Cleveland Sports Forum

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SAPPORO, Dec. 8 (20:17) Kyodo


Nippon Ham Fighters right-hander Yu Darvish is set to make a
much-anticipated move to the major leagues this offseason.

The Pacific League club said Thursday the 25-year-old ace has
filed for use of the posting system.

''I've decided to use the posting system,'' Darvish said on his
official blog. ''I greatly appreciate my team for allowing me to do
this. I'd like to hold a press conference after everything is
decided.''

A number of major league clubs such as the New York Yankees have
shown interest in Darvish.

The Yankees have just won the rights to negotiate with Seibu
Lions shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima under the posting system after
making a bid of $2.5 million.

Darvish's potential move to the majors has been the focus of
attention since last year.

In 2011, he went 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA in his seventh season as a
pro, striking out 276 batters over 232 innings.

Darvish has a 93-38 career record with a 1.99 ERA in 167 games.
The two-time PL MVP kept his ERA below 2.00 the past five seasons.

Darvish's departure will be a massive blow to Nippon Ham, but
the Fighters have decided to let him go as he has done so much for
the club.

''Now Darvish is the No. 1 pitcher in Japan, but we want him to
become the ace of the world,'' Nippon Ham team representative
Toshimasa Shimada said.

New manager Hideki Kuriyama has to think about a team without
Darvish.

''There is no better pitcher in Japan than Darvish, so it's
going to be very, very hard for us,'' Kuriyama said. ''I'll just try
to build a team that can still compete for a title next year.''

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Ramirez joins Yokohama DeNA

YOKOHAMA, Dec. 8 (19:59) Kyodo

The Yokohama DeNA BayStars announced on Thursday the acquisition
of two-time Central League MVP outfielder Alex Ramirez.

Ramirez, who was released by the Yomiuri Giants after struggling
in the 2011 season, has agreed to a two-year contract -- 350 million
yen a year, plus performance-based bonuses.

The 37-year-old is expected to hit in the heart of the lineup
after the departure of free agent third baseman Shuichi Murata, who
has decided to join the Giants for a better chance of winning a
championship.

Ramirez hit .279 with 23 home runs and 73 RBIs in 137 games this
past season.

CARACAS .-

Endy Chavez will debut on the 14th for the Magallanes Navegantes. The center fielder will join the team at the stadium "Alfonso" Chico "Carrasquel" Puerto La Cruz. Chavez said that he is eager to debut in the 2011-2012 season with the Navegantes on Wednesday December 14th against Leones del Caracas. The team's manager, Carlos Garcia confirmed his desire to play. In the next week or so, Chavez hopes to negotiate a contract with an organization in the U.S. Chavez was in the 2011 World Series with the Texas Rangers against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Top 10 moments of Omar Vizquel

by Sojo Jesus Hormuz

CARACAS .-

Omar Vizquel: Here we count down the 10 best moments of Omar Vizquel's career as a player.

1. Figure from Chiquitos: The name of Omar Vizquel sounded from his play in baseball as a minor. As a child in 1977 he attended the baseball school Grand Marshal and represented Venezuela in the World Preinfantil held in the country. In this edition, Vizquel and his classmates raised the trophy as champions in this category.

2. Leones debut: Omar Vizquel signed a contract with the Leones del Caracas in 1984 at 17 years of age, and immediately made ​​his debut with the team. He only doubled in 14 at bats covering 11 games in which he played under the leadership of Buck Rogers and Pompey Davalillo .

3. MLB Debut: On April 3, 1989, Omar Vizquel , 21, debuted with the Seattle Mariners at shortstop. He went 0-3. His first hit came three days later against the Oakland Athletics . That year he established himself as a starter and played 143 games in the big leagues.

4. The first of eleven: Omar Vizquel got his first Gold Glove in the 1993 season, which ended with a .980 fielding percentage, made ​​108 dobleplays, committed 15 errors in 735 defensive chances. He was the award in the American League for nine years in a row and then won twice (2005 and 2006) in National League , with the San Francisco Giants .

5. The hero: Los Leones del Caracas took on Omar Vizquel as a true hero at the end of the season 1994-1995 when Caracas lost the first two games of the championship series against the Aguilas del Zulia . Upon the return of the shortstop in the University Stadium, Leones won the following three games, then won the title in Maracaibo. Vizquel batted .353 in the finals (6-17) with four RBIs.

