Global Baseball Company

MLB New Import Tracker (That's a Wrap 2008)

2008-10-13T15:03:00.002-05:00

I want to apologize for the lack of updates this past month. I'm writing copy for The Bill James Handbook 2009, and that's been sapping most of my sportswriting energy. But the good news is, the new Handbook is awesome and loaded with new material. And Global Baseball Company will be running in full over the winter as we keep an eye on all the happenings in the Caribbean leagues and Latin America.

So let's close the book on our new imports of 2008.

Kosuke Fukudome, RF—#1—Chicago Cubs
Birthplace: Kagoshima, Japan
After homering on Opening Day, starting his own cottage industry, and being elected as a starter to the All-Star Game in his rookie season, maybe there was just nowhere to go but down for Kosuke Fukudome during the second half of the season. Because go down he did—like a zeppelin on fire.

According to the Chicago Sun Times’ Chris De Luca, the Cubs now have a $38m problem on their hands. ESPN’s Buster Olney agrees. Fukudome went from being cheered during the season to booed during the postseason. So what the hey?

The curious case of Kosuke Fukudome defies easy explanation. With the exception of July (which was clearly an abberation) his K/BB ratio remained steady. His ability to drive the ball just seemed to melt in the summer heat—his SLG % dropped every month, bottoming out at .253 in August before bouncing back, mildly, to .283 in a part-time role in September. After hitting .305 in April, he hit .193 in August. His BA/BIP was league average—.304. And sure, he hit better at Wrigley than on the road, but what Cub didn't? Even his lefty/right splits are just about even--in fact, he fared a little better against lefties.

On the whole, Fukudome put up a decent line in his rookie season: .257/.359/.379 with 10 homers, 58 RBI, and 75 runs scored. (Looks like John Dewan's Stat of the Week prediction, last December, wasn't that far off.) Is it possible that, like the Cubs' season in general, Fukudome suffered from unrealistic expectations and way too much media hype? What if, translated from the Japanese, this is just the kind of player Fukudome is? Maybe he's not the big lefty bat the Cubs thought they were getting in the offseason. (A lot of us knew this going into it.) But is he a useful player? Sure. Is he $12m a year useful? For a team like the Yankees, Red Sox, or now the Cubs--absolutely. They won't even feel that salary, even if Fukudome ends up platooning in center next season with Reed Johnson.

So okay. Maybe Fukudome isn't the savior that will lead the Cubs to the Promised Land. And there seem to be some questions about his work ethic, skipping optional workouts, not taking extra batting practice, etc. The Cubs are talking about bringing in a private hitting coach for Fukudome next year, on top of his private trainer. And his slump came at the worst possible time, coinciding as it did with the Cubs' playoff collapse.

But given all these things, his first season stateside has to be considered a success. Better than someone like Kaz Matsui, but not as terrific as Ichiro's, or even Tadahito Iguchi—his most similar comp in Japan.

So the season didn't exactly end the way we hoped for Kosuke when the season began. Fine. As Tom Glavine said after getting pounded in his final start of 2007, the one in which the Mets' playoff hopes were crushed, their collapse completed, most seasons don't end up the way you want—that is, they don't end with a World Series win. That's why there's always next year.

Kazuo Fukumori, RP—#14—Texas Rangers
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
Apparently, the Texas Rangers were so unimpressed with Kazuo Fukumori they didn't even deem him worthy of a September call-up. It's not hard to see why: at AAA-Oklahoma he posted a 5.48 ERA, opponents hit .300 off him, and his K/BB ratio was just better than 2/1. After a miserable big league performance earlier this year in which his ERA was an insane 20.25, Fukumori needs to do a lot of work to right his ship if he expects to contribute in a meaningful way in 2009.

As the Magic 8 Ball would say, "The future is cloudy."

Masahide Kobayashi, RP—#30—Cleveland Indians
Birthplace: Yamanashi, Japan
In what started out to be a season with so much promise, Masa Kobayashi really finished the year on a sour note. He appeared in only three games in September—with the Indians way out of the race—and posted a 9.00 ERA. His ERA in August was 15.00.

Despite this, when taken in full, his season was not a complete disaster: a 4.53 ERA with a 1.42 WHIP and a 35/14 K/BB ratio. Plenty of employed major league relievers have seasons worse than this, but few have the roller coaster season we chronicled here.

Deep thoughts from Kobayashi can be found on NPB Tracker, here. "There is no yesterday," says the man. Let's hope that's true—that he can turn the page on this disappointing season and come back next year fresh.

In the end, Kobayashi turned in a middling performance that fell somewhat short of expectations (as did the season on a whole for the Cleveland Indians). On the other hand, only two-thirds of the new imports played all season in the big leagues, and he was part of that bunch. Kobayashi will certainly be back next year—not as a closer—but if things break right, and if he can keep the ball on the ground a little bit better, he could still emerge as a successful set-up man for whoever the Tribe employs to close the door in the ninth.

Hiroki Kuroda, RP—#18 —Los Angeles Dodgers
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
If there were any questions as to what kind of player Hiroki Kuroda was—or what kind of man— he answered them Sunday night in Game 3 of the NLCS. The Philadelphia Phillies led his Los Angeles Dodgers two games to none; the Phillies had pitched inside during the first two games, even sailing a pitch behind Dodger left fielder Manny Ramirez' head. According to baseball's moral code, it was time to retaliate, but none of the Dodger pitchers had the guts.

Except for Hiro.

Apparently, Dodger pitcher Derek Lowe and pitching coach Rick Honeycutt called Kuroda over to the bench, along with his translator. They explained the protocol. And Kuroda delivered, sailing a pitch over the head of Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino. The Flyin' Hawaiin was visibly upset, and seemed to be saying "If you're going to hit me, hit me in the ribs, not the head." Kuroda, unshaken, coaxed Victorino into a groundout and then, as he passed first base, exchanged a few words. Apparently, Kuroda's English is good enough to talk smack. The benches empited. No one was ejected. Justice was served.

The media seems to be crediting Dodger catcher Russel Martin for calling the pitch, but immediately after the game on the TBS broadcast, Martin said Kuroda threw the pitch on his own. The party line this morning seems to be, "The pitch slipped." But make no mistake: Kuroda knew the stakes. He looked around at the Dodger pitching staff and realized if you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself. So he risked ejection and reputation in order to protect his batters. In order to send a message. "We will not be pushed around."

Kuroda went six innings in Game 3 and gave up two runs on five hits, walking one, and striking out three. It was his second sparkling postseason performancehe ushered the Chicago Cubs out of the playoffs in Game 3 of the NLDS, pitching 6 1/3 innings of shutout ball.

After a rough July in which he posted a 5.24 ERA, he was downright dominant (and perhaps finally healthy) in August and September. He went 4-2 in the season's final two months, posting a 47/11 K/BB ratio while keeping his ERA below 3.00. In the starts I've seen, including the playoffs, he's simply throwing strikes and—especially in the NLDS—forcing the opposing batters to pound the ball into the ground. It's a recipe for success, especially at Dodger Stadium, where his WHIP is almost thirty percentage points lower than on the road.

Officially, he finished the regular season 9-10, but his record speaks more to a lack of run support than a lack of performance on his part. In fact, according to Bill James Online, his ERA was 1.66 in 21.2 innings pitched against teams with a better-than .600 winning percentage; his strikeout ratio was nearly 20% better against these teams than his season's K rate. If you plotted a graph with the winning percentages of his opponents on the x axis and Kuroda's ERA on the y, it would be a ski-slope—his ERA against sub-.400 teams was a full four runs higher than teams with a winning percentage over .600. So Kuroda's postseason dominance is no surprise—he's a big game pitcher. Plain and simple.

And while he throws his fastball more than half the time, his slider jams righties while his split-finger completely neutralizes left-handed batters...his split-finger almost looks like Jose Contreras' on a good day. His expected ERA was only 3.18—more than half a run lower than his season ERA of 3.73.

Given that he's the only new MLB import still playing games, we have to consider Kuroda's first big league season a rousing success. And for all you fantasy players out there, I'd have Kuroda on my list of pitchers to try and snag cheap on draft day next year. His wins don't at all reflect how good the rest of his peripherals were, so he's almost gauranteed to be undervalued.

Except by the rest of his Dodger teammates, of course.

