Hamilton, Goodwin shine bright in Rising Stars Game

By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com | 11/04/12 12:45 AM ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. --

Good leadoff hitters are the ones who are catalysts, who make things happen at the top of the lineup.

If the Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars Game is any indication, there are two good ones speeding their way to the big leagues. Both Billy Hamilton of the Reds and Brian Goodwin of the Nationals had their skills on display as 5,713 fans came to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick to watch Goodwin's East Division team top Hamilton's West squad, 9-4, on Saturday night.

"I'm trying to one-up him," Goodwin joked after his 2-for-5 performance. "He does what he does. And he can do it all. I wanted to try to come up ahead of him. It's good, fun competition."

Those who had heard about Hamilton's speed, but thought perhaps it was the stuff of legend, saw just how accurate the reports were right out of the gate. Hamilton didn't hit a ball out of the infield for the East Division. But the Reds' top prospect, and No. 14 on MLB.com's Top 100, showed just what a game-changer his legs can be. The shortstop-turned-center fielder led off the game with a walk against West Division starter and Astros prospect Jarred Cosart. He promptly stole second and then took third on a delayed steal. He then walked home on Padres outfield prospect Rymer Liriano's double.

"That's my game," Hamilton said. "I like to bring fun, a little excitement. I bring a lot of energy."

He was at it again in the top of the fifth. Tommy Joseph of the Phillies led off the inning with a single, then was replaced by Braves shortstop prospect Nick Ahmed at first. Batting from the left side, Hamilton dragged a near-perfect bunt down the first-base line. Astros first baseman Jonathan Singleton rushed his throw and it sailed into right field, allowing Ahmed to come around to score and Hamilton to race to third. Rays shortstop Hak-Ju Lee singled him in to give the East a 4-3 lead.

In between those two plate appearances, Hamilton's legs made an impact in the field. With D-backs shortstop Chris Owings on first base, Goodwin crushed a ball to center field. Hamilton, at first slow to retreat, got his wheels going to make a spectacular catch at the warning track, showing that while he's still very early in his transition, that speed allows him to cover a lot of ground.

"When he hit that, I thought it was right at me," said Hamilton, who just started playing center in the Fall League. "Then it kept carrying on me. I'm still getting used to that. I think I'm going to be fine out there."

Goodwin matched his counterpart in terms of impact, even with Hamilton robbing him. He led off the home half of the first with a homer against Twins prospect Kyle Gibson. Yankees infield prospect David Adams doubled in a pair in the fifth inning to give the East the lead back after Hamilton's work. Goodwin then doubled in Adams and eventually came around to score.

"This was more fun than I thought it would be," said Goodwin, the No. 67 prospect in the league. "I met some new guys, we played the game we love and we came out with a win. What else are you playing for?"

While the offense created most of the headlines, not exactly uncommon for the Arizona Fall League, the local D-backs fans had to be excited by one pitching performance in particular. Right-hander Chase Anderson came in after Cosart and threw two shutout innings, allowing two hits, walking none and striking out four.

"I was hoping for an opportunity to play in this league this year," said Anderson, who missed most of 2011 with an injury, but jumped back on the map with a strong 2012. "I wanted to do this at the beginning of the year."

Games like this are more showcase than anything, even though the members of the winning East squad were given a prize for their victory, and it didn't disappoint on that front. There was Hamilton's speed, Goodwin's bat as well as Liriano's (he had two doubles), Anderson's outing on the mound, all of which should give fans a glimpse of what Major League Baseball could look like in the near future. That's especially considering the success rate of this game -- 72.6 percent of past participants have made it to the big leagues -- to produce Major Leaguers.

Hamilton knew, for instance, that his general manger, Walt Jocketty, was in the stands along with scores of other scouts and front office types. He wanted to put on a show for him as much as the fans in the stands and watching on TV. Not that getting Hamilton up for a game is a difficult task, as he's closing in on 150 games played and showing no signs of tiring.

