Midori no Ya! An *** Expansion Dynasty

[tehsuigi]

GM Notebook - September 1, 2040

Well THAT was a frightening August; 13-13, and our lead in the division shrunk to 2 at one point. It's at 3 right now. Morioka plugged 10 HRs to sit two away from setting the team record, Ayumu Imakake's finally finding his footing, but every other bat's gone cold.

Tokuda and Koide both are terrible right now so Katayama gets a call-up to back up LF. Ono's also earned a demotion to bring Muneo Miyamoto back up. And Kato's gone for the season, so time to see what Kondo can do.

Going to be a close finish to the season!

[tehsuigi]

At Season's End

* The Arrows won their 5th straight pennant with an 85-58 record
* Shigejiro Matsumoto won PL Pitcher of the Month for September, going 3-1 with a 1.29 ERA and 45 Ks over 28 innings. He didn't get to 300 Ks this season, but his 2.10 ERA is a career low.
* Tomosaburo Morioka tied the team single-season HR record in the bottom of the 9th of a game against the Fighters to knot the score, then broke it with his 41st home run in the bottom of the 11th. It'll sit at 42.
* Chiba Lotte's DH Satoshi Teramoto set a new league record for most home runs in a season, smashing Wladimir Balentien's 60 with a ridiculous mark of 76. At age 25!
* Arrows captain Koji Kashima celebrated with his 300th home run, the majority of those in double-green.

[tehsuigi]

2040 Pacific League Climax Series

The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters swept the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in straight games, and are NOT the team the Shizuoka Arrows want to see in the Final Stage; the Fighters were 12-5 this season vs the Arrows. One upshot - catcher Yasutoki Kato returns from injury.
As pennant winners, Shizuoka gets a one-game head start.

Game 1: Shizuoka 8, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 3
Something ignites in Luis Alejandrez's bat every postseason. The Arrows right fielder went 4-for-5 with 3 RBIs and a 2-run home run in the 2nd to cap off a festival atmosphere at Ito En Park. Fighters starter Takuro Arai failed to get out of the 2nd inning, allowing 6 runs on 8 hits. Shizuoka's starter Kim Chae-bong pitched into the 7th with 9 Ks and 3 earned runs on 8 hits.

Game 2: Shizuoka 7, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 1
Have yourself a game, Katsushi Sato. The Arrows starter pitched 7 scoreless innings, allowing only 4 baserunners and striking out 9. The offense went to work from there, with Alejandrez having a 4-for-4 day and third baseman Koji Kashima launching his second home run in as many games in the 3rd.

Game 3: Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 4, Shizuoka 2
No sweep here, as the Fighters launched four run-scoring extra-base hits off leftie Hiromitsu Nishi in his 8 2/3 innings of work. Nippon-Ham starter Takeshi Kinoshta earned player of the game honours for his 7 innings of one-run ball, stymieing the Arrows offense. Nippon-Ham's center fielder Nobushige Matsumoto gave the visitors a lead in the 2nd with a solo shot, and they held it the rest of the way.

Game 4: Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 8, Shizuoka 0
This is when Arrows fans may start getting nervous. Left-handed starter Shinsui Ono pitched a gem, allowing only five baserunners over 8 innings, as the Fighters offense came to life at last. Left fielder Jose Alvarez, DH Kuniyuki Hondo, and pinch hitter Osamu Kawajiri all launched home runs. Arrows pitching was roughed up, but they've got their ace coming up next...

Game 5: Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 3, Shizuoka 2
Well, Shizuoka starter Shigejiro Matsumoto gave all he could, striking out 12 over 7 scoreless innings, and center fielder Akiho Sana and shortstop Yui Nakamura scraped out RBIs. However, the game was tied in the top of the 8th by Fighters first baseman Josh Limon's 2-run double against Rintaro Takashima, and a costly error in the top of the 9th by Shizuoka second baseman Nobuyoshi Ito gave Nippon-Ham the lead. It's down to a Game 1 rematch for the right to move on.

Game 6: Shizuoka 3, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham 2 (11 innings)
Every postseason crowns a hero, someone who rises to the occasion to make a difference. For the Shizuoka Arrows, it was left fielder Masashi Koide, who slugged a solo home run into the right field standings in the bottom of the 11th to win the game and the series for the home team. Shizuoka got an early lead with Koji Kashima's 3rd home run of the series, but the Fighters drew even on shortstop Norifumi Fujimoto's 2-run double off Kim Chae-bong. Shizuoka first baseman Tomosaburo Morioka woke up from his meh series to knot the score in the 6th with a solo home run, and it stayed tied into extras. Arrows reliever Narihira Kimura gets the win with 2 2/3 innings of hitless, scoreless work.

Arrows right fielder Luis Alejandrez went 11 for 28 in the series to earn MVP honours.

[tehsuigi]

2040 Japan Series

Is it okay to hate the Shizuoka Arrows now? They've been dominant for a longer stretch than any team since the 2010s Hawks, and for the third time in five seasons, are the Goliath standing in the way of the Hanshin Tigers' David. Hanshin upended the Yomiuri Giants in 7 games to earn their Japan Series berth.

Game 1: Shizuoka 2, Hanshin 0
Katsushi Sato is having a postseason to remember, spinning another 7 scoreless innings to stymie the potent Hanshin offense. Center fielder Akiho Sana hit the lone home run of the game for either squad. Shizuoka's closer Rintaro Takashima struggled in his four outs of work, requiring Narihira Kimura to come in and slam the door with runners on first and second and one out.

Game 2: Shizuoka 3, Hanshin 2
Shizuoka catcher Yasutoki Kato already had a postseason worth memorializing, when he batted .545 against Hiroshima in 2036. Add tonight to his highlight reel, as his 3-run blast in the bottom of the ninth off Tigers closer Yasunaga Suzuki (the ex-Arrow) handed the Arrows the win. Hanshin starter Taichiro Arakawa did all he could with 7 scoreless innings.