Alexei Ramirez, OF/2B—#10—Chicago White Sox
Birthplace: Pinar del Rio, Cuba
Let me start with this: There's no way Alexei Ramirez wins the AL Rooke of the Year. Not that he doesn't deserve it. But with all the love for Evan Longoria—who is a heckuva ballplayer in his own right—coupled with the Rays' meteoric rise, Ramirez will be lucky to garner even one first place vote.

Award voting rarely makes any sense. But let me throw a couple things out there for consideration.

Without Longoria, the Rays would most likely have finished, if not in first place, then as the wild card coming out of the AL East. When Longoria hit the DL in August, the Rays never stumbled. They had the bodies to somewhat make up for his absence.

On the other hand, without Ramirez, I contend there's no way the White Sox win the division—heck, they nearly didn't win the division with Ramirez. But the Cuban Missile opened the season in CF, finally taking over full-time duties at 2B about midway through the season. This move to the keystone coincided with the Sox' 3B, Joe Crede, hitting the DL, where he would stay for the remainder of the year. Juan Uribe, displaced by Ramirez from 2B, slid over to 3B and the Sox didn't miss a beat. Without Ramirez? Uribe stays at 2B, and Josh Fields hacks his way through the season's second half—or worse, Uribe slides to third and Sox fans would have been treated to a half-season worth of the since-dispensed Pablo Ozuna at 2B.

So, if the stats are a wash, I ask myself who was the most valuable player to his team. It was Ramirez, hands down. But there's more.

Four grand slams. That's how many Alexei Ramirez hit this year. That tied the all-time record. He hit .380 with runners in scoring position. His clutch rating was 12.4, compared to Longoria's -6 (.241 with RISP). And in an otherwise curmudgeonly and somewhat disfunctional clubhouse, Ramirez' enthusiasm cut through all the B.S. and reminded Sox fans why the game is fun.

Are there holes in Ramirez' game? Absolutely. If the rumors are true, and the Sox expect him to play shortstop and hit leadoff next year, he'll have to bring that OBP up and work a little bit harder on his glove. But few rookies don't have holes in their game. And at $4m a year--especially considering what the Cubs spent for Kosuke Fukudome last offseason—Ramirez is the bargain of the decade.

He's also the 2008 Rookie of the Year. At least as far as this web site is concerned.

Yasuhiko Yabuta, RP—#27—Kansas City Royals
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
"Shake" Yabuta earned a September call-up and pitched quite well, posting a 1.42 ERA and a 5/0 K/BB ratio, while holding opponents to a .143 batting average in 6 1/3 innings pitched. The majority of these apperances were all in junk time, with the game well out of hand, but as an audition these apperances seem to have done him good. The K/BB ratio is especially encouraging, after he walked more than he struck out in both April and June.

Having never seen them in the same room together, I wonder if Yabuta and Fukumori aren't exactly the same person. Yabuta's foray into the minor leagues (AAA-Omaha) also yielded less-desireable results: in 40 1/3 innings pitched, a 5.36 ERA, a .291 opponent batting average, and a K/BB ratio just north of 2/1. His groundball/flyout ratio is the most disturbing trend—it stands at an even 1.00. Like many of his fellow countrymen, he pounds the strikezone, but like Fukumori, he's gotta keep the ball down. Check out the stat lines of these two guys. They're eerily similiar.

For their investment, the Royals were hoping they'd hired a reliable bullpen arm. Yabuta turned out to be less than that, and hardly impressed with his minor league performance. Still, given the Japanese pride factor, I bet Yabuta makes the big league squad out of spring training next year and puts in a performance closer to Kobayashi's 2008.

Tazawa Decision Stirs Controversy, Portends Future

2008-09-16T15:54:00.003-05:00

Much-reported in recent days is the decision of twenty-two-year-old Japanese pitching phenom Junichi Tazawa to try and sign with a major league club without playing in Japan. The Boston Red Sox are said to be the favorite to sign Tazawa. The twenty-two-year-old would join a formidable pitching staff that already includes Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima. However, four Yankee scouts, Atlanta Braves GM Frank Wren, Diamondbacks officials, and The Muffin Man have all been to Japan recently trying to lure Tazawa to their respective franchises. Peter Abraham of The Journal News adds the Dodgers to that mix, and MLB Trade Rumors has thrown the names of the Mariners, Cubs, Tigers and Pirates (the Pirates?!?!) into the ring.

Call me crazy: I just don’t see Tazawa taking the hill at PNC Park. Or Turner Field, for that matter.

Along with Abraham’s article above, NPB Tracker weighed in on the complications and morality of what Tazawa is trying to do. It’s something unprecedented, and these two articles offer the most well-rounded perspectives.

Basically, professional Japanese players can’t be signed by MLB teams until, after so many years of service, they are posted by their NPB team. MLB teams then bid for the right to negotiate with the player, and finally, the winning bid receives a short window of opportunity to negotiate with the player. Only a “gentleman’s agreement,” however, has thus far kept MLB teams from signing young Japanese players before they sign with a Japanese team, which is exactly what Tazawa is hoping to do.

The links above cover the points/counterpoints and cost/benefits of the Tazawa situation. And keeping it all in perspective is necessary, yes, but in this particular case also makes the entire situation seem bleak for the NPB. Back when Jackie Robinson was signed to play for the Dodgers’ minor league affiliate in Montreal, a lot of Negro League owners complained that, if this ‘raiding’ of black talent continued, they would never have a competitive black league that was on par with the white major leagues. What they failed to see, of course, was the future: an integrated major leagues.

I can’t help but see the same currents here, and wonder if history is about to repeat itself on a global scale.

Content Update

2008-09-14T16:25:00.003-05:00

Sorry it's been quiet on Global Baseball Company these last couple of weeks--I blame it on my Olympic hangover. But I did want to let everybody know what I'll have coming out in the next few weeks.

At the end of September I'll wrap up the 2008 MLB New Import Tracker and break down the regular season for our new imports. If all goes well, three of our guys will be playing in the post-season, so we'll keep an eye on their performances through October.

Winter leagues start soon, so I'll be keeping an eye on the competition there, as well as the performance and progress of those major leaguers taking part. I'll have Caribbean series coverage after that, and then it will be time for my favorite rite of spring (every few years, that is): The World Baseball Classic. Hopefully, I'll be able to report live from at least one of the rounds.

On a more serious note, our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by the recent hurricanes, especially our friends in Cuba. It's got to be rough down there right now. Here's hoping they get the aid they need, and that everyone comes through okay.

So check back soon. This winter will bring all kinds of exciting action.

MLB New Import Tracker (Aug 13-27, 2008)

2008-08-26T17:27:00.001-05:00

Kosuke Fukudome, RF—#1—Chicago Cubs
Birthplace: Kagoshima, Japan
Manager Lou Piniella fired a shot across Fukudome’s bow in early August, telling reporters that unless his right fielder began to hit a little bit, he’d be forced to go with other options. Immediately, the hyper-sensitive Chicago sports media types got all crazed, and Piniella came out the next night said he didn’t mean to create such a big stir. Take that for what it’s worth—this is the same manager that has basically admitted to occasionally getting thrown out of games on purpose to take attention away from his slumping (or, in the case of Zambrano/Barrett circa 2007, brawling) players. Either way, his words seemed to take about a week and a half to translate themselves into Japanese, but maybe—just maybe—Mr. Clutch-san is starting to turn his ship around. He came off the bench to blast a pinch-hit homerun on Sunday, then followed that up in Monday’s game by going 3-for-4 with four RBI and a double. That mini-outburst got his OPS for the month of August up to a whopping .538. Two things occur to me: 1) John Dewan’s prediction for Fukudome’s final numbers wasn’t that far off and 2) Don’t count on Fukudome tearing it up down the stretch.

Kazuo Fukumori, RP—#14—Texas Rangers
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
Demoted to AAA-Oklahoma.

Masahide Kobayashi, RP—#30—Cleveland Indians
Birthplace: Yamanashi, Japan
In the reality television show that is the Cleveland Indians’ bullpen, it’s pretty clear that Jensen Lewis is now officially the man. With a save last night, he has more saves than anyone else on the staff in 2008—and he’s only been closing for oh, about the last seventeen days. And what of Masa Kobayashi? A couple low-pressure situations in August did nothing to straighten him out: He blew the save on Monday against the Detroit Tigers, entering the game in the seventh inning with a man on first. Kobayashi promptly threw a wild pitch, advancing the runner, then allowed a base hit to put men on the corners before Brandon Inge singled home the tying run. One of the uglier performances you’ll see actually—Kobayashi threw only six pitches, two of which were hit and one of which was unhittable (read: wild). His ERA for August stands at 22.50.

