Cleveland Sports Forum

Criollos capture another title in Puerto Rico

Mateo, Padilla drive in two runs apiece in Game 6 rout of defending champs

01/26/2013 1:53 AM ET

Puerto Rican Winter League

Caguas 13, Mayaguez 3

Cardinals prospect Luis Mateo doubled, singled and drove in two runs as the Criollos dethroned the Indios to secure their second championship in three years. Former Major Leaguer Jorge Padilla went 3-for-6 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Dodgers non-roster invitee Ramon Castro scored three times for Caguas, which won the best-of-7 series, 4-2. Twins prospect Daniel Ortiz had two hits and two RBIs for Mayaguez but committed one of two errors in a six-run opening inning.

Game 1: Mayaguez 4, Caguas 5
Game 2: Caguas 3, Mayaguez 1
Game 3: Mayaguez 2, Caguas 1
Game 4: Caguas 5, Mayaguez 6
Game 5: Mayaguez 2, Caguas 4
Game 6: Caguas 13, Mayaguez 3

Criollos de Caguas win series 4-2

Venezuelan Winter League

Lara 4, Magallanes 0

Former Orioles farmhand Raul Rivero allowed two hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings as the Cardenales grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 Championship Series. Rangers Minor Leaguer Yangeris Solarte went 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot for Lara, which got a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run scored from Cubs infielder Luis Valbuena. Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus and World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval slugged back-to-back homers in the ninth to help the Navegantes avoid a second straight shutout.

Game 1: Lara 2, Magallanes 5
Game 2: Lara 3, Magallanes 0
Game 3: Magallanes 2, Lara 4

Cardenales de Lara lead series 2-1

Game 4: 01/26 6:00 p.m.
Game 5: 01/28 7:30 p.m.
Game 6: 01/29 7:30 p.m.
Game 7: 01/30 7:30 p.m.

Mexican Pacific League

Obregon 6, Mexicali 5

Former Reds farmhand Jesse Gutierrez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the Yaquis a 3-0 lead in the best-of-7 Championship Series. Carlos Valencia drilled a two-run homer and Major League veteran Doug Clark scored twice as Obregon built a five-run lead. Ruben Rivera hit a three-run homer and Oscar Robles singled twice and scored a run for the Aguilas.

Game 1: Obregon 5, Mexicali 3
Game 2: Obregon 4, Mexicali 2
Game 3: Mexicali 5, Obregon 6

Yaquis de Obregon lead series 3-0

Game 4: 01/26 6:00 p.m.
Game 5: 01/27 5:00 p.m.
Game 6: 01/29 7:30 p.m.
Game 7: 01/30 7:30 p.m.

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Dominican League

Game 1: Escogido 10, Aguilas 7
Game 2: Aguilas 5, Escogido 8
Game 3: Escogido 9, Aguilas 0
Game 4: Aguilas 2, Escogido 3
Game 5: Escogido 3, Aguilas 0

Leones del Escogido win series 5-0

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Quincy Latimore


Venezuelan Winter League

•Ezequiel Carrera (LF, Navegantes del Magallanes): 0-for-3. Carrera unfortunately grounded out on three occasions on Friday. The left-handed hitting Carrera has now gone 48-for-181, and his team trails 2-1 in VWl Championship Series.

Australian Baseball League

•Quincy Latimore (CF, Adelaide Bite): 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 1 K. Latimore may have only had one hit, but he made it count as he launched a home run. The solo shot was Latimore's third of the winter season. Unfortunately, Adelaide's has already been eliminated from the ABL playoff hunt, so Latimore's season will end tomorrow night.

•Andrew Campbell (CF, Brisbane Bandits): 1-for-4, 1 K, CS. Campbell has cooled off a bit at the plate as he has now gone 41-for-149 in 42 games. Perhaps even worse for Campbell than his individual struggles is the realization that Brisbane was defeated 13-0 by the Sydney Blue Sox on Friday, and it now seems as if the team could unfortunately miss the ABL playoffs.

