Midori no Ya! An *** Expansion Dynasty

[tehsuigi]

All-Stars
* RHP Shigejiro Matsumoto has strugged with the long ball this season, but his 2.72 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, and 13.9 K/9 over 112 1/3 IP earned him the all-star nod easily
* LHP Isamu Hiratsuka continues to deliver on his contract extension, a 4-1 record with a 1.59 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and 15.2 K/9 over 39 2/3 IP. 1.7 WAR as a reliever!
* LHP Rintaro Takashima may be headed to the rotation soon, but his 3-0 record 13 saves, 2.01 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and 12.4 K/9 over 31 1/3 IP are good for an All-Star nod
* Old reliable C Yasutoki Kato earned an All-Star bench slot with his .267/.346/.338 slash line
* 2B Keiichi Sugiyama will be starting for the PL all stars, with a .240/.330/.410 slash line and 2.6 WAR on the strength of his top-notch defense
* 3B Koji Kashima will also start for the PL on the strength of his 20 HRs and .278/.350/.505 slash line, good for 3.6 WAR
* RF Luis Alejandrez, that ridiculous speed demon, is going to the All-Star game with his .362/.390/.505 slash line, 11 HRs, and 52 SB. Good for 4.8 WAR so far.

Future Stars
* RHP Chae-bong Kim had a rough first half-season with AAA Shinano, but his 1.58 WHIP and 6.8 K/9 are still good for 0.7 WAR
* RHP Fuyuhiko Yasuda is putting a strong second season in AAA Shinano together, with a 4-1 record, 3.74 ERA, and 10.9 K/9 over 53 IP
* RHP Katsushi Sato has been an electric arm in the Shinano bullpen in his first pro season, with 39 IP, 1.10 WHIP, 2.08 ERA, and 13.4 K/9
* 3B Akitada Taira's .475 slugging and 114 wRC+ earned him a nod
* SS Nobuyoshi Ito's .303/.452/.443 slash line and 0.5 WAR have him knocking on Shizuoka's door next season. The next Yui Nakamura?

The Shizuoka Volley - August 1, 2037
Arrows Updates, Quick and On Target!

* An 11-7 July has added a couple games onto the lead for Shizuoka, as they're 4.5 ahead of Orix for the PL pennant
* Kudos to 3B Koji Kashima for winning PL Batter of the Month! A .362 BA, 6 HRs, and 14 RBIs for the temporary (?) captain.
* LHP Hiromitsu Nishi won Rookie of the Month again, ho-hum. He finally lost a game, but the 1.76 ERA and 13 Ks in 15 1/3 IP are still solid.
* The Arrows and Yomiuri Giants made the only deadline deal, sending 1B Masuho Aoyama to the Kyojin for CF Masaharu Takeuchi. Takeuchi's value is in defense, and if Tsuchiya gets injured again, he's a capable replacement.
* 2B Keiichi Sugiyama scorched the league last month, slashing .333/.444/.600 with 2.3 WAR in one month. Just absurd.
* After a strong first half of the season for RF Shizue Uchino, last month was a step back. He managed to stay with the big club, though.

[tehsuigi]

GM Notebook - September 1, 2037

Next week is gonna be big. We play Orix at our place for a 3 game set, and they're only 3.5 behind us. Then we play Lotte 3 games at their place, and they're....16.5 back. Okay, maybe just the first half of the week is big.

We had a bit of a backslide last month, going 15-11. Nishi won Pitcher of the Month and Rookie of the Month again, so glad to see he's picking up the pitching slack. I just hope he doesn't have a sophomore slump like Maeda's having.

The big ticket item for me is going to be freeing up some salary space. If Tsuchiya doesn't opt out, I'm kinda screwed; if he does, I've got Takeuchi as a backup at least. It might finally be time to say bye to Shizue Uchino, the original green man. Sidebar: find out what got into Morioka's bat, and keep it there.

Shuta Kurokawa's almost back from rehab, and having him back will slam the door in the bullpen. Only question is who moves down, Sakaguchi or Onishi. And Alex Gallardo's about to start his rehab!

[tehsuigi]

GET IN! ARROWS CLINCH THE PENNANT
Kitahiroshima, September 22, 2037

The Pacific League turned into a two-horse race after a month or so, but Shizuoka was able to keep the lead tape to tape, and today, the Arrows emphatically clinched the pennant with a 7-0 win over the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, extending their win streak to 6.

Arrows ace Shigejiro Matsuomoto punched out 14 Fighters over his 8 1/3 innings of shutout work, center fielder Yukiichi Tsuchiya led the game off with a solo home run and that was all the team needed. Left fielder Brad Chapman's pair of dingers certainly helped.

The Shizuoka Arrows will finish the season with 3 players north of 30 homers in Chapman, third baseman Koji Kashima, and first baseman Tomosaburo Morioka, who may have had the best second half of anyone in the team. And right fielder Luis Alejandrez ran away with the batting title for the second straight year, improving his average to a ridiculous .365.

Odds are the Arrows will host the Buffaloes barring an upset - the third playoff spot is still open as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Chiba Lotte Marines, and the Fighters are all 1 game apart with two to play.

EDIT: The 98-45 record the Arrows finish with ties their franchise high in 2030...when they won the PL pennant and Japan Series. And Alejandrez finished at .367 for his BA.

