Midori no Ya! An *** Expansion Dynasty

[tehsuigi]

2043-44 Offseason News

Arbitration and Free Agency
* The Shizuoka Arrows announced that 2B Nobuyoshi Ito has been posted for foreign leagues to sign.
* In an interesting twist, the Arrows and Yasutoki Kato have un-retired his jersey number. In a ceremony at Ito En Park for the team's fan appreciation day, Kato took off his jacket to reveal a Nakashima #17 jersey. "I know the guys have avoided taking my number," Kato quipped, "but I would feel better if it was behind the dish than above the rafters."
* In a pair of transactions during arbitration, the Shizuoka Arrows focused on building prospect depth. They added catcher Iemitsu Tsutsumi from the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks for RF Masashi Koide, and RHP Chihiro Morita (#80 prospect) from the Yomiuri Giants for SS Andy Lunsford and RHP Fukuzo Hirata.
* The Arrows later sent CF Shinichi Hara and 1B Kazushige Hirao to the Giants for 2B Kazufumi Ito, a utility player who can handle infield and outfield duties.
* Two players have been non-tendered - RHP Muneo Miyamoto and C Eizo Osaki.
* Joining them in free agency are RHPs Seiji Tabata and Sumiki Takeshta.

Awards Season
* Catcher Kiyonori Nakashima, third baseman Koji Kashima, and (awkwardly) right fielder Masashi Koide were the Shizuoka Arrows honoured with Golden Gloves this season.
* First baseman Tomoki Yamauchi and third baseman Kashima earned Best Nine honours at their positions.
* Make that back-to-back Eiji Sawamura awards for Arrows ace Shigejiro Matsumoto to go with his consecutive pitching Triple Crowns. A unanimous selection, with teammate Kim Chae-bong in second and even Seigo Kinjo getting some cursory votes.
* And to cap off the season, Matsumoto WON MVP. Kim finished 4th, Kashima 5th, Yamauchi 6th.

2043 First-Year Draft
With the 14th overall pick, the Shizuoka Arrows selected college left-handed pitcher Mikio Yasuda. Meiji's pitching staff must've been loaded if this guy was their closer, because his five-pitch arsenal, groundball profile, and stamina all profile as starter-quality. A steal if he develops.
2. Going with another pitcher, Yutaka Ikeda out of high school. Right-handed starter with three improving pitches. If he can harness his talent, he'll do well.
3. Shinshuu Komatsu, a left-handed outfielder from high school. Probably profiles more as a meh CF defense-wise, but his bat looks great for his age.
4. Kunikazu Ikeda, high school outfielder. Switch-hitter, and decent contact bat.
5. Shugo Shima, shortstop with good range and less of a noodle bat than his peers.
6. Yukio Kaneshiro, switch-hitting right fielder.
7. Yoshiya Aoki, another switch-hitting right fielder. I mean, these guys have to pick a side and be good at it at some point, right?
8. Tadashiro Tokunaga, the usual high-ability catcher.
9. Yutaka Funakoshi, high school first baseman with pop in his bat.
10. Shinto Hiramoto, right-handed college reliever.

Winter Meetings and After
* There's something to be said for coming full circle, and the nostalgia was thick at the Naha conference centre where the Shizuoka Arrows announced their new assistant GM, and hand-picked successor to tehsuigi - former Arrows outfielder, Seiya Yamazaki. Seiya played from 2022-2027 for the Arrows, becoming one of their early stars in those rough early seasons. He'll have 4 years to learn the ropes on his current contract before taking over.
* 22-year-old outfielder Nesty Delgado was purchased from the Somerset Patriots by the Shizuoka Arrows.
* The Yomiuri Giants acquired left-handed closer Narihira Kimura (10% retained), left-handed starter Takao Koike, right-hander Eiji Ito, and 1B Takanori Watanabe to aim squarely at a repeat title. To do this, they had to yield #14 prospect shortstop Masahisa Kobayashi, 3B Tomo Ito, and LHP Shonan Sumi to Shizuoka. This move is expected to help bolster an Arrows farm system that's beginning to bear fruit again.
* The Arrows finished the day by making a number of smaller minor-league moves. Nothing else shook out in the Winter Meetings.
* Towards the end of December, the Arrows announced a free agent signing to help bolster their bullpen - 37-year-old Isamu Ochi, who previously pitched for the Arrows in 2036. Ochi signed a 1-year plus vesting option contract with a maximum value of 1.79M USD. It's expected Ochi will take over the closer role with Kimura gone.
* And on New Year's Eve, the Arrows announced that Sumiki Takeshta would indeed return on a 3-year, 3.135M contract. Shizuoka's bullpen looks solid with him, Ochi, and McAdam holding down the backcourt.

