2038-39 Offseason Summary

Awards Season
* Golden gloves were awarded to pitcher Shigejiro Matsumoto, second baseman Keiichi Sugiyama, and center fielder Akiho Sana.
* First baseman Tomosaburo Morioka was awarded a Best Nine award.
* Starting pitcher Kim Chae-bong and Sana earned 2nd and 3rd place in Rookie of the Year voting, with Lions 3B Akitada Taira (whom Sana was traded for) winning the award
* Arrows manager Paul Paez has won his third straight Manager of the Year award
* Right-hander Shigejiro Matsumoto won the Eiji Sawamura award in a close race against Hawks starter Yoshimitsu Ota. Kim finished 3rd, and leftie Hiromitsu Nishi finished 6th.
* Third baseman Koji Kashima was the highest vote-getter in the MVP race, finishing 6th. Other Arrows with votes included Morioka (10th), Matsumoto (11th), DH Shigeo Tanigawa (13th), and Kim (16th). Marines LF Satoshi Teramoto wins the award for the second in three seasons.

Arbitration and Free Agency
* The Shizuoka Arrows have settled with all but five players: reliever Hisaji Sakaguchi, catchers Tetsuya Inouye and Noriyoshi Ito, 2B Keiki Arakaki, and SS Yasuyuki Nakano.
* Four players are leaving in free agency: catcher Yasutoki Kato, starting pitchers Sachiko Hoshino and Tetsuro Shishido, and LF/DH Shigeo Tanigawa.
* Nov 22: The Shizuoka Arrows added outfielder Sukesaburo Ishii on a minor league deal with a 250K major league option. Ishii had a 61 OPS+ and -0.3 WAR last season for the Fighters, but is a strong defensive LF and could sub in for CF too. If he sticks with the big club, look for Brad Chapman to move to DH vs RHP.
* Nov 26: The Shizuoka Arrows announced the signings of two starting pitchers - RHP Koichi Yoshinaga on a minor league deal plus bonus, and RHP Tomohiro Ono to a 4yr/5.8M contract. Ono has an opt-out halfway through. Ono is expecting to compete for a rotation spot, or failing that get into the bullpen.
* Feb 14: An interesting FA pickup, as the Shizuoka Arrows add OF Kakuya Kimoto on a minor-league deal with a 320K major league option. Kimoto was worth 4.2 WAR for the Swallows last season.
* Feb 21: Spring training is already well underway, but the Arrows made an addition that will bring a smile to many faces - catcher Yasutoki Kato has returned on a 1-year, 3.495M contract.

2038 First Year Draft
The Shizuoka Arrows, with the 17th overall pick, selected right fielder Yoshikuni Yokota from Meiji University. His bat is one of the strongest in the draft class, even if his fielding leaves something to be desired. 11 HRs in 30 games last season is drool-worthy.
2. Akihisa Katayama, college left fielder. Probably plays well at 1B too, solid high-contact leftie bat.
3. Junichiro Hirai, college right-hander. Groundballer profile with three decent pitches, none of them a fastball.
4. Nobuhiro Saito, the best fielder remaining, from U of Tokyo. Profiles as a super-utility guy because he's good in the outfield too.
5. Yukio Ogawa, 3B/2B from high school. Solid leftie contact bat, with plenty of line drive pop.
6. Tsuneo Okumura, right-handed reliever with a solid pitch mix (and no control).
7. Nobumasa Goto, same concept.
8. Tomomi Hori, high school second baseman. I like his personality and HR pop.
9. Asuya Akimoto, college catcher with good framing capabilities.
10. Masuhiro Hitomi, solid defensive centre fielder.

Winter Meetings
* Although the Shizuoka Arrows weren't the first trade in the Winter Meetings, they still made one on the first day. The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters acquired RHP Andres Valle (#98 prospect) for catcher Kiyonori Nakashima (great hands, could break with the major league club) and 2B Koji Kikuchi (probably fares better at 1B).
* The Arrows also swapped around a lot of minor leaguers, no major names.