[tehsuigi]

2037 Pacific League Climax Series Final Stage

It is indeed the Orix Buffaloes as opponent for the Shizuoka Arrows, as they staged a 7th-inning comeback in Game 3 of the First Stage to get past the Chiba Lotte Marines. Shizuoka gets a one-game advantage as PL pennant winner.

Game 1: Shizuoka 2, Orix 0
This game was settled by three Shizuoka Arrows: starter Shigejiro Matsumoto who struck out 13 Buffaloes over 7 shutout innings, closer Rintaro Takashima who struck out 4 in 2 innings of shutout work, and DH Brad Chapman whose 3rd-inning, 2-out, 2-run home run made up all the offense in the game. Buffaloes starter Luis Ibarra held the Arrows to only two hits and one walk over his 7 innings of work, with the home run a rather noticeable blemish.

Game 2: Shizuoka 4, Orix 3 (10 innings)
Luis Alejandrez may be the scariest batter in this line-up, and he proved it in the 10th inning with a 2-out sayonara double off Orix closer Willie Betancourt to score RF Shizue Uchino. Arrows starter Hiromitsu Nishi allowed only one run on three hits and a walk in 7 innings, but reliever Yasunaga Suzuki blew the save in yielding a 2-run home run to Buffaloes first baseman Tomohisa Miyahira with two outs in the top of the 9th, but recovered for the 10th to get the win.

Game 3: Orix 7, Shizuoka 6 (11 innings)
There goes the sweep attempt. Buffaloes RF Corbin Carroll was a menace in this game, with a 2-run home run in the top of the 9th off Shizuoka closer Rintaro Takashima to tie the game, and a solo shot off reliever Yasunaga Suzuki in the 11th to put Orix ahead. The Arrows yielded 3 runs early, but clawed back to a 6-4 lead that they couldn't hold.

Game 4: Shizuoka 8, Orix 4
The celebrations were only delayed a day, in the end. Shizuoka center fielder Yukiichi Tsuchiya, right fielder Luis Alejandrez, DH Shizue Uchino, and catcher Yasutoki Kato all picked up 3 hits as the Arrows drubbed Orix starter Yasuo Iizuka and four relievers. Shizuoka's starter Eiji Hoshida was cruising through 8 innings (on pace for a Maddux), but gave up a pair of 2-run home runs in the top of the 9th to get Orix on the board. Reliever Narihira Kimura took over and closed the game out without issue.

Yukiichi Tsuchiya and his .429/.455/.762 slash line earned MVP honours.

The Shizuoka Arrows will face the team that overcame a 3-1 series deficit to upset the pennant-winning Yomiuri Giants...the Hanshin Tigers.

[tehsuigi]

There comes a time in every franchise's life where they have to play the villain in a storyline where an upstart David tries to take down Goliath. The Yomiuri Giants were it for the Shizuoka Arrows' first Japan Series (and their second and their fourth). The Orix Buffaloes were it for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars and Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

And now, the Shizuoka Arrows get to be the living embodiment of the Curse of the Colonel. The Hanshin Tigers haven't been to the Japan Series in 23 years, and haven't won the thing in 52 seasons (their only win in franchise history was 1985).

They're in the midst of a ridiculous Cinderella run, as they snuck into the playoffs by a single game over the Hiroshima Carp. They scored the most runs in the Central League, but also allowed the most runs, with a run differential of a mere 7. (The Arrows' is 266). But they overcame a Game 1 loss to beat the Swallows in the First Stage, and a 3-1 deficit against their hated rivals, the Yomiuri Giants, in the Final Stage.

For the first time in two decades, Hanshin Koshien Stadium hosts the Japan Series.

2037 Japan Series

Game 1: Shizuoka 6, Hanshin 0
The game was close for 2 2/3 innings, then the wheels fell off for Hanshin starter Yohsuke Kobayashi.

• Pitcher Shigejiro Matsumoto (!) hit a single to center
• Center fielder Yukiichi Tsuchiya hit a line drive single to right
• Third baseman Koji Kashima hit a liner to center to load the bases
• Right fielder Luis Alejandrez reached on a dropped fly ball to Tigers second baseman Noah Smith, allowing a run to score and everyone to move 90 feet
• First baseman Tomosaburo Morioka poked a grand slam just inside the right field foul pole.

That would suck the air out of any stadium.
Smith and Hanshin first baseman Takehiko Tsuji combined made 3 errors, and the entire Hanshin lineup only had one hit (catcher Tetsuya Inouye with a single). Arrows starter Matsumoto struck out 14 over 8 shutout innings, with Rintaro Takashima a hitless 9th.

Game 2: Shizuoka 6, Hanshin 5
Heck of a welcome back for Arrows pitcher Alex Gallardo, making his first start from the injured list. He only lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. Most of the damage was done by Hanshin left fielder Soichiro Morino and right fielder Kazuhisa Yoshikawa, both with 2-run 2-out homers. Shizuoka tied it at 5s with an RBI single from center fielder Yukiichi Tsuchiya, chasing Tigers starter Luis Morales from the game. It was Tsuchiya who delivered the go-ahead run in the top of the 9th with a sac fly to score pinch-hitter Takao Okamoto from 3rd after his double. Shizuoka closer Rintaro Takashima with two shutout innings getting the win. Morioka and RF Shizue Uchino with their second home runs of the series each.