[tehsuigi]

2044 Opening Day Roster

Some interesting roster choices in advance of the home opener against Lotte. Tetsuo Numata was a spring training try-out that worked (i.e. lets us suppress Mendez and de la Cruz for another season), and adds a decent bench bat at 3B. Also an ex-Arrow himself, from 2033-35. Yukio Ogawa returns to play 1B, with Yamauchi heading to right field. Matsuura will be the vLH DH platoon partner with Teruhide Hirata. Yuuchi Hayashi, the first round pick of the 2041 draft has graduated to the rotation. Only one leftie on the pitching staff in McAdam, that may change. Murakami becomes super-sub in the outfield, and we may add another outfielder to act as another defensive sub.

[tehsuigi]

The Quiver - May 1, 2044
Your Shizuoka Arrows News Source!

We called this team the New Jack Swing squad at the outset of the year, and so far they're showing us that moniker is apt. 39 dingers and the highest team OPS to start the year, so even though the starting pitching has been wobbly (looking at you Moritake), the Arrows are sitting pretty atop the PL, 2.5 ahead of the Eagles.

That offense is being driven by some usual suspects, like Koji Kashima (and his 400th home run), and some by the high-contact crew GM tehsuigi has brought in. Yoshikuni Yokota in particular is sporting a .400 batting average so far. Nobuhiro Saito took over from Nobuyoshi Ito at second base, and has been tearing it up as well.

Speaking of comings and goings, two new foreign players joined the squad last month. Brandon Cottle got a call up from Shinano to help out as a defensive replacement for left fielder Tomoki Yamauchi and pinch runner, with Yui Nakamura being sent down (poor fellow). And joining the bullpen as an extra closer is Alfredo Ramos, formerly of the Seattle Mariners system. He hasn't allowed a run yet in 8 innings.

Here's hoping Katsushi Sato returns to form when he returns in July, too.

Will it last? Will the Arrows return to a championship? Who's to say. But dang if it's not fun to be a fan in Shizuoka right now.

[tehsuigi]

The Quiver - June 1, 2044
Your Shizuoka Arrows News Source!

Well, interleague came early this year. Hope you're enjoying the annual Chubu Derby against the Dragons right now! It's always so fun to see the Nagoya Dome bedecked in green.

The Arrows went 18-8 in May, adding a game and a half on the Eagles for the PL pennant and opening up a wide gap on the rest of the league. Shizuoka, Rakuten, and Orix are the only teams at or above .500 right now!

As a reward for that effort, manager Paul Paez has been extended for a further 4 seasons at 444K USD per, taking him into the first year post-tehsuigi. Scouting director Naoki Nakahigashi has been extended the same length too.

The Arrows are dealing with injuries now - Nobuhiro Saito strained his PCL and is gone until after interleague, so 24-year-old Atsushi Nakamura is getting a chance to start at second base. Masami Matsuura just went down with a back injury in yesterday's loss, but we've got enough outfielders so shortstop Yoshiaga Umeda gets the call.

Then again...the team's offense is best in the league, as is the bullpen. That's why Shizuoka's looking like a Japan Series threat again.

[tehsuigi]

The Shizuoka Volley - July 1, 2044
Arrows updates, quick and on target!