2039 Opening Day Roster

Pitchers
Rotation: RHP Shigejiro Matsumoto, RHP Kim Chae-bong, RHP Joe Rogers, LHP Hiromitsu Nishi, RHP Tomohiro Ono*, RHP Katsuyoshi Ogawa
Bullpen: LHP Rintaro Takashima, RHP Masaji Hayashi, RHP Seishiro Nakatani*, RHP Shuta Kurokawa, LHP Kikaku Nakayama, LHP Isamu Hiratsuka
Closer: LHP Narihira Kimura

Fielders
Catcher: Yasutoki Kato, Toshiichi Kashima
First Base: Tomosaburo Morioka, Tsuyoshi Taguchi
Second Base: Keiichi Sugiyama
Third Base: Koji Kashima, Mitsunobi Suzuki
Shortshop: Yui Nakamura, Nobuyoshi Ito
Left Field: Sukesaburo Ishii*, Brad Chapman, Takao Okamoto
Center Field: Akiho Sana, Kakuya Kimoto*
Right Field: Luis Alejandrez, Shigejiro Matsunaga

RHP Katsushi Sato and RHP Atsumori Maeda are starting on the DL.

(admittedly losing interest in this sim, so updates will be intermittent)

The Shizuoka Volley - May 1, 2039
Arrows updates, hard and fast!

* 24-6 so far. 7.5 games up on Kirin for the PL pennant already. It's a long season, but the reigning champions are looking strong out of the gate.
* To no one's surprise, RHP Shigejiro Matsuomoto was named PL Pitcher of the Month for April, going 4-0 with 62 Ks over 37 IP. He's only missed double-digit Ks in one of his six starts so far.
* LF Sukesaburo Ishii got a ticket to Nagano after an atrocious slump to start the season; Brad Chapman's back in left field as a result.
* You think 1B Tomosaburo Morioka's going to break 40 HRs this season? He's already got nine!
* RHP Katsushi Sato has returned from rehab! RHP Joe Rogers moves to the bullpen to fit him, and RHP Shuta Kurokawa heads to Nagano for now.
* Here's hoping Rintaro Takashima can right his season; it's a rough start for the leftie.
* New acquisition Tomohiro Ono has been proving his worth with a 4-0 record over 5 starts and 1.91 ERA. Keep up the good word, kiddo!

The Quiver - June 1, 2039
Your Shizuoka Arrows News Source!

Welcome to Interleague once again, everyone! We know this usually spells doom for our boys in green, but a 17-9 May complete with an 8-game win streak has put them comfortable into the PL lead. 10.5 games up on the Lions.

Before we move on, a hearty congratulations to our old friend Shizue Uchino, who slugged his 400th home run earlier in the month for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. His number 7 is just waiting to be retired by Shizuoka, I bet.

Congratulations also due to RHP Shigejiro Matsumoto, who earned his second Pitcher of the Month award in a row. 4-1 in 5 starts, 61 K's over 38 1/3 IP and a 2.82 ERA.

In terms of impressive performances, what got into Masashi Koide?! With Takao Okamoto and Makoto Fukuhara injured last month in short order, Koide got the chance to work into the roster. He's got a 1.334 OPS over 36 PA so far, already at 0.9 WAR. Wouldn't be surprised if he sticks with the squad as an RF or DH.

It's great to see Katsushi Sato pick up where he left off last month. If he can keep it up, then the Arrows have a truly scary 1 thru 4 in the rotation (with Tomohiro Ono having a rough May and being demoted out of the rotation). There's an interesting rumour going around regarding Joe Rogers maybe being dangled as a trade piece, too, with Keitaro Onishi doing solid in AAA.

Here's hoping the interleague schedule is kind to us!

The Shizuoka Volley - July 1, 2039
Arrows Updates, fast and on target!

* The Arrows went 13-11 in interleague, with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters winning the interleague with a 16-8 record. Still, the squad's first in the PL by a wide margin.
* Any rumours of Joe Rogers getting traded got squelched by Hiromitsu Nishi going on the IL for two months and Rogers winning PL Pitcher of the Month with a 4-0 record in 4 starts, allowing only 21 baserunners over 25 innings.
* Trade deadline is fast approaching, and no one's quite sure what moves will be made by GM tehsuigi. One thing that may need to be addressed soon: will catcher Yasutoki Kato get an extension for his fine play so far this season? He's looking a lot better than 35 years old!

