Japanese Prospects

[don_kessinger_was_good]

Another possibility for next year.

 

Hirotoshi Ishii RP, 28, L/L

One of the most dominant relief pitchers in Japan's Central League over the past four seasons. Named Best Setup Pitcher in 2002. Fastball has been clocked as high as 97 mph. No relation to Mets pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii. Missed parts of 2003 and 2004 seasons with a rib injury. Healthy this year -- 73.2 IP, 91 SO, 15 BB, 6 HR, 1.95 ERA, 0.90 WHIP. Very much wants to be posted this offseason. I have my doubts it will happen because he plays for the same team as Iwamura does.

 

Wow. 91 K's to just 15 BBs in 73 IP, and a WHIP below 1, that's impressive. He's Shingo with a real fastball. Let's hope this guy posts.

[1908]

An update on Ishii from a reliable japanesebaseball.com poster:

 

Southpaw reliever/closer Hirotoshi Ishii went to see two games of the Anaheim-White Sox playoffs, and came back with an even stronger desire to play in MLB. In the past he has expressed his desire to be posted for an early shot at the majors, but the club has turned him down. After Ishii told a few sports papers that he'd try again to get Yakult to post him, the club came back immediately with a no. Ishii then stated that he'd meet personally with the president of Yakult to talk about it. One agent in Japan was quoted as saying, "The value for a left-handed stopper is very high. If Ishii is posted, I expect at least 10 different clubs to enter bids."

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Wow, I really like the sound of Ishii. Sounds like he would look good in a Cubs uni.

[CuseCubFan69]

Wow, I really like the sound of Ishii. Sounds like he would look good in a Cubs uni.

 

He's going to the Sox if he does get posted Raisin, Hendry doesn't know they even play baseball in Japan.

[USSoccer]

Wow, I really like the sound of Ishii. Sounds like he would look good in a Cubs uni.

 

He's going to the Sox if he does get posted Raisin, Hendry doesn't know they even play baseball in Japan.

 

He's not toolsy enough.

[CuseCubFan69]

Wow, I really like the sound of Ishii. Sounds like he would look good in a Cubs uni.

 

He's going to the Sox if he does get posted Raisin, Hendry doesn't know they even play baseball in Japan.

 

He's not toolsy enough.

 

You ain't kidding. I just do not understand why Hendry doesn't try for players like this once in awhile. Why limit yourself?

[1908]

You ain't kidding. I just do not understand why Hendry doesn't try for players like this once in awhile. Why limit yourself?

It takes one time to reverse the trend. :D

[CuseCubFan69]

You ain't kidding. I just do not understand why Hendry doesn't try for players like this once in awhile. Why limit yourself?

It takes one time to reverse the trend. :D

 

I hope so 1908....I really do. I hope that Mr. Hendry saw a certain second baseman playing for the Sox.

[sethuel1]

You ain't kidding. I just do not understand why Hendry doesn't try for players like this once in awhile. Why limit yourself?

It takes one time to reverse the trend. :D

 

I hope so 1908....I really do. I hope that Mr. Hendry saw a certain second baseman playing for the Sox.

Geoff Blum?

[CuseCubFan69]

You ain't kidding. I just do not understand why Hendry doesn't try for players like this once in awhile. Why limit yourself?

It takes one time to reverse the trend. :D

 

I hope so 1908....I really do. I hope that Mr. Hendry saw a certain second baseman playing for the Sox.

Geoff Blum?

 

:D He did hit that home run that one time. What scares me is that you might be closer to being right then you know.

[sethuel1]

You ain't kidding. I just do not understand why Hendry doesn't try for players like this once in awhile. Why limit yourself?

It takes one time to reverse the trend. :D

 

I hope so 1908....I really do. I hope that Mr. Hendry saw a certain second baseman playing for the Sox.

Geoff Blum?

 

:D He did hit that home run that one time. What scares me is that you might be closer to being right then you know.

 

I know. Scares the hell out of me, too.

[Northsider]

It seems to me that pitchers coming over from Japan seem to have lots of success their first year or so, like Nomo and Shingo, but fall off the table afterwards as the leagues get used to them. The hitters, like Ichiro, Hideki Matsui, and Iguchi seem to be a bit more durable. I like the idea of getting Johjima, who looks like he could be Barrett with Defense, and either trading Barrett + prospects to someone who needs a catcher (I think Arizona could use one) and getting OFs in return (maybe we could command, say, C. Jackson or C. Quentin?). That all said, I WOULD get Matsuzaka, if only just for one year, in order to get the insane pitching he'll bring and possibly letting Rothschild stealing the gyro off of him. Then trade him for an impact elsewhere while he's at the top of his value.

