John Jaso hit a sacrifice fly to score pinch runner Munenori Kawasaki and cap a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers. Ichiro Suzuki and his Seattle teammates celebrate after pinch runner Munenori Kawasaki scores the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning of their 3-2 win over Detroit on Monday night.
Ichiro Suzuki had two singles in two at-bats for the Mariners.
Fukudome knew what to do against a relief pitcher who just took the mound. Charlie Furbush replaced Kevin Millwood to face Fukudome with one out in the sixth after the starter gave up a game-tying two-run triple to Alex Rios. ”He (Furbush) just came in, so I knew he didn’t want to get behind in the count,” Fukudome said. ”I thought it would be better to swing at the first pitch because he was going to throw a strike. I just tried to relax and hit it deep enough for a sac fly.”
Fukudome was in the starting lineup for only the fourth time in 15 games this season. He grounded out and drew a walk in his first two plate appearances of the game. ”I prepare myself to play anytime,” the outfielder said. ”I just try to do whatever I can in any situation.”
Elsewhere, Taiwanese left-hander Chen Wei-yin allowed one run and five hits in 6-1/3 innings in the Baltimore Orioles’ 3-2, 10-inning victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
The former Chunichi Dragons pitcher walked three and struck out five en route to lowering his ERA to 2.60.
ARLINGTON, Texas – Ichiro Suzuki didn’t want to discuss Yu Darvish’s stuff, shrugging off a question about his countryman’s performance in Darvish’s Rangers debut. But Ichiro volunteered praise for Darvish’s demeanor after the Rangers’ 11-5 win Monday night over the Mariners.
“My impression was good. Not his pitching, but just in general,” Ichiro said through a translator after going 2-for-3 with a bloop single and a double off Darvish. “After he was taken out of the game, you saw the crowd with that standing ovation, but he didn’t tip his cap. You could tell that he wasn’t very happy (or) satisfied with his pitching. That shows pride. That’s a good mentality. That’s what I liked about him.”
It wasn’t the kind of performance that fulfilled expectations for Darvish, whom the Rangers made a nine-figure investment to bring over from Japan. He allowed five earned runs on eight hits and four walks in 5 2/3 innings, getting the win due to the run support from the Rangers’ homer-happy lineup. But the home crowd of 42,003 appreciated Darvish’s grit and determination after he got roughed up in the early going. Seattle scored four runs in the first and tacked on another in the second, but Darvish recovered with four scoreless innings to get the ball to the Rangers’ bullpen horses with a lead.
There was a lot of talk in the Seattle clubhouse about a lack of familiarity with Darvish’s stuff, but the Mariners had all their success against him in the time and a half through the lineup. “He throws hard. That slider is deceptive,” said No. 9 hitter Brendan Ryan, who went hitless. “You just like seeing one guy over and over. That kind of thing, the more comfortable that you’ll feel. I’m sure he’s going to pitch a lot better than he did tonight, and I’m sure that he’s not very satisfied with it.”
Seattle second baseman Munenori Kawasaki had plenty of experience against Darvish, having gone 19-for-86 with 19 strikeouts against him in the Japan League. “He’s been a great pitcher in Japan and I’m sure he’ll be very successful here, too,” Kawasaki said through a translator after going 1-for-2 with a walk against Darvish. “I’m sure he’ll pick it up and do much better as he moves forward.”
ARLINGTON, Texas — Japanese ace Yu Darvish will be pitching in a Texas Rangers uniform in 2012, agreeing to a six-year deal worth approximately $60 million on Wednesday.
Darvish agreed to the deal, which according to a source includes $56 million guaranteed, just before Wednesday’s 5 p.m. ET deadline. The agreement comes 30 days after the Rangers won the right to negotiate with Darvish and his representatives, Don Nomura and Arn Tellem, by submitting a record $51.7 million posting bid.
The club will now send the Nippon-Ham Fighters that payment and Darvish will come to the United States to pitch in the big leagues for the first time.”He’s really thrilled to be coming here,” Tellem said. “This is where he wanted to be.” Darvish, who is still in Japan, will be in Arlington on Friday for a news conference.
Including the posting fee, the Rangers paid more than $111 million to sign Darvish, which is more than the $103 million that the Boston Red Sox gave up to negotiate with and sign Daisuke Matsuzaka.
“We saw a guy that we felt was built to pitch innings and has a classic pitcher’s build,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. “He has a real commitment to his conditioning and work ethic. We think he can pitch innings at a high caliber for a large amount of time.”
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Darvish pitched in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was 18 when he began his pro career and, after an average rookie season, was 12-5 with a 2.89 ERA and 115 strikeouts in his second season (2006). He’s been consistent since, going 93-38 with a 1.99 ERA in his career in Japan.