Game 3: Shizuoka 5, Hanshin 3
Another late rally, another strong performance by Luis Alejandrez. Luis went 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs, none more important than the RBI double in the top of the 9th to break a scoreless tie in favour of the visitors. Neither starter pitched all that well, and so it was Arrows closer Rintaro Takashima getting the win.

Game 4: Shizuoka 5, Hanshin 3
Baseball truly is a game of inches, and the Arrows took every last one. Again, it was Alejandrez providing the heroics, slugging a 2-run home run into the Koshien night to break a 3-3 tie. This one was off another ex-Arrow, Eiji Hoshida. The Tigers had hope, as their first baseman Juan Nieto hit a game-tying 2-run bomb off Shizuoka starter Hiromitsu Nishi, but the Tigers couldn't take the lead. Shortstop Yui Nakamura won player of the game honours, finishing a triple short of the cycle.

Luis Alejandrez's clutch hitting made him a shoo-in for the Japan Series MVP.

If you're going to hate anyone, hate the Fighters for failing to put away this juggernaut when they had the chance.
This is the first Japan Series clinch on the road for the Arrows.

[tehsuigi]

2040 Season Summary

Sooner or later, this team is gonna fall apart. Matsumoto's gonna opt out, or Kashima will get injured, or what have you. Until then, it's fun to be at the head of a dynasty.
The Arrows are the only team other than the Yomiuri Giants to have won more than three Japan Series in a row; can the target on our backs be any bigger?

[tehsuigi]

Let's Go!! Arrows Dynasty Gets Its Fifth Ring

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
* 1B Tomosaburo Morioka, 1st round, 18th overall in 2031
* CF Shojiro Murakami, 3rd round in 2035
* 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
* SS Kinya Yamamoto, 3rd round in 2036

Free Agents
* RHP Masaji Hayashi, 2035-36 offseason
* C Yasutoki Kato, 2039-40 offseason
* SS Yui Nakamura, 2037-38 offseason
* LHP Kikaku Nakayama, 2037-38 offseason
* RHP Tomohiro Ono, 2038-39 offseason

Trade
* 1B/3B Ayumu Imakake, from Niigata Komatsu with RHP Muneo Miyamoto and RF Reizo Nishimoto for 3B Alex Espinosa, LF Brad Chapman, RHP Keitaro Onishi, and RHP Shuta Kurokawa
* 3B Koji Kashima, from Okinawa Kirin for LHP Yoshimitsu Ota
* C Kawanari Kondo, from Yokohama DeNA with LF Ryoji Tokuda and 2B Shigeharu Tanaka for 1B Makoto Fukuhara, LF Takao Okamoto, and RHP Bret Pettis
* RHP Juan Miranda, from Fukuoka SoftBank for RF Yoji Yamaguchi and 1B Ryuichi Shimizu
* RHP Muneo Miyamoto, see Imakake
* C Kiyonori Nakashima, from Nippon-Ham with 2B Koji Kikuchi for RHP Andres Valle
* RF Reizo Nishimoto, see Imakake
* 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
* CF Akiho Sana, see Nishino
* 3B Mitsunobu Suzuki, from Nippon-Ham for SS Tadasu Shimizu and RHP Sachiko Hoshino
* 2B Shigeharu Tanaka, see Kondo
* LF Ryoji Tokuda, see Kondo

Acquisition
* RF Luis Alejandrez, from Road Warriors (ATL)
* RHP Kim Chae-bong, from California Dogecoin (PA)
* RHP Katsuyoshi Ogawa, from Long Island Ducks (ATL)

[tehsuigi]

2040-41 Offseason Summary

Awards Season
* Shortstop Yui Nakamura was the sole Arrow given a Golden Glove; it's his 7th career award.
* First baseman Tomosaburo Morioka was also the sole Arrow to earn a Best Nine designation.
* They should just rename the award the Paul Paez Trophy - the Shizuoka skipper has won his 5th in a row
* It's an Arrows podium for the Eiji Sawamura Award, as Shigejiro Matsumoto, Kim Chae-bong, and Narihira Kimura go 1-2-3. It's the 4th Sawamura in a row for Matsumoto.
* Third baseman Koji Kashima led all Arrows with a 3rd place finish in the MVP race. Satoshi Teramoto's 76 HR season naturally won the award unanimously. Other vote-getters included Matsumoto (5th), Kim (8th), Morioka (9th), Kimura (11th), and RF Luis Alejandrez.

Arbitration and Free Agency
* RHP Tomohiro Ono, angry at getting demoted to AAA, executed his opt-out and will be heading to free agency. Such a shame after a successful 2039 to have him backslide like that.
* LF Ryoji Tokuda and RHP Tsunehiko Sakurai were declined arbitration and head to free agency.
* After 7 championships together, LHP Isamu Hiratsuka and C Yasutoki Kato are heading to free agency.
* A cross-Chubu trade during the arbitration period, as the Shizuoka Arrows sent 3B Yoshio Kato, RHP Takeo Fukunaga and RHP Juan Miranda to the Chunichi Dragons for RHP Seiji Tabata and RHP Tokuei Yoshikawa. The former is expected to fill a gap in the bullpen, the latter a depth piece for the AAA rotation.
* The Arrows have signed RHP Seigo Kinjo to a minor league deal with a 260K option. The 26-year-old Kinjo had a 4.64 ERA over 36 games for the Carp last year, but could be a valuable bullpen arm.
* After 12 years in double green, Kato heads to Hiroshima on a 2-year/13M deal. Good for him.

