Partly because the Fukuoka Dome's deep fences, Hawks pitchers only gave up 103 home runs, the second lowest in the league. They also posted the third highest number of strikeouts (861) while surrendering the second lowest number of walks (433) and deadballs (31 hit batters).

If this sounds bad, imagine the same team consistently pitching this way for the last three years. In all three seasons, the Hawks lined the bottom of the PL birdcage with their pitching, progressively worsening from a 4.04 ERA in 1996 to 4.16 a year later and 4.26 in 1997.

Despite the team's lackluster pitching, there are a few worthy arms on the Hawks staff, though some nearly date back to the bronze age. Kimiyasu Kudo came to the Hawks in 1995 after thirteen seasons with the Lions. Turning 35 in May 1998, the left-handed ace has compiled a lifetime 144-78 record with a 3.23 career ERA and 1755 strikeouts. A winner of three Pacific League ERA titles, Kudo led the circuit with 178 strikeouts in 1996 despite going 8-15. In 1997, the southpaw tallied an 11-6 record while striking out 146 batters, allowing only 48 walks, and posting a team-best 3.35 ERA. With a few more pitchers like Kudo, the Hawks might have a devastating pitching staff.

Unfortunately for Daiei, scientists haven't yet gotten around to cloning pitching aces. For now, the team will have to rely on an erratic group of back up starters, including Kazuhiro Takeda, Shintaro Yoshitake, Hidekazu Watanabe, Kenichi Wakatabe, and former Kintetsu hurler Shintaro Yamasaki.

But getting them all to work together as an effective staff is not going to be an easy job. By and large, manager Sadaharu Oh has demonstrated an ignorance toward the value of good pitching and an incapacity to get the most out of his hurlers. Accordingly, it's probably a safe bet that Daiei's pitching won't improve much in 1998.

Rookie Katsunori Okamoto compiled 22 save points in 1997 with a 3.19 ERA, a 3-6 record, and 19 saves in 52 2/3 innings. Perhaps Okamoto was lucky not to have been named the PL Rookie of the Year. Several past honorees have been cursed with mediocrity after one good opening season. Okamoto has a good chance of developing into one of the league's top closers.

Offense: While Daiei's offense has remained rather consistent over the last three seasons, in 1997 the team relied far more on home runs and less on other extra base hits and steals than in previous years. With their team average rising from .263 to .264 in 1997, the Hawks hit 132 home runs (97 in 1996) but only 188 doubles (196) and 21 triples (28) while only stealing 94 bases (140).

Compared to other teams in the league, the Hawks clubbed the most home runs (132) and compiled the fewest strikeouts (771) but hit the second lowest number of doubles (188). Most of the team's other offensive statistics ranked somewhere in the middle of the league: a .264 team batting average (fourth), 587 runs (third), 1201 hits (fourth), 21 triples (tied for fourth), 1827 total bases (fourth), 564 RBIs (third), 471 walks (fourth), 39 hit batters (fourth), and 94 steals (fourth).

Different Hawks players appear to fall into rather distinct roles. Second baseman Hiroki Kokubo and designated hitter Koichiro Yoshinaga lead the team in home runs (36 and 29 respectively) and extra base hits. Kokubo is young and strong but doesn't appear very disciplined at the plate, striking out 112 times while only earning 52 walks. Older and presumably wiser, Yoshinaga led the team with a .403 on base percentage while posting 75 walks and only 72 strikeouts.

Beginning to show some power in his first full season, catcher Kenji Jojima slugged fifteen home runs while leading the team with a .308 batting average. But he too has trouble judging the strike zone, striking out almost three times more than he walks. But at age 21, he has some time to learn the difference between a ball and a strike.

As the team's designated base stealer, Arihito Muramatsu has only demonstrated one talent. He led the league with 51 steals in 1996 and stole 42 a year later. But he also gets thrown out a lot. Despite hitting reasonably well in 1995 and '96, his average fell back to normal last year, posting a .241 batting average and a miserable .289 slugging percentage. In six years, Muramatsu has not hit a single home run.

Aging superstar Koji Akiyama slumped in 1997, compiling a .245 batting average, his lowest in over ten years. Though he still remains a strong defensive center fielder (only two errors in 97 games), Akiyama's teammates are overshadowing his offensive contributions.