* The Arrows started June with six straight losses, but then went 16-1. They finish 2nd to Yomiuri for the interleague title.
* Thanks to a 10-game win streak, the Arrows' lead on the Eagles for PL pennant is 10.5 games now!
* There's a reason he's picked up the nickname "Yo-Yo Mash" - congrats to Yoshikuni Yokota for his PL Batter of the Month award! Batting .432 with 6 HRs and 18 RBI will do that. Yokota's threatening to set the *** season record for batting average at this pace...
* Katsushi Sato and Nobuhiro Saito are both on rehab and likely back after the All-Star Break
* Moritake Hara is getting sent down to AAA Shinano to sort himself out, with Caleb McAdam finally getting a turn in the rotation

[tehsuigi]

All-Stars
* Four Arrows pitchers will head to the All-Star Game - RHP Kim Chae-bong will get the start (10-4, 2.42 ERA, 0.96 WHIP), with RHP Shigejiro Matsumoto (8-5, 2.59 ERA, 0.94 WHIP), LHP Caleb McAdam (1-0, 2.41 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and RHP Isamu Ochi (12 SV, 1.98 ERA, 0.83 WHIP) all filling out the bullpen
* First baseman Yukio Ogawa earned a reserve spot with his .296/.336/.462 slash line and 11 HRs
* Third baseman and captain Koji Kashima will start at the hot corner thanks to his .284/.345/.554 slash line and 24 HRs. Makes things harder in FA negotiations!
* Outfielder Tomoki Yamauchi will get a bench role this year, with a .280/.336/.478 slash line, 15 HRs, and 16 SB
* And starting in right, Yoshikuni Yokota and his mighty .382/.419/.718 slash line and 22 HRs. Provided he can shake his ear infection, at least.

Future Stars
* 20-year-old left-handed starter Masamune Igarashi has struggled in AAA, but still earned a nod
* 22-year-old southpaw Mikio Yasuda is 3-3 with a 2.52 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 50 IP. It's his first pro season, and he could break the Arrows roster next year at this pace.
* 18-year-old Yutaka Ikeda has done well in AAA for his age
* 20-year-old Eishin Shibazaki has improved in his second season in AAA, with 6 saves, a 2.77 ERA, and a 1.02 WHIP over 52 IP
* 21-year-old Taichi Sakamoto is garnering attention at first base thanks to his .320/.361/.442 slash line
* 21-year-old Masahisa Kobayashi is slashing .248/.355/.369 while manning both sides of second base. Another promotion candidate!
* Both Ricky Mendez and Willie de la Cruz have earned All-Star nods, with Mendez's .329/.405/.520 slash line giving him the beeline to replace Kashima next season
* And DH Hiromi Ishimaru's 7 HRs and .263/.366/.474 slash line garnered him a nomination

[tehsuigi]

The Shizuoka Volley - August 1, 2044
Arrows updates, quick and on target!

* A slight slump in August at 9-12 doesn't affect things too much, as the Arrows maintain a 10-game lead on the Eagles for the PL pennant.
* Congrats to Seigo Kinjo for PL Pitcher of the Month! 3-0 in 4 starts, 1.78 ERA with 31 Ks.
* Katsushi Sato missed another two weeks, but he looks like he's back to normal
* Here's hoping Ogawa, Hirata, and Yamauchi all break out of their slumps - this team doesn't do well with a third of the lineup wobbly
* Isamu Ochi regained his closer role from Alfredo Ramos, but those two as a two-headed monster bodes well for the postseason

[tehsuigi]

GM Notebook - September 1, 2044

I just wish Katsushi Sato's arm held out. A torn flexor tendon is going to keep him out for over a year - at this point, it might be worth it to cut our losses instead of paying him the 2M+ arb award to not play next year. Knew I should've traded him at the deadline when he was healthy...

12-13 in August, but the last five in a row have been wins. Our lead over Rakuten has shrunk to 6, but our magic number sits at 13. All hands on deck to close the season. Atsushi Nakamura has officially stolen the second base spot from Ito and Saito, he's been doing great. If our team can turn the corner after this

And oh, congrats to Isamu Ochi for his 300th save last month! Can't wait to see his plaque in the Meikyukan.

[tehsuigi]

2044 Climax Series Final Stage

The Shizuoka Arrows, pennant winners at 87-56, will host the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles who finished second at 78-65 and swept out the Saitama Seibu Lions in two straight games. The Arrows receive a one-game head start as pennant winners. Yukio Ogawa's got a strained oblique and may not play this series...