The Rangers believe he will be a critical upper-rotation starter for years to come and will do so as he hits what should be the prime of his career. It’s an important addition for a Rangers staff that does not have a true No. 1 after C.J. Wilson left to sign a five-year, $77.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels in December.
It’s unclear where Darvish will slot in the Rangers’ rotation when the season starts, but manager Ron Washington has already said that veteran Colby Lewis will start Opening Day. The rest of the rotation will be decided during spring training. The first three games of the season are against the Chicago White Sox, followed by three at home against the Seattle Mariners — and Ichiro Suzuki.
“We’re not going to spring training with these great expectations that he’s going to shine over everybody else,” Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan said. “We want him to come in and fit in and make the adjustment of being over here, being in major league baseball for the first time. As we go through spring training and the early part of the season, he’ll start showing what he’s capable of doing.”
But when asked if Darvish was an ace, Ryan said: “I think he certainly has the potential to be.” ”It’s not fair of me to say that I see him as our No. 1, but I certainly think he has the potential,” Ryan said. “He’s very unique.”
The Rangers’ interest in Darvish dates back a few years. They had a scout at nearly every one of his starts in 2011, and Daniels watched him in person last summer. The club has increased its Pacific Rim operations in recent years, with Lewis as its biggest success story.
“The Rangers, more so than any other team, showed not only great interest in scouting him, but spent a lot of personal time developing a relationship with him over the last couple of years through scouts that visited him in Japan,” Tellem said. “There was an instant connection between Yu and his family with the Ranger organization.”
Darvish visited Texas for the first time earlier this month to get a feel for the place. He took a tour of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, watched a special video the club put together for him that included some of his pitching highlights, clips of the Rangers’ postseason runs and messages from Josh Hamilton and Ryan, among others. Darvish also met several players, including Hamilton and Ian Kinsler, and talked with Ryan and Rangers manager Ron Washington. He also had dinner with pitching coach Mike Maddux.
“The biggest impression I got, or the most surprising thing that I saw, was how big he is,” said Maddux, echoing the sentiments of Hamilton, Kinsler and Ryan. “He’s big.” The big question for Darvish is whether, unlike some of the recent Japanese pitchers who have posted in the past, his stuff can translate to the big league level. The Rangers’ scouts believe they will and so does Lewis, who beat Darvish in 2008 when Lewis was pitching in Japan.
“If you’re able to throw strikes, pound the strike zone and get guys out, it doesn’t matter what league you play in,” Lewis said last week. “If you can command the fastball and do what you need to do to get guys out, you can have success here too. He has overpowering stuff, especially in that league over there. The big thing that stood out to me was his fastball command. If he can do that here, he’ll have success.”
Japanese infielder Munenori Kawasaki says he’s been invited to spring training by the Seattle Mariners. The 30-year-old free agent says “I’ll be going to Arizona in February to compete for a job.”
Kawasaki batted .267 with 161 hits in 144 games last season to help lead the Softbank Hawks to their first Japan Series championship in eight years.
Kawasaki previously said he would go to the major leagues, provided he could join Ichiro Suzuki in Seattle. Suzuki and Kawasaki worked out together in Kobe on Thursday. The Mariners and Oakland Athletics will open the 2012 season in Japan with a two-game series at Tokyo Dome on March 28 and 29
(L to R) Actress Meisa Kuroki, Rakuten Golden Eagles pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, Japan McDonald's Holdings CEO Eikoh Harada, Rakugo performer Tsurube Shofukutei and Screenwriter-Director Koki Mitani attend the "GQ Men of the Year 2009"
The Seattle Mariners have signed free agent pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma to a one-year contract. Iwakuma’s agent, Paul Cobbe, told ESPN.com the deal is worth $1.5 million guaranteed, but the total value could increase to $4.9 million if Iwakuma reaches designated award bonuses and incentives based on starts and innings pitched.
Iwakuma, a 30-year-old right-hander, was a long-time star for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan. He slots into a Seattle rotation that’s led by former Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez and also includes Michael Pineda and Jason Vargas.
Iwakuma attracted interest from seven or eight major league teams and received offers from five clubs — with Oakland, Baltimore and Minnesota among his most active suitors. Cobbe said the pitcher received more than one multiyear offer and could have earned more money with other teams, but chose Seattle after developing a comfort level with the organization and the city during a visit in December.
Cobbe said Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik and the team “rolled out the red carpet” for Iwakuma and showed him “a lot of respect” during his visit. ”This was Iwakuma’s first time in the U.S., and he found the city of Seattle and the people there were a really strong fit for him and his family,” Cobbe said.
Iwakuma joins 10-time All-Star and former American League MVP Ichiro Suzuki to give Seattle an added Japanese presence. Japanese infielder Munenori Kawasaki also says he’s been invited to spring training by the Mariners.