Game 3: Shizuoka 3, Hanshin 2
Things were close in this game too, with the Tigers nursing a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the 7th thanks to solo home runs from second baseman Noah Smith and first baseman Jushiro Yoshimoto, before Shizuoka pinch hitter Takao Okamoto and right fielder Luis Alejandrez hit run-scoring singles to hand the lead back to the home squad. Ito En Park was raucous from start to finish in this one. Reliever Yasunaga Suzuki with a two-inning save scattering three hits, but no runs - a strong performance after a rough Final Stage.

Game 4: Shizuoka 2, Hanshin 0
This was Shizuoka first baseman Tomosaburo Morioka's day. His solo home run in the 6th chased Hanshin starter Takaharu Tsuchiya from the game, and he added a second RBI on a sac fly to make it 9 in total for the series in the 7th. He even completed an unassisted double play in the 8th to snuff out a Hanshin rally. Arrows starter Atsumori Maeda allowed only two hits and a walk in 7 shutout innings, with Rintaro Takashima and Yasunaga Suzuki completing the team shutout. The last out was Tigers left fielder Soichiro Morino's lazy fly ball to center field.

This isn't even the most humiliating Japan Series appearance for the Tigers. They got swept in 4 by the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2005, by an aggregate score of 33-4. This one at least was only 17-7.

Back-to-back. Again. In GM tehsuigi's home country of Canada, that's called a double-double.

[tehsuigi]

2037 Season Review

No practice tomorrow.

[tehsuigi]

The Double-Double Gang: How the 2037 Arrows were Built

Draft Picks
* LHP Isamu Hiratsuka, 3rd round in 2025
* C Noriyoshi Ito, 9th round in 2030
* RHP Taju Kawada, 3rd round in 2034
* LHP Narihira Kimura, 2nd round in 2032
* RHP Shuta Kurokawa, 2nd round in 2033
* RHP Shigejiro Matsumoto, 2nd round in 2031
* LF Shigejiro Matsunaga, 1st round, 16th overall in 2029
* 1B Tomosaburo Morioka, 1st round, 18th overall in 2031
* SS Yasuyuki Nakano, 8th round in 2030
* LHP Hiromitsu Nishi, 1st round, 12th overall in 2035
* LF Takao Okamoto, 4th round in 2031
* RHP Yasunaga Suzuki, 2nd round in 2028
* 1B Tsuyoshi Taguchi, 5th round in 2026
* LHP Rintaro Takashima, 1st round, 14th overall in 2032
* RF Shizue Uchino, 1st round, 2nd overall in 2021 (still here, but for how long?)
* 3B Terukatsu Watanabe, 3rd round in 2031

Free Agents
* SS Pasqualino Casale, 2036-37 offseason
* RHP Etsuro Fukuda, 2036-37 offseason
* RHP Alex Gallardo, 2034-35 offseason
* RHP Masaji Hayashi, 2035-36 offseason
* C Yasutoki Kato, 2028-29 offseason
* RHP Hisaji Sakaguchi, 2031-32 offseason

Trade
* 2B Keiki Arakaki, from Chunichi with LF Homare Niimi for SS Natsuki Hashimoto
* RHP Eiji Hoshida, from Ehime Honda for RF Reizo Nishimoto, 3B Ryota Miyake, RHP Tetsuzo Kobayashi
* CF Yoshihisa Fukuda, from Hanshin for LF Yoshiaki NIshimura and RHP Yuifumi Nishimura
* 3B Koji Kashima, from Okinawa Kirin for LHP Yoshimitsu Ota
* RHP Atsumori Maeda, from Yomiuri with RF Makio Komatsu and 2B Kikuma Miyata for 2B Masari Miyamoto and LF Matsuyo Sugiyama
* SS Yui Nakamura from Hiroshima for SS Yoshizo Masuda and LHP Masahiko Maruyama
* RHP Isamu Ochi, from Fukuoka SoftBank for RHP Yoshiya Kobayashi
* 2B Keiichi Sugiyama, from Yomiuri with 1B Katzumi Watanabe, 1B Mamoru Fujimori, RHP Yuto Kanakubo, and CF Yukiichi Tsuchiya for LHP Tetsuya Yoshimoto, 1B Kikuo Kawamoto, 2B Taisei Murakami, RHP Yoshihide Yonamine, and RHP Yoshihiro Ito
* 3B Mitsunobu Suzuki, from Nippon-Ham for SS Tadasu Shimizu and RHP Sachiko Hoshino
* CF Masaharu Takeuchi, from Yomiuri for 1B Masuho Aoyama
* CF Yukiichi Tsuchiya, see Sugiyama

Acquisition
* RF Luis Alejandrez, from Road Warriors (ATL)
* LF Brad Chapman, from Kansas City T-Bones (AA)
* RHP Keitaro Onishi, from Kishu Rangers (KANDOK)
* RHP Joe Rogers, from Tupper Lake RiverPigs (EPBL)

[tehsuigi]

2037-38 Offseason

Arbitration and Free Agency
* CF Yukiichi Tsuchiya has opted out of the remaining two years and team option of his contract; the Shizuoka Arrows have indicated they will not extend him.
* Also leaving in free agency are RHP Eiji Hoshida, SS Yui Nakamura, RHP Yasunaga Suzuki.
* The following players have been declined arbitration and will become free agents: RHP Alex Gallardo.
* The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters have acquired RHP Amane Koga and CF Yoshihisa Fukuda from the Shizuoka Arrows for RF Takayuki Arakaki. The move is intended to bolster both teams' minor league systems.
* With Gallardo leaving the team, the Arrows have made Koji Kashima's captaincy permanent.

