Chunichi Sports featured a screaming headline that claims that the Mariners are seeking to grab the two players. 

The scout also remarked that Iwase reminds him of a lefthanded version of Shigetoshi Hasegawa due to his control and Iwase could indeed fill a vital need in the Seattle pen. 

Another guy who might be on his way out of Nagoya, Kenshin Kawakami, threw 232 pitches Saturday during his bullpen and indicated that he will endeavor to reach 250 in the coming days. 

Saying that he would play when he feels he's ready, outfielder Byung-kyu Lee took part in relay drills Saturday. Manager Hiromitsu Ochiai said that Lee can do what he wants as long as he is ready to contribute when the bell rings on Opening Day. 

The Dragons have signed two Latinm American pitchers for their taxi squad, both righthanders. They are Enrique Ramirez and Rafael Cruz. Ramirez, if it is the same guy, is a product of the Dominican Republic who played in the Mexican League and with Baltimore. He is 30 years old. Cruz, who hails from Mexico was in the Angels system at one time and has also plied his trade in the Mexican League, too. 

Central League chairman Hajime Toyokura stopped by the Chunichi camp and got an earful from Ochiai, who told him that the rule change allowing pitchers to have the option of only having to make contact with the piece of the rubber while they deliver the ball makes it more likely that players will get hit in the head and it will also result in more brawls. He pointed out that especially in ballparks out in the hinterlands during the summer, it will appear that the pitchers are throwing right out of a forest of shite shirts, making it tougher for players to dodge dangerous pitches. Toyokura isn't a baseball man. His background includes a stint in the Japanese government bureaucracy after he graduated from Tokyo University. His last position before being hired by NPB was as head of the Tokyo Public Safety Committee, a seat he still holds. 

Hanshin Esteban Yan was tagged for a bomb by minor league outfielder Go Kida, but otherwise had his teammates killing worms during his 48 pitch batting practice assignment Saturday, displaying good control of his fastball and breaking pitches. The late movement on his two seamer especially fooled rookie outfielder Masato Akamatsu badly. Yan was sweating so much that a Tigers coach joked that a hand towel, like the one that Waseda Jitsugyo High School ace Yuki Saito used, wouldn't be adequate. Instead, a bath towel was called for, he laughed. A Chunichi scout predicted that Yan will be hell on wheels the first time around the league until they get used to his stuff. 

Leftfielder Tomoaki Kanemoto smacked 15 homers in 84 swings Saturday and muttered, "I just flat out sucked," while catcher Akihiro Yano hit in another cage alongside him. 

Lefthander Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi, who had offseason elbow surgery, threw in the pen for the first time, hurtling 31 pitches plateward. 

Rightfielder Osamu Hanaka blasted 39 homers in 196 swings Saturday during batting practice. He will DH Sunday in a practice game against Nippon Ham. Team owner Tsuneaki Miyazaki will be there to watch and will see Tomoyuki Kubota, who began 2006 as the Tigers closer, make the start for them. Naohisa Sugiyama, Masashi Sajikihara and Kazuya Tsutsui will also see some mound time in the contest. 

Outfielder Lin Wei-tzu was playing a little hammertime himself, driving 38 into the great wide open in 157 swings Saturday. He will be in left Sunday against the Fighters. 

Reliever Darwin Cubillan threw 41 pitches worth of bp to a couple of minor leaguers Saturday while focusing on keeping everything down. 

Newbie Tatsuya Kojima concentrated on polishing his shuuto during his 114 pitch stretch in the pen. "I still haven't mastered it, but I am trying to expand my repetoire," he said. 

Attendance Saturday was 13,000. 

Hiroshima Ace Hiroki Kuroda turned 32 Saturday and celebrated it by throwing 20 pitches full out in an abbreviated bullpen session. "I'm just about 100%" he told the press and was gratified that he was able to finally cut loose after offseason surgery. 

Yakult Reliever Masao Kida, wearing eye glasses, had a light throwing session of 66 deliveries Saturday while focusing on maintaining a feel for his pitches. 

The Swallows have hired swimsuit model Hitomi  Aizawa to do postgame interviews on Fuji-tv's satellite channel 739 and to also lead an all female supporters group called Tsubamekko Club.  

Outfielder Yuichi Matsumoto has announced that he has gotten married to his girlfriend, who is an office worker. 