But maybe none of this should be surprising—or at any rate, there were warning signs. May was the only month Kobayashi posted a K rate anywhere near one per-inning-pitched (13 Ks in 14 innings). In April and June his K rate was nearly one strikeout per every two innings pitched, and there’s no way you can survive like that in the big leagues. His K rate is up closer to one per inning since the All-Star Break, but batters are also batting a slow-pitch-softball-like .625 against him for August. That won’t be sustained either, although it is a concern that in five August appearances he’s only logged two innings—he’s just not getting anyone out. Somewhere between the stellar performance Kobayashi turned in during the month of May and the woeful performance he’s turned in since the break is exactly how I see him performing in 2009—a serviceable reliever, but not a setup guy and not, by any stretch of the imagination, a closer.

Hiroki Kuroda, RP—#18 —Los Angeles Dodgers
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
One thing that definitely does not translate into Japanese—at least as far as Hiroki Kuroda is concerned—is that clichéd phrase “the dog days of August.” Only CC Sabathia (and arguably, Rich Harden) are having better months than our Japanese import. Check out this line: in five August games he’s 2-1 with a 2.10 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and a 5-to-1 K/BB ratio (25 Ks against only 5 BBs). While this is not so far away from the line he posted in May, his success might be attributed to a new exercise regimen. Hey, running helps clear my head too, so I can feel where he’s coming from.

Alexei Ramirez, OF/2B—#10—Chicago White Sox
Birthplace: Pinar del Rio, Cuba
I was stoked to flip on the television Monday night and see Alexei Ramirez starting at shortstop and hitting leadoff against the Orioles. He proceeded to go 4-for-5 with two runs and a double. A harbinger of things to come? Count on it. In 2009, The Missile will be the White Sox’ leadoff man and starting shortstop. You read it here, if not first, at least early. Ramirez hit the game-winning single in extra innings on Sunday, after a bizarre baserunning play as sneaky bastard-cum-Hollywood-starlet AJ Pierzynksi kept the inning alive. Ramirez has his OBP up to .343, and since he started getting regular playing time his OBP stands at .357. He’s still not drawing walks, but if he keeps rapping out hits, I’ll stop complaining eventually.

Yasuhiko Yabuta, RP—#27—Kansas City Royals
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
Optioned to AAA-Omaha.

Olympic Finals, Saturday Aug. 23

2008-08-23T17:07:00.002-05:00

Before we get to the game, I want to just mention something that struck me as I was watching the Gold Medal Game (yup, I was up at 5 AM to hit record--no tivo for this luddite).

When Korea advanced to the Gold Medal Game, fourteen of their players became automatically exempt from military service. (Korea requires two years in the military from all males, unless they medal in the Olympics or win Gold in the Asian Games.) An unnamed player was quoted as saying, "It's good news, because now it means I can just play the rest of my life." Across the diamond, you had the boys from Cuba, who not only play in their country under "amateur status" but also play perpetually in the shadow of Fidel Castro, who reportedly scrutinizes each game. And then there was Japan, who sent professional players to the Olympics for the first time this year, taking a break from the regular season play.

So when we look at the team from the USA, Matt LaPorta, for example (he of the $2.3m signing bonus), it's hard not to believe that the other three semi-final teams were in fact playing for something more--the chance not to have to enlist, their very livelihoods, or absolute national pride. Not to make too much of this, but considering the stakes for the Korean players, or the Japanese players, adds a deeper meaning to the sport that is more or less completely absent from the salary-driven play of the major leagues. Are major leaguers, as a whole, the best in the world? The better trained? As a group, more physically gifted? Probably so. But even talent can't always overcome the unsettling reality that many of these baseball players from other countries labor beneath. Major leaguers are guaranteed a life of "play." And that shouldn't be taken forgranted, by them or by us.

Korea 3, Cuba 2
What a finish for what may be the last baseball game ever played in the Olympics. The star of this game had to be Korean starting pitcher Hyunjin Ryu, who worked with Mark Burhlesque swiftness and mixed speeds behind a fairly deceptive delivery. Both teams scored in the first--Korea on a two-run, opposite field homer from Seungyuop Lee, Cuba on a monstrous solo shot by Michel Enriquez, and the score held 2-1 until the seventh, when Korea scored on a double by Yongkyu Lee. But with men on second and third and two outs, Hyunsoo Kim flew out to end the threat. In the bottom half, Cuban rightfielder Alexei Belle lasered a solo homerun to right-center, and the score remained 3-2 heading into the ninth.

Cuban reliever Norberto Rodriguez dispatched the Koreans in the top of the ninth. Ryu, cruising past the 100 pitch mark, allowed a basehit in the bottom half of the inning to the leadoff batter Hector Olivera. Enriquez, who had homered earlier, laid down an effective slug bunt and advanced Olivera to second. (Strategically, this struck me as odd. Would anyone ask the New York Mets' David Wright to bunt with no outs and a man on first in the bottom of the ninth?) But it seemed to pay off, as Ryu promptly walked both Freddy Cepeda and Alexei Belle to load the bases. And here's where things got interesting.

It was something neither I nor the announcers (apparently) had ever seen before in a baseball game. After the walk to Belle, the Korean catcher, Minho Kang, went ballistic and jumped in the homeplate umpire's face. That sent both the first and third base umpires running in to break it up, along with three or four Korean coaches. The announcers seemed to think the ump was squeezing Ryu a little bit, although ball four to Belle was questionable at best. In my opinion, the Cubans finally stopped flailing at the low and outside breaking stuff, and learned by some miracle how to take a walk. Needless to say, apparently Kang disagreed. Kang was promptly ejected, causing the Koreans to have to substitute catchers in the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded and one out--in a championship game! That would be like Boston Red Sox' Jason Varitek getting tossed in the bottom of the ninth, Game 7 of the World Series. It was something I'd truly never seen. I have to think that Kang must have really said some nasty things to get himself thrown out. Or, maybe Puerto Rican homeplate umpire Rey Cotto Carlos was chaffing in all that Beijing heat, and, feeling testy, gave the kid the thumb.

No doubt because Ryu had been frozen then for a good five minutes, and because no doubt his arm was locking up after 120 pitches, the Koreans brought in relief pitcher Taehwon Chong, who quickly dealt two strikes to second baseman Yuliesky Gourriel before coaxing a game-ending, Gold Medal-snaring double play.

Like I said, quite a finish. Quite a start by Ryu, who as a twenty-one-year-old lefty might project ok in the bigs if he ever decides to make the jump.

A couple impressions: The Cubans were absolutely done in by atrocious fielding. The final boxscore shows one error, but in the top of the first three Cuban players let a ball drop into centerfield for a single; Lee's homer came after what should have been the third out. Enriquez let a ball go between his legs (the error); in the eighth, Belle had a flyball fall out of his glove that allowed the runner to reach. Y. Lee then doubled to put the Koreans up by two. In each of the innings the Koreans scored, they were basically handed four outs. And good teams will make you pay for that.

Korean fans were as loud as advertised, blowing whistles, singing, chanting, and beating on drums. The television camera even caught Cuban catcher Ariel Pestano dancing to the rhythm of the drums between pitches; enough so the announcers felt obligated to comment on it. Hey, at least Pestano, a veteran of three Olympics, was feeling loose.

I was also impressed with every at-bat from Korean rightfielder Yongkyu Lee. He seemed to foul off pitches at will, like a modern-day Eddie Collins. He alone was responsible for maybe twenty to thirty of Cuban starter Norbetro Gonzalez' final pitch count--an entire (long) inning of work. Gonzalez pitched a good game otherwise. He just made a mistake pitch to S. Lee and was worn down early by the quality and peskiness of the Koreans' at-bats.

But the real story here is the Koreans. They run the table en route to their first baseball Gold Medal ever. A combination of dominant pitching, blinding speed, and timely hitting (plus the threat of military service, perhaps) will win out nine times out of ten. Hyunjin Ryu was unflappable, allowing five hits and two walks over 8 1/3. striking out seven. Is Korea the favorite heading into the 2009 World Baseball Classic? Perhaps. Although I'm sure both Cuba and Japan are anxious for another matchup. Boxscore.

United States 8, Japan 4
The USA takes home the Bronze Medal, which is some consolation for failing to qualify for the Olympics in 2004. Japan touched US starter Brett Anderson early, but he settled down to go seven innings in which he allowed four runs and struck out six. Third baseman Matt Brown capped a stellar Olympic performance by going 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI and a homer; Matt LaPorta also went yard. But the game-winner came on catcher Taylor Teagarden's two-run double in the fifth, which put the United States up for good.

