Video: Balentien taking BP during the 2011 spring camp.

The following players were invited to the first team spring training camp in Okinawa:

Pitchers (21 players)

Yoshinori, Chang-yong Lim, Yuya Ota (rookie), Kyohei Muranaka, Ryohei Kiya (rookie), Masanori Ishikawa, Tetsuya Yamamoto, Kenichi Matsuoka, Tatsuyoshi Masubuchi, Shohei Tateyama, Tony Barnette, Masato Furuno (rookie), Yasuhiro Ichiba, Ryo Hidaka, Katsuki Akagawa, Orlando Roman (1st year), Kenta Abe (1st year), Itsuki Shoda (1st year), Hitoshi Yamamoto, Takehiko Oshimoto, Ryo Hirai

Catchers (4 players)

Ryoji Aikawa, Genki Nitta, Yuhei Nakamura, Yuki Mizuno

Infielders (9 players)

Shinya Miyamoto, Hiroyasu Tanaka, Shinichi Takeuchi, Tetsuto Yamada, Takahiro Araki, Kazuhiro Hatakeyama, Keisuke Mizuta (1st year), Masayoshi Miwa, Ryosuke Morioka

Outfielders (7 players)

Wataru Hiyane (rookie), Wladimir Balentien, Yasushi Iihara, Yuhei, Tsuyoshi Ueda, Nariaki Kawasaki (rookie), Lastings Milledge

The following players were invited to the farm team spring training camp:

Pitchers (15 players)

Masato Nakazawa, Kentaro Kyuko, Chikara Onodera, Yuji Nakane (rookie), Yuki Shichijo, Kosuke Matsui, Mikinori Katoh, Koki Watanabe, Minoru Yamagishi, Tatsuo Kinoshita, Rafael Fernandes, Ryosuke Yagi, Takeaki Tokuyama (rookie – ikusei), Keisuke Ueno (ikusei), Hugo Kanabushi (rookie – ikusei)

Catchers (3 players)

Ryohei Kawamoto, Akihisa Nishida (rookie), Masakazu Fukukawa

Infielders (7 players)

Keizo Kawashima, Shingo Kawabata, Atsushi Fujimoto, Ryuhei Kawakami (rookie), Tomoya Matano (rookie), Yoshiyuki Noguchi, Tomofumi Asoh (ikusei)

Outfielders (8 players)

Kazuki Fukuchi, Yuichi Matsumoto, Ryoji Miyade, Yusuke Kusuki (1st year), Jun Matsui, Takanori Satoh (ikusei), Koki Kitano (ikusei), Maike Magario (ikusei)

*Players are listed according to uniform number from lowest to highest.
*These invite lists were officially published by the Swallows. The lists can change at any time.
*Note that some of the farm team invitees are rehabbing from an injury or surgery.

The sickened crew includes none other than tomorrow’s intended starter, Takagi, as well as the team’s number four starter, Yuki.

Rounding out the bout of bad news is infielder Noguchi also joining the list of players quarantined by the club.

Noguchi, as you’ll remember, played in last night’s game, so there’s a chance that the bug could hit other players on the first team.

So who’s left to start? You’re not going to like the answer to that question.

Muranaka and Yoshinori are the last logical choices in terms of number of games started this season. The only other option would be Oshimoto, but he has already pitched in the first two games of the series.

Matsui and Hashimoto could enter the picture if the aforementioned players come down with the flu as well.

Basically, if you want to know the long and short of it, the Swallows are in big, big trouble!

Now wearing Manaka’s old number, Yuichi is in his 11th season of professional baseball. The lefty (both hitting and throwing) hit .254 in 80 games last season (mostly as a pinch hitter), and he’s OPSing at just .573 in his 51 plate appearances in 2009 (.216 batting average).

Infielder Ryousuke Morioka made space on the roster for Yuichi. Morioka is hitting .225 in 33 games so far this season.

On the 26th, pitcher Yoshitaka Hashimoto (no. 35) returned to ichi-gun. The 29-year-old righty from Okayama prefecture was a part of that deal that brought Oshimoto and Keizo Kawashima to the club before last season. He has had some injury issues (he stayed on the farm team all year in 2008), but he’s been throwing well so far this season. In his 15 innings of work, he has surrendered just three earned runs and struck out 12. His ERA stands at 1.80.

Making way for Hashimoto was 27-year-old righty, Satoshi Nishizaki who made just one appearance while he was on the top team (scoreless inning).