"I'm always energized," Hamilton said. "I never get tired. When I feel tired, I tell myself to get up. Teams want an everyday player and an everyday player can't be tired. My game is my game. I show no fear on the bases. It's what I do. Hopefully, I can make [the Reds'] decision difficult, or easy."

Goodwin may not have been auditioning for his boss on Saturday, but he was as aware as Hamilton that people were watching. And it's not just the baseball industry decision-makers. Goodwin and all the Rising Stars knew they were able to show a number of fans, who perhaps only knew them by name, what they can do on the field.

"That's exciting," Goodwin said. "You just go out, enjoy, try to play your game and stay within yourself. I'm glad fans got a chance to watch us play."

Marlins sign Kouzmanoff to Minor League deal

Right-handed reliever Smith also invited to Spring Training

By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com | 11/03/12 8:44 PM ET
MIAMI --

All options are being explored in the Marlins' search for third-base depth. You can now add Kevin Kouzmanoff's name to the list.

Miami signed the 31-year-old to a Minor League deal on Saturday with an invitation to Spring Training.

Kouzmanoff last played in the big leagues in 2011, batting .255 with three home runs and 16 RBIs in 27 games with the Rockies. He spent 2012 in the Royals' Minor League system.

Kouzmanoff broke in with the Indians in 2006, and was a regular with the Padres from 2007-09. In 2008, he belted a career-high 23 home runs, and had a personal-best 88 RBIs in '09.

In 2010, the California native was traded to the A's. Oakland then dealt him to the Rockies in August 2011.

Miami also has signed right-hander Jordan Smith to a Minor League deal with a Spring Training invitation. The 26-year-old reliever was a sixth-round Draft pick of the Reds in 2006.

Smith appeared in 37 games in 2010, posting a 3-2 record and 3.86 ERA. In 2011, he made 17 appearances for the Reds.

The Marlins also lost the services of catcher Brett Hayes, who was claimed off waivers by the Rockies. The 28-year-old hit .202 in 39 games last season.

Don't get your hopes up for Tim Fedroff. He's not on the 40 man roster and will be subject to the rule 5 draft. He's playing winterball because he's auditioning for a job and so far he's not helping himself.

Still a lot of stiffs on the 40 man roster. Tribe has a lot of housecleaning to do.

No doubt Seagull. It took us 10+ years to get into this mess, the kinds of changes we need will not happen over night. I'm looking at 4 years.......at least! Don't know if I'll be around that long.

2012/11/01 14:04 KST

S. Korean league to soon notify Major League Baseball of pitcher's availability for posting

SEOUL, Nov. 1 (Yonhap) --

South Korea's top baseball league said Thursday it will inform Major League Baseball (MLB) of the availability of a star Korean pitcher for posting.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said it will notify MLB Friday that the Hanwha Eagles left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin will be up for a silent auction as part of the posting process.

Ryu Hyun-jin

Ryu Hyun-jin One Step Closer to MLB as Hanwha Gives Its Blessing

Korean star pitcher Ryu Hyun-Jin available for bidding, hires agent Scott Boras

Aaron Gleeman

Oct 29, 2012, 10:15 AM EST

MLB teams will be able to bid on the negotiating rights to Korean pitching star Ryu Hyun-Jin, according to Yoo Jee-Ho of the Yonhap News.

Hyun-Jin, a 25-year-old left-hander who’s been one of the Korea Baseball Organization’s best pitchers since 2006, will be “posted” by the Hanwha Eagles and has already hired agent Scott Boras to represent him.

Lots of players have come to MLB via the Japanese posting process, but the Korean version is slightly different. Jee-Ho describes how it works:

The KBO club can either accept or reject the highest bid amount following the auction. Once the non-negotiable bid is accepted, the interested MLB team will have the exclusive right to negotiate with the posted player. When the two sides agree on contract terms, the Eagles will then take the bid money as a transfer fee for the player. On the other hand, the Eagles may also reject any bid, in which case Ryu will remain with the KBO team next year.

In other words, it’s basically a silent auction with a reserve/minimum price that no one actually knows yet. Hyun-Jin has made it clear that he wants to pitch in America and could leave Korea as an outright free agent in 2014, so this is his team’s chance to get something in return.