Awards Season
* Arrows second baseman Keiichi Sugiyama and shortstop Yui Nakamura earned Golden Gloves for their efforts this season. Notable by omission is catcher Yasutoki Kato; his streak was broken by Kanichiro Kawai of the Chiba Lotte Marines.
* Shizuoka right fielder Luis Alejandrez earned Best Nine honours at Right Field for his .367/.405/.577 slash line, 27 HRs, 77 stolen bases, and 179 wRC+. No player has logged more than 70 SB since 1974, and Alejandrez was only caught 7 times.
* As expected, LHP Hiromitsu Nishi was the unanimous Rookie of the Year award winner, with his 17-2 record and 2.61 ERA over 23 starts. 158 Ks in 152 IP was solid. Arrows reliever Narihira Kimura finished 5th, and starter Taju Kawada finished 7th.
* Shizuoka manager Paul Paez won his second straight Manager of the Year award
* Arrows pitcher Shigejiro Matsumoto was the unanimous winner of the Eiji Sawamura award, with a .167 oAVG, 284 Ks in 183 innings, and 2.31 ERA. The 13-9 record was hardly a factor. Nishi finished 4th.
* And finally, Alejandrez's 9.5 WAR mark (the highest in franchise history) earned him rightful MVP honours. Other Arrows with votes included 3B Koji Kashima (5th), Matsumoto (6th), 1B Tomosaburo Morioka, Nishi, and LF Brad Chapman.

And in *** news: After another season of losing ballgames and money, the Okinawa Kirin Spirit have announced they will be leaving Naha at the end of next season for Kyoto. For next season and onward, they have dropped "Okinawa" from the team name as well. This has naturally raised the ire of both Okinawans and the Orix Buffaloes (who treat all of Kansai as their territory in the PL), so watch this space for more updates.

2037 First Year Draft
The Shizuoka Arrows are drafting last by dint of their best-in-*** finish, and opted to select center fielder Takatoshi Tamaki from Aichi Meiden HS with their first round selection. Tamaki has the tools to contribute with both glove and bat in a few years.
2. Setsujiro Naki, a leftie college starter with three OK pitches and a good curveball. If he develops as expected, he's a #6 starter.
3. Hideo Matsumoto, same idea but a right-hander. If his pitches get more movement, he'll be a great long reliever.
4. Atsushi Nakamura, switch-hitting shortstop also from Aichi Meiden HS. May profile better at 2B, but his bat is surprisingly good for the keystone.
5. Ryuzo Nagano, miscast as a 3B and likely better as a 1B. College player with a great season two years ago.
6. Bungo Yamasaki, high school right-hander with four average pitches. If his control gets above "atrocious," could be something.
7. Ritsuo Koga, switch-hitter college 3B who could fill the role. I like his line-drive bat and speed.
8. Unpei Ueda, switch-hitting 1B/DH out of high school with a lot of promise in his bat.
9. Tomohiro Miyahira, the usual catcher.
10. Ikuo Hoshino, 2B/SS out of college. Noodle bat, but a decent fielder.

Winter Meetings and Adjacent
* A week before the Winter Meetings in Honolulu, the Shizuoka Arrows acquired the services of RHP Katsuyoshi Ogawa from the Long Island Ducks; Ogawa had spent the last four seasons with the Kirin Spirit, putting together a 6-10 record and 0.9 WAR over 23 starts; he'll be in the mix for a starting role in Shizuoka.
* The Arrows also added catcher Tetsuya Inouye on a minor league deal; he'd been the primary catcher for the Hanshin Tigers, but had a rough season last year.
* Two players are now ex-Arrows - RHP Eiji Hoshida signed a 6-year, 23.2M pact with the Hanshin Tigers, and CF Yukiichi Tsuchiya inked a 6-year, 31.8M contract with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
* The discussions lasted through the night, with Shizuoka Arrows and Saitama Seibu Lions front office staff locked into a conference room. The next day, the news was public. The Arrows will be getting the Lions' top CF prospect Akiho Sana (#8 in OSA), LF/DH Shigeo Tanigawa (3-time PL MVP), and 19-year-old RHP Toyonobu Nishino. Seibu has acquired 3B Akitada Taira (#36 prospect), RHP Taju Kawada, RHP Yoshiaga Sasa, and CF Masaharu Takeuchi (who Shizuoka got at last trade deadline).
* After the Winter Meetings, the Arrows added RHP Tetsuro Shishido on a 1-yr/310K deal. He's expected to be a backup starter or swingman in the bullpen.
* And at the start of the new year, LHP Kikaku Nakayama returned to the Arrows on a 1-year, 630K contract. Nakayama was posted to the Phillies in 2034 by the Arrows, and was released just this year.7
* As the preseason started, Gold Glover SS Yui Nakamura rejoined the Shizuoka Arrows on a 4-year, 1.41M contract. This was unexpected, as Nobuyoshi Ito was called up to handle the role, but GM tehsuigi clearly wanted his defense top-notch and appealed to Yui's winning habits with the Arrows club.

