Baseball / Japanese Baseball

Schoolboy hurler Anraku books Koshien return

Kyodo

Jul 27, 2013

MATSUYAMA, EHIME PREF. –

High school pitcher Tomohiro Anraku, whose extreme pitch counts this spring drew worldwide attention, pitched Saibi High School into the upcoming National High School Baseball Championship with a 5-2 complete game victory on Saturday in the Ehime Prefecture’s final.

Anraku, who threw 772 pitches over five games in this year’s spring invitational tournament at Hyogo Prefecture’s Koshien Stadium, has booked his return to the historic ballpark for the finals of this year’s summer tournament.

In the spring invitational, Saibi didn’t use another pitcher until a visibly exhausted Anraku was hammered in the final.

“I am what I am now because of that defeat,” Anraku said after an eight-hit, 10 strikeout effort on Saturday that saw him throw 112 pitches. “I’m greedily obsessed with winning, and frankly, now that I’ve got what I came for, I’m relieved.”

After maxing out at 157 kph in Friday’s prefectural semifinals, Anraku reached 150 kph on the radar gun in the final.

“I’ve been going all out up until now so that I can go back (to Koshien) and pick up something I left behind there.”

[7/19/2013] 95th Summer Koshien: Practices to begin on August 2

by Gen on Jul.19, 2013 @ 6:43 pm, under High School, Summer Koshien


The Japan High School Baseball Federation announced today that Koshien practices for the Summer Koshien Tournament will take place over a four-day period between August 2 and 5. Each school will have thirty minutes on the field. The tournament itself is scheduled to begin on August 8.

"We earned the respect of all": Felix Fermin

The Carmelite manager talks about the classification of the Dolphins to the playoffs

Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche. -

Felix Fermin, in his second season at the helm of the Dolphins del Carmen, managed to qualify his team for the postseason for the first time in team history. It was a magical season as the team was about to emigrate from the city until she was rescued by its current president, Mr. Virgilio Ruiz. Today, with four days left in the regular season, the Dolphins need just one more win to secure first place in the South Division standings.

Fermin is aware that nationally, his name is mentioned as a leading candidate to win the title of "Manager of the Year" award. It takes into account the great work he has done with the team of the island, to take them to first place in the south division, and then qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in only in his second season with the team.

Man! No matter what the team, what the league, Felix Fermin just wins championships and awards wherever he goes. I can't imagine him not managing in the major leagues.

USA takes 12U Baseball World Cup with 8-1 victory over Chinese Taipei

Team US defeats defending champion Chinese Taipei in front of a packed stadium of sellout crowd of 10,000 fans

TAIPEI CITY —

The United States have won the II 12U Baseball World Cup. They defeated host and defending champion Chinese Taipei 8-1 on Sunday afternoon in front of a 10,000+ sold-out crowd at Tianmu Stadion in Taipei City.


The 14-nation 12U (12 and under) Baseball World Cup, sanctioned by the international baseball governing body, is the only national team world championship across all sports in this youth category.

Seven runs in the bottom of the second and a strong outing by starting pitcher Justin Campbell helped the Team US 12U National Team claim the title in their first ever international competition appearance.

The Gold Medal Game was decided in the bottom of the second inning. Joseph Naranjo set the tone with a solo home run over the fence in left field. Six runs followed, three alone on an error by center fielder Ching-Chieh Chen after Anthony Volpe’s single. Jakob Hines capped the rally with a double to right field.

Chinese Taipei didn’t score until the top of the fourth. Po-Chun Chen doubled and scored thanks to a single by Ching-Chieh Chen. But Hines answered with a solo home run over the center field fence, keeping the seven-run cushion.

Campbell didn’t need that much. He allowed just six hits, a run and a walk in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four for the win. After reaching his pitch limit, Matthew Allan came in and got the last out of the game with a pop-out to first baseman Naranjo. Team USA finished the tournament, giving up just six runs in ten games, three of them in their lone loss to Venezuela in the preliminary round.

Chinese Taipei was able to put a few men on base, but wasn’t able to threat the US pitching seriously. Po-Chun Chen had two of the six hits. Chih-Heng Chiu got charged with the loss, surrendering seven hits and seven runs (5 ER) in just 1 1/3 innings. Ding-Hong Guo and Sheng-Hong Wu afterwards kept the American bats in check, but it was not enough to initiate a comeback.

