4/1/2004
4/1/2004
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Team Reports
| Daiei | |
| Manager Sadaharu Oh had a talk with his pitching staff Thursday
about issuing too many walks recently, especially with two outs.
He urged his charges to aggressively attack hitters, preferring thast
the opposition have to earn their baserunners rather than being
given a passel of freebies, which have numbered 29 so far. Oh also has other pitching problems. Hector Mercado isn't ready to |
contribute yet. Takayuki Shinohara, who became the fill in closer
when Matt Skrmetta's shoulder went on safari to the operating room ,
still has a bad shoulder, as does Katsunori Okamoto. Consequently, former Atlanta farmhand Takahiro Takeoka, Akio Mizuta and Masato Kawano will play musical closers until the wounded heal. |
| Seibu | |
| Righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka, perhaps playing his last season in Japan, will face Nippon Ham Friday. "I really can't see them hitting me," he revealed. The fireballer was tattooed for five runs on Opening Day, so he hopes to bounce back. How about Tsuyoshi | Shinjo? Including all star games, "The Monster" has collared the glamour boy in six at bats. Matsuzaka is also 5-0 in six career starts at Sapporo Dome, the Fighters new home park., with a 1.41 ERA. |
| Kintetsu | |
| After pitching well enough to win his first start in a long time Wednesday, new addition Tetsuro Kawajiri said that he recommends drinking some potato shochu (an alcoholic beverage) and munching on some snacks while watching him toil at the center of the diamond. | When apprised of this, a team official said that he would think about selling that combination at the ballpark in what would probably be called a "Horoyoi set." The word translates as "tipsy." |
| Lotte | |
| First baseman Seung-yeop Lee's father will be at Saturday's game
against Daiei at Chiba Marine Stadium.
According to Sankei Sports, the team will wear a specially designed |
uniform based on happi coats on Sundays. It was reportedly Bobby Valentine's idea, as he wanted to use something based on traditional Japanese dress. There aren't any photos of the new togs as yet, though, They will be debuted at Sunday's game. |
| Nippon Ham | |
| Manager Trey Hillman, who is rumored to be headed back to the Texas
Rangers dugout after this season, electrified reporters when he told them
that he had talked to his translator about resigning after
he team had dropped its first three games. After seeing the reaction |
of the assembled beat writers, he disclosed that it was just an April Fools joke and that he hopes his team can rebound with a sweep of Seibu in an upcoming series. |