[tehsuigi]

2038 Opening Day Roster
The back-to-back champs are geared up for their latest run at glory. Notable additions to the roster include two home-grown prospects: Kim Chae-bong will join the rotation as the #1 prospect in ***, and Katsushi Sato gets into the bullpen (for now) as the #3 prospect.

Pitchers
Rotation: RHP Shigejiro Matsumoto, RHP Kim Chae-bong*, LHP Rintaro Takashima, LHP Hiromitsu Nishi, RHP Atsumori Maeda, RHP Joe Rogers
Bullpen: RHP Katsushi Sato, RHP Masaji Hayashi, LHP Isamu Hiratsuka, RHP Shuta Kurokawa, RHP Keitaro Onishi, LHP Kikaku Nakayama*
Closer: LHP Narihira Kimura

Fielders
Catcher: Yasutoki Kato, Tetsuya Inouye*
First Base: Tomosaburo Morioka, Tsuyoshi Taguchi
Second Base: Keiichi Sugiyama, Yasuyuki Nakano
Third Base: Koji Kashima, Terukatsu Watanabe
Shortshop: Yui Nakamura, Nobuyoshi Ito*
Left Field: Brad Chapman, Shigeo Tanigawa* (DH)
Center Field: Akiho Sana*, Shigejiro Matsunaga
Right Field: Luis Alejandrez, Shizue Uchino

Yes, that's right, Takashima's joining the rotation to keep Sato's spot warm.

The Shizuoka Arrows will raise their banners on Day 1 of the season, hosting the Saitama Seibu Lions.

EDIT: Everything worked right for the Arrows as they raised their 2037 Japan Series banner. New DH Shigeo Tanigawa slugged a 447-ft home run in the bottom of the 1st that was all the team needed...except LF Brad Chapman went 3-for-4 with a 2-run shot and new CF Akiho Sana went 4-for-5 with a 2-run homer of his own. RHP Shigejiro Matsumoto went the distance, giving up two solo home runs among 7 hits and 1 walk, striking out 14 Lions.

[tehsuigi]

The Shizuoka Volley - May 1, 2038
Arrows updates, fast and on target!

* It's a hot-as-heck start for the Arrows, going 21-8 to lead the PL by 3.5 games over the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
* New faces Shigeo Tanigawa and Akiho Sana are both batting over .300, and it's rubbing off on teammates Tomosaburo Morioka and Brad Chapman. Just wait for Luis Alejandrez to get his bat going!
* We wish a speedy recovery to Yui Nakamura, who broke a bone in his elbow two weeks ago. Nobuyoshi Ito's getting a trial by fire for sure!
* We know manager Paul Paez pushed back against Katsushi Sato wearing a single-digit jersey as a pitcher, but he's #1 in both program and rookie rankings this month. 4-1 record with 43 Ks and a 1.76 ERA in 30 2/3 IP to get the Rookie of the Month award!
* We heard the Arrows are going to be joining the annual Summer (or Natsu) Jersey program for the first time. GM tehsuigi was coy about the design, but said it'd be "too retro for this team." Look for the jersey to appear after the All-Star Break and be worn until the end of August.

[tehsuigi]

The Quiver - June 1, 2038
Your Shizuoka Arrows News Source!

OKAY. RIGHT. SURE.
20-6 IN MAY.
ELEVEN AND A HALF GAMES UP ON ORIX.
If you aren't excited about this Arrows team, you may not have a pulse.

Congratulations to our closer, Narihira Kimura for his Pitcher of the Month win! 11 saves in 15 apeparances, 1.72 ERA and 33 K's over 15 2/3 IP. Only 7 hits and 2 walks. Yasunaga who?

Sadly, the Arrows lost one of their most exciting prospects in Katsushi Sato, as he left his last start with a stretched elbow ligament. We'll be seeing him again next year. Tetsuro Shishido, added this offseason, joins the rotation to cover for him.

Worth noting - Shigejiro Matsumoto has two 16-K starts this month. He's got Sawamura in his eyes.

Interleague is up next month, which usually does a number on us. Here's hoping it won't this time!

[tehsuigi]

GM Notebook - July 1, 2038

Interleague was actually decent this year - 15-9, tied for 2nd with Nippon-Ham and Orix. Yomiuri took the Interleague title at 16-8.

Still, we kept our 11.5 game lead in the PL at the first break.

Interleague roughed us up in different ways, though - Atsumori Maeda tore his UCL part-way and had to go visit Dr. James Andrews III to get TJ surgery done. We called up Katsuyoshi Ogawa to fill his spot in the rotation. I've got one more good starter in AAA, and it's our new #5 prospect, Takao Koike. Here's hoping I don't need him.

No monthly awards, but I think Kim Chae-bong is getting snubbed in the Rookie races here. 8-4 with a 2.46 ERA so far? He better get some recognition soon.

Okay, Natsu jerseys are ready for wearing after the break. Now who to convince to show them off...