Game 1: Tohoku Rakuten 3, Shizuoka 2 (12 innings)
This one was scoreless through the regular innings, then became a see-saw affair. Eagles right fielder Toshtaka Hirayama hit a solo home run off Alfredo Ramos in the top of the 10th, then Arrows left fielder Tomoki Yamauchi knotted it with a solo shot of his own against Eagles reliever Mike Marvin. In the 11th, Eagles pinch hitter Tetsuya Ibe knocked one out off Sumiki Takeshta, but also committed an error to let Arrows second baseman Atsushi Nakamura reach and tie the game AGAIN. Ultimately, it was catcher Torikatzu Nakano who settled it with a third straight extra-innings solo home run for Rakuten. Both starters - Kim Chae-bong and Shigekatsu Maeda, went 7 scoreless and stuck out 11+.

Game 2: Tohoku Rakuten 1, Shizuoka 0
The Arrows got a great start from Koichi Yoshinaga, but the Eagles got an ever better one from Koto Oshta, 7 scoreless with only four baserunners. Ex-Shizuoka reliever Rintaro Takashima sealed the two-inning save ably. Hirayama's second inning home run stands up as the game winner.

Game 3: Shizuoka 7, Tohoku Rakuten 3
You can only keep this team's offense quiet for so long. An emphatic 3-run blast from DH Teruhide Hirata got the Arrows a 2-run lead they wouldn't relinquish. Right fielder Yoshikuni Yokota's 3-for-4 day earned him POTG honours. Atsushi Nakamura got benched for Nobuyoshi Ito...we'll see how that works.

Game 4: Shizuoka 5, Tohoku Rakuten 2
A postseason start is a trial by fire for any player, but a rookie starter? Shissho Takaki gave the Arrows 7 innings of 2-run baseball, limiting the Eagles to just 4 hits. The offense was led by Shizuoka shortstop Yukio Kanno, who broke a three-game hitless streak with a double, single, and walk. His RBI rouble in the fourth started to turn the tide.

Game 5: Shizuoka 3, Tohoku Rakuten 0
As long as the Arrows have their twin aces, it's hard for any team to get a series win against them. Shigejiro Matsumoto was at the peak of his power, striking out 13 and allowing only one hit over 7 shutout innings. Isamu Ochi went two scoreless for the save. RBIs from Arrows CF Tamaki, 1B Ogawa, and C Nakashima sealed the deal, and send the Arrows back to the Japan Series.

Arrows right fielder Yoshikuni Yokota's .364/.440/.591 slash line earned him series MVP honours.

[tehsuigi]

2044 Japan Series

This is getting Sisyphean. Every time the Hanshin Tigers roll the boulder up the mountain, winning the CL Climax Series Final Stage, they see the Shizuoka Arrows ready to push it back down. This is the 5th meetup between double green and pinstripes in the last 8 Japan Series.

Game 1: Hanshin 8, Shizuoka 1
In a reversal from years prior, Kim Chae-bong got batted around and Vince Vesper pitched into the eighth for a win. The Tigers banged out 13 hits against Kim, Tsumura, and Hayashi, including three each from left fielder Jesus Vega and DH Tango Sato. Arrows RF Yoshikuni Yokota went 4-for-4 with a home run, but no one else got anything going.

Game 2: Hanshin 3, Shizuoka 0
The Arrows' power outage continued, with only Yokota and DH Teruhide Hirata getting more than one base off Hanshin starter Masaharu Nishikawa and closer Nobuhiro Kanda. Tango Sato had a 3-hit day for the second straight game. The series heads to Hanshin Koshien Stadium with the Tigers' hopes riding high.

Game 3: Hanshin 6, Shizuoka 2
There's a growing sense of karma coming around at Koshien, as the Tigers slugged out a win in front of a raucous home crowd. Hanshin right fielder Shinya Kochi and Vega each hit two-run dingers off Arrows starter Shigejiro Matsumoto, and the Tigers bullpen survived injuries to starter Toshtsugu Uchida after 4 pitches and reliever Edwin Vargas after 2 innings.