This game wraps up a disappointing Olympics for Japan, who loses four of the nine games despite fielding a team of professionals. They never seemed to gel. Like I predicted, over-engineered. Boxscore.

Olympic Semifinals, Friday Aug 22, 2008

2008-08-22T14:45:00.003-05:00

Korea 6, Japan 2
Korea advances to the Gold Medal game by putting up four runs in the eighth, two on a home run by first baseman Seungyuop Lee. Korean starting pitcher Kwanghyun Kim went eight innings, allowing one earned run on six hits and one walk while striking out five. Japan just couldn’t put together enough big hits—all six of their hits were singles. For what it’s worth, the undefeated Korea owns Japan. That’s two wins in the 2006 WBC and two more in the 2008 Olympics, against only one (albeit pivotal) loss in the ’06 Classic. Korean fan blood lust is somewhat mollified by this victory, and they’re sure to bring out the Thundersticks for tomorrow’s ultimate game. Boxscore.

Cuba 10, United States 2
Not that there was really any question heading into this game, but Cuba proved beyond a shadow of a doubt what nation had the better squad. Like the Korea-Japan game, the eighth inning put this game out of reach. Cuba exploded for six runs off USA pitchers Jeff Stevens and Neal Blaine: Alexei Belle cranked a three-run homer that was followed, three batters later, by a three-run bomb from Ariel Pestano. Alfredo Despaigne also homered in this match. Cuban starter Norge Luis Vega improves to 2-0, while relief pitcher Pedro Luis Lazo went three innings to notch his second save. USA starter Stephen Strasburg didn’t pitch too poorly; he worked four innings and allowed only two earned runs while striking out five. Cuba advances to the Gold Medal game, where they’ll play Korea—the only team to beat them thus far in the 2008 Olympics. The USA will face off with Japan for Bronze Medal bragging rights. Boxscore.

Olympic Preliminaries, Wednesday, Aug 20

2008-08-20T15:39:00.001-05:00

Cuba 17, China 1
Ouch. I can barely even look at this boxscore. That’s how ugly it is. Or is that just how different the level of competition is? Was China running its Youth for Communism Cadet Corps out there? Sadly, no. And so, like rubbernecking at a nasty car wreck on the highway, let’s take a look at highlights: Giorbis Duvergel (4 RBI), Ariel Pestano and Michael Enriquez (4-for-4 with 3 RBI) all homered for Cuba. Starting pitcher Elier Sanchez barely had a chance to work up a sweat; he was lifted after two innings of work, departing with a 9-0 lead. Even the vendors were glad when the mercy rule was invoked in lieu of the seventh-inning stretch. Boxscore.

Korea 10, Netherlands 0
Two things strike me as amazing about this game. One, that coming as it did on the heels of a 17-1 blowout, the final score doesn’t seem so bad. Two, it’s amazing how the field begins to separate after only one week of games—honestly, it’s probably best for everyone that the preliminary round is finally over. It was basically the Lee Show for Korea: Jongwook Lee was 3-for-5 with a run; Yongkyu Lee was 4-for-4 with two runs and an RBI; Daeho Lee was 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBI; and Taekkun Lee was 3-for-5 with two runs, two RBI and a jack. Together, the Lees accounted for six runs, six RBI and two homers while batting a collective .647 on the day. They recorded 12 putouts (one by Jinyoung Lee, who came in off the bench in the eighth) and two sacrifice flies. The only blemish? Yongkyu was caught stealing in the third. Boxscore.

Chinese Taipei 6, Canada 5
Finally! A game to write home about! And all of 1,600 fans were on-hand to see it! Taiwan wins it in the twelfth on Chih-Hsien Chang’s RBI single, and manages to end their 2008 Olympic experience on a high note. The Clutch Performance Fist Jab of the Day must go to Taiwanese pitcher Fu-Te Ni, who, thanks to the new extra-inning slow-pitch softball rules, entered the bottom of the twelfth with a man on first and second and nobody out. Unfazed, Ni struck out the side to end the game. Boxscore.

United States 4, Japan 2
It took the slow-pitch softball rules to get either of these two teams to score a run—this game was goose eggs all the way through the tenth inning. What the Cuba-China game was for offense, this game was for pitching. Four different pitchers went two innings each for the US, each striking out two; Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka and Kenshin Kawakami pitched a two-hit shutout for Japan until Hitoki Iwase gave it up in extras, in his second inning of work. Centerfielder Dexter Fowler was 2-for-3 for the States; Hiroyuki Nakajima went 2-for5 with a double for the Land of the Rising Sun. Both of these teams knew they were advancing before the game even began; this was more like the first round of a heavyweight boxing tournament, with both fighters sort of just feeling one another out. Semi-finals begin Friday. Boxscore.

Olympic Preliminaries, Tuesday Aug 19

2008-08-19T13:17:00.001-05:00

Canada 4, Netherlands 0
Canuck starter Brooks McNiven rebounds from a rough first start to throw six innings of shutout baseball. Catcher Emerson Frostad (2-for-4 with one run, one RBI, and a triple) and (who else?) Michael Saunders (a double and a run scored) provided the firepower for the Maple Leafs. The Dutch, who have now been shut out in four of their six Olympic games, manage only two hits. As if the IOC needed another reason to contract baseball from the 2012 Olympics, a whopping total of 641 people attended this game. Yeah, that’s less people than went to my high school. We had bigger crowds for afternoon assembly. The last person through the gates was disappointed—only the first 640 received free goose eggs signed by the Dutch team. Boxscore.

Korea 7, Cuba 4
In the battle of two unbeatens, Korea bests Cuba for the first-time ever in an Olympic baseball game. Korean starter Seungjun Song bounces back on two day’s rest (he went Sunday) to throw 6 1/3 innings of three-run baseball. Left fielder Hyunsoo Kim doubled twice and scored a run; second baseman Youngmin Ko goes 2-for3 with two runs, two RBI and a stolen base. The Cubans, described by official Olympic coverage as lethargic, took the lead in the second inning on an Ariel Pestano that scored Freddy Cepeda and Alexei Belle; Giorbis Duvergel later singled him home. But Korea responded with five in the fourth, and Cuba could only muster a solo home run by Cepeda the rest of the way.Regardless of this outcome, both teams are now guaranteed a spot in the semi-finals. Boxscore.

Japan 10, China 0
I think this is the kind of score most people were expecting once China received an automatic tournament bid: the mercy rule is invoked here for the first time in these Olympic Games as the umpires call this one after seven. Japanese starter Hideaki Waiku goes the distance, allowing two hits and striking out six. DH Tsuyoshi Nishioka is a perfect 3-for-3 with a run, three RBI, and a homer. Japan ran like the pox over the Chinese starting pitchers, stealing four bases. Boxscore.

United States 4, Chinese Taipei 2
Who is John Gall? How does 2-for-3 with two runs, and RBI, a double and a sixth-inning jack sound to you? Centerfielder Dexter Fowler also helped the cause, going 3-for-3 with a triple in support of starter Brandon Knight, who went 6 1/3 and struck out five, allowing five hits, two walks, and two earned runs. Shortstop Chih-Sheng Lin homered for Taiwan, whose loss here eliminates them from the tournament. It was “win or go home” time for the US, who was missing their slugger Matt LaPorta after LaPorta was beaned on Monday. Reports today are that his original condition was much overstated. This is good news for the States, who wraps up a semi-final spot with this victory. Boxscore.

Olympic Preliminaries, Monday, Aug 18

2008-08-18T12:48:00.000-05:00

Korea 1, China 0 (Sunday, Aug. 17)
Korea remains unbeaten behind six innings of shutout baseball from Seungjun Song. Song struck out nine and walked only one but did not qualify for the win, as Chinese starter Chenhao Li kept stride through 5 1/3, allowing three hits and one walk. This game was goose eggs until the eleventh inning, when Seungyuop Lee singled home Jongwook Lee with the winning run. Taking the broad view, China must be happy with their Olympic performance—despite their 1-4 record, they’ve absolutely been in every game they’ve played (which is more than can be said for the Dutch). Korea, seeking to avenge basically getting screwed out of a shot at the World Baseball Classic championship, is playing like a team on a mission. Boxscore.