•Ryan Battaglia (C, Brisbane Bandits): 1-for-3, 1 K. Battaglia has now gone 19-for-80 in 24 games. His power was somewhat enticing earlier this winter season, but unfortunately, Battaglia has just one extra-base hit since Dec. 27.

Hot ticket sales for Taiwan games at 2013 World Baseball Classic

2013/01/21 19:15:29

Taipei, Jan. 21 (CNA)

Tickets for the opening game of the 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC) were almost sold out Sunday, with other games featuring Taiwan also popular, the tournament promoter said Monday.

More than 18,000 of the 20,000 tickets available for the Group B opening game between Taiwan and Australia in the preliminary round scheduled for March 2 in Taichung, central Taiwan, were sold within five hours of going on sale Jan. 17.

As of Sunday, Taiwan's second game against the Netherlands set for March 3 had fewer than 4,000 tickets left, while its March 5 final Group B game against South Korea had only about 1,000 tickets remaining, according to Bros Sports, promoter of the Taiwan section of the tournament.

In addition to local baseball fans, Bros Sports said that over 3,000 South Koreans are expected to come to Taiwan to cheer for their team.

Taiwanese baseball players who have played in the major or minor leagues in the United States are likely to join the lineup of Taiwan's national baseball team, including Chien-ming Wang, Kuo Hong-chih and Lin Che-hsuan, with head coach Hsieh Chang-heng saying that Wang might start in the opening game.

The Group B competition in the preliminary round of the 3rd World Baseball Classic will take place March 2-5 at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium.

The WBC's preliminary Group A, C and D competitions are scheduled to take place in Japan, Puerto Rico and the U.S., respectively.

Taiwan, Australia, the Netherlands and South Korea are vying for the top two Group B spots to advance to the quarterfinals, which will take place in Tokyo March 8-12.

The finals will take place in San Francisco

Yaquis complete three-peat in Mexico

Gutierrez, Amezaga help complete sweep with rout of Aguilas

01/26/2013 11:52 PM ET

Mexican Pacific League

Obregon 16, Mexicali 3

Former Reds farmhand Jesse Gutierrez homered, drove in four runs and scored three times to lead a 17-hit attack as the Aguilas swept the Aguilas to win their third straight championship. Major League veteran Alfredo Amezaga went 3-for-5 and scored twice and drove in a run for Obregon, while Barbaro Canizares contributed three hits, including his fifth postseason homer, two RBIs and two runs scored. David Reyes pitched four innings of scoreless relief for the win after Wes Bankston smacked a solo shot for Mexicali.

Game 1: Obregon 5, Mexicali 3
Game 2: Obregon 4, Mexicali 2
Game 3: Mexicali 5, Obregon 6
Game 4: Mexicali 3, Obregon 16

Yaquis de Obregon win series 4-0


Venezuelan Winter League

Magallanes 6, Lara 5

Eliezer Alfonzo homered and scored twice and Hector Gimenez also hit a solo shot as the Navegantes held off the Cardenales to square the best-of-7 Championship Series at 2-2. Minor League veteran Mario Lisson was 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored for Magallanes, which got two innings of hitless relief from Twins farmhand Deolis Guerra. Rangers Minor Leaguer Yangervis Solarte went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored out of the leadoff spot for Lara, while Reds infielder Cesar Izturis had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run.

Game 1: Lara 2, Magallanes 5
Game 2: Lara 3, Magallanes 0
Game 3: Magallanes 2, Lara 4
Game 4: Magallanes 6, Lara 5

Series tied 2-2

Game 5: 01/28 7:30 p.m.
Game 6: 01/29 7:30 p.m.
Game 7: 01/30 7:30 p.m.