Then fourth string catcher, Tomohito Yoneno (no. 51), made his way back up to the top team just in time to see Aikawa go down with an injury on the 28th. In his 10th year with the birds, Yoneno has been a true under-achiever over the years despite all of the chances he’s had. To be fair to the guy, Yoneno has four hits in his 14 plate appearances so far this season.

Headed to the farm was goggled pitcher Masahiro Yoshikawa who has a 3.52 ERA in only eight games this season.

In response to Aikawa’s injury, on the 29th Takada called up the team’s rookie catcher, Yuuhei Nakamura (no. 52), who was acquired through last fall’s amateur draft. The Fukui native has been doing well at the farm level this season, hitting .301 in 60 games. It would be nice to see this 19-year-old get a little bit of time working with the team’s best pitchers so that he can develop at a steady pace.

Deactivated from the roster, of course, was catcher Ryouji Aikawa. Aikawa messed up his back during the team’s win over the Tigers the night before.

Here’s a look at the 28-man roster with nine games left to play:

Pitchers: Yoshinori, Lim, Muranaka, Ishikawa, Tateyama, Yuki, Hashimoto, Matsui, Lee, Igarashi, Takagi, Oshimoto

Catchers: Kawamoto, Yoneno, Nakamura

Infielders: D’Antona, Miyamoto, Tanaka, Hatakeyama, Yoshimoto, Onizaki, Noguchi

Outfielders: Fukuchi, Guiel, Takeuchi, Iihara, Aoki, Yuichi

Muranaka, a fourth year lefty from Kanagawa, has been one of 2009′s bigger letdowns as far as the rotation is concerned. He resurfaces on the parent club after a solid performance (or two?) on the farm team (September 1st versus Chiba is the only evidence I can come up with). Before being called back up, his record was 0-4 with an ERA of 8.25.

Katoh, also a lefty from Kanagawa, received his first call-up of the year after starting the season on the farm team. In eight Eastern League games, he compiled a 2-2 record with a 4.89 ERA. Why those numbers merit a spot on the top team is definitely up for debate. He was most likely added to the roster simply because he throws with his left hand.

Making room on the top team roster were relievers Kenichi Matsuoka (5-4, 4.89) and Hidehiro Okamoto (0.00 ERA in one appearance).

Katoh was, however, sent back down the very next day (September 19th) after giving up five earned runs in 0/3′s of an inning in a game against Yomiuri (note: I can’t provide an ERA because he didn’t record even a single out). Also dropped to the farm team was Keizo Kawashima who is nursing a sore right elbow. Keizo has appeared in 118 games, racked up 12 homers (43 rbi’s), and is hitting a modest .255/.314/.379.

The two guys appearing on the top squad that day were pitcher Satoshi Nishizaki (no. 30) and infielder Yuji Onizaki (no. 46).

Third year righty, Nishizaki, has a 3.09 ERA in 19 Eastern League appearances for the farm team. He reportedly suffered from some pain in his right shoulder in mid-August, but he was in and out of rehab in no time (read: his shoulder probably still hurts) and will hopefully do some good for the team during Tokyo’s late season playoff push.

Onizaki (throws right, bats left), a second year player for the Swallows, has played in 101 farm team games and batted .241 with 37 rbi’s (3 homers). While those numbers don’t look particularly convincing, he had one hell of a game against Hiroshima yesterday afternoon.

Then, on the 20th, Yoshinori (no. 11) brought his tender right hand back up to the top team to help with starting rotation instability. He wasn’t very helpful. After his dismal start versus Yomiuri, Yoshinori’s record worsened to 5-9 while his ERA bloomed from 3.25 to 3.44.

Ousted was third year catcher Atsushi Kinugawa who had only two at-bats for the top club and is indeed surplus to the team’s needs at the moment.

So headed into the final (and unbelievably crucial!) leg of the season, here are the current spokes in the wheel:

Pitchers: Ishikawa, Lim, Yoshinori, Tateyama, Yuki, Matsui, Lee, Igarashi, Takagi, Yoshikawa, Oshimoto, Muranaka, Nishizaki

Catchers: Kawamoto, Aikawa

Infielders: Miyamoto, D’Antona, Tanaka, Yoshimoto, Hatakeyama, Noguchi, Morioka, Onizaki

Outfielders: Fukuchi, Guiel, Takeuchi, Iihara, Aoki

He was on the first team roster yesterday, but he didn’t make an appearance in the Swallows’ most recent collapse.