Hyun-Jin was the first Korean player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season and has led the KBO in strikeouts five times. According to Jee-Ho he “can reach up to 93 miles per hour with his fastball, and major league scouts have said they like his command with his changeup and slider.”
The South Korean left-hander emerged as a star in the KBO as a teenager, as he went 18-6 with a 2.23 ERA and 205 strikeouts in 2006 and garnered rookie of the year and MVP honors. However, he didn’t receive international attention until playing for South Korea’s Olympic gold-medal winning team in 2008.

Ryu’s exposure continued the following season as a member of South Korea’s runner-up squad in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Baseball America subsequently ranked him as the tournament’s fifth-best prospect and had this to say in their scouting report:

He just turned 22, but he already pitches like a veteran. Ryu has four average to above-average pitches, includes a 86-93 mph fastball with late life that he can add and subtract from when needed, a slow curve (75 mph), a tighter slider and a changeup. Already extensively tested in international play, Ryu's biggest asset is his feel for pitching. Scouts have said that he would be a first-round pick if he was in the U.S., and would likely need only a brief period of acclimation before stepping into a big league rotation.

Given his handedness, four-pitch mix and track record in big games, Ryu strikes me as a command-oriented, mid-rotation-to-backend starter. And considering that the southpaw is 6’2”, 215 pounds, he doesn’t involve much future projection.

It’s also important to remember that the level of competition in the KBO is significantly inferior to that of Japan’s NPB, so Ryu’s eye-popping stats over the last seven seasons should be taken with a grain of salt.

Still, there’s always a need for a left-hander with an advanced feel for pitching, so expect at least some type of bidding sweepstakes. And in accordance with the posting rules for both MLB and KBO organization, the Eagles may post Ryu as early as Nov. 1. He won’t have the market of Yu Darvish, but it’s reasonable to expect bidding for the left-hander to exceed $15 million.
Fresh out of high school, Hyun-Jin Ryu exploded onto the scene of the Korea Baseball Organization in 2006. He was the winning pitcher in the Gold Medal game at the 2008 Olympics.

Ryu had Tommy John surgery while in high school. Making 20 million won ($21,520), Ryu dominated the KBO for the 2006 Hanwha Eagles. He went 18-6 with one save and a 2.23 ERA while striking out 204 in 201 2/3 innings. He became the first player in the 25-year history of the KBO to be named Rookie of the Year and win the Korea Baseball Organization MVP award in the same season. Seung-hwan Oh had just missed the feat a year earlier, finishing second in the MVP race. Ryu also became the first pitcher in 15 years to win the pitching Triple Crown; Dong-Yol Sun had been the last hurler to do so. For the MVP award, he beat out a batter who had won the Triple Crown as well - Dae-ho Lee. He also won a Gold Glove Award. In the playoffs, though, he went 4 games without a win. His salary increased fourfold in his second year.

Ryu was 17-7 with a 2.94 ERA in his sophomore season. He struck out 178 batters in 211 innings to again led the KBO, robbing Danny Rios of a pitching Triple Crown; Rios was second in Ks and led in ERA and wins. Ryu tied Kenny Rayborn for second in wins and finished fourth in ERA.

Ryu was with South Korea for the 2007 Asian Championship. He started game one and allowed two runs in five innings in a win over the host Taiwan national team. Ryu was 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in the 2008 Final Olympic Qualification Tournament, allowing 10 hits in six innings. He took South Korea's only loss with a rough outing against Team Canada, giving up a 3-run first-inning homer to Matt Rogelstad in a 4-3 defeat.

