Swallows of the Week

Week 3

Last week’s vote saw the strong performances by Hiroyasu Tanaka (2B), Lastings Milledge (LF), Katsuki Akagawa (P), and Kyohei Muranaka (P).

28 people cast their vote this week, and here’s what they decided:

Player	Votes	%
Hiroyasu Tanaka	19	68
Lastings Milledge	6	21
Katsuki Akagawa	2	7
Kyohei Muranaka	1	4

Congratulations to Beavis, a very well-liked player in these parts. We’re excited to see him having a chance to swing the bat more often this season (now that he’s not on perpetual bunt duty), and we hope to see him lead a threatening top of the order for Tokyo.

Week 4

HR number four (2nd this weekend).

Tokyo played six games this week: one in Kobe, two at Koshien, and a three-game home stand at Jingu against Yomiuri.

The birds were outscored 6-10 in their series against Hanshin, but played decent baseball throughout most of those games. They then returned home for the Tokyo derby and took the series against Yomiuri.

In case you missed them, here are game reports:

April 17th vs Hanshin (Away)
April 18th vs Hanshin (Away)
April 19th vs Hanshin (Away)
April 20th vs Yomiuri (Home)
April 21st vs Yomiuri (Home)
April 22nd vs Yomiuri (Home)

Overall, the birds won four and lost two last week.

And here are the contestants for your week 4 vote:

Katsuki Akagawa (P) – The 21-year-old lefty pitched Tokyo’s first complete game shutout of 2012. In fact, it was the first time that any starter went the full nine, period. In the process, he faced 32 batters and threw 127 pitches (5 H, 6 K, 1 BB). He’s now 2-1 after four starts and leads all Swallows starters with a 0.95 ERA and .210 opposing team batting average.

Wladimir Balentien (P) – Suddenly more focused both in the field and on the basepaths, Coco got on base in all six games last week. He had six hits (two homers), three RBI, and two walks last week. When the Swallows returned to defend Tokyo against the Giants, he was switched up to cleanup in place of the ineffective Hatakeyama, and that’s when both home runs appeared.

Tony Barnette (P) – The week 2 Swallow of the Week was back at it again in week 4. He took the mound in the ninth three times last week, each time to protect a one-run lead. He allowed just one runner last week and converted all three save opportunities. His three strikeout performance on Friday was a clear indication of how well he’s throwing at the moment. His ERA remains at zero, and he has a NPB career-high seven saves which is good enough for second for second in the Central League. He was also ready to go Saturday night when Akagawa was attempting to get through the ninth on his own.

Shingo Kawabata (SS) – Tokyo’s shortstop continues to display some of the gap power that he displayed last season which was highlighted by his bases clearing triple on Saturday. Like Balentien, he had six hits and three RBI last week while mixing in a pair of walks as well. His defense at short was also solid, and he has teamed nicely with Tanaka in turning a number of clutch double plays. He currently leads the team in hits (20) and has done a good job of protecting the cleanup hitter.

Orlando Roman (P) – With a five-man rotation, someone has to pitch twice in the same week. Although the team had been able to avoid doubling any of its starters up earlier in the month, Roman became the workhorse of the week. He pitched six full innings on Tuesday and 5.1 on Sunday. During those eleven and one-third innings he allowed nine hits (two homers) and four earned runs. He worked hard in the rain on Sunday and was awarded with his first NPB win.

OK, Tsubamegun, cast your vote. Click the button for your Swallow of the Week. Please vote only once.

Roster Updates

There were no major roster updates announced by the team last week.

From the Farm

It sounds like Yoshinori’s rehab had another setback and he may not be ready to rejoin the top team until Golden Week or later. Instead, there are rumblings that Shichijo may get promoted to relieve some pressure on the starting rotation. (HT Yakyu Baka)

As for minor league performances, it seems like outfielder Jun Matsui is playing alright. He has appeared in 22 games so far and has a slash line of .345/.371/.452 with a team-leading 29 hits.

None of Tokyo’s minor league starters are exactly tearing it up at the moment, but Chikara Onodera seems to be posting serviceable numbers. Through 12 innings of middle relief, he’s posted a 0.75 ERA.

Tanaka has been clutch protecting the middle of the infield.