2040 First Year Draft
It's something of a weak draft class this year, and at last in the first round, the Shizuoka Arrows are picking through scraps. Still, they may have their next full-time DH in hand with Taichi Sakamoto. The high school first baseman may have the best bat potential in the draft.
2. Hideo Hirao, a right-handed fireballer from college who stands to be a relief ace.
3. Masao Kawachi, a switch-hitting college catcher. Great framing capability.
4. Masaharu Sakamoto, high school utility fielder.
5. Hirokatsu Kawaguchi, college starting pitcher with three great pitches...could turn into something if he could aim.
6. Kineo Kato, college shortstop with decent fielding but a noodle bat
7. Shotaro Sai, same idea but at third base. And a switch hitter!
8. Ryujiro Sato, high school center fielder with great defensive potential.
9. Toshiyuki Yamada, high school leftie reliever.
10. Tokio Tanaka, a total flier at right field.

Winter Meetings and Later
* The Hanshin Tigers acquired third baseman Hiroshi Higashi with center fielder Yujiro Kosaka heading to the Shizuoka Arrows.
* The Shizuoka Arrows have parted ways with a pair of 23-year-old catchers in Norio Nagao and Asuya Akimoto, 28-year-old center fielder Naotaka Muto, and 30-year-old pitcher Masaru Okada in order to get under the 100-player organization limit.
* The Kirin Spirit send 2B Fuminori Ishizaki to the Shizuoka Arrows for 1B/3B Mitsunobu Suzuki.
* The Shizuoka Arrows have purchased the contract of 20-year-old Venezuelan third baseman Ricky Mendez from the Lancaster Barnstormers, and 24-year-old outfielder Ed Grate from the New Jersey Jackals, both teams in the Atlantic League.
* Ending one of the biggest draft busts in league history, the Shizuoka Arrows have released former first overall pick Fuyuhiko Yasuda. Yasuda only made 4 major league starts in his 5+ years with the Arrows organization, with three of those years consumed by elbow ligament reconstructions (two of them!) and the resulting recoveries.
* At the start of the pre-season, the Shizuoka Arrows announced the signing of left-handed pitcher Caleb McAdam. The 24-year-old was previously in the White Sox system, and will be competing for either a rotation or bullpen slot this year.
* On the first day of spring training, the Orix Buffaloes added RHP Melvin Medina from the Shizuoka Arrows for 2B Taiji Tanaka.

[tehsuigi]

2041 Opening Day Roster

It's the 20th season of Shizuoka Arrows baseball! And the five-time champions are once again looking to defend their title. Not too many changes from last season, with the notable absence of Katsushi Sato who partially tore his UCL during spring training.

Pitchers
Rotation: RHP Shigejiro Matsumoto, RHP Kim Chae-bong, LHP Narihira Kimura, LHP Hiromitsu Nishi, RHP Katsuyoshi Ogawa, LHP Takao Koike*
Bullpen: RHP Masaji Hayashi, RHP Seiji Tabata*, LHP Kikaku Nakayama, RHP Toyonobu Nishino, Seigo Kinjo*, RHP Muneo Miyamoto, LHP Caleb McAdam*
Closer: LHP Rintaro Takashima

Fielders
Catcher: Kawanari Kondo, Kiyonori Nakashima
First Base: Tomosaburo Morioka
Second Base: Nobuyoshi Ito, Shigeharu Tanaka
Third Base: Koji Kashima, Ayumu Imakake (DH)
Shortshop: Yui Nakamura, Kinya Yamamoto
Left Field: Masashi Koide, Akihisa Katayama
Center Field: Akiho Sana
Right Field: Luis Alejandrez, Jon Lutz, Yoshikuni Yokota

The Arrows will raise their banners at home against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on March 29.

[tehsuigi]

The Shizuoka Volley & The Quiver SPECIAL 20th Anniversary Edition - May 1, 2041

That's right, fans! For this special season only, both of your favourite Arrows publications have combined forces. The Volley will handle the quick updates on the season as it progresses, with the Quiver diving into Top 20s for the team's history.

* A 14-13 start is somewhat worrisome, but it's not like anyone's running away with the PL yet. Arrows are 2.5 games back of Orix for the lead, with the Marines, Hawks, and Spirit ahead. Looks like the PL finally caught up to the Arrows.
* Three top Arrows prospects made waves this month, with LF Jon Lutz plugging 8 home runs, DH Yoshikuni Yokota slashing .274/.299/.532, and LHP Takao Koike winning his first three starts, one of them a complete game 1-run effort.
* SS Yui Nakamura inked a 4-year, 1.58M extension that will give the 7-time Golden Glove winner a chance to retire in double-green.
* LF Masashi Koide lost most of April, but he'll be back sometime in May.

Top 20 Most Popular Arrows Jerseys
* 35 Matsumoto - of course the perennial Sawamura Award winner and team ace is the most popular jersey
* 37 Kashima - yes, they even pay extra for the captain's C on the front of their third baseman's jersey
* 40 Alejandrez - surprising for a foreign player, but Luis's longevity and MVP performance earned him a lot of fans
* 17 Kato - 12 seasons with the Arrows, 7 rings, and countless postseason memories. Of course Yasutoki's up here.
* 33 Kim - few teams have a second ace like him, and he sells BIG with Korean families
* 19 Kimura - whether in the rotation or the bullpen, Narihira's eye-popping stuff has attention
* 7 Uchino - the long-time Mr. Arrow still has his number commonly appearing at the ballpark despite not playing for Shizuoka for 2.5 seasons
* 2 Morioka - chicks dig the long ball (and the mustache!)
* 21 Nakamura - right alongside Kato, Yui's FULL-SEND play style has made him a favourite
* 28 Nishi - the team's best leftie starter, Hiromitsu's role in the dynasty is undeniable
* 12 Takashima - the crafty leftie earned fans for his results and his goofy antics in the bullpen
* 18 Yamamoto - not sure if it's out of respect for the retired digits, but Yoshinobu's not as high on this list as we'd expect
* 2 Arakawa - the team's captain during their first Japan Series championship, his rookie season sold a LOT of shirts
* 24 Ota - another combination starter/closer, whose feisty in-your-face attitude made fans adore the lug
* 99 Yasunaga - he still leads the team in career saves, and anyone confident enough to put his first name above 99 earns respect
* 13 Yamazaki - a classic choice, Seiya was the team's early offensive stud. These ones are all in the original design.
* 38 Aoki - Kikuo was the team's first stud starter from the draft, and his work as the team rounded into championship form helped
* 6 Genda - another former team captain, Sosuke was a steady hand on the infield
* 16 Hiratsuka - stick with a team long enough over 7 rings, and even a middle reliever can get some shirts sold
* 34 Tsuchiya - Yukiichi left at the start of the dynasty, but he toiled through a bunch of bad teams to get them there.