Dominican Winter League

Game 1: Escogido 10, Aguilas 7
Game 2: Aguilas 5, Escogido 8
Game 3: Escogido 9, Aguilas 0
Game 4: Aguilas 2, Escogido 3
Game 5: Escogido 3, Aguilas 0

Leones del Escogido win series 5-0

Puerto Rican Winter League

Game 1: Mayaguez 4, Caguas 5
Game 2: Caguas 3, Mayaguez 1
Game 3: Mayaguez 2, Caguas 1
Game 4: Caguas 5, Mayaguez 6
Game 5: Mayaguez 2, Caguas 4
Game 6: Caguas 13, Mayaguez 3

Criollos de Caguas win series 4-2

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Ezequiel Carrera

Venezuela Winter League

Ezequiel Carrera (LF, Navegantes del Magallanes): 2-for-4: Carrera’s two hits didn’t factor into his teams one-run victory. He started the game off with two straight hits, and made it as far as third base, but failed to score. He’s hitting .247 in the playoffs, and .270 overall, and has been dropped to eighth in the order.

Australian League

Andrew Campbell (LF, Brisbane Bandits): 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 K: Campbell’s double was his third hit in as many games, and his second double in the past three as well. Campbell’s average is down to .275, as he’s only hitting .205 over the past ten ballgames.

Quincy Latimore (CF, Adelaide Bite): 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB: Latimore’s two hits continued his 10-game hit streak, as the centerfielder continues his hot offensive play down under. During the streak, Quincy is 15-for-40, with 10 runs, five doubles, two homers and 11 RBI. He’s scored runs in seven straight games, and did everything he could to get Adelaide into the playoffs, but falling short.

By Jim Pete
January 27, 2013

Australian League

Quincy Latimore (CF, Adelaide Bite): 0-for-4: Latimore saw his 10-game hit streak end in Adelaide’s last ballgame of the season, but he did manage to continue his runs scored streak to eight games. Latimore was originally a star in Raleigh, NC, and was drafted in the fourth round by the Pirates in 2007. Latimore has struggled in his pro career and has been stuck in Double A for the past two seasons. He has showcased some power over the years, hitting 19 homers for High A Bradenton in 2010, and 15 in both 2011 and 2012 playing for the Double A Altoona Curve. This was Latimore’s second tenure in Australia, and has played well in both 2010 and 2011. Latimore finished the season off with a .286/.400/.508 slash line, which is right on par with his .313/.375/.548 slash in 2010. Hopefully he can bring some of that to Akron or Columbus in 2013 for the Indians.

By Jim Pete
January 28, 2013

BASEBALL

Manny Ramirez did not receive deals GL

Enrique Rojas ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com

Orlando

Manny Ramirez impressed many with his performance in the winter baseball league in the Dominican Republic, but apparently the group does not include major league scouts.

Ramirez, who returned to winter ball after an absence of 18 years as a way to improve your chances of returning to the majors, has not received a single offer or minor league, said a source connected to the enigmatic Dominican baseball player.

"It's amazing what's going on with Manny," the source said on Sunday.

"He showed in the winter league that is able to receive an opportunity, not carry a suspension or something and not looking for a lot of money," he added.

"But missing two weeks to open spring training camps, Manny has no bids. Of any kind, "the source added. Ramirez, 40, batted .298 with eight homers, 27 RBI and 21 runs in 181 innings with the Cibao Eagles in the Dominican last season. He did not play winter ball since 1995.

Ramirez, a 12-time All-Star in 19 seasons in the majors, hit .312 with 555 homers and RBIs 1.831 baseball before retiring in April 2011, after committing a second violation of baseball's anti-doping program.

Last year signed a minor league contract with the Oakland Athletics and served a 50-game penalty in triple A, but became a free agent when Oakland not called the big club in mid-season.

Jose Ramirez (left) throws to first to complete a double play.
TOWARDS THE CARIBBEAN SERIES

The Leones del Escogido defines its Caribbean Series roster, will practice today

Practices will begin at 11 am at Quisqueya Stadium

Santo Domingo

The Leones del Escogido had a practice session on Monday as part of the preparation for the Caribbean Series will begin on Friday, February 1, in Hermosillo, Mexico.

Practice for the national champions and Caribbean series bound team starts at 11:00 in the morning at Quisqueya Stadium.