All-Stars
* Arrows ace Shigejiro Matsumoto's 12-3 record, 1.92 ERA, and 14.9 K/9 over 122 IP nabbed him the honour of starting the All-Star Game for the PL
* Rotation mate Kim Chae-bong heads there too, with his 8-3 record, 2.86 ERA, and 13.2 K/9
* Tomohiro Ono is All-Star bound for the first time in five seasons, with a 3.30 ERA and 11.5 K/9 as a reliever and spot starter; the rotation is calling him soon
* Closer Narihira Kimura had a rough patch, but his 25 saves and 15.9 K/9 still earned him 9th inning duties
* Catcher Yasutoki Kato's back to start the All-Star Game, as the grizzled veteran boasts a .280/.353/.462 slash line and 11 HRs to date
* First baseman Tomosaburo Morioka is also starting the game, thanks to his 25 HRs and .279/.358/.564 slash line
* Arrows captain and third baseman Koji Kashima's a starter too, with his .299/.355/.540 slash line and 22 HRs
* Left fielder/DH Brad Chapman is All-Star bound for the first time in his career, with a .252/.390/.573 slash line and 20 HRs

Future Stars
* Shortstop Kinya Yamamoto made his way to AAA this season, and with his 117 OPS+ and 1.6 WAR, he's earned a nod here
* Right fielder Yoshikuni Yokota's broad bat made the move to the pros handily, slashing .387/.474/.586 in AA in his first season as an Arrow.

CHUBU CHU-RADE TIME: ROGERS TO DRAGONS, NARITA & KANNO TO ARROWS
July 25, 2039

Well, so much for the rumours not being true. The Shizuoka Arrows made their customary deadline deal a week in advance, adding a dangerous DH and much-needed left-handed starter as rentals. LHP Tomohito Narita is a former Sawamura award winner who's spent his entire career with the Chunichi Dragons, and brings a 130 ERA+ over 111 1/3 IP to the Arrows, a long-needed leftie starter with Nishi likely needing more time for rehab than planned. Yasushi Kanno is naturally a second baseman, but his slash line of .306/.361/.405 is strong. His OPS+ was better last year, as his power stroke has left him this year; the hope is Shizuoka can improve that. The Arrows are also getting a reliever prospect in 20-year-old leftie Kota Okimoto.

Heading back to Nagoya are three-time double-digit winner Joe Rogers, who handled the back of the rotation well enough in his time wearing double-green, and left-handed Setsujiro Naki, who was promoted right away to contribute to the Dragons as a reliever.

GM Notebook - August 1, 2039

Well, don't I look smart. Yasushi Kanno had three hits, including the sayonara single, to win the last game in July at the deadline. 14-7 in the month, and now 13 up on SoftBank for the PL pennant.

Matsumoto's just breaking this league. Won PL Pitcher of the Month again, going 4-0 in 4 starts with 60 Ks in 33 2/3 IP. He's already equalled his career high in wins, and we've got two months to go. This is approaching Masahiro Tanaka levels of quality.

I know Sana and Ogawa may be injured...I just hope not for long. Playoffs are fast approaching. The new guys will help fill in the gaps and keep the momentum up. Going to be a fun finish to the season!

The Quiver - September 1, 2039
Your Shizuoka Arrows News Source!

Clinchmas came early this year! Yesterday's 6-3 victory over Seibu at the MetLife Dome made it official - the Shizuoka Arrows are STILL the Pacific League champions. With the entirety of September moot, the Arrows have some flexibility to balance loads and avoid further injuries. I wouldn't be surprised if Keitaro Onishi and Katsushi Sato have their regular seasons end soon to save them for the Climax Series. Katsuyoshi Ogawa's already ruled out, but the good news is Hiromitsu Nishi's returned.

The Arrows organization has also announced that 2034's first overall pick, Fuyuhiko Yasuda, is slated to make a start in the upcoming homestand against either Nippon-Ham or Lotte. Yasuda has just finished a two-year journey back from elbow ligament reconstruction surgery, and will get the chance to finally pitch in the majors because of it.

Also notable in his promotion is Toyonobu Nishino, the third piece of the trade with Seibu that brought Akiho Sana and Shigeo Tanigawa to the club last year. After 11 saves and a 1.17 ERA over 46 IP for the Grandserows in AAA, he's earned the call-up.