[tehsuigi]

All-Stars
* RHP Kim Chae-bong heads to the All-Star Game in his first *** season, with an 8-6 record, 2.65 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 10.6 K/9 over 98 2/3 IP
* RHP Shigejiro Matsumoto will join him, at 10-4, 3.42 ERA over 108 IP, 1.08 WHIP, and 15.3 K/9 (jeezus)
* LHP Hiromitsu Nishi gets an invite as well, at 8-5, 2.88 ERA over 103 IP, 0.99 WHIP
* LHP Isamu Hiratsuka will be a bullpen arm, thanks to his 31 2/3 IP and 15.3 K/9 over them, good for 0.3 WAR
* LHP Narihira Kimura will get the 9th inning for the PL, with 29 saves so far and a 1.27 ERA, complete with a ridiculous 17.1 K/9
* C Yasutoki Kato is back to start the All-Star Game, as his .266/.334/.434 slash line is among the best he's had at this point. Well-earned recognition for the pending FA.
* 1B Tomosaburo Morioka has bloomed into a stud since last year's break, slashing .255/.348/.557 with 23 HRs so far.
* 3B Koji Kashima will also start the big game with a head full of steam, slashing .306/.366/.537 with 18 HRs, leading the PL with 74 RBI
* LF/DH Shigeo Tanigawa heads to the All-Star Game in his first (only?) season as an Arrow, slashing .304/.391/.597 with 18 HRs. He's really been a great addition to this lineup, and will start as DH.

Future Stars
* LHP Takao Koike has struggled since moving to the rotation, but his 8.3 K.9 belies his 6.17 ERA and 1.85 WHIP over 53 IP to indicate there's something there
* RHP Mike Yates only has two starts, but it was still good enough to get an All-Star nod coming back from injury.
* RHP Seishiro Nakatani's first season in AAA has been strong, with a 3.75 ERA over 12 IP and a 9 K/9
* Bullpen-mate LHP Setsujiro Naki's 5-1 record and 4.22 ERA over 49 IP, with a 1.22 WHIP are all as a starter in AA, but he's earned the promotion

THE EIGHTIES CALLED, THEY LIKE YOUR STYLE
SHIZUOKA - July 16, 2038

In a special event for fans, the Shizuoka Arrows' first ever summer jersey was unveiled. OF Shigejiro Matsunaga and 1B Tomosaburo Morioka were on hand to model it.

"I know the fans have been clamouring for a lime green jersey since we started playing," Matsunaga said, "but I don't think this was what they had in mind."

The design evokes the 1980s with a centered logo, arched text, and pullover button-less design. The Arrows also added a new cap logo to go with it, which some say bears a striking resemblance to a certain sandwich shop.

Needless to say, it'll fit right in with the other summer jerseys, with Rakuten and Yakult also going green this year.

[tehsuigi]

DEADLINE SHOCKER - UCHINO TO SOFTBANK
SHIZUOKA - July 31, 2038

Arrows GM tehsuigi is known for being bold at the trade deadline, but this is more so than usual for him.

For the first time in franchise history, outfielder Shizue Uchino is not a Shizuoka Arrow.

He was sent with 3B Terukatsu Watanabe and minor-league Usaburo Takai to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks for right-handed starter Sachiko Hoshino (who was an Arrow before from 2034-36) and catcher Toshiichi Kashima. Hoshino joins a Shizuoka rotation that's been depleted due to injury as the team fumbled to a 10-10 month after today's win at ES CON Field in Kitahiroshima.

Uchino ends almost 16 years of service with the Arrows organization, with one further year on his contract. His next potential appearance at Ito En Park will be September 17-18 in the second-to-last home series of the year.

GM Notebook - August 1, 2038
That hurt my soul. Chapman and Matsunaga are both on cold streaks, and Kashima can't carry this team himself. Still, 10 up on Orix with two months to play. Barring calamity (and that's why we got Hoshino!), we should be okay. If this record keeps up, though, we burn the neon green jerseys.

[tehsuigi]

GM Notebook - September 1, 2038

13-13 in August, actually gaining a game on Orix. 79-45 and counting down the magic number (it's 9 right now!). At least Uchino's been doing okay over in Fukuoka.

Still, burn those neon green jerseys. Bad luck.

In a sidebar, 3B Akitada Taira, the guy we traded to Seibu for Sana and Tanigawa has 52 home runs this season, winning Batter of the Month and Rookie of the Month. Minor regrets, he probably wouldn't be doing that away from MetLife Dome.

I need to see some improvement from these guys, especially the left fielders, or this will be a short postseason run.

[tehsuigi]

We need more flagpoles! Arrows clinch PL pennant in 3-0 shutout of Spirit
Ito En Park was rocking again, as the Shizuoka Arrows got out of their funk to slam the door on the Kirin Spirit. Arrows starter Joe Rogers got the hero interview with 8 shutout innings, striking out 10 Spirit, with closer Narihira Kimura setting the franchise record for most saves in a season with his 41st. Scoring came from RF Luis Alejandrez's 2-run triple in the 5th, and 1B Tomosaburo Morioka cashiing him with a single. That complets the team's sixth Pacific League pennant, and the third in a row.