Game 4: Hanshin 6, Shizuoka 5
This one was a roller-coaster finish, as the Tigers had a 4-0 lead heading into the top of the 8th. The Arrows forced themselves back into the picture with a 3-run innings, including Yukio Ogawa striking a 2-run single. In the top of the 9th, Shizuoka was lofted by left fielder Tomoki Yamauchi slamming a 2-run home run off Kazunori Matsumoto, in to close out the game.

But in the bottom of the ninth, with two outs already and down to their last strike, Shinya Kochi stroked a line drive single past a diving Koji Kashima, and Jesus Vega snuck a moonshot over the fence for a rapturous sayonara blast.

For the first time in 59 years, and only the second time in franchise history, the Hanshin Tigers are Japan Series champions.
Jesus Vega, with his .368/.368/.737 slash line and instantly memorable home run, earned series MVP.

They're going to be fishing fans out of the Dotonbori all week.

[tehsuigi]

2044 Season Review

Well, it wasn't the finale I envisioned, but at least we got back to the dance and won the pennant. There's some very obvious changes to make to the roster this offseason (like all of my center fielders!), but it feels like the start of the next dynasty and not the end of the last one.

[tehsuigi]

2044-45 Offseason Review

Arbitration and Free Agency
* Another year, another trade between the Yomiuri Giants and Shizuoka Arrows. This one sees the Arrows' center fielder Takatoshi Tamaki and left-handed reliever Tetsuzan Akiyama heading to Tokyo with left-handed starter Tsuyashi Endo and #38 prospect Hidetsugu Fuchigami coming back.
* The Arrows non-tendered RHP Katsushi Sato and 2B Nobuyoshi Ito.
* Heading to free agency are third basemen Tetsuo Numata and Koji Kashima.
* The Arrows also released shortstop Yui Nakamura to try and find a starting role in the majors elsewhere, buying him out of the final year of his contract at 395K.

Awards Season
* Catcher Kiyonori Nakashima and third baseman Koji Kashima were honoured to receive Golden Gloves for their efforts this season
* Right-fielder Yoshikuni Yokota and his .354/.401/.642 slash line, 36 HRs, and 14 SBs (200 wRC+!) earned Best Nine at RF, the only Arrow awarnded
* Paul Paez earned Manager of the Year for the PL
* Another year, another unanimous Eiji Sawamura for Shigejiro Matsumoto (13-8, 2.47 ERA, 279 Ks). Kim, his rotation-mate, finished 3rd.
* In the most hotly contested MVP race in PL history, Lions LF Yoshio Shimaoto beat out Arrows RF Yoshikuni Yokota by a single point, as they split the first-place votes down the middle. Matsumoto and Kashima finished 3rd and 4th, with Kim in 11th.

2044 First Year Draft
The Shizuoka Arrows drafted high-school center fielder Shosaku Aoki, son of ex-Arrow pitcher Kikuo Aoki. The center fielder brings a balanced approach to the plate and fleet feet.
2. Tatsuo Mochizuki, college left-fielder with a half-decent four-pitch mix. More stamina gets him to starter territory.
3. Tamon Yoshizawa, contact-first right fielder/DH.
4. Mincho Fukuhara, big bopper out of high school. Probably profiles better at a corner outfield than 1B.
5. Ryujiro Aoki, high-ability catcher as usual.
6. Satoharu Oyama, switch-hitting slick fielding 2B.
7. Harutomi Kinoshta, versatile fielder probably miscast at 3B.
8. Chitomi Ueda, who can throw magic bullets if they can find the plate
9. Shigeo Hirabayashi, leftie reliever with six pitches, only two of them good
10. Tomoaki Tateishi, another second baseman.