Oh, and another Arrow won Pitcher of the Month for August. Not the usual suspect, but our closer Narihira Kimura! He went 9-for-9 in saves, not only allowing 8 baserunners over 12 innings where he struck out 20. He could very well beat last season's 44 saves down the stretch.

Hope you got your Climax Series tickets already; they won't be available for long!

PERFECTION - MATSUMOTO'S MASTERPIECE
Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido - September 13, 2039

We all know Arrows right-hander Shigejiro Matsumoto is an ace. He's gunning for his 4th Sawamura Award, and is running away with the league lead in strikeouts, rewriting the franchise history book in the process. Next season he'll hit 2000 Ks at age 26.

What he accomplished today at ES CON Field Hokkaido against the Fighters may be his crowning achievement. A perfect game with nineteen strikeouts. That ties the league record for most in a single game, and exceeds the most strikeouts in a no-hitter or perfect game by 4 (that would be Kazukuni Ito's 15-K perfecto two seasons ago for the Yakult Swallows).

It's the second no-hitter and first perfect game in Arrows history, and 18th perfect game in ***.
That's one way to etch your name into the annals of the league.

EDIT: and one more good news story - Yasuda's fourth start in the bigs, and the last home game of the season, was a win at last.

EDIT 2: The Arrows finished the season 97-46, with Matsumoto winning the pitching triple crown. 16 wins, 2.18 ERA, 325 K's.

2039 Climax Series Final Stage

After winning Game 2 in 12 innings on a Ben Moberg solo home run on the road, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles are heading to Shizuoka to stare down the Arrows. By dint of winning the pennant, the Arrows have a one-game head start.

Game 1: Shizuoka 4, Tohoku Rakuten 3 (10 innings)
Leave it to the captain to step up in big moments. Shizuoka's third baseman Koji Kashima slugged a 10th inning sayonara home run to begin the best-of-six series with a bang. Shizuoka starter Shigejiro Matsumoto gave up 3 runs early, 2 on a home run from Eagles first baseman Michiyoshi Ishibashi, but the Arrows responded, including a solo home run from second baseman Keiichi Sugiyama in the 5th to knot the score. The score stayed that way until the 10th, with Arrows closer Narihira Kimura getting the win, striking out 6 Eagles in 3 IP.

Game 2: Tohoku Rakuten 8, Shizuoka 0
Well that was humbling. Eagles starter Chris Spence, reliever Tsuneyuki Hayashida, and reliever Tsunehiko Sakurai, combined for a 3-hit shutout of the Shizuoka offense, and their batters teed off on Kim Chae-bong and Co. Four doubles and two home runs (there's Ishibashi slugging one again) did most of the damage. Eagles right fielder Ben Moberg earned player of the game honours with his 3-for-4 day with 3 RBIs.

Game 3: Tohoku Rakuten 6, Shizuoka 4
This one was close-ish. The Arrows meted out 9 hits, but only scored in two frames thanks to right fielder Luis Alejandrez's 2-run double in the 3rd and Koji Kashina's solo shot (plus a wild pitch) in the 6th. Eagles starter Kansuke Nakata hung on for the win with 5 2/3 innings of work, with Hayashida and closer Jack O'Loughlin going scoreless the rest of the way.

Game 4: Tohoku Rakuten 3, Shizuoka 1
Ito En Park is not known for being a launching pad for home runs, but the Eagles are turning it into one this series. All of the scoring in this game came on dingers - Rakuten second baseman Yoshiie Fukumoto with a 2-run shot of Tomohito Narita to open the scoring in the 3rd, Shizuoka center fielder with a solo shot in the 8th to draw within one, and Rakuten CF Yuki Suto with one in the 9th to put it away for good.

Game 5: Shizuoka 3, Tohoku Rakuten 2 (14 innings)
This one was almost a disaster. The Arrows built up a two-run lead heading into the 8th thanks to a home run from catcher Yasutoki Kato and an RBI single from DH Yasushi Kanno, with Shizuoka starter Hiromitsu Nishi pitching seven scoreless innings. However, usually solid closer Narihira Kimura allowed a 2-run single in the top of the 9th to knot the score, with ex-Arrow Yukiichi Tsuchiya starting the rally by getting on base thanks to an error by second baseman Keiichi Sugiyama. However, like last year, Shizuoka right fielder Luis Alejandrez ended the game with a sayonara hit - this one a solo home run off Rakuten reliever Katsunori Sakamoto.