Top Player: Hiroki Kokubo. After four years, 26 year old second baseman Hiroki Kokubo continues improving. Winner of the 1996 home run crown in only his second year, Kokubo led the Pacific League with 114 RBIs in 1997 while batting .302 with 37 doubles and 36 home runs. The right handed sluggers' home run total is even more impressive given the Fukuoka Dome's extremely large dimensions, six meter tall outfield walls, and extremely low rate of home runs.

Surprise Player: Koichiro Yoshinaga. A former catcher, Yoshinaga was relieved of his backstop duties in 1997, becoming the team's regular designated hitter and occasional first baseman. Without the pains that come with crouching behind the plate everyday, the twenty-eight year old slugger compiled his best season to date, leading the team with a .403 on base percentage while batting .300 with 29 home runs and 73 RBIs.

Biggest Disappointment: Tadahito Iguchi. Iguchi came to the Hawks amid great fanfare. Daiei's first round draft pick following the 1996 Olympics, Iguchi became an amateur star after hitting a record 24 home runs for Aoyama Gakuin University. Thus the high hopes. Because of a sprained ankle, the rookie missed the beginning of the season, but hit a grand slam in his first pro game on May 3. In and out of the lineup all season, Iguchi finished the year with eight home runs while batting .203.

Most over-rated: Akihito Muramatsu. A 25 year old left-handed outfielder, Muramatsu enters the 1998 season with 138 stolen bases, a six-year .270 batting average and zero career home runs. Supposedly the team's top base runner, the flawed sprinter gets thrown out quite a lot while trying to steal nearly every time he gets on base, which in 1997 wasn't that often. Compiling an unimpressive .327 on base percentage, Muramatsu batted .241 with only fifteen doubles. Though he stole 42 bases last year, the outfielder has a lot of trouble compiling extra base hits. His .289 slugging percentage ranked last among regular players in both leagues.

New Faces: Shintaro Yamasaki: Apparently desperate to leave the Buffaloes, Yamasaki first tried to sign on with a Major League club. An unspectacular pitcher, Yamasaki signed a one-year deal with the Hawks after getting no offers from abroad. Considering the Hawks' lack of good pitching, Yamasaki's arrival can only help.

Luis Lopez: The two-time Central League RBI king should give the Hawks an offensive boost while legally entangled second baseman remains sidelined after his active participation in a widespread tax evasion scandal.

Also joining the team are outfielder Ryan Thompson and right-handed pitchers Brian Williams and Ryan Hancock.

Strongest area: Power hitting: With a pretty solid offense, the Hawks hit more home runs than any other PL team. The addition of Carp slugger Luis Lopez should somewhat counter the loss of Hiroki Kokubo. Kimiyasu Kudo: the most reliable pitcher on the Hawks mound staff.

Weakest area: Starting pitching staff is really thin. The Hawks have arguably the worst set of hurlers in Japan, compiling a 4.26 ERA in Japan's best pitcher's park.

Biggest question mark: Since it doesn't look like Hiroki Kokubo's tax fraud will either result in jail time or a long suspension, the biggest question for the Hawks remains whether their pitchers can turn things around in 1998. Star hurler Kimiyasu Kudo (3.35 ERA, 11-6, 146 strikeouts in 1997) can still throw a mean ball while teammates Shintaro Yoshitake (3.54 ERA, 7-7) and Kazuhiro Takeda (3.85 ERA, 4-9) both have the potential to come on strong. They and newcomer Shintaro Yamasaki could form the core of a solid starting staff. But if manager Sadaharu Oh can't find the right mound combination, the Hawks have little chance of climbing up in the standings.

Secret weapon: Katsunori Okamoto. One of the league's top rookies in 1997, Okamoto earned 22 save points with a 3-6 record, 19 saves and a 3.19 ERA. The Hawks 1996 fifth-round draft pick, the 24 year-old closer is someone to watch in 1998.

Fading star: Koji Akiyama. One of the best players of the 1980s, Akiyama has compiled 394 home runs and a lifetime .272 average since beginning his career with the Lions in 1981. A versatile player, the right-handed center fielder earned the 1987 Pacific League home run crown with 43 roundtrippers and led the PL with 51 steals in 1990. But since joining the Hawks in 1995, the 36 year old all-star has been slowing down. Missing 38 games in 1997 because of allergies and skin rashes, Akiyama batted .245 with a .329 on base percentage and twelve home runs.