Ryu began 2008 strong, going 5-0 with a 1.83 ERA in April. In May, he was 0-2 with a 5.72 ERA. He was then sidelined with inflammation in his pitching elbow. He starred for South Korea in the 2008 Olympics, going 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA. In 17 1/3 IP, he allowed 10 hits and struck out 13 batters. He went the distance in a shutout of Team Canada in a 1-0 win. In the Gold Medal game, he went 8 1/3 IP in a 3-2 win over the Cuban national team, allowing solo homers to Michel Enríquez and Alexei Bell. He allowed Cuba to load the bases in the bottom of the 9th on a single to Héctor Olivera Jr. and walks to Frederich Cepeda and Bell. Tae-hyun Chong relieved Ryu and closed out the win as South Korea won Gold in its brightest moment on the international stage. He tied Suk-min Yoon, Norge Vera, Hideaki Wakui and Jonder Martínez for the most wins in Beijing. Overall in the 2008 KBO, Ryu was 14-7 with a 3.31 ERA, a significant drop-off from his strong start. He tied Suk-min Yoon for second in the league in wins, behind Kwang-hyun Kim. He was second to Kim in strikeouts and was 8th in ERA.

Ryu was 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic; his five appearances tied Hyun-wook Jong and Chang-yong Lim for the lead on the second-place Korean squad. In the Gold Medal game, Ryu relieved Jong in the 8th with a 2-1 deficit, one on and one out. He allowed a double to Atsunori Inaba and a sacrifice fly to Akinori Iwamura. Chang-yong Lim would replace him; Korea went on to lose 5-3.

In 2009, Ryu was 13-12 with a 3.57 ERA and 188 strikeouts in 189 1/3 innings. He finished 8th in ERA, tied four others for 4th in wins, was second to Aquilino Lopez in innings and led in strikeouts (13 ahead of runner-up Jeong-hoon Cho).

Starting 2010 strong (5-2, 2.18, 61 K in 62 IP), he set the nine-inning game record for strikeouts in the KBO by whiffing 17 LG Twins on May 11. That broke the record shared by Dae-jin Lee, Dong-won Choi and Dong-yol Sun for over a decade. He fell one shy of Sun's record for a game, regardless of length. Also that year, he set a KBO record with 23 consecutive quality starts (tabbed by the Korean media as a world record).

Ryu is a 6 ft 2 in, 215 lb left-handed pitcher. He throws a fastball around 90 mph (tops out at 93 mph),a decent curveball,a slider, and a deceptive changeup. Scouts say that the changeup is his best pitch and is a legitimate out-pitch at the big league level. As the team's ace he'd had a heavy workload since his rookie season in teen-age.
Baseball boys Choo Shin Soo and Ryu Hyun Jin have recently revealed that they will be taking part in SBS variety program ‘Running Man‘.

Choo Shin Soo who is currently a member of Cleveland Indians major-league baseball team in the United States, will be coming back to Korea to appear on the October 29th episode of ‘Running Man’ with Hanhwa Eagles‘ Ryu Hyun Jin.
Running Man (Korean Variety TV)

Description:

The MCs and guests are locked in a landmark during closed hours and are required to leave before opening hours. In the first episode, they are divided into two teams and race to find the code to the main doors hidden in the landmark. With a total of 5 numbers, after one is found, a game is played to determine which team will start first in the next race. The losing team receives a punishment while the other team has a head start. After all numbers are found by either teams, they reach the door and enter the code they believe is correct. The correct team leaves the landmark while the losing team is punished inside the landmark.

The Puerto Rican Winter League has its opening round of games set for November the 8th. The league is back to six teams this year after a 3 year hiatus for the Santurce Crabbers. Manati also will be welcomed back into the fold after a years leave of absence. Here's the new alignment for winter 1012-2013:

Friday, November 2, 2012 19:48

Tact ... Aztec lands crucial to the rising sun

by Harold Iglesias Manresa

...............The ball is no longer on the street, the journey is still fresh from the trip to Aztec lands and now, again, next Sunday departs a fleet of 29 players to Asian lands as part of the preparation for the World Baseball Classic III. But several issues have been troubling. Even the Victor Mesa was concerned about the number of strikeouts for his disciples: 44 in five games. Not only that issue alarm, but also the fact that it was against pitchers that mostly begin the fight for Mexican professional leagues. Where was the key? In breaking pitches, especially towards the lower curves and out..............