Game 6: Shizuoka 7, Tohoku Rakuten 2
This was the first loss the Eagles had in a nine-inning game all postseason, and it's in the game that mattered most. Shizuoka's starter Shigejiro Matsumoto only lasted 5 2/3 innings allowing 2 runs, but struck out 10 in that span; Kim Chae-bong, Narihira Kimura, and Tomohiro Ono sealed the rest of the deal. Rakuten starter Chris Spence struggled early, allowing 3 runs off a Kashima double, a Sana hit-by-pitch, and a bases-loaded walk from shortstop Yui Nakamura. Second baseman Keiichi Sugiyama made up for his error the previous night with two home runs in the game to earn player of the game honours and seal his case for the series MVP.

The Arrows will play the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in their fourth straight Japan Series, facing the team they beat in 7 three years ago. The Carp disposed of the Hanshin Tigers in a 3-game sweep.

2039 Japan Series

Arrows vs Carp in a rematch of the series that started this current dynastic run. Will Hiroshima have its vengeance? Since it's an odd year, the Carp will have home field advantage.

Game 1: Shizuoka 2, Hiroshima 1 (16 innings)
You just can't put this Arrows team away. It was a sacrifice fly from backup catcher Kiyonori Nakashima that finally put left fielder Sukesaburo Ishii over the plate to break a 10-inning deadlock. Both starters, Katsushi Sato for Shizuoka, and Mike McKamie for Hiroshima, were effective through six-plus innings, and the bullpens held down the fort from there. Arrows swingman Keitaro Onishi got the win.

Game 2: Hiroshima 8, Shizuoka 3
You also can't count out the Carp, as they put up seven runs across the 7th and 8th to pound a depleted Arrows bullpen. Shizuoka starter Tomohito Narita put up 6 innings of one-run ball, but reliever Masaji Hayashi gave up three earned on four hits and two walks in the 7th, with yesterday's hero Onishi yielding four runs while only getting a single out. Carp starter Hikaru Honda earned player of the game honours for his 6 innings of work. Hiroshima had 11 hits in the game, 3 from third baseman Kodai Matsuoka.

Game 3: Shizuoka 4, Hiroshima 0
Kim Chae-bong was in fine form in this game, going 7 innings while only allowing four baserunners and striking out 8. Kimura finished the game in a non-save situation. All the Shizuoka runs were off of home runs, courtesy of Kashima, Alejandrez, and first baseman Tomosaburo Morioka.

Game 4: Shizuoka 6, Hiroshima 1
Ex-Arrow Sachiko Hoshino's a fantastic groundball pitcher, but if the batted balls find gaps, he gets in trouble. That happened here, as the Arrows netted 10 hits off him over 5 1/3 innings, earning six runs. Arrows starter Matsumoto was his usual self, striking out 13 over 6 2/3 innings to earn player of the game honours. The win was not without cost, though, as Keiichi Sugiyama will have to miss the next three days with an intercostal strain.

Game 5: Shizuoka 2, Hiroshima 0
And that will put a capper on it. Arrows leftie Hiromitsu Nishi pitched seven scoreless innings, scattering four hits, no walks, and getting eight strikeouts; reliever Rintaro Takashima earned the save with two scoreless innings of his own. The two runs scored were off a Sana RBI single and Kato solo home run.

Arrows right fielder Luis Alejandrez wins Japan Series MVP for his .400/.455/.600 slash line over the five-game series.

2039 Season Summary

That final stage could've gone either way. We got lucky there, then earned that luck back in the Japan Series. Four in a row. What a club, what a run.

No practice tomorrow.