Earlier on the day, Japan defeated Venezuela 8-2 in the Bronze Medal Game, Panama edged out Korea in the Game for 5th Place and Mexico shut out Brazil in the Game for 7th Place.

The staging of the 12U BWC comes ahead of the September 8th vote by the International Olympic Committee in September on whether to include baseball and softball in 2020 Olympic Games.

The 12U BWC is part of the World Baseball Softball Confederation's global development strategy to spread basebal-softball across the globe and attract future generations of boys and girls.

Already, baseball and softball are played in more than 140 countries and comprise one of the largest youth bases of athletes in the sporting world.

More than 65 million athletes of all ages play baseball and/or softball at various levels.

Over 150 million fans worldwide attended baseball games in 2012, making it one of the most popular and entertaining sports in the world, and the biggest not under the Olympic umbrella.

An international construction boom has taken off in baseball/softball, with new facilities built or planned in Africa, Europe, Central and South America, and South Asia.

WBSC leaders stress that with Europe’s significant advancements over the last few years and the current growth trends in China, Africa, India, Pakistan, South America, baseball and softball would deliver a sport that is in a "golden era" to the 2020 Olympics, spreading Olympic values and excellence to future generations of young people around the world to advance the Olympic Movement.

If included in the 2020 Olympics and eventual Youth Olympic Games, baseball/softball would be unlike any other sport on the Olympic Programme, bringing new and unique sporting skills and qualities to Olympic fans and viewers as the only bat and ball sport at the Games, helping to balance and diversify the Olympic programme and Olympic Games experience, as well as tapping into one of the largest pools of young boy and girls followers in the world.
Final Standings

1) USA
2) Chinese Taipei
3) Japan
4) Venezuela
5) Panama
6) Korea
7) Mexico
8) Brazil
9) Italy
9) Russia
11) Czech Republic
11) Hong Kong
13) Pakistan
13) Philippines

All Star Team

Starting Pitcher: Justin Campbell (USA)
Relief Pitcher: Kevin Martin (USA)
Catcher: Gabriel Briones (USA)
First Baseman: Po-Chun Chen (TPE)
Second Baseman: Anthony Volpe (USA)
Third Baseman: Kevin Garcia (MEX)
Shortstop: Chin-Chun Chen (TPE)
Outfielder: Jakob Hines (USA)
Outfielder: Jose Aguilar (VEN)
Outfielder: Chih-Heng Chiu (TPE)

Historic Cuba-USA baseball series in USA highlights power of sport to unite like the Olympic Games

Landmark Series Helps Strengthen Case for Baseball/Softball to Go to 2020 Olympic Games

HAVANA (CUBA) -
The successful conclusion of the Cuba-USA baseball friendship series has demonstrated the capacity of the sport to bring diverse countries and cultures closer together, with series officials hopeful the event would strengthen the case for baseball and softball to be part of the 2020 Olympic Games.

The history-making series saw the Cuban National Team making its first trip to the U.S. in over 17 years, competing against the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.

Commenting on the success of the series from Havana today, Antonio Castro, a leading official with the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), said the spirit of the series reflected the values, ideals and internationalism of the Olympic Movement as identified by founding father Pierre de Coubertin.

"This friendship series was a celebration of the cultural diversity, of goodwill, respect and all that is excellent in sport, which we absolutely find in the spirit of the Olympic Games," Castro, son of the legendary Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, said.

"During the series, the athletes spoke the same language through baseball; they respected the same rules; they respected and admired each other. No interpretations were necessary. The Olympic platform does this on a worldwide scale; sport has that power," Castro added.

Castro, a surgeon and doctor for the Cuban National Olympic Team at the London 2012 Olympic Games last year, said the success of the series, which concluded earlier this week, had inspired him and his WBSC colleagues to redouble their efforts to earn the honour of participating at the 2020 Games.

"The Olympic Games is the greatest global celebration of humanity and sport, and the key to inspiring more young people everywhere to become involved in sport and advance the movement," Castro said.