Where was the key? In breaking pitches, especially towards the lower curves and out

Tell me who does not have problems with that pitch?!!?!!? Even major leaguer's worst nightmare. But at least this explains partially the lack of power the Cubans had in Mexico.

Ozuna continues power surge in Gigantes' win

Marlins prospect extends Dominican League lead with pair of home runs

11/04/12 11:52 PM ET
Marcell Ozuna led the Florida State League with 24 homers and 95 RBIs this season. (Mark LoMoglio/MiLB.com)


Dominican Winter League

Gigantes 7, Estrellas 4

Marlins prospect Marcell Ozuna slugged his league-leading sixth and seventh homers and drove in four runs as the Gigantes snapped a three-game losing streak. Mariners outfielder Carlos Peguero chipped in two hits and two RBIs for Cibao, while Angels catching prospect Alberto Rosario doubled home two runs for the Estrellas.

Aguilas 14, Licey 12, 10 innings

Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan went 4-for-6 with a pair of homers, three RBIs and four runs scored as the Aguilas outslugged the Tigres. Miguel Tejada also drove in three runs for Cibaenas, which squandered an early 10-run lead. Dodgers shortstop Dee Gordon scored three runs and had two RBIs for Licey.

Toros 3, Escogido 1

Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon had two hits, including an RBI single, and scored the go-ahead run in the Toros' fourth straight win. Brewers farmhand Claudio Vargas allowed one hit over three innings of scoreless relief to get the victory, while Wilkin Castillo (Rockies) homered for the Leones.

Venezuelan Winter League

Caracas 4, Margarita 1

Rockies right-hander Jhoulys Chacin allowed a run on six hits and struck out four over seven innings as the Leones reeled off their fourth straight win. Rays prospect Henry Wrigley had two hits, including his seventh homer, two RBIs and two runs scored for Caracas, while Phillies' No. 10 prospect Cesar Hernandez reached base three times and scored Margarita's lone run.

La Guaira 8, Magallanes 3

Dodgers farmhand C.J. Retherford went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs, leading the Tiburones past the Navegantes. White Sox prospect Jose Martinez collected three hits, including a run-scoring triple, for La Guaira, which got five solid innings from Tyson Brummett (Blue Jays). Carlos Maldonado and Erold Andrus homered for Magallanes.

Lara 3, Zulia 2

Twins prospect Jairo Perez and Major League veteran Jose Lopez delivered RBI singles in the bottom of the ninth inning, rallying the Cardenales past the first-place Aguilas. Braves farmhand Jordan Parraz went 2-for-3 with a run scored for Lara, while Reds' No. 16 prospect Henry Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI in a losing effort.

Caribes 3, Aragua 1

Brewers farmhand Donovan Hand gave up a run on five hits over five innings as the Caribes avoided a third straight loss. Former Mariners Minor Leaguer Gerardo Avila went 3-for-3 with a walk and a run scored for Anzoategui, while Cubs farmhand Ty Wright homered for the Tigres. Box score

Mexican Pacific League

Los Mochis 5, Mexicali 3

Former Major Leaguer Jason Botts homered for the fourth time in his last seven games as the Cañeros ended a three-game slide. Saul Soto also went deep, drove in two runs and scored twice for Los Mochis, which got six strong innings from former Dodgers farmhand Jesus Rodriguez. Marlins infielder Gil Velazquez had two hits and an RBI for the Aguilas.

Culiacan 10, Mazatlan 0

Marlon Byrd went 3-for-4 with a pair of homers, three RBIs and three runs scored, powering the first-place Tomateros to their third straight win. Andres Meza gave up five hits over six innings to improve to 2-0 for Culiacan, which also got long balls from Ricardo Serrano and Daniel Hinojosa. Jose Orozco's double was the lone extra-base hit for last-place Mazatlan.

Hermosillo 13, Obregon 11

Carlos Gastelum went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored to lead a 16-hit attack as Hermosillo halted a three-game skid. Former big leaguer Karim Garcia also had three hits, including a two-run homer, while Jesse Gutierrez contributed three doubles, an RBI and two runs scored. Sergio Contreras was 5-for-5 and drove in three runs for Obregon, which had a seven-game winning streak snapped.