Around the Central

Chunichi finished the week with five wins and one loss. They took two of three from Yomiuri at Nagoya Dome and then swept Hiroshima at Mazda Stadium to make it five wins in a row. Chunichi is still in first place.

Yomiuri finished the week 1-5. Sugiuchi helped earn a series-opening win on Tuesday in Nagoya, but the Giants haven’t won since. They wrapped up their week by being swept by the Tokyo Swallows at Jingu. They remain in last place in the CL, half a game behind Yokohama.

Hanshin finished the week 3-3. They took two of three from Tokyo on their home soil but then only won a single game in Yokohama this past weekend. They remain in third place, half a game behind the second place Tokyo Swallows.

Hiroshima finished the week 3-3. With all six games played at home, they swept the Baystars to start the week and then dropped three in a row to the visiting Dragons. They are fourth in the Central, 1.5 games behind third place Hanshin.

Yokohama finished the week 2-4. After getting swept by Hiroshima away, they returned home and took two games from the visiting Tigers. They’re doing just enough to stay out of sixth place at the moment.

The Week Ahead

The birds will host current CL front-runners, Chunichi, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. All games are scheduled for a 6PM start. Both teams swept their most recent opponents and hope to take advantage of that momentum during the upcoming matchup.

Tokyo has Friday off and will travel to Hiroshima for a three-game set with a 1:30PM first pitch scheduled for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

Former Swallows

Norichika Aoki finally got his first major league start and collected his first home run in the process, an inside-the-park round tripper.

He batted second and finished the game 2-4 with six total bases (HR, 2B), two runs scored, and one RBI.

Seth Greisinger has been pitching well for the Chiba Marines. He’s 2-0 through two starts and 15 innings of work. He’s averaging a strikeout per inning, and he has yet to give up an earned run.

Former Tokyo third baseman, Akinori Iwamura, played in his first minor league game on Saturday. It was his first day back in competitive action after hurting his right hamstring more than a month ago.

That’s it for this week’s snapshot. Please excuse me while I start peeling.

Drink up!

Nakamura has some nerves to steady, and some big shoes to fill, but he's doing well so far.

Something for you to read while fielding offers for a more appropriate gig.

Swallows of the Week

Week 2

Ishikawa was the week one MVP, but he tanked after that. Hopefully the same fate does not await the winner of the week two polling.

31 people voted this time around, and they had five choices:

Shingo Kawabata (SS)
Orlando Roman (P)
Wladimir Balentien (RF)
Tony Barnette (P)
Takehiko Oshimoto (P)

And here’s how the community voted:

Players	Votes	%
Tony Barnette	18	58
Wladimir Balentien	8	26
Shingo Kawabata	2	6.5
Takehiko Oshimoto	2	6.5
Orlando Roman	1	3

Congratulations to Mr. Barnette! Hopefully the Tokyo bats continue to churn out enough runs that his services won’t be necessary more than a few times a week. It sure would be nice to have him with us for the pennant race this time around.

I must say that I actually didn’t expect a closer to win the community voting on this one so early in the season. I didn’t expect it, but I like it. Any time a closer wins the voting, it means that the team is winning, and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t appreciate that.

Week 3

Tokyo played five games this past week, three at Jingu and two in Matsuyama. In case you missed them, here are the game reports:

April 10th vs Yokohama (Home)
April 11th vs Yokohama (Home)
April 12th vs Yokohama (Home)
April 14th vs Hiroshima (“Home”)
April 15th vs Hiroshima (“Home”)

The series against Yokohama started OK, but was pretty dreary for the last two games. Please don’t tell me that we’re going to revert to our old ways against Yokohama. Remember how they always used to piss on our collective pillow, at least through the 2010 season, even though they generally didn’t know how to play baseball? Ugh. Hopefully 2011 wasn’t an anomally.

Saturday’s game versus Hiroshima was an enjoyable one to watch for Tokyo fans. Sunday’s was a good one, too, although not nearly as easy on the heart.

And here’s the compiled data for the top five performers from week 3:

Hiroyasu Tanaka (2B) – Beavis scored two hero interviews this week, one on Tuesday and another yesterday evening (shared with Akagawa). His game winning hit against Yokohama and decisive RBI single against Hiroshima on Sunday were just two of his team-high six hits last week. He was 6-17 at the plate with three RBI and three walks.