Paul Seiler, USA Baseball CEO and WBSC Executive Board member, fully agrees with his Cuban colleague and friend.

"We have seen baseball and softball captivate entire nations, and we feel our sport could serve to strengthen the Olympic Games because like the Olympic Movement, baseball and softball can unite citizens across all the borders and boundaries that divide us, as we have seen with this historic Cuba-USA baseball friendly series," Seiler said.

WBSC leaders stress that the expanding presence of baseball and softball in China, Africa, India, South America and other world regions, including rising Europe, would bring the Olympic values and ideals to a new generation of young people around the world if baseball and softball are included at the 2020 Olympic Games.

The WBSC has a vision to work with the Olympic Movement to give every boy and girl the chance to play ball and experience the joy and benefits of sport through baseball and softball.

"Baseball and softball are games that anyone, anywhere can play, regardless of their age, gender, social standing, disability, cultural or political position. It's a worldwide game already played in more than 140 nations," Castro said.

The IOC will decide in early September which sport will be added to the 2020 Olympic Games.

Baseball: Chase Strumpf hits his third home run for USA 15U team

By Eric Sondheimer

July 31, 2013, 6:46 p.m.

Chase Strumpf, who will be a sophomore shortstop next spring at JSerra, hit another home run to help the USA 15U national team improve to 4-0 with a 13-3 win over Colombia on Wednesday at the COPABE Pan American Championships in Colombia.

Strumpf has hit three home runs in four games. He committed to UCLA before he played in his first high school game this past season as a freshman.

Isaak Gutierrez from St. John Bosco had two hits.

The team is being coached by former Chatsworth Coach Tom Meusborn.

MLB suspensions for 12, report says

Updated: August 5, 2013, 1:13 PM ET

ESPN.com news services

Major League Baseball has agreed to suspension with 12 players in varying lengths for their roles in the Biogenesis case Monday, FoxSports.com has reported.

Alex Rodriguez was expected to be served with the harshest penalty, and announcement was expected later Monday.

The players confirmed to be suspended by FoxSports.com are:

• Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers outfielder (50 games, no appeal).

• Everth Cabrera, San Diego Padres shortstop, (50 games, no appeal).

• Jhonny Peralta, Detroit Tigers shortstop (50 games, no appeal).

• Antonio Bastardo, Philadelphia Phillies reliever (50 games, no appeal).

• Jordany Valdespin, New York Mets outfielder, (50 games, no appeal).

• Francisco Cervelli, Yankees catcher.
• Jesus Montero, Seattle Mariners catcher.

• Cesar Puello, New York Mets outfield prospect.

• Fautino De Los Santos, San Diego Padres pitching prospect.

• Sergio Escalona, Houston Astros pitching prospect.

• Fernando Martinez, New York Yankees outfield prospect.

• Jordan Norberto, free-agent pitcher.

Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun was the first player to reach an agreement with MLB on a suspension for his connection to the Biogenisis case. The 2011 NL MVP accepted a season-ending 65-game suspension last month.

The Yankees had said they expected Rodriguez to be accused of recruiting other athletes for the clinic, attempting to obstruct MLB's investigation and not being truthful with MLB in the past when he discussed his relationship with Dr. Anthony Galea, who pleaded guilty two years ago to a federal charge of bringing unapproved drugs into the United States from Canada.

List needs to be posted here. Sounds like a who's who of the Winter leagues. No longer a beer league, now known as a cheaters league.

USA, Chinese Taipei, Australia meet for Warm-Ups prior to 18U Baseball World Cup

18U Baseball World Cup Participants test before tournament in Taichung

Defending champion United States has announced that they will play three exhibition games prior to the XXVI 18U Baseball World Cup in Taichung (August 30 to September 8). On August 26 and 27 they will square off with host Chinese Taipei, on August 28 with Australia.

The US squad, which will be led by head coach Rob Cooper, is facing Italy, Korea, Colombia, Australia and Cuba during first-round play at the 18U Baseball World Cup. In 2012 they defeated Canada in the Gold Medal Game to claim the title and dethroning Chinese Taipei as 18U World Champion.

Also participating in the 12-team event are Chinese Taipei, Japan, Canada, Czech Republic, Mexico and Venezuela.