[tehsuigi]

The Shizuoka Volley & The Quiver SPECIAL 20th Anniversary Edition - June 1, 2041

Gang, I think the rest of the Pacific League has caught up to the Shizuoka Arrows. The guys in green went 13-12 in May, and fell to 4.5 back of the Hawks for the PL pennant. More importantly, 2 back of Orix for the third playoff spot!

At least there's promising signs from the squad, as Yoshikuni Yokota and Koji Kashima tore the cover off the ball, and Takao Koike and Kim Chae-bong are doing swell in the rotation. With interleague coming up in two days, all bets are off. Let's go kick some tail!

Top 20 Arrows Draft Picks by WAR
And this is career WAR, not just with Shizuoka.

1. Shigejiro Matsumoto, 48.9 - no surprise here. What is shocking is that he fell to the second round.
2. Shizue Uchino, 39.8 - Mr. Arrow was a force to be reckoned with.
3. Kikuo Kawamoto, 35.2 - his best single season was as a Giant, but his early years with Shizuoka were a wonder to behold
4. Yoshimitsu Ota, 35.2 - the Hawks got over 12 WAR over the first three seasons of his free agent deal...and they're regretting it now.
5. Tetsuya Yoshimoto, 33.7 - his two seasons as a Giant were on par with his first seven as an Arrow, and he's having a minor career renaissance in his late 30s with Yomiuri and now Honda.
6. Toyoharu Miyake, 24.5 - one of the earliest Shizuoka draft picks, his best seasons were with Hanshin after being a part of the Kota Inoue deal
7. Tomosaburo Morioka, 20.4 - big beefy boy and a pending free agent next season
8. Takahiko Arakawa, 18.1 - 11 of those WAR were in his first three seasons, including that ridiculous rookie year
9. Akitada Taira, 16.0 - all of this has been with Seibu, where Taira's power bat has excelled in the homer-happy MetLife Dome
10. Kikuo Aoki, 15.6 - injuries sapped his talent, preventing any team after Shizuoka from seeing more than 0.5 WAR
11. Reizo Nishimoto, 14.8 - streaky as heck, with his second season with Honda contributing almost half of this total and a 3rd place finish in MVP voting
12. Atsunori Nishiyama, 14.6 - another early draft pick who did best with other teams, in this case the Hawks (3.1) and Bears (3.7 over two years)
13. Narihira Kimura, 13.4 - he'll probably be best in the bullpen going forward, like the guy he just passed
14. Yasunaga Suzuki, 13.3 - 300 saves in ***, and still plying his trade for Hanshin
15. Taisei Murakami, 13.1 - still with Yomiuri! His two full seasons with Shizuoka were his best.
16. Isamu Hiratsuka, 12.8 - he signed with Nippon-Ham in the offseason, but for a middle reliever, a solid get
17. Hiromitsu Nishi, 11.6 - and I would be shocked if this number doesn't increase
18. Rintaro Takashima, 10.6 - pending free agent; is he due to leave?
19. Michito Nakayama, 8.5 - his first three seasons were 2+ WAR, then below 0.6, then 0.1, then out of ***.
20. Tetuso Numata, 8.4 - still working with Hanshin, and averaging 2 WAR the last four seasons

And we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the epic bust of Fuyuhiko Yasuda, first overall pick with all of four *** starts, as the Arrows' dishonourable mention.

EDIT: And as we went to print, look who's coming back! Left-handed starter Tetsuya Yoshimoto returns to the Arrows via trade, with RHP Katsuyoshi Ogawa heading back to the Ehime Honda Comets.

[tehsuigi]

The Shizuoka Volley & The Quiver SPECIAL 20th Anniversary Edition - July 1, 2041

I'm sorry, the Arrows did well in interleague? 14-10!? Shizuoka's still 2.5 back of the third playoff spot, but it's Fukuoka this time. They hung with Orix most of June, but a sweep by the Comets in Ehime put them behind. Rakuten leads the PL and tied with the Buffaloes for the interleague title at 17-7.

Injuries piled up this month, with RF Luis Alejandrez, CF Akiho Sana, and 1B Tomosaburo Morioka all getting dinged. Muneo Miyamoto earned a ticket to the farm with some rough play, but Kimura's been so good as closer few people noticed. And notable in promotions is center fielder Takatoshi Tamaki - the last of the Arrows' top 25 prospects - who will be starting with the club in July.

Kudos are due to Shigejiro Matsuomoto who turned his season around with a Pitcher of the Month series, going 3-0 in 4 starts with 49 K's and a 0.64 ERA. Unnnnstoppable.

Top 14 Trades
Shizuoka GM tehsuigi is known as a frequent dealmaker, but even he's been hard-pressed to compile 20 good trades in the risk-averse ***. Here's his highlights.