6. Very close to the glory: Omar Vizquel played his first World Series in 1995 with the Cleveland Indians against the Atlanta Braves . The tribe and the shortstop lost the trophy in six games. That year, the native won his third Gold Glove in his second season in Cleveland.

7. Again very close: In 1997, Omar Vizquel played his second World Series . Again with the Cleveland Indians , the Caracas shortstop said goodbye to the title in the eleventh inning of the seventh game of the finals against the Florida Marlins .

8 .- Among the Stars: Omar Vizquel played in the first of three All-Star games in 1998. In that game he was 1-2. Omar participated in all three games while in the uniform of the Cleveland Indians. Lifetime, in this meeting he was 2-5 with a walk and an RBI.

9. He said goodbye to his Lions: In the 2007-2008 season Omar Vizquel , 40 years old, said goodbye to the fans in Venezuela, in a farewell that lasted 16 games, 60 at bats, 13 hits, and a homer.

10. White Sox Aparicio and 11: In 2010, Omar Vizquel made ​​a pact with the Chicago White Sox , his fifth team in Major League where he had the opportunity to be led by Oswaldo Guillen and used the number 11 once worn by Luis Aparicio, the only Hall of Famer from Venezuela.

Asdrubal Cabrera inspired the Lions

JOSÉ MANUEL FERNÁNDEZ

Thursday December 8, 2011 12:00 AM

Minutes before his expected debut, Asdrubal Cabrera had declared that he owed the team a debt when he had to leave Caracas last season in the middle of the round robin tournament.

Last night he began to pay his "debt" with three hits, including a double and three runs scored in the 5-1 win over the Tigres de Aragua. "It was very nice this debut because one out meant everything," he described. "I really liked the reception of the fans, though I hope they do not boo me when I go to 0-5 (laughs)." Last night for example, he received a standing ovation when making an out his last at bat after going 3-3 his previous at bats.

"He’s a great player, is one of the best offensive and defensive shortstops in baseball ... I knew he had a chance to debut as he did last night because he has been working so hard," manager Rick Sweet stated, who warned that the "Cabrera-effect" seems to be taking effect.

"We have great chemistry in the clubhouse," explained the tactician. "Asdrubal’s presence and that of Yorvit Torrealba, causes the other players to be more relaxed." It is clear that Caracas has little time to lose, so Cabrera will play tonight in Maracaibo for the first time at shortstop. "I'll be there. I hope that in a few days we can be back in a good position to make the playoffs."

Judging from his debut, it may not take long get back into playoff contention and help settle the “debt” with his fans.

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Venezuela

The Caracas lineup this evening had Asdrubal Cabrera batting 3rd and playing shortstop. Jesus Aguilar is batting 5th and playing first base while Raul Padron is hitting 8th and catching.

What a difference a day makes! Leones trails Aragua 8-0. That ballgame is in the 9th. Asdrubal 0-4 and Raul Padron 0-3 looks like they'll get collared tonight but Jesus Aguilar will end up the night going 2-3.

Well! Paolo Espino is pulling off his Jekyll and Hyde act. It's feast or famine for Paolo. Tonight, he's a winner. 5 innings, 1 run and its an earned run, 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts. 5 innings of 1 run baseball lowers the ERA to (8.15).

Fighters ace reveals news on official blog

Darvish plans move to MLB

AP, Kyodo

Yu Darvish ended months of speculation Thursday by saying he intends to make a move to Major League Baseball.

The 25-year-old right-hander, considered the best pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball, wrote on his blog that he had decided to use the posting system, which allows MLB teams to bid for the negotiating rights to Japanese players who have yet to become free agents.

"I have decided to use the posting system," he said. "I wanted to tell my fans directly, so that is why I am posting this on my blog."

Darvish, the son of an Iranian father and a Japanese mother, went 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA this season for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. He had 276 strikeouts to lead the Pacific League.

The Fighters had given him approval to negotiate with a major league club through the posting system. Daisuke Matsuzaka and Ichiro Suzuki went to the major leagues under the system.

"I owe a lot of thanks to my team," Darvish said, adding he would provide more details at a yet-to-be-scheduled news conference.

Darvish pitched in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was a member of the Japanese national team that won the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

The 196-cm Darvish has superb control and throws seven effective pitches, including a two-seam fastball introduced during the 2010 season. It's expected he would make a top-of-the-rotation major league starter.