Navojoa 7, Guasave 5

Steve Moss slugged a grand slam and drove in five runs as the Mayos surprised the Algodoñeros. Jonny Kaplan went 4-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored out of the ninth spot of the lineup for Navojoa. Twins prospect Chris Colabello homered and collected three RBIs for Guasave.

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Dominican Winter League

•Juan Diaz: SS, Estrellas de Oriente: 0-for-2: Diaz is only hitting .136 over his past ten games, and is 0-for-7 over his past three ballgames. He’s hitting only .154 over in the DWL this year.

•Tim Fedroff: LF, Aguilas Cibaenas: 1-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K: Fedroff upped his hit streak to five games, but is still only hitting .250, and still only has one extra-base hit. He’s just treading water for now, but he’ll likely take off before too long.

•Jose Ramirez: SS, Toros del Este: 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB: Ramirez now has hits in every game he’s had an at bat, and as scored four runs in his last three ballgames. This kid is good…and remains to be seen just how good he will be going forward.

•Yan Gomes: C, Toros del Este: 0-for-3: Gomes is 0-for-4 in his two games as an official member of the Cleveland Indians organization. He has played third and caught though, which may be a precursor to what we’ll see in 2013.

Venezuelan Winter League

•Gregorio Petit: PR/SS, Leones del Caracas: 2-for-3, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 BB, 1 K: Petit had a great game, but his multi-hit ballgame “raised” his average to .188. He’s only hitting .179 over his last ten games, and his two doubles were his first extra-base hits since his first game in the VWL this year.

•Hector Rondon: RP, Leones del Caracas: 1 IP, 1 BB: Rondon’s 7.36 ERA is a big one, and a bit misleading. He gave up four runs in his first appearance taking up only 1/3 inning. He’s only given up two earned runs since them, and has pitched in five straight shutout appearances.

Aguilas 14, Licey 12, 10 innings

Vladimir Guerrero debuted in this ballgame was 0-2 with a walk, an rbi, and a run scored.

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Lineups

Vladimir Guerrero on Licey Team and Miguel Tejada On Cibaenos

by Neftali Ruiz

Outfielder Vladimir Guerrero and infielder Miguel Tejada appear on their respective teams of the Licey Tigers and the Cibao Eagles for Sunday's clash at the Estadio Quisqueya.

Both stellar stars debut in the season of winter baseball. Guerrero played for the first time since the 2004-2005 season.

The two veterans did not play in the majors this season but fought in the minor leagues. They make an effort to keep alive their respective careers.

Also expected integration of Manny Ramirez to the Eagles in the coming hours.

Tim Fedroff

Tim Fedroff (Aguilas Cibaenas) picked up his first multi-hit game this winter with 3 basehits in 4 attempts. This was Fedroff's 15th game. He's hit safely in 13 of those games. He's currently riding a 6 game hitting streak. He opened the season with a 5 game hitting streak then went hitless his next 2 games. So far Fedroff is having the best winter of any Indian this year or for that matter the best in quite a few years. That's really great to see. It's a nice audition for the Tribe this spring or this year's Rule 5 selections.

Aguilas Bottom of the 1st

Omar Luna walks.
Tim Fedroff singles on a ground ball to center fielder Leonys Martin. Omar Luna to 2nd.
Hector Luna pops out to first baseman Donell Linares in foul territory.
Oscar Taveras flies out to left fielder Engel Beltre.
Miguel Tejada strikes out swinging.

Aguilas Bottom of the 3rd

Juan Carlos Perez grounds out, third baseman Juan Francisco to first baseman Donell Linares.
Omar Luna grounds out, second baseman Anderson Hernandez to first baseman Donell Linares.
Tim Fedroff singles on a ground ball to right fielder Vladimir Guerrero. Tim Fedroff advances to 2nd, on a throwing error by right fielder Vladimir Guerrero.
Hector Luna grounds out, shortstop Dee Gordon to first baseman Donell Linares.