Lim’s record before being deactivated from the first team earlier this month was five wins and three losses with 25 saves and an ERA of 1.62.

Opposing teams are hitting a mere .196 against him so far this season, best on the team for anyone with more than 15 innings of work (Lim has put in 50), but he’s been considerably more hittable as of late.

Hopefully the rest did him some good.

Headed down (yet again) is pitcher Masao Kida. Kida’s record is 3-4 (with seven hold points), and his 5.55 ERA indicates that he’s too good for the farm league, but not steady enough for the top team.

Opposing batters are hitting a robust .304 against him which puts him up in the territory of Hagiwara, Ichiba, and Matsunaka (all above .300). Actually, as of yesterday, Matsuoka joined that clique, too.

Also reappearing on the parent team roster was pitcher Ryota Igarashi (no. 53). He was reactivated back on September 11th, and he pitched one solid inning in yesterday’s game versus Yokohama. He had been removed from the top team on August 29th after experiencing arm pain during that day’s game versus Chunichi.

He made one appearance at the farm level and struck out all three batters he faced (Sept. 10th versus Searex).

Igarashi’s numbers so far this season (including last night’s appearance) are two wins, two losses, two saves, and a team-leading 29 hold points. His ERA is 2.77 and opposing batters are hitting .206 against him.

Dropped to the farm team to take his place was relief pitcher Yuya Kamada who appears to be another one of those in-between players like Kida.

Here’s what the top team roster looked like as of game time yesterday:

Pitchers: Ishikawa, Lim, Matsuoka, Tateyama, Okamoto, Yuki, Matsui, Lee, Igarashi, Takagi, Yoshikawa, Oshimoto

Catchers: Kinugawa, Kawamoto, Aikawa

Infielders: Kawashima, Miyamoto, D’Antona, Tanaka, Yoshimoto, Hatakeyama, Noguchi, Morioka

Outfielders: Fukuchi, Guiel, Takeuchi, Iihara, Aoki

He has been impressive on the farm, however, hitting .307 in 43 games. And in this, his second, foray on the top team, he has made a good second impression by notching four hits in 11 at-bats (including a solo homer and a double).

Morioka has been starting in place of Kawashima who was benched for that costly error during the Yomiuri series last weekend.

Headed down to the farm in his place was young starting pitcher, Yoshinori. The kid has had to deal with blisters on his throwing hand no less than four times this season, and his current demotion is more of the same.

Yoshinori’s ERA has dropped to 3.26 while his record remains an unenviable 5-8. Hopefully he can develop some solid calluses on his fingers so that a repeat of this dilemma can be avoided from here on out.

Also  joining the festivities on the top team yesterday were pitchers Hidehiro Okamoto (no. 26) and Masao Kida (no. 42).

Okamoto made one appearance last season, his rookie year, and was shelled mercilessly. So far this year on the farm team, the lefty reliever is 1-1 in 17 appearances with a rather scary 5.40 ERA. His promotion appears to be further acknowledgment by the managerial staff that there aren’t enough southpaws hanging out in the bullpen.

I have lost count of how many times Masao Kida has been promoted and demoted this season. His current top team numbers aren’t particularly appetizing, but he can come through on occasion. In 28 games, Kida has pitched 46 2/3 innings while putting together a 5.59 ERA.

Headed down are pitcher Katsuki Akagawa, yet another example of why a teenage rookie should not be put in to pitch in a professional baseball game, and outfielder Yuuichi who continues to be surplus to needs (.205 batting average in 39 at-bats so far this season).

Here is the 28-man roster as of game time yesterday:

Pitchers: Ishikawa, Kamada, Matsuoka, Tateyama, Okamoto, Yuki, Kida, Matsui, Lee, Takagi, Oshimoto, Yoshikawa

Catchers: Aikawa, Kawamoto, Kinugawa

Infielders: Kawashima, D’Antona, Miyamoto, Tanaka, Hatakeyama, Yoshimoto, Noguchi, Morioka

Outfielders: Fukuchi, Takeuchi, Aoki, Guiel, Iihara

On August 14th against the Lions, Akagawa carried a no hitter into the eighth inning. That jump in form is undoubtedly related to his current call-up.

Headed back to the farm is pitcher Tatsuyoshi Masubuchi whose loss on Wednesday, and the resulting 12.60 ERA, doomed his chances of sticking around for a while.