Darvish turned pro in 2005 at the age of 18. His pro career got off to a rocky start when he was caught smoking in a pachinko parlor on an off day during his first spring training, despite not being old enough to legally smoke nor to gamble at the time.

After going 5-5 with a 3.53 ERA in his rookie season with the Fighters, Darvish had a breakout year in 2006, going 12-5 with a 2.89 ERA and 115 strikeouts.

In 2007, Darvish won the Eiji Sawamura Award presented to the top pitcher in Japanese professional baseball after posting a 15-5 record with a 1.82 ERA and a league-leading 210 strikeouts.

Darvish has a 93-38 career record with a 1.99 ERA in 167 games. The two-time Pacific League MVP kept his ERA below 2.00 the past five seasons.

Once posted by the Fighters, MLB clubs can submit sealed bids for the right to negotiate with Darvish. If the Fighters accept the highest bid, the MLB club that placed that bid will then have 30 days to finalize a contract with the player. If no deal is reached, Darvish returns to the Fighters for another season and the Fighters must return the posting fee to the MLB club.

In 2006, former Seibu Lions pitcher Matsuzaka drew a $51.1 million posting fee from the Boston Red Sox, which then signed him to a six-year, $52 million contract, taking the total package to more than $100 million.

Darvish's departure will be a massive blow to Nippon Ham, but the Fighters have decided to let him go as he has done so much for the club.

"Now Darvish is the No. 1 pitcher in Japan, but we want him to become the ace of the world," Nippon Ham team representative Toshimasa Shimada said.

New manager Hideki Kuriyama has to think about a team without Darvish.

"There is no better pitcher in Japan than Darvish, so it's going to be very, very hard for us," Kuriyama said. "I'll just try to build a team that can still compete for a title next year."

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Kyodo

Yankees eye Nakajima
Wanting to add a backup infielder following injuries to Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez last season, the New York Yankees won negotiating rights to shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima of the Seibu Lions.

"I'm thankful that the club with great traditions made a bid for me," Nakajima said. "I look forward to seeing how the Yankees evaluate my ability."

Major League Baseball announced Wednesday the Yankees had the highest bid in the posting process. New York has 30 days to reach an agreement with Nakajima and will pay the posting fee only if an agreement is reached. The posting fee for the 29-year-old is $2.5 million.

"This is about acquiring talented players to put them on our club," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He'll be asked to do a number of things."

New York said it would have room for both Nakajima and Eduardo Nunez as reserve infielders.

Milledge said goodbye

by BILLY RUSSO

Thursday December 8, 2011 12:00 AM

The best hitter for the Aragua Tigers, the most productive imported player this season, Lastings Milledge, will play no more, leaving a big hole in the lineup. The Milledge signed a contract to play in baseball with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows hisnew teamin Japan who forbade him to continue in any action with Aragua. "It's very difficult because I want to keep playing and during the conversations I had with them (Tokyo Yakult Swallows) before signing never said anything about not being able to continue playing in Venezuela. But I can not say much because I have a guaranteed contract, "said Milledge. The Tigers manager Buddy Bailey, recognized the impact that the absence of Milledge, who hit .306 with four homers and 21 RBIs. "We will miss him because he is our best hitter, but we have to find a replacement from among the players we have who can do their job. He is a player that has no replacement, but you have to play with what we have, "said Bailey.

Well! I was hoping that the Indians might have showed some interest in Milledge.

The manager of the Cleveland Indians, Manny Acta, highlighted the good performance of the young catcher Carlos Santana.

Santana is back to a strong knee injury suffered in August 2010, had a first full season in Major League with mixed results. He himself said he would have liked a better average than .239 , but the other numbers tell a different story.

Thanks to his 97 bases on balls received, the catcher-first baseman finished with .351 OBP, 27 homers with, 35 doubles and 79 RBIs. His OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging) was .808, more than respectable for a rookie in the big leagues.

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"Do not put a lot of attention on the average because I received 97 walks," said Santana's manager. "Sometimes people get lost in that old statistical average. But that is relevant only if you do not get walks. The fact that he kept his OBP at .350, then that was enough for us. If you look at the numbers , he was in a select group of players who either got 25 homers and 35 doubles, with more than 90 walks.

"That tells us he's better than a .240 hitter", Acta continued "We know that he will raise his average between .280, .300. It was his first year in baseball and he's still making the adjustments."