[1908]

It seems to me that pitchers coming over from Japan seem to have lots of success their first year or so, like Nomo and Shingo, but fall off the table afterwards as the leagues get used to them.

It might seem that way to you but I think you're oversimplifying and overgeneralizing. Sasaki and Hasegawa didn't follow that pattern at all. Neither did Nomo, really. He had a so-so 4th year but his first three were solid; and there's nothing wrong with pitching 11 years in the majors when you start at 26. I agree with your Shingo example, although he did make his debut at 36.

 

Of the four pitchers I listed, Toyoda makes me nervous because of his age and his drop off in performance this year. I'd be all over any of the other three if they were posted this offseason.

[Northsider]

Ok, true, I did oversimplify - I only skimmed over the numbers, and didn't really take as much time going over them as I should.

 

Actually, looking back on Nomo's stats, he had one stellar year (1995, rookie year) and 5 other really good years ('96,'97,'01,'02,'03).

 

Also, Sasaki(2000 rookie) did very well for himself, although he was only a really good closer his first year (37/40 converted as opposed to 45/52, 37/45, 10/14).

 

Hasegawa(1996 rookie), unfortunately, was a closer only one year (2003) when he had absolutely stellar numbers, but came back to earth after that. Before that, he doesn't appear to have been too bad of a reliever, just fair - he typically held his opponents to around .700 OPS.

 

They've had some success, and I don't know their pre-MLB numbers, but 3/4 (Shingo included) had their best season their first year. Only Hasegawa, a middle reliever, had his career year later. Other than those years, they seem (at least to me) to be a bit more average than above average. And then there are those that are more or less average throughout their careers such as Ohka.

 

The hitters seem to have had more success. Iguchi, Hideki Matsui, and Ichiro have all hovered around .280-.300/.350+/.450-.500. Only Kazuo Matsui breaks this trend.

 

Small sample size in both cases, but the hitters seem to have more success and more consistent success, whereas the pitchers seem to have a career year to start things off, then become less stellar. Again, I would also take Matsuzaka, but trade him at the end of the year while his value will most likely be at it's highest.

[1908]

Actually, looking back on Nomo's stats, he had one stellar year (1995, rookie year) and 5 other really good years ('96,'97,'01,'02,'03).

So that doesn't follow your original good-one-year-or-so-and-then-mediocre-the-rest-of-their-career theory, right?

 

Also, Sasaki(2000 rookie) did very well for himself, although he was only a really good closer his first year (37/40 converted as opposed to 45/52, 37/45, 10/14).

ERA+ Numbers for Sasaki:

 

2000 - 145

2001 - 130

2002 - 166

2003 - 110

 

I'd argue Sasaki's best season came in his third year, and I think his age and messy divorce were more to blame for his performance drop in 2003 rather than the league getting used to him.

 

Hasegawa(1996 rookie), unfortunately, was a closer only one year (2003) when he had absolutely stellar numbers, but came back to earth after that. Before that, he doesn't appear to have been too bad of a reliever, just fair - he typically held his opponents to around .700 OPS.

I don't see how this relates to your original claim.

 

They've had some success, and I don't know their pre-MLB numbers, but 3/4 (Shingo included) had their best season their first year. Only Hasegawa, a middle reliever, had his career year later. Other than those years, they seem (at least to me) to be a bit more average than above average. And then there are those that are more or less average throughout their careers such as Ohka.

Again, I think only Shingo's career has followed your theory to date.

 

Take Ishii's ERA+ numbers as another example:

 

2002 - 89

2003 - 104

2004 - 88

2005 - 81

 

His best season was his second year, then his third season mirrored his first, and his fourth season didn't drop off much from that. He hasn't been very good overall, but that's beside the point.

 

And I don't think Ohka ever played in NPB.

 

The hitters seem to have had more success. Iguchi, Hideki Matsui, and Ichiro have all hovered around .280-.300/.350+/.450-.500. Only Kazuo Matsui breaks this trend.

Don't forget Shinjo and Taguchi.

 

Small sample size in both cases, but the hitters seem to have more success and more consistent success, whereas the pitchers seem to have a career year to start things off, then become less stellar. Again, I would also take Matsuzaka, but trade him at the end of the year while his value will most likely be at it's highest.

Don't agree and don't think the numbers support your theory.

 

If the Cubs were lucky enough to win Matsuzaka's rights, I hope they'd hang on to him for awhile. He wouldn't be a free agent for six seasons, after all.

[1908]

Yahoo! Asia News[/url]"]Jojima undecided over major league switch

(Kyodo) _ Softbank Hawks catcher Kenji Jojima said Thursday he has yet to decide whether to pursue a career in the major leagues or remain with the Pacific League club.