Whoever is in charge of the call-ups and send-downs should probably start putting a little bit more thought into them. It’s difficult to understand the reasoning behind bringing a starter up to the top team, whether he’s ready to make a start in the pros or not, and then deprive the team of the chance to have that pitcher practice under the watchful eye of the pitching coach, Mr. Araki.

What Masubuchi needs is more game experience and top-level coaching. Sending him back down to the farm team might satisfy the former but doesn’t address the latter.

Anyway, here’s the top team roster as of yesterday’s game versus Yomiuri:

Pitchers: Yoshinori, Tateyama, Ishikawa, Yuuki,  Matsui, Takagi, Lee, Yoshikawa, Oshimoto, Akagawa, Kamada

Catchers: Aikawa, Kawamoto, Kinugawa

Infielders: Kawashima, Miyamoto, Yoshimoto, Tanaka, Hatakeyama, Noguchi, D’Antona

Outfielders: Fukuchi, Guiel, Takeuchi, Iihara, Aoki, Yuichi

Kinugawa’s first year with the Swallows was 2007 when he spent the entire season on the farm and hit .274 in 53 games. Last season he saw some playing time on the first team as Takada played musical catchers for all of 2008. He had 11 hits and eight rbi’s in his 42 at-bats last year.

Kinugawa has had some injury problems over the last year with the most recent issue being a left hand injury in May of this year. On the farm so far this season, Kinugawa is batting only .212 in 46 games.

Deactivated from the first team roster was closer Chang-yong Lim who is apparently having fatigue issues with the lumbar region of his back.

Here’s the current state of the 28-man roster:

Pitchers: Yoshinori, Tateyama, Ishikawa, Yuuki,  Matsui, Takagi, Lee, Yoshikawa, Oshimoto, Masubuchi, Kamada

Catchers: Aikawa, Kawamoto, Kinugawa

Infielders: Kawashima, Miyamoto, Yoshimoto, Tanaka, Hatakeyama, Noguchi, D’Antona

Outfielders: Fukuchi, Guiel, Takeuchi, Iihara, Aoki, Yuichi

This is the second time in recent weeks that Kamada has been called up, the first time was detailed in this Roster Update. Kamada has a 4.50 in eight innings of work for the top team thus far, and he threw one scoreless inning last night.

Masubuchi is one of several young pitchers on the farm blessed with potential but battling injuries brought on by overuse (and baseballs to the face in this young man’s case). Masubuchi, a 21-year-old in his third year with the team, will hopefully begin making a contribution to the team within the next season or two.

In 10 appearances with the farm team this season, Masubuchi has a record of 3-1 and a 4.19 ERA. It could be argued that he is being elevated to the first team a bit too late in the season, but he does need top team starts, and several of them, before the end of the season.

Masubuchi had a very rough outing last night. He walked six batters, threw two wild pitches, and gave up seven earned runs in five innings. The only reason why he lasted five innings was because he was let out of a couple of jams by clutch double plays.

Headed down (again) are relief pitcher Jun Hagiwara and catcher Tomohito Yoneno.

Anyway, here’s what the top team looks like as of game-time yesterday:

Pitchers: Yoshinori, Lim, Tateyama, Ishikawa, Yuuki,  Matsui, Takagi, Lee, Yoshikawa, Oshimoto, Masubuchi, Kamada

Catchers: Aikawa, Kawamoto

Infielders: Kawashima, Miyamoto, Yoshimoto, Tanaka, Hatakeyama, Noguchi, D’Antona

Outfielders: Fukuchi, Guiel, Takeuchi, Iihara, Aoki, Yuichi

During his time on the farm, the right-handed Tokyo native appeared in four games and picked up two saves while not giving up any earned runs.

On the top team this year, including tonight’s game, Hagiwara has made 34 appearances and has an ERA of 4.81.

Dropped to the farm team, as expected, is outfielder Munehiro Shida. He had a home run in his first at-bat on the top team this season, but he wasn’t able to do anything exciting after that.

Here’s a look at Tokyo’s first team roster as of game time today:

Pitchers: Yoshinori, Lim, Tateyama, Ishikawa, Yuuki,  Matsui, Takagi, Lee, Yoshikawa, Oshimoto, Hagiwara

Catchers: Aikawa, Yoneno, Kawamoto

Infielders: Kawashima, Miyamoto, Yoshimoto, Tanaka, Hatakeyama, Noguchi, D’Antona

Outfielders: Fukuchi, Guiel, Takeuchi, Iihara, Aoki, Yuichi