Cleveland Sports Forum

Monday, October 08, 2012

Australia opens 2013 WBC Preparations with Series in Sydney

Australia to play against Sydney Blue Sox from October 26 to 28, 2012


Team Australia will open preparations for the 2013 World Baseball Classic at home with a series against the Australian Baseball League club Sydney Blue Sox. Three exhibition games are scheduled for October 26 to 28, 2012. Games will be played at Blue Sox Stadium in Blacktown International Sportspark in Sydney.

Team Australia manager, Jon Deeble said “This series will be the first stage of player selections for the WBC team, and it will give us a good chance to look at some of our newer players coming through and how they play at the elite competition level.”

Australia is playing in Pool B in the first round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic, facing Korea, the Netherlands and one of the Qualifiers at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung from March 2 to 5, 2013.

Game times

Friday 26 October, 7:30pm
Saturday 27 October, 7:30pm
Sunday 28 October, 12:30pm

Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012

Heartfelt tribute: Hanshin Tigers fans hold up signs reading "arigatou," or thank you, and other symbols of support for longtime star Tomoaki Kanemoto, who played the final game of his 21-year career on Tuesday. Hanshin defeated the visiting Yokohama BayStars 3-0. KYODO

'Ironman' Kanemoto plays final game

Kyodo

NISHINOMIYA, Hyogo Pref. —

Tomoaki "Ironman" Kanemoto brought the curtain down on an illustrious 21-year career as the Hanshin Tigers blanked the Yokohama BayStars 3-0 in the final game of the regular season in the Central League on Tuesday.
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End of a great career: Hanshin Tigers outfielder Tomoaki Kanemoto goes 1-for-4 at the plate in his final game in a 3-0 season-ending triumph over the visiting Yokohama BayStars on Tuesday at Koshien Stadium. Kanemoto is seventh on NPB's all-time hits list and eighth in RBIs. KYODO


Randy Messenger (10-11) relieved Atsushi Nomi after the first and went eight scoreless innings, striking out four and walking none. He helped his own cause with a two-run double in the second and Ryota Arai added a RBI single in the sixth.

Daisuke Miura (9-9) allowed three runs over eight innings for the BayStars, who finished in last place for the fifth year in a row.

The 44-year-old Kanemoto, who set a world record of 1,492 consecutive games played without missing an inning, went 1-for-4 and got the loudest cheers from a crowd of 47,106 Hanshin faithful in a postgame ceremony at Koshien Stadium.

"I want to say thank you to the god of baseball," said an emotional Kanemoto. "I want to thank all the fans for helping me fulfill my dream. The power here at Koshien helps bring out something larger than me. I wanted to win the Japan Series here at Koshien and I feel some regret about that, but I'll entrust the rest to the younger players."

The Hiroshima native surpassed the Japanese baseball record of 700 full-inning consecutive games in 2004, and went one better when he overtook former Baltimore Orioles great Cal Ripken Jr., setting a new world record for consecutive games without missing an inning on March 21, 2006, with 904. He produced his monumental feat between July 21, 1999, and April 18, 2010.

Kanemoto's "ironman" moniker also comes from the fact that during that stretch he hit with his right arm after having broken his left wrist, and homered in his next at-bat after being beaned in the back of the head with a pitch in one game.

He has hit more home runs in his career (476) than any other left-handed hitter who throws right-handed. Kanemoto was drafted in the fourth round by the Hiroshima Carp in 1991, and played 11 years there before joining Hanshin from 2003, when he helped the Tigers win the CL pennant.

A member of the 2,000-hit club, Kanemoto, who announced he will retire last month, is seventh on the all-time list in Japan with 2,539 hits and eighth with 1,521 RBIs.

Baseball: Abe takes batting title, RBI crown as Japanese season ends

TOKYO -

Yomiuri Giants catcher Shinnosuke Abe won the batting
title and RBI crown in the Central League for the first time as the
Japanese baseball season concluded Tuesday.

Abe batted .340 and had 104 RBIs, finishing just four home runs
shy of the coveted Triple Crown, falling short after the Yakult
Swallows' Wladimir Balentien hit 31 homers to win the title for the
second year in a row despite a one-month injury layoff.

Is his nickname, "Honest Abe?"

Of course, in Japan, it would more likely be "Honorable Abe."

I think he'll respond to any name you would like him to be. He's sky high I would imagine.

Is your trailer closed up for the season now?

This coming weekend JR. I'll be cleaning up the lot and winterizing the trailer. The summer disappeared fast this year for some reason. The owners are closing the campground a week earlier than usual. They have two daughters and six grand kids in Florida. He and his wife own a park model and they will be spending the winter with the family.

He fell to 7 hits shy of 2000

Alex Ramirez has two records on the tip of his bat

ISMAEL G. GRANADILLO N.

Alex Ramirez remains committed to writing his name as one of the most important baseball sluggers in Japanese history. The outfielder, who plays with the Dena Bay Stars in Nippon Professional Baseball, broke several records in the 2012, but left a few for next year maybe before the end of the first month of the campaign.