End of season updates
* The Shizuoka Arrows went 10-8 in September, finishing at 89-54, 10 games ahead of Orix (who will host SoftBank in the best-of-three First Stage)
* 1B Tomosaburo Morioka finished with 40 HRs on the nose, tying Koji Kashima's 2036 season and Takahiko Arakawa's rookie debut in 2027 for most in franchise history in a season. Morioka also sits 4th on the team's career leaderboard. Akitada Taira, traded to the Lions by the Arrows, led all players with 59.
* RF Luis Alejandrez stole 56 bases to lead the league, albeit only by one over the Hawks' shortstop Koji Yamashta. Alejandrez also led the PL in triples with 7.
* 3B Koji Kashima led the PL with 117 RBI; only the Giants' Masuho Aoyama (an ex-Arrow) had more at 121.
* LHP Narihira Kimura's 44 saves were the most in ***.
* RHP Shigejiro Matsumoto had another dominant season, with 284 Ks, a 14.1 K/9, 2.51 FIP, and 6.1 WAR to pace the leagues in all categories. His 14 wins are tied with teammate Joe Rogers for 3rd best in ***, as Toshiyoshi Watanabe of Yomiuri won the pitching Triple Crown in the CL.

[tehsuigi]

2038 Pacific League Climax Series Final Stage
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks upended the Orix Buffaloes in 3 games to take on the Shizuoka Arrows; potential revenge time for four ex-Arrows on the Hawks in Uchino, LHP Yoshimitsu Ota, RHP Aatu Puikkonen, and LHP Tetsuya Yoshimoto.
As PL pennant winners, the Arrows get a one-game head start.

Oh, and shortstop Yui Nakamura's back.

Game 1: Shizuoka 6, Fukuoka SoftBank 0
Shigejiro Matsumoto put in a good day of work on the mound for the Arrows, striking out 10 Hawks in 7 innings of shutout work, with Joe Rogers (!) striking out the side twice in two further shutout innings of relief work. 2B Keiichi Sugiyama's 2 hits both earned RBIs as the best bat of the game.

Game 2: Shizuoka 4, Fukuoka SoftBank 2
Yoshimitsu Ota got his chance to humble his previous team in the postseason, scattering 6 hits for 2 runs over 7 innings of good work, with Arrow starter Kim Chae-bong leaving after 4 innings due to 3 hits, 4 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Hawks catcher Jobu Kido put SoftBank up early with a two-run shot off Kim, but the Arrows clawed back to knot it in the 7th off CF Akiho Sana's bat, before DH Shigeo Tanigawa clubbed a two-run home run of his own in the 8th off of Hawks closer Chutaro Ono.

Game 3: Shizuoka 14, Fukuoka Softbank 1
This one was NOT close. Arrows got ahead in the top of the 1st with solo home runs from Shigeo Tanigawa and RF Luis Alejandrez, broke it wide open in the 3rd with a LF Brad Chapman grand slam, and piled on three more each in the 4th (Yui Nakamura double) and 6th (Keiichi Sugiyama 3-run bomb). Arrows leftie Hiromitsu Nishi worked into the seventh allowing only one run, with Joe Rogers taking over to finish the effort.

Alejandrez wins series MVP with a .400/.444/.933 slash line and two HRs.

[tehsuigi]

2038 Japan Series
It will be a rematch of last year's with the Hanshin Tigers winning the CL pennant and disposing of the Yomiuri Giants in 4 games at Hanshin Koshien Stadium. This time, the Shizuoka Arrows have home field advantage, and this time the Tigers had the better season record. This is gonna be interesting...

Game 1: Shizuoka 3, Hanshin 2
This one almost went down to the wire, with Hanshin tying the game in the top of the 4th off a 1B Jushiro Yoshimoto RBI single, and it staying that way until the 8th. At that point, the Tigers put their closer, ex-Arrow Yasunaga Suzuki in. And the one knock against Suzuki in his time at Shizuoka was his propensity for giving up home runs...which he did to RF Luis Alejandrez in the bottom of the 8th. Narihira Kimura earned the win with his two innings of relief, allowing 2 hits and 2 walks but no runs and 4 strikeouts.

Game 2: Shizuoka 4x, Hanshin 3 (18 innings)
Yes, you read that right. EIGHTEEN INNINGS. They were gonna call this one a tie if the Arrows failed to score! The Arrows leapt out to a 3-0 lead after 2 innings courtesy of a pair of triples, one each from Luis Alejandrez and Yui Nakamura, but gave it all back when Tigers DH Shinya Kochi slugged a 3-run bomb off Arrows starter Kim Chae-bong in the top of the 3rd. And it stayed that way for 14 innings, before Arrows defensive replacement Keiki Arakaki hit a double, and Alejandrez scored him on a single to walk it off. The relievers after Kim's 7 innings were the closer Kimura, leftie Rintaro Takashima, setup man Masaji Hayashi, rightie Shuta Kurokawa, and finally emergency SP Tetsuro Shishido, who earned the win. Good thing there's an off-day tomorrow.

Game 3: Shizuoka 4, Hanshin 3
Another one-run win for the green guys, and this one also required bullpen assistance. Shizuoka starter Hiromitsu Nishi left the game in the 4th with a sore elbow, with Hisaji Sakaguchi earning the win and a blown save with his two innings of work, Takashima getting the save. The save was blown by a solo home run from Tigers pitcher Luis Morales, in the bottom of the fifth, who in turn gave up a 2-run home run to Arrows 1B Tomosaburo Morioka the next half-inning. The Tigers got 11 hits, but only two for extra bases.

Game 4: Hanshin 4, Shizuoka 0
So much for the postseason sweep. The Hanshin Tigers finally got on the board in the Japan Series with a strong outing from starter Takaharu Tsuchiya, scattering two hits and two walks over 6 1/3 innings. This game was all zeroes until the bottom of the 6th, when Hanshin rung up all four runs on Shizuoka starter Joe Rogers, including a 3-run bomb from catcher Tomotaka Oh.