Audo Vicente manager said the roster of 28 players is almost ready and will be released in full in the next few hours. "Only a matter of confirming some names, but the bulk of players are ready to make the trip," he said.

So far confirmed are pitchers Ángel Castro, Edward Valdez, TJ Peña, Nelson Figueroa, Nelson Payano, Johnny Núñez, Fernando Rodney, Armando Rodríguez, Ramón García, Lorenzo Barceló, Dustin Richardson y Francisco Cordero.

Also outfielders Ricardo Nanita, Jordany Valdespín y José Constanza.

Also infielders José Ramírez, Miguel Tejada, Hanley Ramírez, Luis Jiménez, Fernando Tatis y Julio Lugo.

Francisco Peña y Alberto Rosario will be the catchers for the national champions and the Caribbean team who seek to repeat the crown achieved in the country last year. "We ended up playing recently so the players are in good shape. Those who completed the Round Robin have continued to work. Monday we will decide on the bullpen pitchers and Friday are all ready for Hermosillo, "explained Vincent.
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More accolades reigning down on Jose Ramirez. Jose was selected to "reinforce" the Leones Escogido baseball team in the upcoming Series del Caribe. The Toros team was eliminated in the round robin tournament. The Leones team defeated the Aguilas Cibaenas in the championship series in five straight game (best of 9 series). Leones won the Dominican championship series two years in a row now. They head to Hermosillo Mexico as defending champs.

That's quite an honor for Jose. What a season that kid is having.

Looks the the cheerleading squad is in good shape. Good luck in Mexico.

Jose Ramirez

Rookie of the Year team

Ramirez in his first season in the league, participated in 38 games with 141 innings where he scored 22 runs, 44 hits connect, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 22 RBIs, 18 walks and 10 stolen bases, with a batting average of 312. who also excelled in the tournament with very round numbers, in my personal opinion the most valuable player of the team in the regular season, he was.

Three Toros win "Golden Gloves"

Second baseman Jose Ramirez and outfielders Jose Constanza and Ricardo Nanita are the three players who won Golden Gloves from the Toros del Este in the professional baseball season autumn-winter 2012-2013.

The other members of the defensive team of the season coming on Friday in its final stage was, Alberto Rosario (EO) receptor; Mauro Gomez, (E), first baseman, Pedro Feliz, (EO), third baseman, Juan Diaz (EO), shortstop; Felix Pie (EO), gardener and Lorenzo Barcelo, (AC), pitcher.

The Winners of the Golden Gloves were selected by a special jury comprising journalists sponsored by The Shell Company through the award first Dominicans.

joez wrote:

Jose Ramirez (left) throws to first to complete a double play.

TOWARDS THE CARIBBEAN SERIES

The Leones del Escogido defines its Caribbean Series roster, will practice today

Practices will begin at 11 am at Quisqueya Stadium

Santo Domingo

The Leones del Escogido had a practice session on Monday as part of the preparation for the Caribbean Series will begin on Friday, February 1, in Hermosillo, Mexico.

Practice for the national champions and Caribbean series bound team starts at 11:00 in the morning at Quisqueya Stadium.

Audo Vicente manager said the roster of 28 players is almost ready and will be released in full in the next few hours. "Only a matter of confirming some names, but the bulk of players are ready to make the trip," he said.

So far confirmed are pitchers Ángel Castro, Edward Valdez, TJ Peña, Nelson Figueroa, Nelson Payano, Johnny Núñez, Fernando Rodney, Armando Rodríguez, Ramón García, Lorenzo Barceló, Dustin Richardson y Francisco Cordero.

Also outfielders Ricardo Nanita, Jordany Valdespín y José Constanza.

Also infielders José Ramírez, Miguel Tejada, Hanley Ramírez, Luis Jiménez, Fernando Tatis y Julio Lugo.

Francisco Peña y Alberto Rosario will be the catchers for the national champions and the Caribbean team who seek to repeat the crown achieved in the country last year. "We ended up playing recently so the players are in good shape. Those who completed the Round Robin have continued to work. Monday we will decide on the bullpen pitchers and Friday are all ready for Hermosillo, "explained Vincent.