Yakult is looking for 25-33 year olds to staff its sales, ticketing and souvenir departments. Send a resume that includes your picture and complete employment history to: Yakult Kyudan Jimusho, Shinbashi MCV Bldg. 5F, Shinbashi 5-13-5, Minato-ku,
Tokyo-to 105-0004. It must be in to their office by the 16th. Telephone inquiries can be made (in Japanese only) at: 3-5470-8915. 

Yokohama The Bay Stars had the day off Saturday, but at an oceanside park near their spring training site in Ginowan, Okinawa, an elderly man apparently doused himself with gasoline and committed suicide by lighting himself on fire. Police are still investigating why the incident occurred. 

Yomiuri The Giants will stage an intrasquad game Sunday and fans will be able to get their first look at top rookie Norihito Kaneto and infielder Luis Gonzalez. The former Rockie, who is competing for the second base job, will be stationed at third in that contest. 

Also of interest will be second year Taiwanese hurler Chiang Chien-ming and oft injured righthander Hiroshi Kisanuki as they see their first action of the new year, as will spring training invitee Wilfin Obispo. Chiang threw 65 pitches to prepare for his appearance. Kentaro Nishimura will also come out to play Sunday for two scheduled innings and he whipped 57 pitches to his catcher in the pen as a tuneup. 

According to Sports Nippon, Giants coaches are a little peeved that Obispo, who they think needs to sharpen his control, hasn't thrown in the last four days. He has taken part in infield defensive drills, though. It has to be said, however, that none of the other papers indicated any grumbling about Obispo's work habits. So we'll have to see how this ultimately shakes out. 

Hiroki Sanada is also penciled in for an inning in that tilt and he fi9red 90 pitches to get ready for it Saturday. 

J League soccer coach Luis Ramos will throw out the first pitch Sunday. 

Lefthander Hisanori Takahashi, who has changed the grip on his fastball for more cutter like action in hopes that it will help him against righthanded hitters, tossed batting practice Saturday, unloading 55 pitches. However, it appears that he may not see any time on the hill during an intrasquad game until the 22nd. 

Gonzalez was impressive in batting practice, taking Takahashi to the downs twice and hitting balls all over the field. He also gave former Yankee Luis Sojo some ink in Japan by mentioning that he idolized the Venezuelan utilityman growing up. 

First baseman Seung-yeop Lee also pounded one into the seats off of Takahashi, a shot to center. 

An estimated 15,000 fans came out Saturday to Sun Marine Stadium to see the Tokyo ballclub workout. 

Reliever Yuya Kubo threw 120 pitches in the bullpen. 

Ken Kadokura was on the hill in batting practice and experienced control problems during his 58 pitch stint. He threw almost all fastballs. He may make his first game appearance in an intrasquad affair on the 16th. 

Reliever Shintaro Yoshitake racked up 220 pitches in his bullpen Saturday and believed that he was throwing well. 

Miscellaneous Masumi Kuwata arrived in Florida and when a gaggle of 40 Japanese press turned up to meet him there other passengers began asking if he was Daisuke Matsuzaka. One woman asked for an autograph and Kuwata reportedly wrote on it in english, "I'm not famous. Just a Japanese baseball player." 

Yankees outfielder Bernie Williams has reportedly refused to sign a minor league contract. There had earlier been rumors that Yomiuri might be interested in acquiring him, but it is a little late in the game for them to go after him now, especially since he really can't play the outfield adequately anymore. So unless somebody like Rakuten or Chunichi signs him, it is hard to see him in Japan right now, though it certainly wouldn't be out of the question for him to come aboard somewhere if some of the new foreign talent flunks out. 

The aforementioned Yuki Saito had to sit out practice with his Waseda University squad due to the flu Saturday. 

Atlanta pitcher John Smoltz, a homophobe and supposed devout Christian who once compared gay marriage to animals mating, is divorcing his wife Dyan. How much you want to bet that it involves infidelity? And I guess that holy matrimony wasn't so holy after all, huh John? Also, where was Bud Selig and the media when Smoltz made that statement, especially after what they did to John Rocker? Selig dinged Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen for using an anti-gay slur but allowed Smoltz to get off scott free. What's up with that? I guess hateful prejudicial analogies are okay in MLB and not name calling. You gotta love the consistency of that logic.