1. Kashima for Ota, straight up. This has to be the #1 pick, it pretty much killed baseball in Okinawa. Ota had one forgettable season with Kirin before bolting to SoftBank; Kashima's been Shizuoka's best captain and most consistent performer.
2. Yamamoto for Valentin and Nishiguchi. This was the signal that the Arrows were ready to contend, and Yoshinobu had a decade of great work in Shizuoka. Valentin did well for himself too, but catchers were in abundance.
3. Nakamura for Maruyama and Masuda. For the Arrows to add their franchise shortstop, they had to give up a middle reliever and a flop infielder. Oof.
4. Onishi for Morita and Ishikawa. This one's up the list because Ishikawa would rejoin the Arrows after the trade for a season. Meiji Onishi was the second baseman for both early championship teams, and handled himself quite well.
5. Tanigawa, Sana, and Nishino for Kawada, Taira, and Takeuchi. This is a tough call, as Tanigawa only lasted one season, Sana's been inconsistent, and Taira's tore the cover off the ball. Nishino's value, and Kawada's implosion, moves this up the ranks.
6. Sakamoto for Saito and Weigel. Two nobodies for the greatest batter in *** history, and Hayato was unstoppable in double-green for the 2030 title drive.
7. Inoue and Ono for Nakayama, Miyake, and Fujimoto. Miyake was a steep price, but Kota Inoue powered the team to that title in 2029, and Ono was a key contributor.
8. Watanabe, Tsuchiya, Sugiyama, Fujimori, and Kanakubo for Yoshimoto, Kawamoto, Murakami, Yonamine, and Ito. The big deal with Yomiuri helped power the Giants to a Japan Series or two, but it laid the groundwork for the Arrows to surge back stronger than ever, Sugiyama in particular.
9. Umeno and Kuwahara for Narita. Umeno had a good season for the Arrows, but Kuwahara's leadership and pinch hitting prowess made him a key component of the first two titles.
10. Komatsu, Maeda, and Miyata for Miyamoto and Sugiyama. Another deal with Yomiuri, but this one was a swindle to get Atsumori Maeda, a key rotation piece in the early dynastic years and Rookie fo the Year in 2036.
11. Collymore for Nakashima and Wada. Malik did swell as the Arrows had their first playoff run, first pennant, and helped contribute to the first Japan Series winning campaign.
12. Aoyama for Aoki and Fujimori. Even if Aoyama didn't quite do his best for the dynastic Arrows, the price was basically minimal.
13. Uwasawa for Nakatani. Sending a second-string outfielder for a legitimate front-half starter was a swindle of Nippon-Ham, as Uwasawa led the rotation while other Arrows prospects developed.
14. Narita, Kanno, and Okimoto for Rogers and Naki. This was a win-now move that worked to make the 2039 Arrows really stinkin' good. Yasushi was a little meh, but Tomohito Narita was as advertised. Losing Naki and Rogers hurts with the shape of the rotation right now.

[tehsuigi]

All-Stars
* RHP Kim Chae-bong gets the start for the Pacific League, thanks to his 0.79 WHIP and 2.58 ERA over 104 2/3 IP
* RHP Shigejiro Matsumoto joins him, with a gaudy 13.9 K/9 and 0.83 WHIP over 105 1/3 IP
* LHP Narihira Kimura's swingman season gets him a nomination, with a 10.4 K/9 and 3.54 ERA in 76 1/3 IP
* LHP Kikaku Nakayama's in the same boat, going with a 2.30 ERA, 1 WHIP, and 10.7 K/9 over 47 IP
* 3B Koji Kashima will start for the PL at third, thanks to his .275/.330/.428 slash line and 11 HRs
* Although he's injured, RF Luis Alejandrez's .340/.381/.530 was good enough to get a starting job. Shame he can't participate.

Future Stars
* 3B Ricky Mendez is impressing so far with a .324/.436/.565 slash line in AA Hamamatsu. He is also the Arrows' lone participant.

Quick Trade Updates
* The Arrows added Akira Wada from the Yomiuri Giants for a no-body reliever from AAA. Wada's already got 2 wins in 3 appearances to help calm down the Arrows bullpen.
* In a move that may raise eyebrows, the Arrows sent SS Kinya Yamamoto to the Orix Buffaloes for #37 prospect Masami Matsuura. Matsuura's showing himself to be a leadership early in his career, and it gives Fuminori Ishizaki a chance to shine at short.

[tehsuigi]

The Shizuoka Volley & The Quiver SPECIAL 20th Anniversary Edition - August 1, 2041

A winning record in spite of injuries is nothing to sniff at, and Shizuoka went 9-7 around the All-Star break. They remain 2 back of a playoff spot, with 2nd place only half a game ahead of that. Rakuten's really running away with the pennant this season!

The Arrows stood pat at the deadline, and are still 2 games back of a playoff spot. Whatever the answers are, they have to be in the room. Getting Sana and Alejandrez back from history before August is half-over ought to do it. Other transactions include Hideo Matsumoto getting sent down for Masaji Hayashi.

Congratulations to Takao Koike, as the left-hander won Rookie of the Month in July for 17 Ks over 14 2/3 IP in 2 starts. He's 8-2 with a 2.54 ERA; promoted at the right time, easily.

We're saving our Top 20 Moments in Franchise History for next edition.

[tehsuigi]

The Shizuoka Volley & The Quiver SPECIAL 20th Anniversary Edition - September 1, 2041

Hope springs eternal. The Arrows are now 66-55, a game ahead of the Hawks for third place with two games in hand after a 14-13 August in spite of all those injuries.

Speaking of injuries, Koike's out for the season with a rotator cuff tear, and Nishi may be gone for a while as well. Seigo Kinjo moves up from the bullpen, and Koichi Yoshinaga gets a ticket from Nagano. Morioka also heads down because he may still be nursing an injury and hasn't performed too well.

BNN has given us a 67% chance of a playoff spot. We'll see if that comes true.

Top 20 In-Game Moments
It was hard to narrow it down to 20...our team's had so many memorable performances, especially in the last five years. Still, here's what we put together in chronological order.