Aguilas Bottom of the 5th

Omar Luna pops out to shortstop Dee Gordon.
Tim Fedroff grounds out, second baseman Anderson Hernandez to first baseman Donell Linares.
Hector Luna grounds out, third baseman Juan Francisco to first baseman Donell Linares.

Aguilas Bottom of the 7th

Defensive Substitution: Tim Federowicz replaces Carlos Triunfel, batting 8th, playing catcher.
Pitching Change: Eddie De La Cruz replaces Juan Cedeno.
Omar Luna doubles (6) on a ground ball to center fielder Leonys Martin.
Tim Fedroff singles on a ground ball to right fielder Vladimir Guerrero. Omar Luna to 3rd.
Hector Luna grounds into a double play, third baseman Juan Francisco to second baseman Anderson Hernandez to first baseman Donell Linares. Omar Luna scores. Tim Fedroff out at 2nd.
Pitching Change: Dionis Soriano replaces Eddie De La Cruz.
Oscar Taveras grounds out, second baseman Anderson Hernandez to first baseman Donell Linares.


Miguel Tejada (Aguilas Cibaenas) debut today was 1-3 with a homer and 2 rbis.

Vladimir Guerrero played his second after debuting yesterday was 0-4 and is now 0-6 in the two games.

Danny Salazar (Licey Tigres) got the start today against the Aguilas and picked up his third loss of the winter. That record is most deceiving. Danny had a decent line 3 innings, 4 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned runs, 1 walk, and 3 strikeouts. Salazar had a shutout going into the 4th when he fell victim to Tejada's blast.

Aguilas Bottom of the 4th

Oscar Taveras hit by pitch.
Miguel Tejada homers (1) on a fly ball to left field. Oscar Taveras scores.
Chris Coghlan reaches on a fielding error by first baseman Donell Linares.
With Francisco Pena batting, Chris Coghlan steals (1) 2nd base.
Francisco Pena doubles (2) on a fly ball to left fielder Engel Beltre. Chris Coghlan scores.
Pitching Change: Yulkin German replaces Danny Salazar

Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012

SPORTS SCOPE

Newly crowned Japan Series champs just getting started

By JASON COSKREY

Good luck beating these Giants next year.

The new NPB champions had only been crowned for a few minutes Saturday when manager Tatsunori Hara proclaimed his team good enough to repeat. Japan Series MVP Tetsuya Utsumi agreed, and really, who could blame him?

A few of the team's core players are still fairly young, and the Giants' deep pockets have helped keep those young players surrounded by capable veterans. So it's not at all a stretch to envision the Giants taking another lap around Tokyo Dome, Japan Series trophy in tow, this time next year.

"This team is still on the rise," Hara said after winning his third title as the Yomiuri manager to go alongside the three he won as the team's star third baseman in the 1980's and early 1990's. "If the players keep practicing, the team will get stronger. More than anything, this group of players is young. So I believe we are capable of repeating as champions."

That's cause for concern for the other five Central League clubs. The Giants won the CL pennant by 10½ games as presently constituted, and imagining them coming back even stronger should be a troubling thought for opposing teams.

Most of the pieces for another title run are already in place.

Shortstop Hayato Sakamoto hit .311 with 14 home runs and 69 RBIs and at 23 years old is only going to get better. There's also room to grow for 28-year-old outfielder Hisayoshi Chono, who in his third season hit .301 with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs while solidifying the top of the Yomiuri lineup.

Pitchers Tetsuya Utsumi (30) and Hirokazu Sawamura (24) mowed down the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in the Japan Series, combining to allow five runs over 29 innings, and figure to be major cogs in the rotation over the next few years. Yomiuri may have also unearthed gems in Ryosuke Miyaguni (20) and the recently drafted Tomoyuki Sugano (23), one of the top amateur pitching prospects in Japan, while Tetsuya Yamaguchi (29) has become one of the top relievers in NPB.

The odds are against Shinnosuke Abe putting up another .340 season, but the 33-year-old catcher should still have a few more top-level years, offensively and defensively, left in him.