18U: Roster set for Team Trials in Los Angeles

By Mike Persinger, USABaseball.com correspondent / June 23, 2013

USA Baseball 18U National Team manager Rob Cooper and his staff of more than 25 evaluators at the Tournament of Stars had a difficult job this week.

And it only gets tougher from here.

USA Baseball and Cooper's staff announced the 40 players who will attend the 18U National Team Trials in mid August in Los Angeles, where they will select the 20 who will compete in the IBAF 18U World Cup in Taichung, Taiwan, Aug. 30-Sept.

Team USA won the gold medal at last year's IBAF 18U World Championships.

Of the 40 players selected, 38 were among the 144 who participated in the Tournament of Stars, a five-day event at the USA Baseball National Training Complex that ended Sunday. Five of the 38 players were selected from last fall's National Team Identification Series.

Ten alternates were also selected.

The group includes one returning 2012 gold medalists: Bryson Brigman, an infielder from San Jose, Calif., who has committed to Stanford.

"This has been an unbelievable group from a talent standpoint, or otherwise they wouldn't be here," Cooper said. "But, more importantly, you can tell how much it means to these guys to be a part of the National Team.

"They're working, they're trying, they're playing hard. The times you do coach them up they listen to it.

"Unfortunately we only get four games, we only get one week, and there are going to be some guys who don't move on who will play in the big leagues someday.

"It's been a difficult process, but a very good one."

USA Baseball continues to improve the process, including changes to skills assessment day on Friday. Players got to choose their primary position group, and the evaluation staff was able to see them among peers.

But that was not the only benefit.

"We got to interact with guys a little bit more," Cooper said. "We got to control it and hit some ground balls and do some things that allowed us to be able to answer some questions, and also just really see their overall attitude.

"When a guy came in, was he complaining that he had to do that? Or was it something they wanted to be a part of?

"It was really helpful."

The Tournament of Stars meant long days for Cooper and the evaluation staff, but there were few complaints.

"It's baseball Nirvana if you're a coach," Cooper said. "You're doing this for the USA Baseball program, so that right there fires you up. But the baseball knowledge and the passion these guys have, you've got all these baseball people who just know the game and bring so much insight.'

Through the week, Cooper said there were few surprises.

"I wasn't surprised about the talent, because I knew it would be great players," he said. "I wasn't surprised by the coaches helping us, because they are great coaches.

"I think the thing that stuck out to me was just how open players were to making adjustments and changing positions, to show their versatility because they want to be a part of it.

"And I'd have to say the weather (dry and in the mid 80s) surprised me. I think everybody around here would say that right now."

The next phase, in Los Angeles, is more difficult, Cooper said.

But he said that's as it should be.

"You're talking about going from the 40 best players to the 20 best players in the country in their age group," he said. "So it should be tough."

There's also the little matter of defending a gold medal. But Cooper said it's even bigger than that.

"This is our national pastime, this is our sport, and we are representing our country," he said.

"To me, we owe it to the guys who wore the USA uniform before us to put together the best team and to give our best effort going forward.

"If we do, we will put ourselves in position to win a gold medal."

The following 40 players were named to the 2013 USA Baseball 18U National Team Trials:

Name, Position, Hometown (in alphabetical order)