Iwakuma, who played in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and the 2009 World Baseball Classic, went 21-4 with a 1.87 ERA in 2008 and won the Eiji Sawamura Award, the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young. But Iwakuma missed time with a shoulder injury this season and was 6-7 with a 2.42 ERA in 17 starts. After entering the free-agent market, Iwakuma decided to sign a one-year deal to re-establish his value in anticipation of 2013.
The Oakland Athletics paid a reported $19.1 million for the right to negotiate with Iwakuma last winter. But talks between the A’s and Iwakuma’s former agent, Don Nomura, broke down with no resolution, and the pitcher returned to Japan after the 30-day negotiating window expired. Since Iwakuma had reached 10 years of service time this winter, he wasn’t subject to a posting fee like Nippon Ham Fighters pitcher Yu Darvish. The Texas Rangers recently bid more than $50 million for the negotiating rights to Darvish, and are working to sign him by Jan. 18. If the deadline passes with no agreement, the Rangers will get a refund and Darvish will return to Japan to pitch in 2012.
While the big news this week was The Yu Darvish Sweepstakes going to the Texas Rangers. The Milwaukee Brewers made a move to bolster their outfield in 2012.The Brewers will pay $2.5 million to the Yakult Swallows to negotiate with outfielder Norichika Aoki. Milwaukee has 30 days to settle on a contract with Aoki’s agents. So what does this 29 almost 30-year-old (Birthday January 5) bring to the table? This year he hit .292, 4 HR, 44 RBIs in 144 games for the Yakult Swallows. He has won 3 Batting Titles and has a career batting average of .329. Aoki could be a wise move to replace a possible loss of Ryan Braun. While he doesn’t have the power that Braun he is a proven on-base threat. Melvin said this in an interview following the announcement, in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “We looked around at some other outfielders. I can’t say it was specifically tied to (Braun’s situation). There might have been some thought of that.” He continued, “I think what you read is he’s(Norichika Aoki) someone who doesn’t have extra-base power, more of an average-type hitter. He is very typical of most of the Japanese players in that regard. Pretty good defender. ”Doug Melvin’s other options in left-field are Nyjer Morgan who is likely to split time with Carlos Gomez in Center Field. The Japanese Central League star has been compared to another batting champion, Ichiro Suzuki who played for the Orix Blue Wave, with his ability to slap hits to the opposite field. While he doesn’t have the raw power potential of prized Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes, the lefty would likely fit near the top of the line-up if both sides can agree on reasonable compensation.
The Bat
Norichika Aoki is a good contact hitter who knows how to get on base. His career OBP of .401 is excellent. He sprays the ball to all fields and in Ichiro Suzuki fashion, can turn a single into a double. He’s developed a little pop in his time with the Swallows. Aoki has a unique approach. While scouts consider him a very polished and patient hitter, Aoki has no problem changing his stance or position in the batting box to get him self going; he’s not one to stay in an extended slump. A very intelligent hitter – but with a declining skill set.
The Glove
Norichika Aoki runs great routes to the ball and has pretty good range. His arm however, is below average and on the decline. He will not patrol centerfield i Milwaukee. Left field is his most likely spot. He won’t make a lot of errors, but then he also won’t be gunning anyone down at home.
Our Instinct
For all the comparisons to Ichiro Suzuki, Norichika Aoki is lacking. Even with Ichiro being in his declining years, he’s still a better player than Aoki. Aoki is likely heading for a platoon situation, even with the potential of Braun being out for 50 games. If Aoki can hit .280 with 5 HRs and 10 SB the Brewers should be happy. He’s a team player, and you can expect him to drag a bunt when asked to, pinch hit, and pinch run. That’s assuming that he takes the contract the Brewers will offer him. He certainly could end up back in Japan if the money isn’t there. My guess would be that Brewers get it done and Aoki will enjoy some success at Miller Park, which despite the success of Fielder and Braun, isn’t a launching pad. It’s a park that plays well for a line drive hitter, and Aoki is exactly that type of player.
A move out of the leadoff spot appears possible for Ichiro as the Mariners look toward the 2012 season.
Mariners manager Eric Wedge held his scheduled media session at the baseball winter meetings Tuesday and said he’d met with Ichiro twice this offseason to keep him updated on the team’s thinking. Wedge added that he doesn’t want Ichiro to read or hear anything about himself in the media first. That could involve a switch out of the leadoff spot he’s held since 2001.
“I’m still not sure where I’m going to hit him in the order and I want him to understand that,” Wedge said, adding he most recently met with Ichiro a few days ago. “Because ultimately, I’m going to do what I feel like is best for our club.