"Ramichan" as he is known in Caracas by his fans in the archipelago of the Rising Sun, was seven hits shy of 2000, a figure equivalent to 3,000 hits in the majors. If he breaks the record, he will be allowed to enter the site, according to Japanese baseball known as - the Extraordinary Players Club or Meikyukai. This group brings together those players who got more than 2,000 hits and totaled 200 wins or 250 saves in their careers.

This year, Ramirez's streak of 11 years in a row with at least 20 homers, was broken as he homered only 19 times in 2011.

Fedroff Excited To Be Joining the Team Aguilas Cibaenas

Posted by Papy Perez | Director Media | Cibao Eagles

Tuesday October 9, 2012 21:40


American outfielder Tim Fedroff, was welcomed to the training camp of the Cibao Eagles, excited and immediately said he is looking forward to playing for Felix Fermin.

I have a good report that this is a good team that plays baseball hard and their fans are among the best in the Dominican, so hopefully I can help to make them happy.

"Tim Fedroff, an outfielder, was joined by three more foreigners to complete four of the eight that will play for the Eagles in the upcoming championship season which starts on Sunday.

Dominican baseball is defined as a significant step to Fedroff's goal of climbing from the minor leagues to the major leages next season in the US.

"I will work hard and provide the best for the Eagles as this winter could factor into a good spring." he said

Fedroff joined the team yesterday with first baseman Efren Navarro and pitcher Justin Richardson, who immediately began their preparation for the tournament 2012/2013.

The player of the organization of the Cleveland Indians, he played this year at Triple-A and will be with the Eagles until November.

Top prospect Puig to miss Fall League play

By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com | 10/09/12 10:42 PM ET
LOS ANGELES --

Top Dodgers outfield prospect Yasiel Puig will miss the Arizona Fall League because of a staph infection in his right elbow that required a surgical procedure.

Puig is expected to be fully healed in three to five weeks and will rehab at the club's Camelback Ranch-Glendale facility.

Puig, signed this summer for a $42 million bonus, developed an infection similar to one that sidelined former Dodgers infielder Casey Blake for a month in 2011. Like Blake, Puig underwent a surgical cleaning of the infected area and his throwing elbow will remain immobilized for another week.

The 22-year-old Puig, ranked No. 2 among Dodgers prospects by MLB.com, made an immediate impact once he entered the Dodgers' Minor League system. First in the Arizona Rookie League, then in the High Single-A California League, he hit a combined .354 in 23 games with five homers, 15 RBIs and a 1.076 OPS.

Puig is expected to miss the entire Arizona Fall League, which opened play Tuesday. He was assigned to the Mesa Solar Sox, along with eight other Dodgers prospects -- pitchers Eric Eadington, Onelki Garcia, Red Patterson, Chris Reed, Andres Santiago; catcher Gorman Erickson; infielder Rafael Ynoa and outfielder Joc Pederson.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Playoffs underway in Korea

Samsung Lions, SK Wyverns, Doosan Bears and Lotte Giants reach postseason

The playoffs in Korea are underway. The Samsung Lions, SK Wyverns, Doosan Bears and Lotte Giants finished in the top four of the regular season standings to clinch a spot in postseason baseball.

In the first round the teams in third and fourth, the Doosan Bears and Lotte Giants, square off, while the Samsung Lions and SK Wyverns have byes. The winner of the first round matchup will take on the SK Wyverns in the second round.

The Samsung Lions are already qualified for the Korean Series as regular season winner.

The playoffs will be played throughout October with the Korean Series scheduled between October 24 and November 1 (if necessary).

Korea

Lotte Giants win playoff opener
Lotte Giants pinch hitter Park Joon-seo rounds the bases after hitting a gametying, two-run homer in the eighth inning against the Doosan Bears in Game 1 of the first-round playoffs in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap

By Kang Seung-woo

The Lotte Giants drew first blood in the first round of the KBO playoffs, defeating the Doosan Bears 8-5 in extra innings on Monday.

Park Joon-seo hit a two-run, pinch-hit home run for the Giants in the eighth inning to tie Game 1 at 5-5 and Hwang Jae-gyun’s run-scoring double in the 10th sealed victory in Seoul.

Despite being a 12-year pro, Park’s epic homer came in his first-ever playoff at-bat, which saw him named man of the match. Right-handed pitcher Kim Sa-yool took the mound in the bottom of the ninth with one runner on first base to retire three Bear and claim the win. Chong Tae-hyon earned a save.

Since the first-round playoff was introduced in 1989, 18 opening-game winners have advanced to the next stage. However, teams losing Game 1 have reached the second phase for the last three years.

The third-ranked Giants got on the scoreboard first in the fourth thanks to Hwang’s RBI single off American hurler Dustin Nippert and went on to add two more runs that inning for a 3-0 lead.

Three defensive errors cost the Giants their advantage in the fifth and the home side capitalized scoring four runs. The Bears then added a run in the seventh, six outs away from victory.