Brady Aiken, LHP, Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.
Bobby Bradley Jr., IF, Gulf Port, Miss.
Bryson Brigman, IF/OF, San Jose, Calif.
Quinn Brodey, LHP/OF, Los Angeles, Calif.
Griffin Canning, RHP, Coto De Caza, Calif.
Bryce Carter, C, Tulsa, Okla.
Zachary Carter, IF/RHP, Arlington, Texas
Ryan Castellani, RHP, Phoenix, Ariz.
Denz'l Chapman, OF, Los Angeles, Calif.
Braxton Davidson, IF/OF, Arden, N.C.
Joe DeMers, RHP, Martinez, Calif.
Alex Destino, LHP/OF, Weaverville, N.C.
Christian Donahue, IF, Mililani, Hawaii
Devon Fisher, C, Portsmith, Va.
Jack Flaherty, IF/RHP, Burbank, Calif.
Brian Gonzalez, IF/LHP, Miramar, Fla.
Marvis Gorgas, RHP/IF, East Hampton, Conn.
Adam Haseley, OF/LHP, Windermere, Fla.
Derek Hill, OF, Sacramento, Calif.
Scott Hurst, OF, Glendora, Calif.
Kel Johnson, OF, Palmetto, Ga.
Tyler Kolek, RHP, Shepherd, Texas
Turner Larkins, RHP, Arlington, Texas
Trace Loehr, IF, Milwaukie, Ore.
Mac Marshall, LHP, Parkview, Ga.
Keaton McKinney, RHP/IF, Ankeny, Iowa
Brandon Murray, RHP, Hobart, Ind.
Jacob Nix, RHP, Los Alamitos, Calif.
Luis Ortiz, RHP, Sanger, Calif.
Jakson Reetz, C/OF/RHP, Hickman, Neb.
Sean Reid-Foley, RHP, Jacksonville, Fla.
Michael Rivera, C, Venice, Fla.
JJ Schwarz, C, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Justus Sheffield, LHP, Tullahoma, Tenn.
Lane Thomas, OF, Knoxville, Tenn.
Cole Tucker, IF, Phoenix, Ariz.
Jeremy Vasquez, IF/OF, Palm City, Fla.
Chris Viall, RHP, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Logan Warmoth, IF/OF, Longwood, Fla.
Keith Weisenberg, RHP, Seminole, Fla.

Shintaro Fujinami

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Yomiuri's Tomoyuki Sugano


Baseball / Japanese Baseball

Tigers rookie Fujinami holds off Giants

Kyodo

Aug 4, 2013

In a matchup of rookie All-Star starting pitchers, Hanshin Tigers teenager Shintaro Fujinami worked six innings to earn the victory in Sunday’s 7-0 win over the Yomiuri Giants.

The 19-year-old Fujinami improved to 7-4. He allowed six hits and a walk, while striking out five. Three of the strikeouts came with two outs and a runner in scoring position as he protected the one-run lead he received before taking the mound in the bottom of the first.

“He was able to command his breaking pitches low in the zone and that was the difference between him allowing runs or not,” Tigers skipper Yutaka Wada said of the rookie who was facing the Giants for the first time.

With a host of vocal Hanshin supporters on hand, Tokyo Dome felt more like the Tigers’ home park than the Giants’.

“Of course, pitching against the Giants feels a little different, but so many of our fans came that they gave it their own distinctive atmosphere,” Fujinami said.

“Consistent practice paid off (today) in good command of my breaking pitches. That enabled me to survive tough situations. With a one-run lead, I had to curb their momentum, otherwise the whole complexion of the game would have changed.”

The Tigers played for one run following a leadoff walk by Katsuhiko Saka and got exactly what they bargained for.

A sacrifice bunt and a single by No. 3 hitter Takashi Toritani set the table. Giants rookie Tomoyuki Sugano struck out Matt Murton swinging, but No. 5 hitter Takahiro Arai managed to get the barrel on a low-and-away slider from Sugano and flick it the other way. The ball floated into shallow right, just beyond the reach of second baseman Daisuke Nakai to plate Saka.

Nakai, who hit a decisive homer in Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Tigers, crashed to the turf after trying to make a leaping grab on Arai’s fly and did not take the field in the top of the second.

Sugano (9-3) allowed six runs, three earned, on seven hits, two walks and a hit batsman. The 23-year-old right-hander struck out five. After the first inning, Sugano kept the Tigers under wraps until a wild sequence of events saw the visitors score five times in the seventh.

A close call at the plate that went the Tigers’ way opened the floodgates. With the infield in following a hit batsman and a double by Tigers backup catcher Takashi Shimizu, Shinjiro Hiyama batted for Fujinami and hit a roller to second. Shigeyuki Furuki threw home and catcher Shinnosuke Abe appeared to make the tag but was contradicted by plate umpire Masato Tomoyose.

On the next play, Furuki flubbed a throw on a grounder to second, allowing a runner to score and putting two men in scoring position. With one out, Yamato Maeda’s sharp grounder easily pierced the drawn-in infield to drive in Hanshin’s third run of the inning and send Sugano to the showers.