Game 5: Hanshin 4, Shizuoka 0
Not a typo, the Tigers got a dominant performance from their starter, Yohsuke Kobayashi, who pitched a complete-game 2-hitter, striking out 10 arrows. 3 errors by Shizuoka didn't help matters, even though the winning run was a 1st-inning bases loaded walk from Tigers 2B Noah Smith. Back to Shizuoka we go, and things are getting tense...

Game 6: Shizuoka 7, Hanshin 0
When Arrows ace Shigejiro Matsumoto is on, he makes anyone look silly. Matsumoto struck out 15 Tigers over 8 shutout innings, allowing only two hits and a walk, and setting a Pacific League record in the process. The Arrows pummelled Hanshin's pitchers, including old friend Eiji Hoshida, with every starter getting at least one hit. The final out was made by Tigers right fielder Kazuhisa Yoshikawa, grounding out to the second baseman Keiichi Sugiyama. With that, Shizuoka erupted again. That's three in a row.

With a .345/.345/.665 slash line and 10 hits in 29 at-bats, Arrows RF Luis Alejandrez won the Japan Series MVP.

Get it? A(r)row?

[tehsuigi]

2038 Season Summary

You have to give credit to the Arrows fans - they actually put a cheer song together in English for our foreign fans. Have a listen.

We're all in for the Arrows
So bring the noise to Ito En
Go run up the score as we shout for more
Get the bell to ring again

Come along, join the crowd
Cheer the boys on good and loud
For we're all in for the Arrows
Make Shizuoka proud

We're all in for the Arrows
From Suruga to Aoi
They attack the field and will never yield
Aiming straight for victory

We will sing, we will scream
And we'll fly the double green
Because we're all in for the Arrows
Baseball's greatest team

No practice tomorrow.

[tehsuigi]

Triple Threat - How the 2038 Arrows Were Put Together

Draft Picks
* LHP Isamu Hiratsuka, 3rd round in 2025
* SS Nobuyoshi Ito, 2nd round in 2034
* 2B Takeshi Kaneshige, 4th round in 2035
* LHP Narihira Kimura, 2nd round in 2032
* RHP Shuta Kurokawa, 2nd round in 2033
* RHP Shigejiro Matsumoto, 2nd round in 2031
* LF Shigejiro Matsunaga, 1st round, 16th overall in 2029
* 2B Atsushi Mikami, 8th round in 2032
* 1B Tomosaburo Morioka, 1st round, 18th overall in 2031
* SS Yasuyuki Nakano, 8th round in 2030
* LHP Hiromitsu Nishi, 1st round, 12th overall in 2035
* LF Takao Okamoto, 4th round in 2031
* RHP Yasunaga Suzuki, 2nd round in 2028
* RHP Katsushi Sato, 1st round, 17th overall in 2036
* 1B Tsuyoshi Taguchi, 5th round in 2026
* LHP Rintaro Takashima, 1st round, 14th overall in 2032

Free Agents
* RHP Masaji Hayashi, 2035-36 offseason
* C Yasutoki Kato, 2028-29 offseason
* SS Yui Nakamura, 2037-38 offseason
* LHP Kikaku Nakayama, 2037-38 offseason
* RHP Hisaji Sakaguchi, 2031-32 offseason
* RHP Tetsuro Shishido, 2037-38 offseason

Trade
* 2B Keiki Arakaki, from Chunichi with LF Homare Niimi for SS Natsuki Hashimoto
* RHP Sachiko Hoshino, from Fukuoka SoftBank with C Toshiichi Kashima for SS Usaburo Takai, RF Shizue Uchino, and 3B Terukatsu Watanabe
* 3B Koji Kashima, from Okinawa Kirin for LHP Yoshimitsu Ota
* C Toshiichi Kashime, see Hoshino
* RHP Atsumori Maeda, from Yomiuri with RF Makio Komatsu and 2B Kikuma Miyata for 2B Masari Miyamoto and LF Matsuyo Sugiyama
* 2B Keiichi Sugiyama, from Yomiuri with 1B Katzumi Watanabe, 1B Mamoru Fujimori, RHP Yuto Kanakubo, and CF Yukiichi Tsuchiya for LHP Tetsuya Yoshimoto, 1B Kikuo Kawamoto, 2B Taisei Murakami, RHP Yoshihide Yonamine, and RHP Yoshihiro Ito
* CF Akiho Sana, from Saitama Seibu with DH Shigeo Tanigawa and RHP Toyonobu NIshino for RHP Taju Kawada, 3B Akitada Taira, and CF Masaharu Takeuchi
* 3B Mitsunobu Suzuki, from Nippon-Ham for SS Tadasu Shimizu and RHP Sachiko Hoshino
* DH Shigeo Tanigawa, see Sana

Acquisition
* RF Luis Alejandrez, from Road Warriors (ATL)
* LF Brad Chapman, from Kansas City T-Bones (AA)
* RHP Kim Chae-bong, from California Dogecoin (PA)
* RHP Keitaro Onishi, from Kishu Rangers (KANDOK)
* RHP Joe Rogers, from Tupper Lake RiverPigs (EPBL)