Shuichi Murata remains a legitimate power threat, while Yoshinobu Takahashi and Kenji Yano can help fill out a dangerous lineup, and that's without finding a spot for the potentially explosive Taishi Ota.

Get used to it: The Giants have the players and the resources needed to play a major role in the race for next season's Japan Series title. KYODO

Veteran starters D.J. Houlton, and Toshiya Sugiuchi add to the embarrassment of riches in the rotation, and relievers Scott Mathieson, Yasunari Takagi and Kentaro Nishimura help form a solid bullpen, which gets even stronger with the recent addition of Ryota Katsuki via a trade with Orix.

Yomiuri was pushed to the limit in the playoffs, but successfully navigated rough waters in the Climax Series and Japan Series despite being in a vulnerable position without the injured Sugiuchi.

The Giants will be the hunted next season, and the Hanshin Tigers and Yokohama BayStars have already begun making moves aimed at dethroning them, while there are maneuvers still to be made by the Hiroshima Carp and Chunichi Dragons.

In the midst of a title celebration, the Kyojin weren't concerned with their challengers.

They seemed to believe a repeat was within reach, which is why Hara was thrown into the air 11 times after the final game of the Japan Series.

"Well since this is the first of many championships to come, we gave him one more toss than we did in the Climax Series," Utsumi said.

GENERAL

Lights still out in Cuba's 2nd city after Sandy

By ANNE-MARIE GARCIA

Associated Press

2012-11-06 02:40 AM

Even as streetlamps shine brightly in lower Manhattan and subways begin rumbling through tunnels again, another city slammed by Hurricane Sandy is still struggling to recover.

Two weeks after the storm blasted through Santiago, Cuba, the electrical grid has been restored to just 28 percent of normal as workers labor around the clock to replace power lines downed by thousands of fallen trees, the Cuban news agency Prensa Latina reported Monday

"Sources in (state-run power company) Empresa Electrica emphasized that the task is titanic since it means building practically all of the secondary networks from the ground up," the agency said, and those are the ones "that deliver energy to homes and were the most impaired."

Much of the storm debris has been cleared from the streets, and students went back to classes there Monday in a sign of some return to normalcy for the city of about 500,000 people.

Residents said stores are offering early sales of basic foods that had been planned for distribution later in the year. People unable to cook in their darkened homes are relying on canned food, and the lucky few that have power are giving neighbors a hand by boiling their water or letting them charge cellphones.

"Things have been getting better, but we still don't have electricity. Near my house there are streets that do ... I'm anxiously awaiting it," Berta Serguera, 82, told The Associated Press by phone from Santiago.

"The situation is very tough," said her sister Mirta Serguera, 79.

Sandy hit southeastern Cuba on Oct. 25 as a Category 2 hurricane, killing 11 people, damaging more than 200,000 homes and causing major losses to coffee and other crops. Authorities have not yet given an estimate of the total economic toll.

Some 895 schools in Santiago were also damaged, according to a report by Communist Party newspaper Granma.

Many were repaired and functioning again Monday, but 129 were badly damaged, leaving students to gather in private homes, libraries, cultural centers and movie theaters, or be sent to other schools.

Some classes were also held in homes in neighboring Holguin province, Granma said.

In Santiago, hospitals, fire and water stations, bakeries and tall buildings were receiving priority power service, and electrical grid repairs were expected to finish by Nov. 15 with the help of crews drafted from across the country.

President Raul Castro remained in the city on his tour of the hardest-hit zones and promised to personally ensure that recovery efforts proceed apace.

"We all know the problems you have. Do not lose faith in the revolution," Castro said in remarks broadcast on television over the weekend. "I will remain here until the electricity returns."

Yolanda Tabio, a 67-year-old resident of central Santiago, said that after 12 days in the dark, she's hopeful the lights will come back on soon. Her gas was restored three days ago, though phone service is still intermittent.

"The most important thing is to be able to boil water, because it comes out really cloudy and you have to take measures to avoid disease," Tabio said.

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Associated Press writer Peter Orsi in Havana contributed to this report.