Lastings Milledge (LF) – Despite spending another week in the batter’s box against pitchers he’d never seen before, Milledge was one of Tokyo’s biggest contributors this week. His quick feet and arm in left kept opposing base runners honest while he also presented himself as a constant nuisance when it was his turn to to start targeting extra bases. In addition to his heads-up base-running, Milledge was 5-19 at the plate. Two doubles and a home run helped lead to three RBI this week, and he added a walk just for good measure. Oh, and get this–he’s actually been seen running hard to first base even on routine grounders. Weird.

Kyohei Muranaka (P) – Tokyo’s socially-awkward southpaw from Kanagawa Prefecture earned his first win of the year with a very solid eight-inning performance on Saturday against Hiroshima. He threw 116 pitches and allowed just one run off of eight hits and two walks. He also struck out five while lowering his ERA to 2.25. He leads the team in winning percentage (100%), innings pitched (20), hits allowed (18), HBP (2), and strikeouts (13).

Katsuki Akagawa (P) – Like Muranaka above, Akagawa earned his first win of the year this past weekend. He threw 105 pitches in seven innings of very solid work. He didn’t strike anyone out, but he kept his pitches down and allowed just four hits (all singles), three walks, and one beaned batter. He’s now 1-1 with an impressive 1.40 ERA through three starts and 19.1 innings.

So let’s hear it, Tsubamegun. Who was your MVP? Cast your vote below. Please vote only once.

This poll is closed. To see who won the voting, please check next week’s Snapshot.

Roster Updates

With Aikawa and Kawamoto both out with injuries, we’re down to our 3rd, 4th, and 5th string catchers now. Hopefully Nakamura shows us that he’s up for the challenge. He’s been playing pretty well so far.

Here’s what the roster looks like as of game time on Sunday April 15th:

Pitchers
Muranaka, Ishikawa, Masubuchi, Tateyama, Barnette, Hidaka, Akagawa, Watanabe, Roman, Abe, Oshimoto, Hirai

Catchers
Nitta, Fukukawa, Nakamura

Infielders
Kawabata, Miyamoto, Tanaka, Takeuchi, Yamada, Hatakeyama, Morioka

Outfielders
Hiyane, Balentien, Iihara, Yuhei, Ueda, Milledge

(28 players total)

From the Farm

Yoshinori got some work in during an exhibition game on Friday (4/13) against Fuji Heavy Industries. Final line: 8 IP, 8 H, 3 K, 0 BB, 3 R (all earned). Fernandez gave up one unearned run in the ninth to allow Fuji Heavy Industries to come back and tie the game for a 4-4 final score. (The team’s official Japanese write-up is here.)

Saturday’s game against the Futures was rained out.

The Week Ahead

Beavis isn't hitting the cover off the ball, but he's been pretty clutch recently.

Tokyo will next head to Koshien Stadium to take on the Hanshin Tigers for the second time this year. All three of the games start at 6PM from Tuesday – Thursday, and it seems likely that the pitching matchups will look a little something like this:

Tuesday
Messenger 1-0, 5.40 ERA (Hanshin) vs Tateyama 0-0, 2.08 ERA (Tokyo)

Wednesday
Kubo 1-0, 1.17 (Hanshin) vs Ishikawa 1-2, 5.19 (Tokyo)

Thursday
Ando 1-0, 0.69 (Hanshin) vs Roman 0-2, 3.97 (Tokyo)

Hanshin currently lead the season series 1 W, 0 L, 1 T against Tokyo.

And then Tokyo play host to crosstown rivals, Yomiuri, next weekend. Again, all three games start at 6PM, but I’m going to hold off on making predictions about starters at this point since things can so easily change in these parts.

Tokyo currently lead the season series 2-1 against Yomiuiri.

Around the Central League

Chunichi has opted to send slugger Tony Blanco down to the farm for some extra practice since he’s striking out a bit too much these days. Victor Diaz was sent down with him.

In other Chunichi news, starter Kenshin Kawakami is still out of action after tweaking his back on a high bouncer back to the mound  early in his April 7th start against Tokyo.