Giants lefty Takahiro Aoki retired the only batter he faced, and righty Ryota Katsuki came on to face Murton, who had twice made a final out with a runner in scoring position. This time, however, the Tigers cleanup man made amends. After Maeda swiped second, Murton drilled a two-out, two-run single that made it 6-0.

“I pitched as well as expected today but the results were not what I expected,” Sugano said. “I want both.

“I think it was tough on Fujinami, too. But when in make-or-break situations, he got outs. That’s what good pitchers have to do.”

The Tigers added a run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Arai off Yuki Egarashi, the Giants’ fourth pitcher.

Hanshin right-hander Ryoma Matsuda worked a scoreless seventh, while righty Yuya Ando survived a pair of two-out singles in the eighth. Closer Shinobu Fukuhara loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth but preserved the shutout.

The Giants repeatedly threatened to score against Fujinami but were denied at every turn. Former Seattle Mariner Jose Lopez, who had homered the night before and drilled a second-inning double, came up empty against Fujinami with runners in scoring position in the fourth and sixth innings.

After a John Bowker leadoff double in the fifth, Tigers second baseman Saka made a superb catch to rob Sugano of a hit. Fujinami followed that act by winning an eight-pitch battle with Hisayoshi Chono, striking him out on a cutter low and away.

Shohei Otani.


The new wave, up and coming stars from Japan Ball, pitchers Shintaro Fujinami, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Shohei Otani.

Yomiuri's Tomoyuki Sugano and Nippon Ham's Shohei Otani will be two of the most followed players in Japan during the 2013 campaign.

U.S. Embargo Could Screw Cuba's International Baseball Plans

Vladimir Garcia pitches against the Netherlands during the second round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic at the Tokyo Dome on March 11, 2013 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Yuki Taguchi/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

By MANUEL RUEDA (@ruedareport)

Aug. 7, 2013

Just two months ago, baseball fans in Latin America celebrated Cuba's announcement that it would return to the Caribbean Series, an annual competition between the league champions of Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

Back in 1949, Cuba was one of the founders of this highly respected tournament. Teams from the island won seven of the first 12 editions. But the baseball-crazy country withdrew from the series in 1961, when Fidel Castro banned professional sports.

It is not surprising then, that officials described Cuba's plans to return to this contest --known in Spanish as La Serie del Caribe-- as a "historic" move.

But it turns out that U.S. economic sanctions against Cuba could stop teams from this island from returning to the tournament, at least for one more year.

On Tuesday, Dominican newspaper Diario Libre reportedly got its hands on a letter sent by Kim Ng, Major League Baseball's Vice President for Operations, to Juan Puello, the officer in charge of organizing the Caribbean series.

In the document – whose existence has been confirmed by the AP -- Ng tells Puello to drop Cuba from the 2014 Serie del Caribe, which will be held in Venezuela next February.

According to Diario Libre, Ng argues in the letter that U.S. laws that regulate business with Cuba bar MLB-paid ballplayers from competing with Cuban athletes, unless several "bureaucratic hurdles" are overcome.

Most ballplayers in the leagues of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela already have MLB contracts -- even if they play for farm teams in the states -- so it would be practically impossible to have a Serie del Caribe without them.

MLB officers have refused to reveal the contents of the letter, but they did tell the AP that the organization would need "authorization" from the U.S government for its players to participate in the tournament, if Cuba were to take part.

Diario Libre claims that the MLB told Caribbean officials that it could not work around American economic sanctions on Cuba by the time the next Caribbean Series begins in February.

The Caribbean Baseball Confederation, which is in charge of organizing La Serie del Caribe, confirmed Tuesday evening that it had met with MLB representatives in New York to discuss the Cuba situation.

Its president, Juan Puello, told the AP that both sides are working on renewing an agreement that allows players with MLB contracts to participate in Caribbean leagues next winter. However, he did not specify if any agreements had been reached about Cuba's participation in the next Serie del Caribe.

Leave it up to MLB & the US to exert their iron fists. It's about time to leave politics out of sport in my opinion. I really don't see anything wrong with a Cuban team playing in a friendly tournament such as the Serie del Caribe especially when that team was a charter member. It's time to quit living in the past.