Japan 1, Canada 0
Another great pitcher’s duel, this time between Japan’s Yoshihisa Naruse and Canada’s ace, Chris Begg. Yoshihisa pitched seven innings of two-hit ball, striking out ten. Begg went 5 1/3, allowing four hits, one run, and striking out five. His lone mistake was a fifth-inning solo home run to right fielder Atsunori Inaba. Japanese closer Koji Uehara seems to have found his stride in Beijing; he picks up his second save of the tournament. Boxscore.

Korea 9, Chinese Taipei 8
After being held to only one run on Sunday, Korea exploded in the first inning of this game, lighting up starter Chien-Fu Yang for seven runs (four earned) on the strength of a three-run jack from second baseman Youngmin Ko. To their credit, Taiwan clawed their way back and actually tied the game in the sixth on a bases-loaded double from Cheng-Min Peng. But in the seventh, Korean Daeho Lee walked and was replaced by pinch-runner Yongkyu Lee. Lee was then thrown out trying to advance to third on a single by Jinyoung Lee, who advanced to second on the throw. But Minho Kang then singled, scoring Lee, and giving Korea their fifth win in as many games. Fu-Te Ni takes the loss for Taiwan; Kijoo Han earns the sloppy win for Korea. Boxscore.

Cuba 14, Netherlands 3
Ugh. Couldn’t see this one coming, could you? Kind’ve reminds me the old ice hockey game from NES, when we used to create a team of thugs and then pit them against a team we created entirely of skinny speedster guys. The thugs of course would run the skinny guys into the boards or send them cart wheeling across the ice over and over again, and the score was always something like 22-zip. That’s more or less what happened here; incredibly, Cuba does it all without a single homerun. Alexei Belle goes 4-for-5 with two runs, three RBI and a triple, while Alfredo Despaigne goes 3-for-5 with a run, three RBI and a triple of his own. Maybe the Dutch were just scared out of their minds: Cuba hit four different Dutch batters with a pitch. If the Cubans are the bullies of these Olympic Games, the Netherlands are kind’ve like the kid who eventually decides he’d rather stay inside during recess and help the teacher “organize.” Boxscore.

United States 9, China 1
Like the Cuba/Netherlands game, clearly someone forgot to tell the victors that there is no BCS poll in the Olympics—you don’t have to keep piling on when it’s clear you’re going to win. China tried to take a page from Cuba’s playbook: five different US batters were hit by pitches. It didn’t do any good. In fact, it probably just made them mad. No homers from the American team, but Nate “How can I possibly not be starting for San Francisco by now?” Schierholtz went 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI; Terry Tiffee continues to mash (2-for-4, one run, one RBI, and a double). US starter Jake Arrieta struck out seven and walked two in six innings of work; the only run for China came on a solo shot by the Joseph-Helleresque backup catcher, Yang Yang. Boxscore.

Yankees Fire Two Scouts

2008-08-17T20:08:00.002-05:00

The New York Yankees have fired their director of Latin American scouting operations, Carlos Ruiz, and Ramon Valdivia, their director of scouting in the Dominican Republic. These firings are related to the ongoing FBI investigation into MLB's scouting practices in Latin America. Ruiz and Valdivia are accused of skimming more than six figures from player contracts. The original story, reported by the AP, is here.

Olympic Preliminaries, Saturday Aug 16

2008-08-16T17:49:00.001-05:00

United States 5, Canada 4
The US keeps its medal dreams alive by winning this squeaker over their neighbor to the north. The difference maker here was back-to-back doubles in the seventh inning by Team USA's Brian Barden and Terry Tiffee. Barden who was starting at second after yesterday's injury to Jayson Nix, also homered; Tiffee has been absolutely raking (.500 BA with 4 RBI) and finished the day 2-for-4. US starter Brett Anderson labored through 5 1/3 before being lifted for Brian Duensing, who got the win. Catcher Chris Robinson (no relation to the lead singer for the Black Crowes) went 3-for-4 for the Canucks. Boxscore.

Cuba 1, Chinese Taipei 0
This pitcher's duel between Taiwan's Chen-Chang Lee and Cuba's Elier Sanchez came down to a solo homerun in the seventh by Cuban leftfielder Freddy Cepeda. Lee went 6 2/3, allowing only three hits and two walks while striking out seven. Sanchez kept the ball in play (three hits, three walks, zero Ks) and helped Cuba simply outlast this upstart Taiwanese team, who threatened in the sixth with two out and a man on third, but star leftfielder Kuo-Hui Lo lined out to first to end the threat. Cuba remains unbeaten; this loss was the death-knell for Chinese Taipei's medal chances. Boxscore.

Netherlands 6, China 4
Finally some offense here from the Dutch, who broke a 30-inning scoreless streak in the fourth on a Sharnol Adriana homer, and then erupted for five runs in the fifth behind a three-run blast from Sidney de Jong. Neither of these teams has a shot at a medal, but its worth noting that China leads all Olympic teams in batting average, is third in OBP, and tied for first in steals. This, of course, is hardly an endorsement for small ball, but at least the Chinese aren't the pushovers everyone orginally thought they'd be. Boxscore.

Korea 5, Japan 3
Korea joins Cuba as the only unbeaten team, although they play a makeup game tomorrow while everybody else gets a day off. These two Powerhouses of the East were tied 2-2 heading into the top of the ninth, when Korea loaded the bases with two outs. A Hyunsoo Kim single scored two runs and a third came around on a stolen base attempt, when Japanese catcher Shinnosuke Abe sailed one into centerifeld, allowing Jongwook Lee to score. Japan came back in the bottom on the ninth when Takahiro Arai led off the inning with a triple and scored on an error by third baseman Dongjoo Kim. Japan soon had the tyng run at theplate with men on second and third and nobody out, but Abe flew out, Takahiko Sato struck out, and Masahiko Morino grounded out to end the game. Boxscore.

Olympic Preliminaries, Friday Aug 15

2008-08-15T13:46:00.006-05:00

China 8, Chinese Taipei 7
You’ll always be Chinese Taipei to us, bitches! Serious historical overtones in this matchup. China gets its first ever Olympic baseball win. It might also be their last, as baseball will be cut from the Olympics in 2012 and, up until this game, China had yet to score. This epic dogfight went 12 innings. Tied at three heading into the top of the 12th, Taiwan lit up Chinese relief pitcher Jiangang LV for four runs and seemed to have the victory in hand. But in the bottom half of the inning, Fenglian Hou singled with the bases loaded, scoring two, and an error by Taiwanese rightfielder Chien-Ming Chang allowed the winning run to score. (Hou notched the first ever hit for China on Tuesday; here he helps China win its first ever Olympic baseball game. Give that man a bungalow!) Some notable performances include Chinese centerfielder Lingfeng Sun, who went 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI, including a double. Catcher Wei Wang also homered. Taiwan pitcher Wei-Lun Pan came out dealing, striking out eight over a scoreless 6 1/3, but his bullpen let him down in extras. Taiwanese leftfielder Kuo-Hui Lo went 2-for-2 with a dinger. Boxscore.

Cuba 5, United States 4
This was maybe the most anticipated baseball matchup of the Olympics. Both teams came ready to play. The lead went back and forth and the game was tied heading into the 11th inning. With the new extra-inning rules in effect (that's slow-pitch softball style, in case you're wondering)the US scored one in the top half, but a two-run single in the bottom of the 11th by third baseman Michael Enriquez won the game for Cuba. USA second baseman Jayson Nix—who homered in the eighth to tie the game—later fouled a ball off his eye on an inside pitch that some on the US side felt was intentionally thrown at him. Nix’ status for the remaining games is doubtful. Cuban Alfredo Despaigne continues to tear it up--he hit a long homerun to centerfield. Cuba now stands at 3-0 and will certainly advance into the next round. The US will most likely need to win out in order to make the semi-finals. Boxscore.

Korea 1, Canada 0
Canada had been putting some runs on the board up until this game, when they ran into the buzz saw that is Korean starting pitcher Hyunjin Ryu. Ryu went the distance, allowing five hits, walking three and striking out six. The only run came on a solo shot by second baseman Keunwoo Jeong. Canadian rightfielder Michael Saunders continues to swing a hot bat, going 1-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base. Actually, if there’s a bright side for the Canucks, it’s that starter Mike Johnson went 6 1/3, allowing only one run on three hits, four walks and three Ks—he might be candidate to follow Chris Begg if the Canadians manage to advance. Korea is now 2-0, having beaten both North American teams. Boxscore.