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In my best Harry Carey voice, "Holy Cow!"

Yepez, Cardenales take crucial Game 5

Braves farmhand smacks walk-off single in bottom of the 11th for Lara

01/29/2013 12:07 AM ET

Venezuelan Winter League

Lara 3, Magallanes 2, 11 innings

One swing of the bat moved the Cardenales one win away from a title.

Braves farmhand Jose Yepez smacked a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning as Lara defeated Magallanes, 3-2, in Game 5 of the Venezuelan Winter League Championship Series.

Yepez finished with two hits, raising his playoff average to .217.

Fellow Braves Minor Leaguer Ernesto Mejia was 2-for-5 and drove in the game's first run. C.J. Retherford also collected an RBI for the Cardenales. Cubs infielder Luis Valbuena scored the winning run, reaching on second baseman Mario Lisson's error.

Victor Moreno tossed two hitless innings of relief to earn the win. Former Major Leaguer Ken Ray allowed two runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings, but did not figure into the decision for Lara.

World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval drove in his 20th run of the playoffs for the Navegantes.

Marlins hurler Carlos Zambrano surrendered two runs on eight hits and fanned five over six innings for Magallanes.

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Ezequiel Carrera

Venezuela Winter League

Ezequiel Carrera (LF, Navegantes del Magallanes): 1-for-5, R, K, SB. Carrera’s team lost the decisive Game 5 by a score of 3-2 in 11 innings, and they are now down three games to two in the championship series and face elimination on Tuesday night. Carrera grounded out to first in the third inning, hit a fly ball single to center in the sixth inning, reached on a fielder’s choice in the seventh inning and was balked to second and then stole third base, struck out in the ninth, and flew out to center in the 11th inning. Even with the subpar outing on Monday, he is hitting .268 with 2 HR, 9 RBI, .692 OPS and 23-27 walk to strikeout ratio this winter.

Note

Almost all of the Indians players are officially done with their winter ball season since the Dominican Winter League and Puerto Rico Winter League have finished their playoffs and the Australia Baseball League and Venezuela Winter League are in their playoffs. But, there are still two Indians players that are active this offseason, Carrera in the Venezuela League playoffs and right-handed reliever Rob Bryson who is pitching for his Puerto Rico Winter League champions in the Caribbean World Series which gets underway later this week. Also, there is a report out that second baseman Jose Ramirez has been added to the Leones del Escogido roster and will play in the Caribbean World Series.

As a result, once the Venezuela Winter League concludes play on Tuesday or Wednesday night, Around the Farm will go on hiatus for a short time. The hiatus will be short as minor league spring training games start up in mid-March! Thanks for reading all winter long.

By Tony Lastoria
January 29, 2013

Edward Valdez, chosen MVP of the Round Robin

Other candidates include: Manny Ramirez, Leury Garcia and Juan Carlos Perez (Eagles), Mauro Gomez and Starling Marte (Chosen), Carlos Colmenares and Luis Jimenez (Stars), Donell Linares and Jose Ramirez (Toros) .

Some pretty good winter league company to be surrounded by. It really is hard to overlook all of this kid's accomplishments even if he is slight of stature.

Jose A. Contreras in Cuba

by Circles Robinsons

January 28, 2013

Big leaguer pitcher Jose Contreras recently became the first Cuban “defector” from the national baseball team to return to the island under the new immigration reform. It had been ten years since he touched Cuban soil.

Contreras visited his mother, who was in the hospital, and his rural home town of Las Martinas, Pinar del Rio. He has been warmly greeted by his old friends, teammates and fans, many wanting to take a picture with him.

Contreras, 41, is recovering from an injury and hopes to gain another chance to pitch in Major League Baseball. He has earned over $67 million dollars with the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies over ten seasons.

CNN ran an emotional video of Contreras playing in a pickup game that also included his ex-teammate Pedro Luis Lazo, who recently retired from Cuban baseball.

Contreras was all smiles and although he will return soon to the US to get ready for the upcoming season, he is expected to return often to Cuba.