Elsewhere, NPB umpires have expressed concerns about showing replays of close calls on the big screens at various stadia. (Read: they are worried about their horrid decisions being advertised to the entire audience.)

First placed Hanshin finished the week with 3 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie. They will play host to Tokyo in a three-game series starting on Tuesday. They were 2-0-1 against Hiroshima early in the week, but then dropped both weekend games against Chunichi. Their record of 7-4-3 puts them half a game clear of Chunichi and Tokyo in second place.

Tied with Tokyo for second place in the Central, Chunichi followed two losses to the Swallows at Nagoya Dome the weekend prior (Saturday’s game report; Sunday’s game report) with a tie and two losses away to Yomiuri, and an opening game loss at Koshien on Friday. However, they prevailed over the weekend by outscoring the Tigers 10-4. Their record of 7-5-2 is good enough for a tie with Tokyo for second place in the Central.

Hiroshima slid into sole possession of fourth place in the Central League after dropping both of its “away” games to the Swallows. They were outscored 11-1 in the two weekend games (Saturday and Sunday), and this followed two losses and a draw against Hanshin on Hiroshima’s home soil. The Carp are now 6-6-2 so far this season.

Yomiuri is starting to show some life, but they’re not nearly as good as they likely will be this summer. They lost to Yokohama in walk-off style yesterday afternoon, but that was the only real blemish during a week that the team posted a 3-1-1 record. Their 5-8-1 record leaves them a game and a game and a half behind fourth place Hiroshima, and half of a game ahead of last place Yokohama.

Yokohama had its best week of the season by taking two of three from the Swallows and one of two from the Giants. At 4-8-1, and once again gurgling in the CL cellar, Yokohama’s start hasn’t yet met many people’s expectations, but nobody’s particularly surprised by that nugget of reality either.

Former Swallows

It seems that catchers in the Pacific League squat a bit closer to home plate than we’re used to here in the Central. Former Tokyo first baseman, Josh Whitesell, took out a catcher with his backswing on both Thursday and Friday evenings. Call it whatever you want, a slump or unfair treatment of a foreign player, but Josh was removed from the active roster following Friday’s game.

Norichika Aoki has only seven at-bats so far this season, but he’s not embarrassing himself. He’s currently hitting .429/.556/.429 and is generally one of the first bats off the bench plus a pretty consistent late game replacement on defense. Here’s video of Aoki’s first big league hit.

Alright, that’s all for this edition of the snapshot. Please excuse me while I cut off a media outlet or two.

Drink up!

• Today’s home opener versus the Hanshin Tigers was obliterated by very unfriendly weather, so the clocks of the Tokyo faithful have been reset to 6PM Wednesday evening. We’ll see you there.
• Miyamoto took a pitch in the upper calf (just below the back of the knee) during Sunday’s game, and he’s apparently still feeling some discomfort. Ogawa was thinking about giving him the day off today, but the weather ended up rendering that decision unnecessary. If he feels alright tomorrow, then Miyamoto will likely start at third.
• Hatakeyama took a batted ball in the eye today. Wonderful. He’s talking like he’s OK, but his doctor says he has a broken eye socket. Stay tuned for additional updates on his condition. In the meantime, someone please tell Takeuchi to put his game face on.
• Orlando Roman was scheduled to start today’s game against Hanshin. His start will be skipped, and the Swallows will instead send Tateyama to the mound tomorrow.

Around the Central League

• Chunichi vs Yokohama got stormed out as well.
• In the absence of another Central League game to watch, I tuned in to the Hiroshima-Yomiuri contest. I must admit that it was quite enjoyable. Hiroshima’s starter, Kan Ohtake, and his amazing infield defense kept the Yomiuri bats at bay, and Houlton pitched well but wasn’t able to get through the sixth inning (his curve looks alright though). Sarfate looked just as nasty as ever in the ninth, and the Yomiuri were humbled by an 0-4 scoreline.

Around the Pacific League

• Saitama-Chiba got rained out due to all the holes under the cover at Seibu Dome. Excuse me for asking, but what’s the point of putting a dome on your stadium if it can’t keep out nasty weather? Meatheads.
• Fukuoka got shut out up in Tohoku, 0-4. This was a low-hitting affair all around, but Fernandez did hit his first homer of his second stint with the Eagles.
• Orix outhit Hokkaido at Sapporo Dome. In fact, three players recorded three hits each in helping the Buffaloes outlast the Fighters, 5-4.