1. Xavier Valentin rides the cycle in August 2023 (still the only one in franchise history!)
2. Connor Greene throws a 13-K no-hitter in 2024, first in franchise history.
3. Michito Nakayama goes 8 scoreless in 2026 Climax Series Game 3
4. Takahide Ikeda clinches the team's first pennant over Rakuten, 2027
5. First Japan Series game and win in Shizoka, thanks to Nishiyama's 4 RBIs, 2027 Game 3
6. Katsumi Ikeda's immaculate inning to end Game 4 of the 2029 Japan Series, delivering a title to Shizuoka.
7. Kikuo Kawamoto's quartet of home runs in 2030 during that incredible season. What an exclamation point!
8. Taisei Murakami steals three bases in one at-bat to tie Game 1 of Climax Series, 2030
9. Kikuo Aoki slams the door for 7 in Game 7, 2030 Japan Series
10. Ryouhei Tanaka's grand slam to walk off the Lions in 2036 Climax Series finale
11. Yasunaga seals the win in 2036 Japan Series Game 7, Arrows back on top
12. Shizue Uchino's first game back as a Hawk, September 2038
13. Narihira Kimura sets team record for saves in pennant clinching win, 2038
14. Luis Alejandrez walks off the Tigers in the 18th, 2038 Japan Series Game 2
15. Matsumoto's Masterpiece, a 19-strikeout perfect game in Hokkaido in September 2039. Few things could top that, not even Matsumoto winning the Triple Crown that season.
16. Fuyuhiko Yasuda finally gets his first win in home finale, September 2039
17. Luis Alejandrez's 14th inning sayonara shot in 2039 Climax Series Game 5
18. Tomosaburo Morioka ties, then breaks the team HR record in one game in 2040
19. Masashi Koide walks off the Fighters to block a reverse sweep in the 2040 Climax Series
20. Luis Alejandrez goes yard for the sweep against Hanshin in 2040 Japan Series Game 4

[tehsuigi]

IN!! ARROWS CLINCH PLAYOFF SPOT IN GAME 142

It was always going to come down to the wire this season, and the Shizuoka Arrows showed their mettle by defeating the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 6-2, clinching a playoff spot for the sixth straight year. The Hawks were hot on their tails, and needed to win both final games against Shizuoka to force a Game 144, but Kim Chae-bong held them to only 2 runs over 6 innings, as catcher Kawanari Kondo's two doubles set the pace offensively.

The Arrows will finish 76-67, and will head to Osaka to play the Orix Buffaloes in the first round.

2041 Climax Series First Stage

Been a while since the Shizuoka Arrows had to play in one of these. All games are at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, and the Buffaloes won the season series 9-8.

Game 1: Shizuoka 7, Orix 6
Two big innings were the reason the guys in green took the win. LF Jon Lutz opened the scoring in the top of the 1st with a 2-run bomb, 3B Koji Kashima followed with a solo shot, and C Kawanari Kondo had a 2-out RBI single. Then in the top of the 9th against Orix closer Akichika Maeda, down to their last out, the Arrows loaded the bases before CF Akiho Sana hit a 2-run single, followed by Lutz again with an RBI single. Kimura for Shizuoka had the tying run at third himself before getting a K to end the inning. It made up for a rough outing from Arrows ace Shigejiro Matsumoto, who allowed 5 runs in 6 1/3.

Game 2: Shizuoka 4, Orix 3
You have to feel bad for the Buffaloes - they just came up short. Orix starter Shizuki Tsuchida earned player of the game honours for his 6 2/3 innings of work, striking out 9 Arrows but allowing 12 baserunners and 4 runs. Two of those were long home runs by Shizuoka's Sana and 1B Tomosaburo Morioka (freshly back from AAA), with captain and third baseman Koji Kashima striking the game-winning RBI double in the 7th. He batted .500 for the pair of games to win series MVP.

For that, the Arrows have earned a ticket up to Sendai to take on the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the Final Stage.

[tehsuigi]

2041 Climax Series Final Stage
The Arrows went 9-8 against the Golden Eagles, but Rakuten's got that one-game head start.

Game 1: Shizuoka 8, Tohoku Rakuten 0
There goes the head start. DH Yoshikuni Yokota earned 5 RBIs off a triple and home run to announce his presence in this year's postseason, while a trio of Shizuoka lefties - starter Kikaku Nakayama, reliever Caleb McAdam, and closer Narihira Kimura - kept the Eagles to just 8 hits and 3 walks.

Game 2: Shizuoka 5, Tohoku Rakuten 3
Arrows shortstop Yui Nakamura hasn't had any memorable postseason at-bats, but he sure picked a good moment for one - a bases-clearing double in the top of the 2nd to stake Shizuoka to a 5-1 lead. Arrows starter Seigo Kinjo, pressed into the rotation after injuries, gave his team 6 innings of 2-run ball, before handing things over to Akira Wada and Rintaro Takashima for an inning and two, respectively.

Game 3: Tohoku Rakuten 1, Shizuoka 0 (10 innings)
This one was a pitchers' duel for the ages, with the starters striking out 20 batters and allowing only 6 hits and a walk between the two over seven innings (Matsumoto for Shizuoka, Shigekatsu Maeda for Rakuten). The Eagles' bullpen won the day, allowing no hits and two walks for the final 3 frames. Arrows closer Narihira Kimura allowed a pair of singles before Eagles 2B Sadahiro Ishizuka hit a sayonara single to end the deadlock.

Game 4: Shizuoka 3, Tohoku Rakuten 2
Just as former catcher Yasutoki Kato made his name in the postseason, so does their current catcher Kawanari Kondo. His bases-loaded walk in the 6th tied the game at 2s, and his 8th inning RBI double gave Shizuoka the lead. Rintaro Takashima handled the 8th and 9th without a run to seal the deal. Kudos to Eagles catcher Fumihito Sakaguchi for throwing out three baserunners.

Game 5: Tohoku Rakuten 4, Shizuoka 2
For the third year in a row, the Arrows are going to Game 6 in the Final Stage. This time it was Eagles ace Keisuke Nakanishi to the rescue, allowing only four baserunners and one run over his 6 innings of work. Can the Eagles finally defeat the Arrows dynasty?