Japan 6, Netherlands 0
Man, the Netherlands these days make everyone look like Cy Young. Japanese starter Sugiuchi went seven innings and struck out six. Both centerfielder Norichika Aoki and DH Masahiko Morino went 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. And in case you’re keeping score at home, that’s 27 scoreless innings and counting now for the Dutch. I don’t know what the record for Olympic futility is, but we’ve got to be getting close here. Where’s Thor, God of Thunder, when you need him? Boxscore.

Olympic Preliminaries, Thursday Aug 14

2008-08-14T10:59:00.002-05:00

United States 7, Netherlands 0
US pitcher Stephen Strasburg—he of the 23 strikeout performance against Utah earlier this year–pitched seven innings of one-hit ball and struck out eleven Dutch. Matt LaPorta crushed a three-run bomb; Matt Brown went yard as well. Meanwhile, the Netherland National Team continues to struggle. Their lone hit came on an Adriana Shairnol single in the seventh. That’s eighteen scoreless innings and counting now for the Dutch. Boxscore.

Korea vs. China
Postponed—rain out. Rescheduled for Sunday, Aug. 17.

Cuba 7, Canada 6
Cuba busted out for four runs in the sixth inning on two-run homers by Alexandra Malleta and the red-hot Alfredo Despaigne. Canadian starter Brooks McNiven lasted only two innings before being lifted for Jonathan Lockwood, who took the loss. We knew the starting rotation was going to be a problem for Canada, and their lack of pitching depth really showed itself here. Canuck right fielder Michael Saunders went yard again and left fielder Nick Welgarz went 4-for-4 with two homeruns and three RBI. Relief pitcher Vicyohandry Odelin notched the victory for Cuba, pitching 2 1/3, allowing one run, and striking out three. Boxscore.

Japan 6, Chinese Taipei 1
This heated Eastern rivalry was all Japan, as they cruised to victory behind starter Hideaki Wakui who went six innings, allowed one run and struck out six. Shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI and a double. Taiwan managed only four hits, two each by Cheng-Min Peng and Chih-Hsien Chiang. Chiang drove in Peng for Taiwan’s only run. Koji Uehera finished the game for Japan. Although his Olympic team selection was somewhat controversial, he had no trouble here, pitching one inning, striking out one, and allowing no baserunners. Boxscore.

Olympic Preliminaries, Wednesday Aug. 13

2008-08-13T12:11:00.002-05:00

Chinese Taipei 5, Netherlands 0
Chinese Taipei won their first game of the tournament behind seven shutout innings from Wei-Yin Chen, who allowed only three hits while striking out seven. Two sac flies and three RBI singles accounted for all the scoring. Taipei right fielder Chien-Ming Chang went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Dutch starter David Bergman took the loss. Things don’t get easier for the Netherlands as they play the United States tomorrow. Chinese Taipei takes on their eastern rivals, Japan. Boxscore.

Canada 10, China 0
A prodigious, three-run blast by Scott Thorman and a nine-strikeout, no-walk performance by starting pitcher Chris Begg handed China the loss in the host nation’s inaugural Olympic appearance. In the bottom of the first, Fenglian Hou notched the first Chinese hit in Olympic Games history with a single up the middle. Thorman finished the game with a homer, three RBI and two runs, while Canadian right fielder Michael Saunders added a solo shot in the eighth. Tomorrow, Canada plays Cuba while China goes up against Korea. Boxscore.

Korea 9, United States 8
Korea pulled out a dramatic victory with two runs in the bottom of the ninth after the US had taken the lead in the top-half of the inning with three runs of their own. With the US down by two, third baseman Mike Hessman led off the ninth inning with a solo homerun. Terry Teargarden singled and advanced to third on Brian Barden’s double; both men later scored on an RBI single by first baseman Matt Brown. But Korea wasn’t finished. With Jeff Stevens on the hill for the red, white and blue, Jeung Keunwoo doubled and scored two batters later on a fielder’s choice to tie the game. With Lee Taekkeun on first, an errant pickoff attempt advanced him to third, and Lee scored the winning run on a sac fly by Lee Jongwook. Both teams get to relax a little tomorrow as the US takes on the Netherlands and Korea plays China. Boxscore.

Cuba 4, Japan 2
In the most anticipated matchup of the day, two Olympic powerhouses did not disappoint. Cuba got to Japanese starter Yu Darvish (0-1) early, chasing him from the game in the fourth. Cuban rightfielder Alexei Belle was 2-for-2 with a double, a triple, and two runs scored, while DH Alfredo Despaigne went 3-for-4 with three RBI. Shortstop Munenori Kawasaki went 3-for-3 and scored both Japanese runs. Norge Luis Vera went six innings for Cuba, giving up two runs on seven hits while striking out two. Darvish took the loss for Japan, who gets another tough matchup in Chinese Taipei tomorrow. Cuba plays Canada. Boxscore.

MLB New Import Tracker (Jul 15-Aug 12, 2008)

2008-08-12T16:47:00.005-05:00

Kosuke Fukudome, RF—#1—Chicago Cubs
Birthplace: Kagoshima, Japan
Fukudome is colder than a witch’s tit. He was voted in as a starter in the All-Star Game, and since then he’s hit .227/.306/.360. For August? His OBP is .188, although he has reached safely in 42 of his last 53 games. Even worse, his woes at the plate have drawn the attention of manager Lou Piniella, and if there’s one man whose doghouse you’d rather never be in, it’s Sweet Lou’s. If Piniella decides Fukudome needs to ride some pine, we may never see this Japanese import play for the Cubs again.

That’s an exaggeration of course, but I do want to illustrate what a deep, dark place Piniella’s doghouse is, and to emphasize that, like that crazy electric barrier in Level 2, Base 1 in the NES’ Contra, the one that lit you up whenever you touched it, Fukudome needs to do everything in his power to stay the hell out of there.

Kazuo Fukumori, RP—#14—Texas Rangers
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
Demoted to AAA-Oklahoma.

Masahide Kobayashi, RP—#30—Cleveland Indians
Birthplace: Yamanashi, Japan
This guy’s first season as part of a major league bullpen has been less like The Natural and more like Project Runway, or as Heidi Klum would say: In fashion, one day you’re in, and the next day you’re out. He notched two saves in July, was briefly named the closer, posted a 5.59 ERA, and took a loss. He’s appeared only once in August, coming in to rescue a blown save by Edward Mujica. But Kobayashi allowed a base hit to countryman Akinori Iwamura, walked the intimidating Ben Zobrist, then allowed a game-ending, three-run jack to Carlos Pena. That’s a couple times now this season I’ve seen Mr. Kobayashi turn around, face the center field camera, and watch a homerun disappear into the stands to end the game. Bottomline is, this bullpen is a mess, but it’s only one messy part of a larger, even messier ballclub. I think everyone in the Mistake on the Lake is ready to look toward next year. Too bad there’s 45 or so games left on the schedule.

Hiroki Kuroda, RP—#18 —Los Angeles Dodgers
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
Following a July in which he went 2-2 with a 5.24 ERA, Kuroda’s been almost untouchable in August with a 1.17 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and a 5 to 1 K/BB ratio. He held Arizona to one run on four hits on Aug. 2 to earn a victory; he allowed eight hits and two walks and only one run against San Francisco on Aug 9 but didn’t figure into the decision. The Dodgers are in the thick of a pennant race, and, after failing to acquire Greg Maddux before the trade deadline, would love to see Kuroda become Maddux-like (Maddux-lite?) down the stretch.

Alexei Ramirez, OF/2B—#10—Chicago White Sox
Birthplace: Pinar del Rio, Cuba
After Ramirez hit a game-tying, eighth-inning home run on Aug. 5, White Sox coach Joey Cora—taking the post-game interview because manager Ozzie Guillen was serving a suspension—referred to Ramirez simply as “The Missile.” He never said his name. He felt no need to insert “Cuban” in front of it. Just, “The Missile.” As in, “I knew with The Missile up there, The Missile was going to come through.” So, while not only is the nickname completely bad-ass, it also speaks to just how far Ramirez has come in the course of one season. He’s now a fixture at second base (until next season, when he moves to short). When The Missile comes to the plate, fans expect good things to happen. He’s hitting .299 since the All-Star Break, and while I’d like to see him walk a little more (his OBP is .326 on the year) I’ll take these numbers from a “rookie” any day. So will Ozzie.

Yasuhiko Yabuta, RP—#27—Kansas City Royals
Birthplace: Osaka, Japan
Optioned to AAA-Omaha.

