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Homers by two Yakult Swallows players, rightfielder Norichika Aoki and third baseman Akinori Iwamura proved to be the difference in the first game of the 2006 all star series Friday, as the Central League slipped by the Pacific League 3-1 at Meiji Jingu Stadium. Yokohama righthander Daisuke Miura was credited with the win after tossing a spotless two innings while Orix veteran Masato Yoshii became the oldest man to ever lose an all star contest at 41. Aoki was named the game's MVP. Daisuke Matsuzaka started for the Pacific League and came out throwing nothing but heaters, reaching 95mph on the gun during his two innings of one run, two hit ball during which he struckout and walked one apiece. Kenshin Kawakami started for the Central League and was tagged for a run on three hits. PL centerfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo
had wanted to make his entrance by landing a helicopter on the field, but
the Japanese aviation authorities ruled that a no go. So he had to settle
for less audiacious gestures. He checked into the batter's box in the first
with two outs wielding a rainbow colored bat. That is illegal, but the
plate umpire did a Seargent Schultz ("I see nothing, nothing!") on that.
On the second pitch of the sequence, Kawakami buzzed a fastball behind
Shinjo's head. Shinjo then reached to his belt buckle and turned on an
LED panel that had been installed in it that reportedly said in english,
Never
Mind What I Do! Fan is My Treasure! He then got something from Kawakami
he could handle and torched it up the the leftcenter alley for a double,
throwing his hands up in the air when he reached the second base bag. It
went for nought, though, as DH Kazuhiro Kiyohara grounded out
Aoki subsequently leadoff the bottom of the inning with a single to right and stole second. He also decided to attempt to pull a theft of third as well and was gunned down by catcher Tomoya Satozaki. Matsuzaka retired the following two men to end the first. But in the second, Satozaki dug in with one out and socked a Kawakami delivery over the rightfield wall, an opposite field blast that lent the PL a 1-0 advantage. This was the first time that a Japanese player from Lotte had gone yard in an all star tilt in 18 years. However, the CL had a response, as leftfielder Tomoaki Kanemoto walked and first baseman Seung-yeop Lee blistered a 92mph fastball up the rightenterfield gap and Kanemoto sprinted around the basepaths to the plate on the double to knot it at one all. The Pacific forces couldn't do much with the CL bullpen, though, as they mustered only four hits after Satozaki's dinger the rest of the way. The CL went ahead to stay in the third when Aoki got a one out 84mph fastball from Yoshii and drilled it into the rightfield bleachers for a 2-1 edge. The CL managed only two singles following that until the sixth, when Iwamura commenced the frame against Orix rookie Yoshihisa Hirano by clobbering one into the centerfield stands to make it 3-1. The Pacific contingent would get gassed after that, as Kyuji Fujikawa spun a perfect eighth with 93-95mph cheese in another fastball only exhibition and Yokohama closer Mark Kroon succeeded him by running it up there as high as a new all star record 99mph, Jose Fernandez becoming the third of Kroon's trio of strikeout victims with a man on to put it in the books. Kroon's flamethrowing exceeded the old record of 98mph by Yakult righthander Ryota Igarashi in game two of the 2003 series. The Central League has won the last three all star games, but still trails the PL 73-64-8. Shinjo also made a nice diving catch in spite of a partial face plant on a dying liner by Tomohiro Nioka in the seventh, as he played the entire game and went 1-4. He was sawed off by Chunichi southpaw Hitoki Iwase in the eighth, so the rainbow bat is now garbage. Aoki has only played centerfield in the pros, so this was the first time he had ever played right and he committed an error in the third when he dropped Shinjo's fly ball. After it was over, Shinjo went over to the third base stands and gave the LED belt buckle to 11 year old Swallows fan Naoyuki Takahashi. Takahashi said that he will root for Shinjo after receiving the unexpected present. Before the game, a cermony was held to honor the most recrnt inductees into the hall of fame, former Nishitetsu shortstop Yasumitsu Toyoda, ex-Nankai slugger Hiroomitsu Kadota, onetime Chunichi infielder Morimichi Takagi, erstwhile Hankyu submariner Hisashi Yamada and retired commissioner Hiromori Kawashima. Each man was given a replica hall plaque. Here's to wishing the best to Kadota, who discovered that he had diabetes during his career and which has taken its toll on his health, as he has trouble walking. Hiroshima mascot dog Mickey brought the balls out to the plate umpire before the sixth and ninth innings with no detours. Yosh! (good dog!). For the Central League, Lee was 1-4 and is at .250. Andy Sheets, playing in his first all star game, grounded into a 6-4-3 double play in a pinch hit apearance and is at .000. Alex Ochoa singled to center in a pinch hit at bat and is at 1.000. For the Pacific League, Alex Cabrera singled in two at bats and is at .500. Fernandez was 0-2 and is at .000. Box Score
E; N. Aoki
Game Time: 2:32
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