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five pitchers who are going to be part of Japan's WBC squad indicated to
team officials that they would rather train in the cooler environs of Kagoshima,
which is on the southernmost island of Kyushu, than accompany the rest
of the team to Australia. Manager Bobby Valentine was notified and gave
his permission for the quintet to stay behind. "Whatever they feel is the
best way to get themselves ready is okay with me," said Valentine, who
is currently in the U.S. Catcher Tomoya Satozaki, who is also a member
of that WBC nine, may also end up in Kagoshima as well, though he is still
awaiting approval for that. Satozaki just signed his 2006 contract for
better than $450,000, a raise of more than a quarter of a million dollars.
According to Hochi Sports, with Kenji Johjima now in MLB, that makes
Satozaki the highest paid backstop in the Pacific League right now.
Nippon Ham Righthander Yu Darvish told the press today that his goal this season is to go 11-1. The youngster has been doing two a day workouts, his regular baseball one in the morning followed by weight training for a couple of hours in the evening after dinner. He also stated that he won't be doing any drinking this season and has vowed to stay home at night. In addition, he hinted that he might bring his knuckle curve ball out of mothballs this season. He was advised to forego it last season, probably because a lot of umpires won't call a big breaker for a strike. That is also a problem in MLB. Orix First
baseman Kazuhiro Kiyohara ballooned up to as much as 265 pounds after he
had knee surgery last Auguest, but he has worked himself down to 234. He
says that he is inspired by Hanshin leftfielder Tomoaki Kanemoto, who is
a notorious
For those interested, there will
be a wake for late Kintetsu and Orix manager Akira Ogi held in his hometown
of Nakama, Fukuoka Prefecture on the 21st. It will be open to the public.
The address is Renkaji 3-7-1, Nakama Harmony Hall.
There will be another wake held at Kobe Green Stadium the same day. Cardihnals outfielder So Taguchi will be at the event. The Buffaloes indicated today that they will make Aikodai Meiden High School third baseman Naomichi Donoue their first round draft choice this coming offseason. They are one of four clubs known to be estremely interested in the schoolboy slugger. Rakuten Manager Katsuya Nomura suggested today that his team is unlikely to be able to sign free agent lefthander Kazuhisa Ishii. The Golden Eagles have been said to have offered the former Dodger a two year, $7 million deal, but Ishii's wife, former tv announcer Ayako Kisa, apparently has her heart set on living in Tokyo, so it is expected that he will make a return to Yakult even though the Swallows offer was the cheapest of the three on the table, two years at a total of somewhat over $4 million. Seibu According
to Hochi Sports, Mori wasn't happy with Tampa Bay's offer. The deadline
for the two sides to agree to a contract is midnight Wednesday and it looked
as if Mori might be back in the Lions uniform, but the Devil Rays have
now apparently just announced that they and Mori have agreed to a two year
deal with a team option for a third. Mori made about
Reliever Tomoki Hoshino's wife gave birth two days ago to a daughter. Both mother and child are doing fine. It is their first. |