“Already, in the plane, I was crying. This is something big that I had waited 10 years for,” Contreras told CNN as Cuban fans lined up to snap photos with him on cell phone cameras.

He also encouraged other Cuban players to return home for a visit. “It’s the dream of anyone who lives outside Cuba, to be able to return and be with your family and the fans here,” he told CNN.

“I am really happy to have him back and to see each other again and remember things we did together,” Cuban pitcher Pedro Luis Lazo said. “Thank God he can come back now when he wants. We will be seeing each other a lot more now.”

Baseball

Otani ready for new challenges with Fighters

by Jason Coskrey

Staff Writer

Jan 30, 2013 PRINT SHARE

Shohei Otani spent part of his Saturday afternoon being shepherded around one of Makuhari Messe’s spacious international exhibition halls while having ham shoved in his mouth.

The stuff was everywhere too, raw, peppered, on pizza, in curry and that was just the tip of the iceberg. At the center this buta matsuri that was the Nippon Ham product presentation ceremony, was the Fighters’ 2012 rookie class, led by Otani, prized pitcher and veritable guest of honor, and manager Hideki Kuriyama.

They moved from stall to stall, followed by a sizable contingent of fans — kept at arm’s length by a crew of red-jacketed staffers — nearly all wielding a camera or smart phone. Otani ate, fans snapped, and the caravan moved along.

This is Otani’s new normal. The masses — upwards of 3,000 on this day — want to see him pitch, but they’ll take what they can get.

“It was a good experience,” Otani said afterward. “I understand you have to get along with fans as well as sponsors as a professional player.”

Clad in a heather gray suit, Otani didn’t always look entirely comfortable as the center of attention. Or maybe that was the suit, which he was wearing for the first time. Which was a bit too short and belonged to teammate Atsushi Ugumori.

“I feel encouraged by getting cheered on by so many fans every day,” he said. “I felt nervous at first but I’m getting used to it. I think I’m doing better.”

There will be plenty of opportunities to improve, because the crowds aren’t going away, if anything they’ll get bigger, and there won’t be any way to escape the spotlight.

Fame is sometimes suffocating that way, and it can be a mighty burden to bear when weighed down with outsized expectations. Otani’s adjustment to this new facet of his life will be just as important as the adjustments he makes on the field as he enters the professional ranks if he hopes to succeed.

He acquitted himself well and said all the right things Saturday, making a brief introductory speech and participating in a Nippon Ham “talk show” — though Yohei Kagiya stole the show, drawing an ovation from the crowd and a “thank you” from Kuriyama for being the only one of the seven rookies to list ham as his favorite food.

Because of Otani’s flirtation with the majors, and vice versa, coming out of high school, and because he’ll wear No. 11 — Yu Darvish’s number — in Sapporo, the bar will be set very high, perhaps unrealistically so, by fans and observers from day one.

“I want to become a player who can contribute to the team and meet the expectations people have of me,” Otani said.

Having lived through this with pitcher Yuki Saito in 2010, the Fighters are wary of putting too much pressure on Otani too soon.

“He is 18 years old, but he understands where he stands, what he has to do and what his responsibility is,” Kuriyama said.

* * *Up close, the image of Otani the teenage fireballer who boldly wanted to head to the U.S fresh out of high school fades considerably.


Standing in the center of a group of reporters, and fidgeting a bit in Ugumori’s suit, Otani looks very much like a high schooler. His 193-cm frame is slender and unassuming, and at 86 kg leaves plenty of room for future muscle. The hint of shyness in his body language, and few wisps of hair above his upper lip somehow make him look even younger. When he speaks, it’s in soft, quiet tones, and he politely directs his gaze at his questioner — because “he’s a good boy from Tohoku,” and apparently that’s how good boys from Tohoku answer questions.

His countenance was wholly different on the mound last year, when he was the phenom with the electric arm and MLB velocity — and actually pretty nifty with a bat too — at Iwate’s Hanamaki Higashi High, which also produced Seibu Lions pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, who pondered jumping from high school to the U.S. two seasons ago.