About Ubaldo

2011 was not an easy season for Ubaldo Jimenez. The Cleveland/Colorado right-hander went 10-13 with 4.68 ERA after pitching a no-hitter and winning 19 games for the Rockies last season.

Jiminez is scheduled to pitch for the Licey Tigers in the Dominican League come the 20th of December, something that pleases Manny Acta.

"I think it's important," said the leader. "He thinks he is going to help us by gettig into the best shape possible for spring training. Prior to his best season with the Rockies, Ubaldo pitched in winter ball and to the end of the playoffs (in season 2009-10).

"Ubaldo is also working on various mechanical adjustments which we asked him to do this winter. He'll Implement them in winter ball."

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Pena continues hitting in Dominican League

Mets catching prospect collects three more hits in Aguilas victory

Dominican Winter League

Cibaenas 7, Cibao 2

The league-leading Aguilas extended their lead at the top of the standings with a victory over the Gigantes. Mets prospect Francisco Pena was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs to raise his average to .372, while first baseman Mendy Lopez plated four runs in the triumph. Cibaenas starter Lorenzo Barcelo improved to 6-2, scattering four hits and fanning six batters over seven scoreless innings. Major Leaguer Alexi Casilla (Twins) was 3-for-3 and Pedro Feliz smacked a pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning for Cibao. Journeyman John Halama (2-3) took the loss, allowing seven runs on eight hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out five.

Este 9, Oriente 2

Dodgers outfielder Alfredo Silverio went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored out of the No. 9 spot and Andy Dirks (Tigers) added three hits and a pair of RBIs as the Toros snapped a five-game losing streak. Pedro Ciriaco (Pirates) doubled twice, scored two runs and drove in another in the victory, while Astros farmhand James Van Ostrand collected two hits and two RBIs. Raul Valdes (3-3) yielded two runs on eight hits while striking out five batters over seven innings for the Toros. Dusty Brown (Rangers) hit his first homer of the year in a losing effort.
Francisco Pena hit .223 with five homers and 37 RBIs in 95 games for St. Lucie this year. (Scott Jontes/MLB.com)

Escogido 3, Licey 0

Pedro Florimon Jr. (Twins) snapped a scoreless tie with a two-out bases-clearing single to center field in the seventh to lead the Leones past the second-place Tigres. Former Major Leaguer Pablo Ozuna was 2-for-3 with a double and a run, while starter Kris Johnson combined with five others on the shutout. Josh Banks gave up one hit over three innings for the Leones, Mexican Leaguer Jose Cabrera retired the only batter he faced to earn his first victory and Angels reliever Fernando Rodney worked a perfect ninth for his first save. Making his ninth start for Licey, Hector Noesi (Yankees) allowed three runs on five hits while fanning five batters over 6 2/3 innings.

Venezuelan Winter League

La Guaira 5, Margarita 1

Giants catching prospect Hector Sanchez went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while White Sox prospect Eduardo Escobar also knocked in a pair for the Tiburones. Major League veteran Sean Burroughs finished with two hits, plating the Bravos' lone run on a double in the fourth. La Guaira starter Paolo Espino lasted five innings, surrendering one run on three hits as he improved to 2-1. He fanned four and walked one.

Magallanes 2, Anzoategui 1

Making his first start of the winter, former A's farmhand Matt Wright (1-0) allowed just five hits and a walk over five shutout innings, striking out seven. Jesus Merchan (Rockies) and Mario Lisson (Royals) knocked in a run apiece for the Navegantes, while Alexi Amarista came through with the lone RBI for the Caribes. Richard Salazar yielded just one run on four hits over 5 2/3 frames, but nonetheless fell to 0-2.

Aragua 5, Lara 1

Dodgers farmhand Hector Gimenez went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Former Major Leaguer Edgardo Alfonso ended the day 2-for-4, crossing home twice, while Luis Hernandez (Rangers) and Alex Romero (Marlins) also collected a pair of hits. Tigres starter Sergio Perez (Astros) allowed four hits and four walks over 4 1/3 innings, but limited the Cardenales to just one run. Twins reliever Jose Mijares notched the win after tossing two scoreless frames.

Zulia 8, Caracas 1

Braves farmhand Ernesto Mejia homered and singled out of the Aguilas' cleanup spot, driving in three and scoring one himself. Juan Apodaca (Indians) also recorded a pair of hits, driving in two, while Justin Henry (Tigers) and Tony Alvarez each scored twice. Former Marlins Minor Leaguer Derek Blacksher got the start for Zulia, yielding just four hits over five shutout innings as he tallied his first win of the season.