Holy Shi! Arrows' Core Makes It Four

Draft Picks
* LHP Isamu Hiratsuka, 3rd round in 2025
* SS Nobuyoshi Ito, 2nd round in 2034
* LHP Narihira Kimura, 2nd round in 2032
* RF Masashi Koide, 2nd round in 2035
* 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
* RHP Seishiro Nakatani, 6th round in 2034
* LHP Hiromitsu Nishi, 1st round, 12th overall in 2035
* RHP Katsushi Sato, 1st round, 17th overall in 2036
* LHP Rintaro Takashima, 1st round, 14th overall in 2032

Free Agents
* SS Pasqualino Casale, 2036-37 offseason
* RHP Masaji Hayashi, 2035-36 offseason
* LF Sukesaburo Ishii, 2038-39 offseason
* C Yasutoki Kato, 2038-39 offseason
* SS Yui Nakamura, 2037-38 offseason
* LHP Kikaku Nakayama, 2037-38 offseason
* RHP Tomohiro Ono, 2038-39 offseason

Trade
* 2B Yasushi Kanno, from Chunichi with LHP Tomohito Narita and LHP Kota Okimoto, for RHP Joe Rogers and RHP Setsujiro Naki
* 3B Koji Kashima, from Okinawa Kirin for LHP Yoshimitsu Ota
* C Toshiichi Kashima, from Fukuoka SoftBank with RHP Sachiko Hoshino for SS Usaburo Takai, RF Shizue Uchino, and 3B Terukatsu Watanabe
* RHP Atsumori Maeda, from Yomiuri with RF Makio Komatsu and 2B Kikuma Miyata for 2B Masari Miyamoto and LF Matsuyo Sugiyama
* C Kiyonori Nakashima, from Nippon-Ham with 2B Koji Kikuchi for RHP Andres Valle
* LHP Tomohito Narita, see Kanno
* RHP Toyonobu Nishino, from Saitama Seibu with DH Shigeo Tanigawa and CF Akiho Sana for RHP Taju Kawada, 3B Akitada Taira, and CF Masaharu Takeuchi
* 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, see Nishino
* 3B Mitsunobu Suzuki, from Nippon-Ham for SS Tadasu Shimizu and RHP Sachiko Hoshino

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 Katsuyoshi Ogawa, from Long Island Ducks (ATL)
* RHP Keitaro Onishi, from Kishu Rangers (KANDOK)

2039-40 Offseason Summary

Awards Season
* Mitsui Golden Gloves were bestowed to pitcher Tomohito Narita, second baseman Keiichi Sugiyama, and shortstop Yui Nakamura of the Shizuoka Arrows
* Third baseman Koji Kashima was the sole Arrow named to the Best Nine with his .290/.347/.541 slash line
* Paul Paez has won his fourth straight Manager of the Year Award, which makes his extension for a further five seasons in Shizuoka all the better news
* To no one's shock, Shigejiro Matsumoto won the Eiji Sawamura award thanks to his triple crown effort. Kim Chae-bong finished 3rd in voting, with Hiromitsu Nishi in 5th.
* To a great many people's shock, Shigejiro Matsumoto also finished SECOND in MVP voting to Marines LF Satoshi Teramoto. Kashima landed 4th, Kim 10th, first baseman Tomosaburo Morioka 15th, left fielder Brad Chapman 16th, and right fielder Luis Alejandrez and Nishi tied for last.

Arbitration and Free Agency
* The following players were declined arbitration: RHP Atsumori Maeda, RHP Gunji Inouye, C Toshiichi Kashima, 1B Tsuyoshi Taguchi, 2B Keiichi Sugiyama, SS Pasqualino Casale, LF Sukesaburo Ishii, and RF Shigejiro Matsunaga
* Leaving in free agency are 2B Yasushi Kanno, C Yasutoki Kato, LHP Tomohito Narita, and CF Kakuya Kimoto.