Blondes have more fun.

Swallows Present

• As mentioned in our most recent podcast, Balentien could start the year on the top team. Because he’s starting to show some life at the plate, mixed with Roman’s continued stability on the mound, and abetted by Lim’s tender throwing arm, Tokyo’s well-paid closer could start the year on the farm instead. Yet more evidence that a change in hairstyle works wonders for one’s career.
• Although we can’t be entirely sure that his hands are completely banned from meddling in team affairs, the guy who gave us his pal Takada as a manager for 2+ painful seasons, Tadashi Suzuki, has finally stepped down from his post as team advisor.
• Shingo Kawabata (wrist injury), whose rehab has not gone as smoothly as everyone had hoped, rejoined the first team today.
• The Tokyo Swallows, in cahoots with Yomiuri and Yokohama, have announced a stamp collection scheme (rubber, not postal) through which fans can attend games at all three stadiums and earn prizes such as a big button. I find this to be hilarious because it’s evidence of how far Yomiuri has fallen. Can anyone else think of another time when the Giants worked together with their CL enemies to put more bums in seats? Neither can I.
• To go along with rehabbing his throwing hand (off-season surgery to correct a “blood-flow problem”, Shohei Tateyama’s left leg (ankle?) disagreed with an injection he received last week. This is not the first time that this has happened to a Tokyo player in recent memory. Who is administering these injections, Tsubakurou?
• Masubuchi could start 2012 in the bullpen thanks to the potential starting depth that the team has at this point. This is good news for those of us that remember his breakout season in 2010 when he was first moved to the pen (2.69 ERA over 60.1 innings). With Barnette, Kyuko, Oshimoto, Matsuoka, and Masubuchi all waiting in the wings, there’s a little less pressure on Tokyo’s starters.

Swallows Past

• After a bit of a slump recently, brand new Brewer, Norichika Aoki, found some life against brand new Ranger, Yu Darvish. Disciples of Uecker feels that he needs to do a lot more of what he did during his 3-3 outing against the Rangers (video here) if he hopes to stay relevant and possibly graduate from being a backup player this year.
• Alex Ramirez, Yokohama’s prized acquisition from Yomiuri through free agency, has a leg injury that will probably keep him on the sidelines for the next couple of weeks.

Wannabe Swallows

• While nobody was looking, I wrote some poop about Watanabe and his Yomiuri Giants over at Tokyo Weekender. There’s a Cartman reference in there.

2012 Season

The season kicks off in exactly one week! The Tokyo Swallows will be travelling across town to Tokyo Dome for a 6PM date with the new-look Softbank Giants.

There will be sporadic updates during the opening series on our Twitter account. If you haven’t already, follow us now.

You can also find us on Facebook. Like us here.

Milledge has been making the most of his plate appearances this pre-season.

Team News

• No idea whether this is for real or not, but Ogawa has said that he likes having Yuhei around because he can be used in the outfield or as a pitcher (LHP). Yuhei was a top pitching prospect that never panned out for the Swallows. He started working on converting to the outfield after the 2009 season.
• Tokyo lost 1-3 to the KIA Tigers of the KBO on February 27th. Both Tateyama and Yoshinori pitched well and were able to throw strikes. Yamada came up with the team’s lone RBI in the ninth.
• The farm team beat their counterparts from Fukuoka 1-0 on February 28th. Yuichi, playing first and batting cleanup, recorded the game’s sole RBI on a double in the bottom of the fourth.
• Tokyo played to a 4-4 draw against Hokkaido on March 3rd. Masubuchi started and pitched five innings while surrendering four earned runs. Not that it matters since it was just a pre-season game. On offense, Milledge (2-3, 1 run) and Hatakeyama (3-4, 1 run, 1 RBI) seem to be seeing the ball well. Balentien did not make the trip up north for this game.
• And they played to another draw, 3-3 this time, against Hokkaido on the following day. Yamada was 2-5 at the plate and Milledge had another 2-3 day as the starting DH. He tied the game in the top of the fourth with a solo shot to right off of Hokkaido reliever, Hisashi Takeda.
• It sounds like Kyuko’s rehab is going pretty well, and he may be able to make it back to the top team roster by the beginning of the regular season. Like Tateyama, he had surgery on his hand at the end of 2011 to deal with some blood-flow problems.
• However, Kawabata’s rehab is not moving along quite as quickly, and there is a strong likelihood that he won’t be ready to play by the beginning of the season.