Otani touched 160 kph with his fastball during the prefectural tournament for the National High School Baseball Tournament in July, and scouts drooled over his potential — had he displayed a modicum of control on a halfway consistent basis, a few of them would’ve needed medical assistance.

Otani soon proclaimed that he was heading to the U.S., not NPB, but Nippon Ham drafted him anyway.

It was a gamble the Fighters were familiar with, having the previous year used a first-round pick on pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano, despite assertions he’d only sign with the Yomiuri Giants, managed by his uncle, Tatsunori Hara.

It was a wasted pick. Sugano remained resolute, sat out long enough to outlast Nippon Ham’s hold over his rights, and was drafted by the Giants in 2012.

Nippon Ham got its man this time, beating the odds by talking Otani into beginning his career in Sapporo, rather than on a minor-league roster in Small Town U.S.A.


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Dealing with his new-found fame is, of course, only half the battle for Otani. With camp fast approaching, he’s been using practice sessions to shake off some rust.

The Fighters will send him to camp with the ni-gun squad initially, then go from there based on his performance.

“I want him to get a knack for either batting or pitching or both, so that we can decide how we use him in the preseason games,” Kuriyama said.

The rookie wants to do both, but said wasn’t able to accurately access his skills yet.

“We haven’t played a game yet,” he said. “I haven’t seen the level other people are on. I look forward to seeing how I can perform in a game.”

Even though he’ll be starting out with the ni-gun team, Otani will still brush shoulders with a few players such as veteran infielders Makoto Kaneko and Eiichi Koyano.

“I want to learn a lot from them and ask questions when I have the chance,” Otani said. “Not only about batting techniques, but also how they can play for so long on the top level.”

Kuriyama called Otani a “clever kid,” and will soon find out how he thrives under the intense scrutiny that awaits.

“I don’t know how it will go yet,” Otani said. “I’ll try to get used to it quickly and build my fundamentals so that I can join the first team as soon as possible.”

Baseball / Japanese Baseball

Jones aims to provide power for Eagles

Kyodo

Jan 30, 2013 PRINT SHARE

SENDAI –

Andruw Jones is hoping he can be an effective addition to the lineup after he was introduced to the press by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on Tuesday along with another former New York Yankee Casey McGehee.

Jones, a five-time MLB All-Star, said he hopes to provide the necessary offensive clout to yield home runs for the Pacific League club.

Before the press conference Jones and McGehee paid a visit to Yuriage Junior High School in the city of Natori, Miyagi Prefecture. Jones admitted he was lost for words after witnessing the damage inflicted by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the Tohoku region.

The 35-year-old Jones, who won 10 consecutive Golden Glove titles between 1998 and 2007, agreed to a one-year deal worth ¥300 million including a signing bonus.

The right-handed hitting Jones will be a welcome addition to the Eagles, whose 52 homers were the fewest in Japan in 2012 and are well stocked with left-handers and switch hitters.

A native of Curacao, Jones played in 94 games last season, batting .197 with 14 home runs.

McGehee, meanwhile, said he wants to do his best at the Sendai-based club to help the region move forward.

McGehee batted .217 with nine homers and 41 RBIs in 318 at-bats last term after being traded to the Yankees from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the July trading deadline. In 2010, he hit .285 with 23 home runs and 104 RBIs with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Morgan arrives

Kyodo

Outfielder Nyjer Morgan arrived in Japan on Tuesday after agreeing to join the Yokohama BayStars.

The 32-year-old played with Milwaukee last season and said he had been given a sneak preview of what to expect in Japan from having played with outfielder Norichika Aoki at the Brewers.

Morgan told reporters at Narita airport that it was important to learn and watch players’ movement and that this season would be a “rookie” year for him.

Morgan has a .280 batting average in 583 games in the major leagues. He played in 122 games last season.

Morgan is set to bat as No. 3 hitter for the BayStars, who are hoping he will further strengthen the team alongside the likes of Alex Ramirez and Tony Blanco.