2039 First Year Draft
With the final pick of the first round, the Shizuoka Arrows drafted right-handed pitcher Fukuzo Hirata from Maebashi Ikuei high school. His fastball and slider are already ***-grade and getting better. He profiles as a potentially dominant bullpen arm.
2. Masahiro Kurihara, solid college outfielder whose bat is intriguing.
3. Tooru Kubo, the last solid starting pitcher left. Good four-pitch mix, but he needs to add some movement to his pitches to be more effective.
4. Tetsuzan Akiyama, a high-school leftie knuckleballer who also throws a changeup and curveball. This is less a functional choice and more a laboratory experiment.
5. Yukihiko Miyahara, a balanced corner infielder from high school whose contact bat may play.
6. Kenichi Ando, solid infielder (3B or 2B) with a dominant college season last year.
7. Masayoshi Nishimoto, potent power bat for a corner outfielder in high school
8. Norio Nagao, typical defensive catcher
9. Iori Shibata, college reliever with a trio of good pitches...when he throws them right.
10. Takuzo Teranishi, unimpressive leftie arm

Winter Meetings and Beyond
* The Shizuoka Arrows added leadership, a fearsome bat, a new catcher, and some prospect capital in a six-player trade with Yokohama DeNA. The BayStars added 1B Makoto Fukuhara, OF/DH Takao Okamoto, and RHP Bret Pettis, while the Arrows acquired RF Ryoji Tokuda (50% retained), C Kawanari Kondo (100% retained over 2 years), and 2B Shigeharu Tanaka.
* Needless to say this means the end of the Yasutoki Kato era in Shizuoka. What a run for the 35-year-old catcher.
* Also leaving the dynastic Arrows is Keiichi Sugiyama; he signed with the Kirin Spirit for 5 years and an average of 3.75M.
* Rejoining the Arrows on a spring training invite is right fielder Shizue Uchino - after his time in Fukuoka came to a close, he was very interested in returning to Shizuoka. Maybe to finish his career.
* Yasutoki needs to stop with the dramatics. Kato is back in Shizuoka, 1 year at 1.2M.
* Shizue Uchino was given his release after failing to make the major-league roster.

2040 Opening Day Roster

Pitchers
Rotation: RHP Shigejiro Matsumoto, RHP Kim Chae-bong, RHP Katsushi Sato, LHP Narihira Kimura, LHP Hiromitsu Nishi, RHP Katsuyoshi Ogawa
Bullpen: RHP Tomohiro Ono, RHP Masaji Hayashi, LHP Isamu Hiratsuka, RHP Seishiro Nakatani, RHP Toyonobu Nishino, LHP Kikaku Nakayama,
Closer: LHP Rintaro Takashima

Fielders
Catcher: Yasutoki Kato, Kawanari Kondo*
First Base: Tomosaburo Morioka
Second Base: Nobuyoshi Ito, Takeshi Kaneshige
Third Base: Koji Kashima, Mitsunobi Suzuki, Yoshio Kato
Shortshop: Yui Nakamura, Kinya Yamamoto*
Left Field: Brad Chapman, Masashi Koide
Center Field: Shojiro Murakami*
Right Field: Luis Alejandrez, Ryoji Tokuda* (DH), Yoshikuni Yokota*

The Arrows will raise their 4th consecutive Japan Series banner today against the Kirin Spirit. Unfortunately, they will do so without starting pitcher Fuyuhiko Yasuda, who went under the knife to repair his elbow ligaments AGAIN. Also on the DL temporarily is CF Akiho Sana.

Notable graduations from the farm include 21-year-old shortstop Kinya Yamamoto (#70 prospect), 22-year-old center fielder Shojiro Murakami, and 22-year-old right fielder/DH Yoshikuni Yokota (#44 prospect).
And yes, manager Paul Paez is going to give left-handed closer Narihira Kimura a shot in the rotation. No idea how long that will last.

The Quiver - May 1, 2040
Your Shizuoka Arrows News Source!

So it's not the dominant starts of old, but it's still solid. 17-10 to sit half a game back of SoftBank in 2nd place. The offense is tearing the cover off the ball, led by Captain Kashima and with solid contributions from just about everyone. Nobuyoshi Ito in particular has become a strong "second leadoff" man.

It's helped to make up for a rotation that's been inconsistent and a bullpen that's been sloppy so far.

The injury bug's been biting quickly, though, with Ryoji Tokuda injured until the end of the month; Brad Chapman's back as DH to fill in.

Maybe this year won't be the runaway success last year's was, but that may just make it more fun to win out in the end. Let's Go Arrows!

GM Notebook - June 1, 2040

15-11 in May. We're atop the PL but not running away with it like usual. Only ahead of SoftBank by 2.5 games, and Rakuten's only a game behind them. Uchino launching that 21st inning sayonara home run against us in Hokkaido hurt my soul, man...