Former Swallows News

• We reported earlier that Norichika Aoki‘s (Milwaukee Brewers) playing time took a serious hit when Ryan Braun avoided a 50 game suspension. However, starting right fielder Corey Hart just had arthroscopic surgery on his knee after an MRI showed a meniscus tear in his knee. He’ll miss the rest of spring training and might not be in the dugout when the season gets under way.
• Ryota Igarashi (Pittsburgh Pirates) retired the side when he pitched the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays on March 3rd.

Guiel has re-signed with Kansas City and is looking to become a coach in the Royals minor league system.

Tokyo Swallows

• Wladimir Balentien is having some right elbow issues and hasn’t been able to practice at 100%. It seems like Ogawa is starting to get a little impatient (link in Japanese). Balentien didn’t play in Tokyo’s pre-season game against Hanshin on Saturday.
• Tokyo beat Hokkaido 3-0 in a practice game on Thursday February 23rd. Tetsuto Yamada was three for four at the plate including a solo homer in the ninth. Milledge came up with Tokyo’s first RBI. Masubuchi started and didn’t allow any runs during his four innings of work.
• Tokyo’s farm team lost to Chiba’s farm team 1-4 on Friday February 24th. Fernandes started for Tokyo and gave up two runs over three innings of work.
• Tokyo beat Hanshin 3-2 in an exhibition game on Saturday February 25th. Roman pitched the third through sixth innings and gave up one earned run from five hits. He ended up getting the win thanks partly to leadoff hitter, Ueda’s, two-run homer in the bottom of the third.

And in former Tokyo Swallows

• As mentioned earlier, Aoki now has a tougher climb to an everyday starting position in Milwaukee’s outfield. In a hearing that we never should have known about, 2011 MVP Ryan Braun argued successfully that his urine sample was tainted by improper handling. We still need to wait roughly a month to hear what the arbitrator’s report has to say, but apparently Braun’s lawyers were able to demonstrate how the improper handling of Braun’s sample can scientifically lead to an elevated testosterone reading. In other words, it wasn’t a technicality. Read this article for a good summary of all that’s been written over the past several days. Anyway, Aoki’s unveiling at spring camp in Maryvale has been completely consumed by what is probably the biggest story of the MLB off-season.
• Aaron Guiel signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals. He’s technically a player, but the team is looking to try and phase him into their system as a coach.

Kawakami scored more than a big bag of cash during his time in the states.

Chunichi Dragons

• Kenshin Kawakami, Chunichi’s u-turn starter, apparently married an American citizen while working in the US.
• Victor Diaz signed a one-year deal.

Yomiuri Giants

• The Giants put a clown suit on KBO’s Hanwha Eagles beating them 14-0 on Thursday.

Hanshin Tigers

• Matt Murton joined spring camp on February 8th. His delayed return to Japan is the result of a new addition to the family, Andrew Jacob Murton.
• Minoru Iwata scored more Valentine’s Day chocolate than any of the other players on the team.
• Craig Brazell has been seeing some time in left field recently. That seems to be a pretty clear indication that Johjima could be converted to first base in the near future.

Hiroshima Carp

•  Lost 2-5 to Saitama on Thursday down in Nichinan.

Yokohama Baystars

• Oscar Salazar signed a deal with the Baystars.
• Lost 5-9 to KBO’s KIA Tigers. Former Tokyo Swallow, Alex Ramirez, went 2-2 with a double and a homer.

MLB News

• Ryan Braun was exonerated and will not be suspended for the first part of the 2012 MLB season. Very few details are known at this point, but it sounds like the positive test sample may have been mishandled. Anyway, as we wait for more information to see the light of day, one thing is certain. Norichika Aoki’s path to a starting job in the outfield just became exponentially more complicated. It might be time for Milwaukee to sell high on Nyjer Morgan, no?
• A short while before news of Braun’s successful appeal broke, Aoki reported to spring training and was introduced to the media.