Mexican Pacific League

Obregon 9, Navojoa 3

Carlos Valencia went 2-for-3 with his 11th homer and three RBIs and designated hitter Victor Diaz plated two runs and scored once to lead the Yaquis past the Mayos. Oswaldo Martinez (Cubs) improved to 3-0 in the victory, retiring all five batters he faced while striking out a pair. Navojoa shortstop Flavio Romero reached base four times in the loss, scoring one run and driving home another. Starter Azael Alvarez allowed five runs on five hits in two-thirds of an inning and fell to 3-3.

Mazatlan 7, Hermosillo 0

The last-place Venados snapped a six-game losing streak in style as three pitchers combined to one-hit the Naranjeros. Former Major Leaguer Walter Smith (4-4) allowed just a third-inning single to Trent Oeltjen (Dodgers) and that was all the offense Hermosillo managed. Smith threw 62 of 101 pitches for strikes, walked three batters and struck out two. Mauricio Tabachnik worked around a walk in the eighth and Anthony Slama (Twins) tossed a scoreless ninth. Mexican Leaguer Mario Valdez tripled home two runs and second baseman Domingo Castro was 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Guasave 3, Mochis 1 (10 innings)

The Algodoneros moved into a first-place tie after scoring a pair of late runs to edge the Caneros. Henry Mateo led off the top of the 10th with a single off Adam Thomas (0-3) and third baseman Jose Rodriguez followed with his eighth long ball of the year to help Guasave break a tie game and improve to 10-5. Starter Jorge Castillo allowed a run on three hits and four walks while striking out four batters over 5 1/3 innings, right-hander Casey Fien (4-2) retired all four men he faced and Alan Guerrero worked around a two-out double to earn his seventh save. Mochis starter Alberto Castillo, who appeared in 17 Major League games for the D-backs in 2011, yielded one run on four hits over five frames and did not factor in the decision.

Mexicali 9, Culiacan 1

Former Tucson Padre Matt Clark slugged his fifth homer of the year -- a two-run shot -- and third baseman Oscar Robles hammered his sixth long ball as the Aguilas upset the league-leading Tomateros. Irwin Delgado allowed a run on three hits and three walks over five innings and Yankees prospect Pat Venditte set down the side in order in the sixth and seventh innings. Ramiro Pena (Yankees) plated Culiacan's only run with an RBI double.

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Panama Winter League

•Steven Wright (SP, Chiriqi Roneras): 4.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R/ER, 1 K, 2 BB, 0 HR. Wright’s first rough outing (and last) in Panama. Seeing how his team is in the championship series this was likely his last outing of the offseason. In 8 games prior to last night he had a 1.39 ERA and pitched 32.1 innings and gave up 20 hits, 12 walks and had 14 strikeouts.

Venezuelan Winter League

•Eric Berger (RP, Bravos de Margarita): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Berger is off to a very nice start to his winter ball campaign as he has now made three appearances and thrown 3.0 shutout innings allowing 1 hit, no walks, and has 4 strikeouts. Let’s hope the Stache can continue his early success the rest of the way.

•Paolo Espino (SP, Tiburones de la Guaira): 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 0 HR. Espino got another crack in the starting rotation after a disastrous 0.1 inning 5-run outing a week ago. He pitched well allowing just 1 run in 5.0 strong innings, and it is easily his second best appearance this winter in 5 games pitched.

•Ezequiel Carrera (CF, Navegantes del Magallanes): 0-for-4, K. Carerra’s up and down performance this fall continues as it looks like he is in the beginning stages of a funk as he is 0-for-10 in his last 3 games.

•Asdrubal Cabrera (SS, Leones del Caracas): 0-for-4. What a bum. He follows up his 3-for-4 debut on Wednesday night by going 0-for-4 the next night. Just cut him already. (sarcasm)

•Jesus Aguilar (1B, Leones del Caracas): 2-for-3. The Jesus Aguilar Show continues. He still has a ways to go before he is Major League ready, but there is not a position player who has improved and who has risen up the rankings in the organization like him this year.

and pitched 32.1 innings and gave up 20 hits, 12 walks and had 14 strikeouts.

14K in 32 innings. Unimpressive