“I’m going to put out the best nine, in the right order, in the order that I see fit. To score as many runs as we can. And if I feel like that’s him leading off, then that’s what we’re going to do. If I feel like that’s him hitting in the three-hole, that’s what we’re going to do. If I feel like it’s him hitting somewhere else, then that’s what we’re going to do.”
Wedge had suggested at season’s end that a change to the leadoff spot might be coming. But his comments Tuesday at the Hilton Anatole hotel are some of his strongest yet on the subject and something Ichiro apparently agrees with.
“He told me last year in the middle of the season when I was talking to him that he wants to do whatever’s best for the ballclub,” Wedge said. “And he wants me to do whatever I feel is best for the ballclub. And I take him at his word and that’s what I’m going to do. And he’s been tremendous and he’s been communicative with me and I appreciate that.”
Free agent Japanese shortstop Munenori Kawasaki will sign a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners with an invitation to spring training, the Seattle Times reported Thursday. “He and his wife are in Seattle this week, and sources say he will sign a minor-league contract with a spring-training invitation,” the newspaper said. “The signing might not be announced until after the holidays.”
The 30-year-old Kawasaki had earlier said in Japan that his ardent wish is to join his idol and mentor Ichiro Suzuki at the Mariners, adding he would even accept a minor league deal and be flexible about which position he plays. Kawasaki and Suzuki were twice teammates in the World Baseball Classic.
Kawasaki batted .267 with 161 hits and 31 steals in 144 games this past season for the Softbank Hawks, who won their first Japan Series championship since they were the Daiei Hawks in 2003.
The Yakult Swallows have accepted a $2.5 million posting fee for outfielder Norichika Aoki, Yasuko Yanagita of Hochi Shimbun tweets. Which team bid the $2.5 million on Aoki is not yet known. Whichever team it is will have 30 days to negotiate with Aoki, who will turn 30 next month. The Mets, Nationals and A’s have all been rumored to be interested in Aoki.
The three-time Central League batting champion hit just .292/.358/.360 in 2011, but was a career .336/.411/.472 in his first seven years. He is one of just four players to collect 200 hits in a season in Japan, joining Ichiro Suzuki, ALex Ramirez and Matt Murton.
Aoki is a left-handed hitter, throwing right-handed. He won three Gold Gloves earlier in his career, but his throwing arm could limit him to left field in MLB. Aoki appeared for Japan in both World Baseball Classics, earning All-Tournament honors in 2009, when he played left and batted third for Japan.
While most news sources recover from the Yu Darvish bidding fallout and subsequent contract negotiations, the Norichika Aoki buzz/hype has remained silent or nonexisstent. Perhaps the media overlooks Aoki because at first glance he seems like every other Japanese hitter not named Hideki Matsui or Ichiro, which is to say he looks like a future disappointment. Perhaps it’s only because they have no idea how to spell or pronounce his first name and Yu Darvish is just plain easier. Hopefully Major League Baseball teams are more aware of Aoki’s abilities than the media is.
Aoki brings to the table more than any Japanese hitter in the post Matsui-Ichiro NPB era. In fact, Aoki has been considered by some, the best pure hitter Japan has ever produced since Ichiro. In his last four years leading up to 2011 Aoki produced an average of .339/.421 31 doubles 16 homeruns and 20 SB. Fans should take these numbers with a grain of salt because no hitter, Ichiro included, has ever come to America and post the same numbers they did in Japan. For what it’s worth, Ichiro’s last four years leading up to transition to American baseball were .358/.423 29 doubles 16 homeruns and 21 SB.
Ichiro and Aoki do not share the same skill set though. Ichiro is one of the greatest defensive outfielders of all time and has speed to burn, especially coming from the left side of the plate. Aoki is an average corner outfielder and runs well, but not “Ichiro” well. Ichiro also has some serious homerun power that he sacrifices for the sake of getting on base. Aoki doesn’t share the same talent, though it seems accurate to describe the amount of pop in his bat as “gap power”. Still, in a market where back up utility infielders are landing multi-year deal worth more than 10 million dollars, it makes sense to put in a modest bid for Aoki. At worst it would cost a Major League team is a few million dollars for a capable 4th outfielder. At best? I’ll let you decide that.
But with such solid resume, consistent production and praise for his “hit tool”, it’s hard to envision Aoki being anything but a moderate success in the big leagues. Aoki seems to bring more to the table than the most recently touted Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome. Fukudome came into the majors advertised as a solid defensive outfielder with decent power and great plate discipline and didn’t exactly disappoint. His career .260/.361 line is certainly nothing to scoff at. I anticipate Aoki will be of the Kosuke Fukudome or David DeJesus breed of player, the type that contributes across the board. Though never spectacular, it’s usually enough to remain in the lineup on a daily basis.