2008 Olympics: Republic of Korea National Team Breakdown

2008-08-08T08:21:00.003-05:00

"The Land of the Morning Calm" is anything but when it comes to sporting events—sports fans in South Korea live on the cutting edge of fanaticism. The Red Devils, for example, a "vociferous and dynamic group of supporters," are known internationally as some of the loudest, most enthusiastic soccer fans on the planet.

Baseball's no different. This is the place that invented "thunder sticks," after all, which gained prominence in the States during the Anaheim Angels' run to the 2002 World Championship. South Koreans call them "stick balloons," and fans have been smacking them together on every pitch since the early 1990s.

Sexy women cheerleaders in white cowboy boots...with whistles? Check. Huge contingents of fans that follow their favorite teams on the road? Check. So the question becomes, if South Korea and Chinese Taipei play one another, and a tree falls in the forest, will you hear anything at all? Or just the din of 30,000 fans screaming for their national team?

Here's the 2008 South Korean Olympic baseball starting lineup, as I see it:

MANAGER: Kim Kyung-moon, Republic of Korea National Team. Kim has predicted the South Koreans will be in contention for the gold, which of course is different than predicting they’ll win the gold. Regardless, he’s left a little short-handed with many MiLBers refusing their “national duty” and declining Kim’s invitation to join the national team. South Korean fans, of course, are incredulous. It’s almost enough to make a country wish they were communist.

CATCHER: Jin Kab-yong, Samsung Lions. There are so few things in life you can rely on: death; taxes; and Jin Kab-yong behind the dish for the Republic of Korea. A veteran of the 1994 World Cup, 1996 Olympics, and 2006 World Baseball Classic, Jin owns a KBO league line of .277/.342/.422 over more than 1,000 games. He won the Gold Glove in 2002 and 2005; he was an All-Star selection in 2002-2004 and then again in 2006.

FIRST BASE: Lee Seung-yeop, Yomiuri Giants.. Perhaps the only bonafide star on the South Korean National Team, “The Lion King” is a JBL All-Star who, at the age of twenty-six, became the youngest professional baseball player in the world to hit 300 home runs. He won five MVPs before the age of twenty-nine, whereupon he transferred to the JBL, leaving his career 1.024 OPS in the KBO. Now thirty-one, Lee batted .478 with 2 homeruns and 12 RBI in the Olympic Qualifying Round. He’s batting .313 for his career in international play, with 9 HRs and 42 RBI in 37 games. He’s the only national team member not currently playing in the Korean professional league.

SECOND BASE: Ko Young-min, Doosan Bears. An offensive-minded second baseman, Ko hit .368/.480/.421 in the Final Qualification Tournament to lead the South Korean National Team to Beijing.

THIRD BASE: Jeong Keun-woo, SK Wyverns. A four-year veteran of the KBO, Jeong hit .323 (4th in the league) in 2007 and led the Wyverns to the championship. He won the Gold Glove in 2006, putting up a line of .284/.345/.402 and 45 stolen bases. A versatile infielder, he’ll man the hot-corner or see time at DH in the Olympics.

SHORTSTOP: Kim Min-jae, Hanwha Eagles. Considered one of the best defensive infielders in the league, Kim represented South Korea in the 2006 WBC and scored the winning run against Japan in Round 2. He hit .273 for that tournament with 1 RBI. Not a huge threat with the bat (his lifetime batting average is only .249) he’s basically Adam Everett—a spectacular defender but otherwise close to an automatic out.

LEFT FIELD: Lee Taek-keun, Hyundai Unicorns. A converted catcher, Lee has been a member of the South Korean National Team since he was an All-Star at the position in 1998. This righty owns a lifetime .308 batting average in the KBO and hit .320/.345/.360 in the 2008 Final Olympic Qualification Tournament. He won the Gold Glove in 2006 by hitting .322/.400/.446, and finished in the top-ten in batting average again in 2007 and 2008.

CENTER FIELD: Lee Jong-wook, Doosan Bears. Lee turned down a 90 million won bonus to serve in the military after college. Three years later he joined the Bears and stole 51 bases as a rookie. One of the top basestealers in the KBO, his feats (feets?) of daring are legendary. A 2007 Gold Glove winner, he’ll bat leadoff.

RIGHT FIELD: Likely a timeshare between Lee Jin-young and Lee Yong-kyu.

DESIGNATED HITTER: Perhaps Lee Dae-ho, or if Dae-ho is playing third, Jeong Keun-woo, or perhaps whoever’s not playing right field at the time. Who knows, really?

STARTING ROTATION: Kim Kwang-hyun, Ryu Hyun-jin, Bong Jung-keun and Song Seung-jun.

BULLPEN: Submariners Chung Dae-hyun, Yoon Seok-min, and Woo Kyu-min.

Korea was at the center of controversy in the 2006 WBC when it swept its way through the opening round, swept its way through the second round, and then had to play Japan (for the third time!) in the semi-finals. South Korea lost the third match-up, and Japan advanced to the finals despite A) having lost more tournament games than South Korea and B) having lost twice to South Korea! It was a cluster-f*** worthy of the Bud Selig era, and fans of South Korea were rightly outraged.

South Korea won the Olympic bronze medal in 2000 but did not qualify for the Olympics in 2004 (they had some good company—the United States didn’t qualify that year either). Otherwise it’s been four Olympic appearances in twenty-four years and only one medal. They also earned a bronze medal in the 2006 Asian Games.

This is a good team—maybe not ‘medal’ good, but very competitive. Like Canada , this country should truly shine in the 2009 WBC with the expected additions of Choo Shin-soo, Lim Chang-yong, Park Chan-ho, and even perhaps Kim Byung-hyun.

2008 Olympics: Chinese National Team Breakdown

2008-08-07T09:09:00.000-05:00

To describe organized baseball in China as "nascent" would be an understatement, but as the host nation, the Chinese National Team received an automatic bid to the Olympics. Jim Lefebvre is at the helm for the Chinese, and he probably summed up his team's medal prospects best when he told ESPN The Magazine, "We'are about Low-A level, but we're improving."

MLB has been working with China to develop baseball there since 2003, even staging an exhibition game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres earlier this year in Beijing. For a hilarious and insightful take on what it's like going to a baseball game in China, read this report from Red Leg Nation. Funny, funny stuff.

The truth is, I have no idea who's playing for China in the Olympics this year. Whether it's because their government is shrouded in secrecy or because no one thinks their roster is newsworthy, I can't find a single report on what to expect from the Chinese National Team.

China finished 15th in the 2006 WBC; they've never finished higher than 10th in the World Baseball Cup. They did actually medal in the Asian Baseball Championship in 2005, bringing home the bronze.

But the real goal here isn't a medal. The goal, especially for MLB, is to continue baseball's expansion as a national sport in the most populated country in the world. It's economic, folks. There's a growing middle class with money to spend. Somewhere, Branch Rickey is smiling.

2008 Olympics: Japanese National Team Breakdown

2008-08-05T17:10:00.005-05:00

For many years I drove a 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse—I loved that car. It was silver, with black leather interior, moon-roof and a kick-ass premium sound system. Driving that car was pure pleasure. It was a stick shift, and sometimes I would turn the volume on my kick-ass sound system off just to listen to the sound of the car’s engine hum along the road.

Actually, that’s not entirely accurate. The car was fun to drive as long as it could actually be driven, because if I even looked at a pothole funny the clutch and alignment would be thrown completely out of whack. After one such incident, when it felt like I was trying to accelerate through molasses so I took the car in to have the clutch realigned, my mechanic actually called me and said, “I have never seen this kind of problem on a car ever before!” Apparently the nut was bent over the lug or something crazy… anyway, it wasn’t good.

The problem with the car was that it was over-engineered. Instead of making it simple, the think-tank over at Mitsubishi made everything so perfectly aligned, so infinitely fine that yes, it was a great drive (and I mean GREAT), but it was also damn expensive to repair. And I had to repair my Eclipse a lot.

This is kind of like the 2008 incarnation of the Japanese National Team. They are engineered—maybe to a fault. So much thought has gone into the team’s makeup, so much effort has been spent trying to get the right mix of old and new players, those with experience and those without, that this over-engineering may actually hurt them in the end. They’re certainly dealing with enough injuries right now, that’s for sure.

Two-thirds of the players who helped Japan sweep through the 2007 Asian Baseball Championship will represent the national team in Beijing, but the manager Senichi Hoshino has also brought along younger, perhaps hungrier players who are just coming into their own in the Nippon Baseball League. Promising players like Yu Darvish, Hiroyuki Nakajima and Takahiko “G.G” Sato will gain valuable international experience.

