Comments on: 10/12/08 – Yokohama (Home)

By: David Watkins

David Watkins — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:12:58 +0000

Rob – Thanks for relaying your story about the game with the Watarais, and I’m pleased to hear they’re just as smiley as we were led to believe!

Another thing to note about his game was that the stadium as a whole seemed to cheer Murata’s 3 Run HR as it meant that Ramirez was deprived of thie title – very bizarre.

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Mon, 13 Oct 2008 19:31:17 +0000

[...] that the baseball season ended for our local team, the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, last night. It was good to see they boys win their final game last night, and to see Kousei Ono circle the bases in tears after hitting a game winning home run in his final [...]

By: Claudio

Claudio — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:42:31 +0000

Thank you for your reports, game by game; with your words people like me can still follows our birds even if not in Japan.
Very good job!
Opposite of what Mr Takada did….

Claudio

By: Garrett DeOrio

Garrett DeOrio — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:34:35 +0000

Wouldn’t that be. . . I can’t even think of the word – Ironic? Weird? A blessing and a curse? . . . if Tokyo broke the bank for Woods or another power hitter after having considered Rami-chan not worth it?

There’s promise in the line-up for next year – a few guys who could really step up and play a big role with the right prep and more regular game time, a few guys who could show some more power next year, and a few guys who will remain threats on the basepaths as long as they don’t lose a step. Unfortunately, Takada will be back, so the team will again have to compete not only with opponents, but with the destructive incompetence coming from the end of their own bench and a front office that appears to hold them in only slightly less contempt than they hold their fans.

I think the top of my off-season acquisition wish list would be relief pitching. The failure to bring runners home that cost us so many games can be worked on given the group of guys on the team now, but more depth in the bullpen would go a long, long way in making up for a weakness. Araki seemed to do well this season, once he came in. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do with moe time to work with the pitching staff.

By: Christopher Pellegrini

Christopher Pellegrini — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 02:51:02 +0000

Tyrone would have to take one hell of a pay cut! I read that he made at least 600 million yen this year while Aoki made only 220.

Power can be taught (just look at what Seibu did with their lineup during the off-season). I hope that Tokyo’s front office doesn’t do anything too drastic.

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 02:36:25 +0000

Otsukaresama, everyone.

Nice first-pitch ceremony, with Watarai’s kids and Manaka’s kids pitching and catching.
Everyone sitting in the two or three rows ahead of me seemed to know each other. They were all chatting and sharing food and taking of pictures of each other. Kind of weird, like I’d stumbled onto a picnic or something. But then I recognized two of the kids with them had been in the first-pitch ceremony – I was sitting behind the Watarais! That kind of changed the color of the game for me.
David – The kids have wonderful Watarai smiles!

Game chat: Why was Fukuchi playing first? To give Hatake and Takeuchi more time at other positions if the Swallows get a foreign player in at 1B next year (Tyrone! Or bring Guiel back?)?

Kudos again to Tokyo for pitching to the contender for the HR title.