Game 7: Shizuoka 5, Tohoku Rakuten 2 (10 innings)
Nope. Arrows right fielder Luis Alejandrez remembered he's Luis freakin' Alejandrez and had another barnburner of a game. His 2-run single in the top of the 5th opened the scoring, and he would be the winning run after hitting a double and scoring on Tomosaburo Morioka's single. The Arrows would add two insurance runs off the bats of C Kiyonori Nakashima and SS Fuminori Ishizaki, runs that they ultimately wouldn't need with Takashima getting a 1-2-3 inning.

Rookie DH Yoshikuni Yokota had a .462/.563/.846 slash line to win series MVP honours.
The Arrows will get home postseason games this year after all - they will open the Japan Series against the same team they defeated in 2030, the Ehime Honda Comets, who swept the Hanshin Tigers in their Final Stage.

[tehsuigi]

2041 Japan Series
Since it's an odd year, the Comets will have home field advantage as the CL's representative. They also swept the Arrows in their only interleague series.

Game 1: Shizuoka 3, Ehime Honda 0
Shigejiro Matsumoto's back, bay-bee. 7 scoreless innings, allowing a hit, two walks, while striking out twelve. Kimura locked down the two-inning save easily, striking out four and allowing only one hit. No Comet made it past second. Shizuoka RBIs were from 3B Koji Kashima, 1B Tomosaburo Morioka and LF Jon Lutz.

Game 2: Shizuoka 3, Ehime Honda 1 (11 innings)
Alejandrez did it again. A run-scoring double in the 6th to tie the score, and an RBI double in the top of the 11th to give the Arrows the lead. 38-year-old Akira Wada got the win for Shizuoka with a clean 10th inning of work, and 23-year-old Toyonobu Nishino got the save in spite of 3 hits (no runs!) in the 11th.

Game 3: Ehime Honda 3, Shizuoka 1
The Comets finally broke out, and did so in cardiac-episode fashion, scoring a run in each of the final three frames - a solo home run by LF Akiyoshi Ushijima off Shizuoka starter Kim Chae-bong, an RBI single from RF Kosuke Takano off closer Narihira Kimura, and a DH Toshiaki Shimasaki solo shot off Kimura. Ehime Honda reliever Kameji Tsuboi with the win in relief, Teruo Kawamura the save, both only allowing a hit in 2 IP each.

Game 4: Ehime Honda 3, Shizuoka 1
Now we've got a series! Comets starter Jim de Jong pitched 6 innings of one-run ball, scattering 5 hits and a walk. Shimasaki got the scoring started early with a 2nd inning double, then got cashed by catcher Fuuga Kato (no relation to Yasutoki). In the 9th, a solo home run by 2B Haruo Tanaka added insurance.

Game 5: Shizuoka 8, Ehime Honda 7
Finally a home team wins a game this series! Arrows reliver Masaji Hayashi got roughed up in the 7th giving up 4 runs, including a 3-run jack to Ushijima again. The Arrows got enough back in the bottom of the 8th, with LF Jon Lutz striking a bases-clearing double against Kawamura to give Shizuoka back the lead. Kimura pitched a clean ninth for the win. Back to Matsuyama with two chances to win it.

Game 6: Ehime Honda 13, Shizuoka 0
Arrows ace Shigejiro Matsumoto just didn't have it today, giving up 8 runs in 3 1/3 innings. Comets ace Shoshichi Ueno did, striking out 11 Arrows and allowing only 2 hits and a walk over 7 2/3 IP in a raucous rumble. Only one Ehime Honda starter failed to get a hit (even Ueno got a knock and an RBI!).

Game 7: Shizuoka 6, Ehime Honda 5
This one almost had a different storyline. Arrows starter Tetsuya Yoshimoto couldn't keep the ball in the park, as Shimasaki launched a 2-run bomb in the 2nd and Ushijima clubbed a solo dinger in the 3rd. It was 4-1 Comets going into the top of the 5th...and the wheels fell off. Shizuoka shortstop Yui Nakamura hit a solo homer of his own, Sana, Lutz, and Alejandrez loaded the bases, then Kashima hit a sac fly to score Sana. 1B Ayumu Imakake's 2-out single scored another, and the catcher Nakashima loaded the bases again. Coming in to pitch was ex-Arrow Katsuyoshi Ogawa (who was traded for today's starter!), who gave up the go-ahead hit to 2B Nobuyoshi Ito, scoring two. The Arrows' defense and relief corps, including Game 3's starter Kim Chae-bong were able to hold down the fort into the 9th, with Kimura back on the mound. Shimasaki grounded out, Fuuga Kato poked a home run into the left field stands, but shortstop Yukio Kanno and second baseman Haruo Tanaka struck out swinging.

And there it is. The most improbable postseason run of the dynasty, completing a sixth straight title. Only three more to tie the Giants of the 1950s-1960s!

RF Luis Alejandrez's .414/.452/.552 slash line earned him Series MVP honours for the fourth straight season.

[tehsuigi]

Roku and Roll! The Green Machine Gets Their Sixth

Draft Picks
* SS Nobuyoshi Ito, 2nd round in 2034
* LF Akihisa Katayama, 2nd round in 2038
* LHP Narihira Kimura, 2nd round in 2032
* RF Masashi Koide, 2nd round in 2035
* LHP Takao Koike, 2nd round in 2036
* RHP Shigejiro Matsumoto, 2nd round in 2031
* 1B Tomosaburo Morioka, 1st round, 18th overall in 2031
* CF Shojiro Murakami, 3rd round in 2035
* 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
* CF Takatoshi Tamaki, 1st round, 17th overall in 2037
* DH Yoshikuni Yokota, 1st round, 17th overall in 2038

Free Agents
* RHP Masaji Hayashi, 2035-36 offseason
* RHP Seigo Kinjo, 2040-41 offseason
* SS Yui Nakamura, 2037-38 offseason
* LHP Caleb McAdam, 2040-41 offseason
* LHP Kikaku Nakayama, 2037-38 offseason