Signings and Trades
* November 20, the Shizuoka Arrows announce an open competition for their center fielder spot. Joining Shojiro Murakami are free agent signings Eisaku Aihara (1yr/900K) and Akiho Sana (1yr/260K). Sana should be a familiar name, as he was an Arrow from 2038-42 before getting traded to Ehime Honda for current Shizuoka LF Tomoki Yamauchi.
* November 22, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles re-armed their farm team and offloaded some salary to...Shizuoka? The Arrows sent OF Brandon Cottle, LHP Shissho Takaki, RF/DH Hiromi Ishimaru (#78 prospect), C King Bagnall, and RHP Jose Aguilar in exchange for C Itaru Miyamoto and the prize, LHP Keisuke Nakanishi. The 32-year-old has a career 121-101 record with an ERA of 3.33 for the Swallows and Eagles, who will be retaining 40% of the last year of his 5yr/35.6M contract.
* November 23, the Shizuoka Arrows made an intriguing signing, adding right-handed pitcher Takatomi Fukuda to a 1-year/490K deal. Fukuda went 3-13 with a 5.94 ERA for Lotte last season, but that was powered by a 2.0 HR/9 rate that's unsustainable. Fukuda is expected to challenge for a rotation spot this year, or at least find a home in the bullpen.
* December 8, the Shizuoka Arrows added 3B Kodai Matsuoka to a minor league deal with a 260K option. Matsuoka had a rough year last season for SoftBank, but could do well as a backup for Mendez or de la Cruz.
* January 1, and it's a happy new year for Giants fans. Yomiuri inked ex-Arrows starter Katsushi Sato to the richest contract this offseason, 4yr/17.64M. The first year of that will be mostly rehab from his torn flexor tendon.
* February 21, after getting shut out of offers from ***, ex-Arrow Koji Kashima took his talents across the sea to South Korea, signing a 2-year/3M deal with the SK Wyverns of the KBO.
* Concurrently, the Shizuoka Arrows announced what was long suspected - OF/DH Masami Matsuura has been named the 7th team captain in team history, joining the fraternity of Keita Sano, Sosuke Genda, Takahiko Arakawa, Eiji Hoshida, Alex Gallardo, and Koji Kashima.
* Among the final cuts at spring training were Akiho Sana and Kodai Matsuoka, who failed to make the big-league roster. Eisaku Aihara did well enough to win the starting CF job, with Shojiro Murakami doing well enough to stay the backup OF.

[tehsuigi]

2045 Opening Day Roster

Well, safe to say the offseason retool went well. Fukuda pitched well enough to earn a rotation spot, Masao Kawachi outgunned Shunzo Oshta for the backup catcher role, and the youth movement is bearing fruit - all of Kobayashi, Mendez, Umeda, and Tsukamoto are rookies this season. Shortstop Umeda in particular is one to watch because Kanno's contract expires at the end of this season. Oh, and Isamu Ochi is going to be back from injury soon after Opening Weekend.

The Shizuoka Arrows open their season at home against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks next weekend!

[tehsuigi]

The Quiver - May 1, 2045
Your Shizuoka Arrows News Source!

Well, no one said this year was going to be easy. A slow start has thankfully been rectified and the Arrows sit 15-10, tied with SoftBank for 2nd and 4 games back of a red-hot Seibu squad. Tempers have flared a bit in the early going, with Fukuda and Ogawa both having to sit out 8 and 4 games respectively for suspensions.

Congrats to Shigejiro Matsumoto for winning PL Pitcher of the Month for April, going 4-0 with 42 Ks and a 1.57 ERA in 28 2/3 IP! Now tell the rest of the rotation to figure it out. Fukuda's this close to losing his starting spot at this pace.

Batter-wise, some of the new faces are handling themselves quite nicely, like Kawachi, Umeda, and Kobayashi. Mendez is in a bit of a slump, and he may find himself back in Shinano with another month like that. Aihara's stolen 12 bases already, but the guy needs more hits to keep that pace up.

[tehsuigi]

The Shizuoka Volley - June 1, 2045
Arrows updates, fast and on target!

* Now THAT'S more like it! The double-green went 18-8 to take the PL lead from the Lions, who faltered in May to 12-13. It's only a 1.5 game lead, but we'll take it.
* A big part of that has been the addition of 3B Willie de la Cruz, who had an 11-game hit streak to start his *** career and earned PL Rookie of the Month for his efforts
* Looks like Reijiro Tsukamoto bombed out of the lineup along with Ricky Mendez - Keiji Ono gets the call up to replace him.
* The continuing saga of Eisaku Aihara needs to get on base more to use his devastating speed - his 24 SB are a big reason Shizuoka leads the PL in that category
* It's great to see the new guys in the rotation carry the squad, as Tsuyashi Endo went 4-0 and Takatomi Fukuda improved his ERA in May.
* The lone pitcher update was Matsu Hitomi heading to AAA with Eisuke Tsumura returning.
*Interleague starts later this month and runs into July for once; the Arrows host Hanshin, Ehime Honda, Yomiuri, and Niigata Komatsu this year.