Japan is somewhat hobbled by injuries—starting first baseman Takahiro Arai (back) will not play in the Olympics, and right fielder Atsunori Inaba (buttocks) is so banged up that less than a month ago his manager called to make sure he could still play.

With only ten pitchers on the roster, Japan will use a tandem rotation, asking two starters to go four innings each so Hoshino can turn them around on four days’ rest. Although traditionally less obsessed with power than their American counterparts, we can expect this Japanese National Team to manufacture runs and nickel and dime the opposition to death—even more so than in years past.

"We learned in Taiwan last year that with international umpires, you can't depend on their strike zone,” said coach Koichi Tabuchi. “That's why we're going less for power and more for guys who are going to build rallies."

How exactly do they plan to do that? Let’s take a look:

MANAGER: Senichi Hoshino, Japanese National Team. “I only need the gold—not any other color.” These were the words of Hoshino when he was introduced as the Japanese National Team manager in 2007. Think this guy wants to win? He’s basically been scouting the international tournaments for the past year, compiling a book on every player his team is likely to face. He’s also sort of the Japanese version of John McGraw, reportedly yelling at his players “every day” and even going so far as to hit them if they miss a sign. Always the first one into the melee whenever there’s a brawl, Hoshino has even fined players who stayed in the dugout during a fight. And while he’s drawn some criticism for his controversial managerial style, the players love him for the same reasons—his loyalty and above all, his utter will to win. And no one can argue with his record as a manager: He’s 920-791 in the NBL with three league championships.

CATCHER: Shinnosuke Abe, Yomiuri Giants. Abe is the top catcher in the NBL. He rakes his way through the regular season and then rakes his way through international play. Lifetime he’s .285/.360/.487 while playing nearly flawlessly at catcher. A perpetual All-Star, he was the All-Star Game MVP in 2007 and was later MVP of the 2007 Asian Championship while leading Japan to the Olympics. He hasn’t batted less than .300 with runners in scoring position since 2003. The Sturgeon General did some nice work projecting Japanese players in the major leagues, and they project Abe at .271/.321/.392 in the States. That’s roughly Bengie Molina territory, which is nothing to sneeze at.

FIRST BASE: Michihiro Ogasawara, Yomiuri Giants. Ogasawara’s roster spot hasn’t been confirmed, but speculation is that he’ll take the position vacated by the injured Takahiro Arai. Some thought Ogasawara was snubbed anyway; knee surgery made him unavailable for the qualifiers but he was healthy when Hoshino assembled the final Olympic roster. Winner of two batting championships, he ranks third in NBL history in career batting average behind Ichiro Suzuki and Randy Bass (Randy Bass?). Ogasawara won the MVP in 2006 (313/.397/.573) while leading the league in home runs, becoming the first Nippon Ham to win the award in a quarter century. Unofficially, his nickname is the Dolphin or Mr. Gut-Full Swing. He runs a sightseeing business in the off-season. Also, his ‘stache easily rivals the Jason Giambi porn-stache, which is no small feat.

SECOND BASE: Tsuyoshi Nishioka,Chiba Lotte Marines. Nishioka believes nothing is impossible. He also won an honorable mention in Jhockey’s 2008 Mullet Championship. A first-round draft pick in 2002, Nishioka became a switch-hitter when he turned pro. He’s a gifted and versatile defender, splitting time between shortstop and second base—in 2005 he won a Gold Glove at second base while being selected as a Best of Nine at shortstop. Over four seasons his career batting average is .280 with 109 stolen bases. Kind’ve a Mark Ellis type if Mark Ellis played for a team that stole bases. Ever.

THIRD BASE: Shuichi Murata, Yokohama BayStars. Known for his opposite-field power, Murata bats cleanup for the BayStars. In 2007 he led the league in home runs (36) while finishing third in runs (94) and fourth in RBI (101). He always seems to just miss a Best of Nine (All-Star) selection—losing out to the America-bound Akinori Iwamura in 2006 and to Michihiro Ogasawara (regularly a third baseman) in 2007. He was MVP of the Month in July, batting .396 with 11 homers and 24 RBI. In Japan’s quest to play small ball, he’s really the only big-time power threat in the Olympic lineup.

SHORTSTOP: Munenori Kawasaki, Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. Japan’s shortstop when they won the 2006 World Baseball Classic, this will be Kawasaki’s first Olympic appearance. A Best of Nine selection and Gold Glove winner in 2004, he also led the league in hits that year with 174. Watching him in the 2006 WBC, ESPN’s Eric Neel compared his gracefulness in the field to Ozzie Smith. Lifetime he’s .298/.387/.352 and posted the highest batting average in his career (.321) in 2007. If you read Japanese, you can visit his fan site here. (You can visit the fan site even if you don't read Japanese, but I really don't know what you'll get out of it.)

LEFT FIELD: : Masahiko Morino, Chunichi Dragons. Known as “Mr. Three-Run” for all the three-run homers he hits, Morino played all over the diamond in his first several years in the league, finally settling down in left field in 2007. Hitting fifth, he hit .294/.366/.458 with 75 runs, 97 RBI, and 18 home runs, leading Chunichi to its first Japan Series victory in 53 years.

CENTER FIELD: Norichika Aoki, Tokyo Yakult Swallows. Aoki burst like spicy aoli sauce into the NBL in 2005, winning the batting crown, leading the league in hits and being named to the Central League’s Best of Nine en route to winning ROY honors. His league-leading 202 hits were the second most single-season hits in NBL history (Ichiro Suzuki had the most, 210, in 1994). A three-time Gold Glove Winner, he won the batting championship again in 2007. He’s a “good contact hitter with decent power.” Only twenty-six years old, Aoki is currently hitting .342 with 11 homers and 34 RBI.

RIGHT FIELD: Atsunori Inaba, Nippon Ham Fighters. Veteran Inaba hit 50 homers in high school before being drafted in the third round in 1994. Since then he’s had a long if somewhat underappreciated career, occasionally pockmarked by sporadic playing time or injury. Still, heading into 2008 his career line was .290/.344/.469—although when he tried to post as a free agent in 2004, every MLB team took a pass. But even if his bat isn’t quite what it used to be, he was the MVP of the 2006 Japan Series when he led the Ham Fighters to the Championship. He also managed an OPS of .803 in 2007—not star caliber, but serviceable. Add to that his popularity with the fans—he’s one of the few outfielders to toss the ball into the bleachers if he catches the third out—as well as the valuable experience he brings to the team, and his selection is validated, especially if he splits time at DH with up-and-comer Takahiko G.G. Sato.

DESIGNATED HITTER: Takahiko G.G. Sato and/or Atsunori Inaba.

STARTING ROTATION: Kenshin Kawakami , Yoshihisa Naruse and Yu Darvish .

BULLPEN: Hitoki Iwase and Koji Uehara .

Japan won the 2006 World Baseball Classic, and still towers as the dominant force in the East, having won 14 gold medals and 9 silver medals in 53 years of the Asian Baseball Championship. They brought home the silver medal in the 1996 Olympics and the bronze in 1992 and 2004. They won the whole she-bang back when it was a demonstration sport, in 1984.

Third Missing Cuban Named in Three-Player Defection?

2008-08-04T17:14:00.001-05:00

Reuters is reporting that two Cuban prospects have defected during a junior baseball tournament in Edmonton. The players are shortstop Jose Antonio Iglesias and pitcher Noel Argueilles. Both players are eighteen-years old and should pull in seven figures in signing bonuses if they're able to avoid the MLB amateur draft and sign as free agents.

An unnamed third player was reported missing as well. One of my contacts has said this unnamed player is pitcher Raidel Sanchez, who, like Argueilles and Iglesias, is eighteen years old and hails from the Habana Province.

Sanchez apparently has a great curveball and is one of the most talented young players in the league. Lefty Noel Arguielles throws gas in the mid-90s. Iglesias was hitting over .500 in the tournament. All are stud prospects and their defections--combined with the defection of Dayan Viciedo in May--really hinder the future of the Cuban National Team.

The entire situation has Fidel Castro foaming at the mouth. I'll just let him rant:

Edmonton has become a dumping ground. The Cuban athletes were badly taken care of. That city has the privilege of hosting that championship every year. We should analyze whether it is worth attending that tournament....Japan and the United States are big countries. They do not have to deal with an economic blockade. Both countries have great resources. No one steals or plunders their athletes....