Trade
* 1B/3B Ayumu Imakake, from Niigata Komatsu with RHP Muneo Miyamoto and RF Reizo Nishimoto for 3B Alex Espinosa, LF Brad Chapman, RHP Keitaro Onishi, and RHP Shuta Kurokawa
* SS Fumihito Ishizaki from Kirin for 3B Mitsunobu Suzuki
* 3B Koji Kashima, from Okinawa Kirin for LHP Yoshimitsu Ota
* C Kawanari Kondo, from Yokohama DeNA with LF Ryoji Tokuda and 2B Shigeharu Tanaka for 1B Makoto Fukuhara, LF Takao Okamoto, and RHP Bret Pettis
* RHP Muneo Miyamoto, see Imakake
* C Kiyonori Nakashima, from Nippon-Ham with 2B Koji Kikuchi for RHP Andres Valle
* 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
* CF Akiho Sana, see Nishino
* RHP Seiji Tabata, from Chunichi with RHP Tokuei Yoshikawa for 3B Yoshio Kato, RHP Juan Miranda, RHP Takeo Fukunaga
* 2B Shigeharu Tanaka, see Kondo
* RHP Akira Wada, from Yomiuri for RHP Iori Shibata
* LHP Tetsuya Yoshimoto, from Ehime Honda for RHP Katsuyoshi Ogawa

Acquisition
* RF Luis Alejandrez, from Road Warriors (ATL)
* RHP Kim Chae-bong, from California Dogecoin (PA)
* LF Jon Lutz, from St. Paul Saints (AA)

[tehsuigi]

2041 Season Summary

We were one game away from missing the playoffs. We were one game away from missing the Japan Series. We were one game away from losing the Japan Series.
You cannot count out this squad. All In indeed.

No practice tomorrow.

Updated Top 10 Batters
1. Uchino
2. Alejandrez
3. Kashima
4. Kato
5. Morioka
6. Kawamoto
7. Arakawa
8. Tsuchiya
9. Yamazaki
10. Chapman

Updated Top 10 Pitchers
1. Matsumoto (by DOUBLE the next closest)
2. Yamamoto
3. Yoshimoto
4. Ishii
5. Ota
6. Kim
7. Smith
8. Kimura
9. Aoki
10.Greene

[tehsuigi]

2041-42 Offseason Summary

Awards Season
* Four Arrows earned Golden Gloves this season - catcher Kawanari Kondo, third baseman Koji Kashima, shortstop Yui Nakamura, and right fielder Luis Alejandrez.
* No Best Nine nominations, though.
* Yoshikuni Yokota, Takao Koike, and Jon Lutz all got Rookie of the Year votes, but the unanimous choice was Tomohiro Iwahashi, the new centre fielder for Orix.
* Paul Paez had his Manager of the Year award streak end at 5. Michael Collins wins the award for his pennant-winning work with Tohoku Rakuten.
* Kim Chae-bong has finally arrived; he was the unanimous Eiji Sawamura Award winner this year. 12-10 isn't that good of a record, but 218 Ks and a 2.82 ERA over 165 2/3 IP? And a .170 oAVG? He's earned it. Matsumoto finished 2nd.
* Kim was also the highest vote-getter for Shizuoka in the MVP race at 6th, with Matsumoto 8th, Alejandrez 13th, and Yokota and Kashima getting a few votes. Satoshi Teramoto won his 5th MVP in 6 seasons (and 4th in a row), but the Marines still can't get him to the postseason.

Arbitration and Early Free Agency
* One player was declined arbitration: 1B/3B Ayumu Imakake. As helpful he's been to the Arrows' last two championships, it comes at too high of a price tag.
* Heading to free agency are RHP Akira Wada, LHP Tetsuya Yoshimoto, LHP Rintaro Takashima, and C Kawanari Kondo
* The Hiroshima Toyo Carp acquired RHP Juan Birriel and LF Akihisa Katayama for RF Hiromi Ishimaru. The #79 rated prospect is expected to add some much-needed pop in AAA Shinano.
* The Saitama Seibu Lions added RHP Seishiro Nakatani and C Yoshtomo Nakatani from the Shizuoka Arrows in exchange for C Eizo Osaki. Osaki's expected to tandem behind the dish with Nakashima and give Koji Kashima a new assistant captain.

2041 First Year Draft
It's the first time in a long while the Arrows have picked before the last two. At 14th overall, they select right-handed starter Yuuichi Hayashi from Kansai University. Intriguingly, we've heard they haven't offered a contract...
2. Mamoru Iguchi, a left-handed batting college 3B with decent defense.
3. Eiji Ito, another right-handed college starter.
4. Kumeo Matsumoto, high school center fielder with decent numbers
5. Morikazu Hiramoto, the best available shortstop
6. Shigenori Morimoto, a slugging left-handed outfielder from high school
7. Harutomi Takara, college right-handed reliver.
8. Kota Saito, a leftie college reliever with an intriguing pitch mix.
9. Osamu Suzuki, incredible defensive prowess with a total noodle bat.
10.Akihide Tada, the usual high-ability catcher.
EDIT: Hayashi would indeed sign with the Arrows.

Other News
* LHP Yoshimitsu Ota retired after more than 12 seasons between Shizuoka, Okinawa Kirin, and Fukuoka SoftBank. He's got a future as a broadcaster, for sure.

Winter Meetings and After
* The Shizuoka Arrows acquired a number of minor league players today via trade, and one notable major leaguer from the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters - Mitsumasa Saito, a 35-year-old right handed reliever who'll be joining an already fearsome bullpen.
* The Arrows aren't known for free agent deals before the calendar flips over, but this year's an exception. Mitsuchika Saruwatari, four-time All-Star and three-time Best Nine winner over a career with Hanshin, Seibu, Honda, Nippon-Ham, and Yomiuri, signed a 1-year, 1.26M contract to come to the Arrows. Saruwatari will be 36 when the season starts, but his bat's as sharp as ever, and will be the vLH platoon DH counterpart to young Yoshikuni Yokota.