[tehsuigi]

GM Notebook - July 3, 2045

I still hate interleague. 11-13 and now our lead over the Lions has shrunk to half a game. Worse, the Hawks and Eagles are only 4.5 back and tied for third. Going to be a rough second half to the season...

wait, the Marines won the interleague title? eesh.

Adding Seigo Kinjo back to the rotation seems to have helped Koichi Yoshinaga out of a rough slump, although our bullpen is starting to falter again.

The offense is slumping again, and centre field's still a bit of a mess, but I'm not going to be hasty in making moves. We're clearing some 5M in salaries this offseason, which means it's a big chance to overhaul the roster. Maybe a rental at the deadline?

[tehsuigi]

All-Stars
* Kim Chae-bong returns to the All-Star Game, sporting a gaudy 9-2 record and 2.86 ERA and 0.92 WHIP over 107 IP
* The starter for the PL will be rotationmate Shigejiro Matsumoto, with a .094 WHIP and 12.1 K/( over 106 IP. The 7-8 record and 3.06 ERA aren't as good...
* DH Teruhide Hirata will start for the PL, his first ASG appearance in almost a decade. .241/.316/.500 slash line with 14 HR
* 3B Willie de la Cruz gets an All-Star nod in his first pro season! The .335/.405/.482 slash line and 21 SB are ridiculous - Shizuoka's got something special here.
* LF Tomoki Yamauchi returns to the AGH with his .289/.340/.490 slash line, 16 HR, and 21 SB.
* RF Yoshikuni Yokota will start at RF for the PL, thanks to his .269/.337/.446 slash line and 16 HR

Future Stars
* LHP Hidetsugu Fuchigami, added to the Arrows organization last offseason, has gone 2-3 with a 4.57 ERA in his new AAA team
* 19-year-old RHP Yutaka Ikeda has a 4.15 ERA in 47 2/3 IP
* LHP Mikio Yasuda has taken a step back from last season, but the 4.25 ERA and 10.5 K/9 are still promising
* RHP Eishin Shibazaki sports a 1.46 WHIP and 11.4 K/9 as a mop-up man for the Grandserows
* 1B Taichi Sakamoto is probably the Arrows' next DH with his .283/.324/.384 slash line
* 3B Ricky Mendez is struggling in AAA having whiffed on his pro shot in April, but the .229/.323/.309 is half-decent
* A pair of AA CFs got nominated as well, as Shosaku Aoki slashed /.319/.360/.464 and Shinshuu Komatsu slashed .288/.391/.461 with 7 HRs.

[tehsuigi]

The Shizuoka Volley - August 1, 2045
Arrows updates, quick and on target!

* That's odd - the only deadline deal in *** DIDN'T involve the Arrows. The Eagles snapped up the Marines' catcher Steve Rogers in exchange for two minor leaguers.
* Then again, Shizuoka went 11-6 in the month to gain ground in the PL chase. Now Rakuten sits 2nd and four games back of the Arrows, with Seibu half a game back of them in 3rd.
* Shojiro Murakami heads to the IL, giving Kumeo Matsumoto a shot backing up Eisaku Aihara
* Arrows manager Paul Paez has indicated a desire to platoon his players more against left-handed pitchers, with Keiji Ono starting over Yoshikuni Yokota and Yoshiaga Umeda getting the shortstop spot over Yukio Kanno

[tehsuigi]

GM Notebook - September 1, 2045

Ah, nothing like getting swept by the Saitama Seibu Lions to finish the month and now sit half a game back of them for the PL pennant. Worse, the Hawks and Eagles both gained ground on us.

And not making that trade for Hiroshima's center fielder is looming heavy on my mind, as Eisaku Aihara suffered a concussion and is out for the rest of the season.

Looking to our pending FAs, there isn't a single guy I'd bring back - Kanno (not at THAT price), Nakanishi, Aihara, or Ochi (with Shibazaki ready to get called up next season).