I'll give Paez some credit - Kimura's been dynamite in the rotation so far, going 5-0 with a 1.54 ERA last month to win Pitcher of the Month. He's gonna stay for sure.

I think we need to make some moves to improve the squad sooner than later. I miss having a proper shutdown closer, and Brad Chapman is wearing out his welcome with Ryoji Tokuda coming back soon.

Interleague is late this year. That always rumbles me humble.

EDIT: Just before interleague, the Shizuoka Arrows have added another foreign player - 30-year-old Alex Espinosa joins the Arrows as a backup 3B and DH after some up-and-down years in the Tampa Bay minor league system.

The Shizuoka Volley - July 1, 2040

* After today's 6-3 win in Matsuyama to close interleague, the Arrows gained a game on Rakuten and are now 3.5 ahead in the PL race. Riding a six-game win streak right now too!
* Shizuoka's 15-9 record in interleague was good for second place - the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters shared the top spot at 16-8
* Alex Espinosa was a flop, so the foreign player slot is taken up by RHP Juan Miranda, a recent call-up from AAA Shinano.
* No monthly awards, but not for lack of trying. Play without the DH always stumps this squad.
* With Katsuyoshi Ogawa on the IL again, LHP Kikaku Nakayama moves into the 6-spot in the rotation.
* and-

BREAKING: BEARS AND ARROWS MAKE SEVEN-PLAYER SWAP

You can never count out Arrows GM tehsuigi when it comes to improving his team, and this deal may be one of his more savvy. He's acquired 3B Ayumu Imakake, RHP Muneo Miyamoto, and RF Reizo Nishimoto from the Niigata Komatsu Bears for a quartet of players, some of whom were key components of the Arrows' 4-peat squad. Nishimoto was an Arrow previously, from 2031 to 2033 before heading to Honda.

The Bears will be able to put LF Brad Chapman to good use, with RHP Keitaro Onishi likely joining the rotation right away. RHP Shuta Kurokawa was toiling in the Grandserows and now gets to start at the major league level, and Alex Espinosa, who had such a rough start to his *** career, gets a clean slate.

All-Stars
* Arrows ace Shigejiro Matsumoto will start the All-Star Game for the PL, with his 2.30 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 15.3 K/9 over 109 1/3 IP
* Rotation-mates Kim Chae-bong (7-2, 2.24 ERA, 13.3 K/9) and Narihira Kimura (10-1, 2.30 ERA, 0.77 WHIP) will be joining him
* Rightie reliever Toyonobu Nishino earns his first All-Star nod at age 22. A 3.00 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and 12.2 K/9 over 45 IP justify it.
* Both Arrows catchers are in the all-star game, albeit neither as starters. Still, it shows how well Yasutoki Kato and Kawanari Kondo have worked together.
* First baseman Tomosaburo Morioka's 28 HRs earned him an All-Star nod
* Arrows captain and third baseman Koji Kashima will start the big game, thanks to his .322/.389/.629 slash line and 30 HRs. If he doesn't cool off to ice, he'll set the team's single-season HR record.
* Right fielder Luis Alejandrez rebounded from a couple off seasons and is back for his 3rd All-Star Game. .302/.358/.465 slash line and 45 SBs.

Future Stars
* A sign of the paucity of the Shizuoka minor league system, only one Arrow was nominated. That said, it was center fielder Takatoshi Tamaki, who's batted .299/.492/.701 with 20 HRs in the ni-gun. Odds are good he'll be in AAA next season.

GM Notebook - August 1, 2040

It's strange to stand pat at the deadline. I mean, we got Katsuyoshi Ogawa back in the rotation after rehab, so that's close to an acquisition An 11-5 July has us 5 ahead of Rakuten for the PL pennant.

And Morioka and Kashima, our only two power threats after I traded away Chapman, are in a dogfight to set the team single-season HR record. No one in double-green's hit more than 40...but Morioka's at 29 and Kashima's at 30 with two months to go. Fingers crossed!

It's good to see Kimura back in the bullpen for the stretch drive; we can let guys like Ogawa, Ono, and Nishi start to take the load off the Big Three.

Koide's been struggling a bit; one more bad month and it's down to Shinano.