Rookie Hiyane is helping to keep things interesting in the team's quest to reconfigure the outfield.

• Tsubamegun got one hell of a shout out from fellow Japanese baseball watcher, NPB Tracker. Thanks, Patrick!
• Tokyo batting coach, Takao Ise, has been selected as one of the six coaches representing the nation as part of this year’s Samurai Japan team. One coach was selected from each of the top three teams in the Central and Pacific Leagues with Fukuoka’ Koji Akiyama taking on the role as manager. Masanori Ishikawa is the only Tokyo player on the team.
• Yoshinori, despite not being able to last an entire season (last season it was a shoulder injury), continues to be pushed hard in spring training. According to Nikkan Sports, he threw 66 pitches during batting practice. This was, of course, after he had already thrown a slightly larger number during his bullpen session. So, what do you think? 15 appearances this season? 16?
• 24-year-old rookie outfielder, Wataru Hiyane, has managed to swipe more bases than games he’s played in so far (six bags in five games).
• Tokyo has practice games in Okinawa against Hanshin on Friday and Tohoku on Saturday. Both games start at 1PM.

Former Tokyo Players

• Norichika Aoki is now taking part in his first pro spring training wearing something other than a Tokyo uniform. He will be competing against Carlos Gomez, Corey Hart, Nyjer Morgan, and possibly Logan Schafer for time in the outfield. Oh, and 2011 National League MVP, Ryan Braun, once he gets done with his suspension for a banned substance. For shits and giggles, check out this video that Nyjer Morgan starred in.
• Ryota Igarashi is hoping to earn a place on Pittsburgh’s roster. To his credit, he’s taking part in spring camp without the help of an interpreter because he says that he wants to communicate directly with his coaches and teammates.
• Former Tokyo Swallow and major leaguer, Akinori Iwamura, who now plays for Tohoku, shaved 10 kilograms from his overweight ass during the off-season. He was apparently using the “okazairu” diet which involves eating a salad before dinner. You might recall that he has been asked  repeatedly to get himself into better shape.

Aoki accomplished the feat every year from 2005-2010. In 2006 he had 26 doubles and 41 steals. In fact, Aoki collected more than 20 steals and 20 doubles three times in his career.

The first two installments of Tsubamegun’s trivia column were a bit on the nasty side, so we have one here for you that’s a bit more pedestrian.

There are five players currently on the roster that have stolen at least 10 bases and collected at least 10 doubles in the same season.

Can you name all five of them in less than two minutes?

Click here to take the quiz.

Keep in mind that minor league numbers do not count in this quiz.

As always, click on the link above, take the quiz, and post your score in the comments below. If you get a perfect score, as we are sure that some of you will, post your time as well.

Please avoid making any revealing comments about specific quiz answers until Monday morning, Tokyo time. After that, feel free to talk about the specific numbers involved.

Enjoy!

More Tokyo Swallows Trivia

Sub 3.50 ERA since 2007 (intermediate Tokyo Swallows knowledge required)

Players assigned 00 uniform number in 2012 (advanced NPB knowledge required)

Everybody's favorite second baseman.

Top team players have the day off today, and the following is a small selection of some of the news coming out of Urasoe (Okinawa) since our last roundup on February 1st:

• Atsushi Fujimoto suffered a calf strain during practice on the 6th and will be taking it easy for the next few weeks.
• Hitoshi Yamamoto got demoted to the farm team camp following the discovery of some swelling in his elbow. Off-season acquisition, Tatsuo Kinoshita, was promoted to first team camp to fill the void.
• The team’s new fancy-shmancy pitching machine which is worth a reported 2.5 million yen broke before anyone had a chance to use it.
• Lastings Milledge, Tokyo’s new MLB import, looks a bit like Japanese veteran comedian Tetsuro Degawa according to the media.

And below is some footage of infield fielding practice from a couple days ago:

Former Swallows News

• Eulogio (Frankie) De La Cruz and Norichika Aoki could end up being teammates once again as the former re-signed with the Brewers for another year.