"I'm standing at a crossroads and it's something you don't have very often in your life," Jojima said after a meeting with Softbank manager Sadaharu Oh on the day when the filing period for free agency opened.

 

"(Oh) told me to think it over and I'll do so," he said, indicating the possibility that he will wait until the last minute before making up his mind. Nov. 7 is the deadline for declaring free agency.

 

Jojima met the requirements to become a free agent during the regular season this year, opening the way for him to become the first Japanese catcher to play in the major leagues.

 

The 29-year-old has made clear he will look for a free agent deal this offseason and choose whether to negotiate a deal with major league teams or re-sign with the Hawks.

 

After the 2004 season, the six-time Golden Glove winner re-signed with the Hawks in a one-year deal after rejecting a club offer for a three-year contract, prompting many to suspect that he was aiming for a major league switch as a free agent this fall.

 

The 29-year-old hit .309 with 24 homers and 57 RBIs in 116 games this year. His season came to an abrupt end with a broken shin suffered during a game on Sept. 22.

 

Oh said he has mixed feelings about the agonizing choice Jojima is facing after playing under the manager for 11 years.

 

"I said to him that there's no need to be hurry. I understand his feelings and it makes me feel some pain, though personally I want him to stay with us," Oh said.

My money's still on him deciding to play MLB ball next year.

[1908]

Word out of Japan is the Lions have refused to post Daisuke Matsuzaka this offseason.

 

"I understand his (Matsuzaka's) feelings to challenge MLB, but he's a necessary player as a Seibu symbol for the club's management." -- Seibu Lions representative Akira Kuroiwa.

 

Not a suprise but still disappointing.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

According to this article, the Mets, Mariners, and Padres are interested in Jojima.

 

The teams he apparently has the most interest in are the Mets, who are looking for a catcher with Mike Piazza no longer filling that role, and the Mariners, who went through seven catchers last season. The Padres also are believed to have interest.

 

Adding a catcher isn't close to the top of general manager Bill Bavasi's desires this winter, but the Mariners like what they've seen of Jojima. Sources in the organization Monday confirmed the Mariners have a reasonable level of interest, although it's not clear if that will result in a contract offer.

 

It is expected that Seattle, which started the drive to import Japanese position players with the addition of right fielder Ichiro Suzuki in 2001, will meet with Jojima this month.

 

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

More about the Mets' pursuit of Jojima in today's papers.

 

Although Minaya isn't publicly prioritizing catching targets, indications are he might employ a twist on his famed "outside-the-box" thinking by actually going outside the country. Catcher is the one position of strength in this joke of a free-agent class, with Bengie Molina and Ramon Hernandez lurking, but the Mets instead might look to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Kenji Jojima, 29, built a rep as a great defender and averaged almost exactly .300, 30 and 100 (.299, 30 and 100, to be precise) over seven seasons.

 

The Mets scouted Jojima heavily this year, and if they go for Jojima, that's a great call, according to my own baseball scouts.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

The Padres have an interest in Jojima.

 

The Padres are shopping for another catcher to assist Miguel Olivo, a former White Sox regular who batted .304 with four home runs and 16 RBI in 115 at-bats after Towers got him from Seattle on July 30.

 

One catcher who intrigues the Padres is Kenji Jojima, a star of the Japanese Leagues. Jojima's English skills are crude, but the Padres have scouted him for more than a year. Padres reliever Akinori Otsuka has offered to help Jojima in translating. Otsuka rates Jojima equal to or better than many regular catchers in the majors.

 

[nilodnayr]

Isn't today the deadline?

[1908]

Isn't today the deadline?

For what?

[1908]

Word out of Japan is the Lions have refused to post Daisuke Matsuzaka this offseason.

 

"I understand his (Matsuzaka's) feelings to challenge MLB, but he's a necessary player as a Seibu symbol for the club's management." -- Seibu Lions representative Akira Kuroiwa.

 

Not a suprise but still disappointing.

Newsday[/url]"]Seibu Lions righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka still hopes to pitch in the major leagues this season even after his Japanese League team rejected his request to leave earlier this week. And if Matsuzaka somehow can convince his current employers to reverse course, the Yankees are expected to hotly pursue the pitcher considered by many to be the best in the Japanese League.

[1908]

The News Tribune[/url]"]A source said Friday that the Mariners are close to signing Jojima to a two-year contract worth about $8 million with an option for a third season.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

The News Tribune[/url]"]A source said Friday that the Mariners are close to signing Jojima to a two-year contract worth about $8 million with an option for a third season.

 

Both the agent and the mariners denied that report and said they aren't close to anything.