But the Giants, in the playoffs for a fifth straight year, were not finished.

Switch-hitter Park sent the third pitch he saw from reliever Hong Sang-sam in the eighth over the right-field wall to cancel out the Bears’ two-run advantage.

A sellout crowd of 26,000 packed Jamsil Stadium to take the league’s postseason sold-out ballpark streak to 11.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Ticket Sale started for WBC Qualifier in Panama City

Qualifying Tournament will be played from November 15 to 19 at Rod Carew Stadium

The ticket sale for the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Panama City has started. The qualifying tournament for the 2013 World Baseball Classic will be played from Thursday, November 15 to Monday, November 19 at Rod Carew Stadium in Panama City. Host Panama, Nicaragua, Colombia and Brazil will square off against each other in a modified double-elimination format.

Tickets for this event at Rod Carew Stadium range between $4.67 and $30 and are available online through http://www.venta.ticketplus.com.pa.

Since hosting the 2011 IBAF Baseball World Cup, where the Netherlands stunned Cuba in the finals to win their first ever world title, Rod Carew Stadium has seen major renovations and will have a completely new playing surface right in time for the World Baseball Classic Qualifier.

Two of the four World Baseball Classic Qualifiers were already played in September with Spain and Canada prevailing in Jupiter, Florida and Regensburg, Germany. A fourth will be played from November 15 to 18 in Taipei City.

New Japan manager Yamamoto pressed to win at WBC

TOKYO, Oct. 10 (19:02) Kyodo

Koji Yamamoto admitted he feels a ton of pressure having to lead
two-time defending champion Japan into the World Baseball Classic in
March after he was named its new manager on Wednesday.

The 65-year-old Yamamoto, the former Carp slugger who managed
the team over two different spells from 1989-1993 and 2001-2005, said
he was asked to manage Japan late last month and simply saw no reason
not to take the job.

Japan's first game under Yamamoto will be on Nov. 18, when it
plays Cuba in an exhibition in a rematch of the 2006 WBC final at
Sapporo Dome.

"I feel the weight just like anyone in my position would,"
Yamamoto said, seated in between Nippon Professional Baseball
Commissioner Ryozo Kato and team adviser Sadaharu Oh, who led Japan
to its first title.

"It was an honor and privilege to be asked, and I just had no
reason to turn it down. The way I see it, I won't need to do a whole
lot of coaching because the players I pick will be the best players
in the country."

"My job will be to communicate well with the players and get
everyone on the same page."

World home run king Oh, who had the commissioner's ear as NPB
narrowed down the list of candidates, said Yamamoto is suited for the
job because communication is one of his strengths.

"I think he'll bring out the best in the team," Oh said. "He's
got a bright personality and understands how to work with the
players."

"It's a relatively short competition and we needed someone who
communicates well with the players, someone who can tell them what
the coaching staff wants but also hear out what they have to say."

"That's what Yamamoto is good at. I think he'll be able to bring
the team close in the short amount of time we have."

Kato had wanted an active manager, putting the Softbank Hawks'
Koji Akiyama at the top of the list. Akiyama, however, felt it was
too strenuous to juggle the Japan and Hawks jobs, removing himself
from consideration.

The Yomiuri Giants' Tatsunori Hara, the manager at the 2009 WBC,
was also mentioned but settled on an advisory role alongside Oh for
the March 2-19 tournament.

Kato said he was at peace with Yamamoto's selection.

"It's tough to win the WBC once, let alone win it three times in
a row," the former Japanese ambassador to the United States said. "We
talked to all 12 teams during the process, and Mr. Oh and I feel
fortunate to have landed a manager of Yamamoto's caliber."

"We're in the business of making a good national team an even
better one. It will not be easy to get through three rounds at the
WBC but we owe it to the 20 million-plus baseball fans in the country
to do it."

"I'm very satisfied with who we came up with in the end."

Yamamoto will be joined in the dugout by fellow All-Stars of
Japanese baseball's yesteryears.

Former Seibu Lions skipper Osamu Higashio and former Nippon Ham
Fighters manager Masataka Nashida were named as the two head coaches.
Former Chunichi Dragons fireballer Tsuyoshi Yoda will be the pitching
coach, with another former Dragon, shortstop Kazuyoshi Tatsunami,
looking after the hitting.

Nobuhiro Takashiro, who was head coach for the Orix Buffaloes
this season, and former Carp outfielder Koichi Ogata are the fielding
and base running coaches.

Yamamoto's Japan has been grouped in the first round at Fukuoka
Dome with Cuba, China and a qualifier yet to be decided. The second
round shifts to Tokyo Dome with the finals set to be held at AT&T
Park in San Francisco.

"There were a lot of fans behind Japan for the first two
competitions and I was one of them," said Yamamoto. "It will be tough
to three-peat but we have to do everything we can to win it again."

Yamamoto will have to do a lot of communicating if he wants to defeat Cuba. I think Cuba will be the odds on favorite to win the Classic in 2013.