Here's hoping the bullpen figures itself out again, like Fukuda's turned his season around. Gonna be a tight finish to the season for sure...

[tehsuigi]

NAILED IT - ARROWS WALK OFF TO WIN PL PENNANT
The race was down to the wire, with Shizuoka, Tohoku Rakuten, and Saitama Seibu holding the lead at various points of the season, but ultimately the double-green took it home on the fourth-last day of the season.

Right fielder Keiji Ono provided the winning moment, launching a solo sayonara home run off ex-Arrow closer Rintaro Takashima in the 9th as Shizuoka defeated Rakuten 2-1.

2045 Pacific League Climax Series Final Stage
The Saitama Seibu Lions upset the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and will visit the Shizuoka Arrows for the right to move on to the Japan Series. The Lions' mighty slugging tends to get neutralized away from the MetLife Dome, and the team was below .500 on the road as a result. Notable omission from the Shizuoka rotation is leftie Keisuke Nakanishi, who went 1-4 with 7.39 ERA against Seibu; rookie Eishin Shibazaki gets his roster spot.
The Arrows will start the series with a one-game lead as pennant leaders.

Game 1: Saitama Seibu 8, Shizuoka 6
Arrows stud Kim Chae-bong just didn't have it this night, failing to exit the fourth inning and allowing 6 runs. Seibu's starter Shinya Yamagishi got through only 5 himself with the Lions bullpen bending but not breaking. Arrows 1B Steve Marlow went 3-for-4 with a 3-run HR and two doubles to win player of the game honours.

Game 2: Saitama Seibu 4, Shizuoka 0
Isamu Ochi wears the goat horns here, allowing 3 runs in the 8th to break the Arrows' chances here. Shizuoka starter Tsuyashi Endo got tagged with the hard-luck loss, striking out 12 but allowing the losing run in his 7 innings of work. Seibu starter Toshtsugu Uchida and relievers Tetsuya Oyama and Yujiro Takeuchi held the Arrows to 3 hits and two walks, no runs allowed.

Game 3: Saitama Seibu 4, Shizuoka 0
Something has gone terribly wrong for the Arrows offense, as they were held to only TWO hits this time. Seibu's up-and-coming ace Zenpei Watanabe and closer Masayuki Hamada combined for a marvelous game. The Lions' offense has been ticking nicely with DH Kazuhito Kobayashi and catcher Yasufumi Yoshioka both launching dongs here.

Game 4: Shizuoka 2, Saitama Seibu 1
Well, at least it won't be a quasi-sweep here. Shizuoka DH Teruhide Hirata and RF Yoshikuni Yokota launched the solo bombs to give the Arrows the lead, as Seigo Kingo scattered 4 hits and 3 walks to only allow 1 run over 6-plus innings. Alfredo Ramos put together a solid two-inning save.

Game 5: Shizuoka 2, Saitama Seibu 1
And it's all. evened. up. Teruhide Hirata has been eating Lions' pitching all year, and his pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the 9th inning has set up a winner-take-all Game 6. Lions starter Fomio Takata went 7 innings without an earned run and only 2 hits allowed, but Hamada blew the save. Ramos gets the win after Shigejiro and Hideo Matsumoto combined for one run over 7 innings.

Game 6: Shizuoka 5, Saitama Seibu 3
Lions left fielder Yoshio Shimaoto opened the scoring with a solo bomb in the 1st, and the Lions built up a 3-1 lead into the middle of the 4th, but Teruhide Hirata tied it with a solo bomb in the bottom of the 5th. Arrows first baseman Yukio Ogawa took the first pitch he saw from Seibu starter Shinya Yamagishi 420 feet into the "parapets" of Ito En Park to give the Arrows a lead, chasing Yamagishi from the game. Second baseman Masahisa Kobayashi got his first RBI and HR of the series in the bottom of the 7th to pad the lead, and that would hold as the final score. Kim Chae-bong redeemed himself with a gritty 5-plus innings, with Isamu Ochi getting out of a jam in the 8th and pitching well for the two-inning save.

Teruhide Hirata blasted 10 HRs and slashed .333/.449/.912 against Seibu in the regular season. His 3 HRs and .333/.400/.857 slash line in this series earned him MVP honours.