1908

Please avoid using profanity on this board.

I think it's highly unlikely the Dragons will post him this offseason. If they did and he hit the ground running his first season like Ichiro and Iguchi did, .290/.360/.500 sounds about right.

Hard to argue with that if his arm is sound. He'd make the biggest splash, too. The coverage from Japan would come very close to what Ichiro and Godzilla got (get).

Very true. Ichiro also produced immediately

Averages over their last three years in Japan: Ichiro - .362/.428/.541 Iguchi - .314/.389/.520 Hideki- .328/.454/.655

Kazuo's struggles might have had an effect on Iguchi's offer. Might not have too. I think injuries played a large roll. He was pretty banged up the last couple seasons. I read reports that he was finally feeling pretty good in September this year and he hit .353/.382/.529. Does that mean he's fixed? I don't know. It's possible Kazuo's just a bust in MLB. Either way, Ichiro, Hideki and Iguchi have performed well.

I can't think of a natural fit but I'm sure MLB has a contingency plan. No Cuba would be disappointing, no doubt.

A chance? Sure, although I'm not aware of them hiring a replacement Pacific-Rim scout since Leon Lee left the organization. The Major League Scouting Bureau covers the area and the Cubs have access to that information.

Better late than never, right? Lots of additional information can be found in the 2003 (premium) and 2004 (premium) editions of this thread. Here are some players to watch for next year and beyond: Kosuke Fukudome CF, 28, L/R Best outfield prospect currently in Japan. Hit .328/.430/.590 with 28 HR and 103 RBI in 142 games this year, and .328/.412/.577 over his past three healthy seasons ('02, '03, '05). Solid range in the outfield – has the arm for RF. Long shot to be posted. Will be a free agent after 2007. Akinori Iwamura 3B, 26, L/R Hard-nosed, versatile player. Can play 2B and CF in addition to 3B. Has wanted to be posted since 2002. Not happening again this offseason; I feel for the kid. Hit .319/.388/.555 with 30 HR and 102 RBI in 144 games this year, and .313/.387/.557 over his past three healthy seasons ('02, '04, '05). Strikeouts remain a concern – 146 in 618 plate appearances in 2005. Kenji Johjima C, 29, R/R Best right-handed hitter in Japan over the past three seasons -- .326/.404/.602. Excellent receiver, solid arm, calls the best game in his league. Hit .309/.381/.557 with 24 HR in 116 games this year. A free agent and signs point to him crossing the Pacific this offseason. Hiroki Kuroda SP, 30, R/R Rumors have the Hiroshima Carp posting their ace this offseason rather than losing him to free agency and getting nothing in return after 2006. I'll believe it when I see it. 203.2 IP, 161 K, 42 BB, *17 HR, 3.14 ERA, 1.06 WHIP this year. Fastball would touch 95 mph five years ago. Don't know if he's still throwing that hard. Daisuke Matsuzaka SP, 25, R/R Arguably the most talented player left in Japan. Workload over career makes me nervous but innings back up this season -- 215 IP, 226 SO, 49 BB, 13 HR, 2.30 ERA, 1.03 WHIP. Reported fastball velocities are all over the place – 91 to 93 mph is a safe bet. Throws a lot of different pitches, including the infamous gyroball. Not a free agent until after the 2007 season, he wants to be posted this offseason. Kiyoshi Toyoda RP, 34, R/R Best closer likely to be available. Free agent. Throws an outstanding forkball. Dominated Japan's Pacific League between 2002-2004. Numbers fell off a bit this year – 34 IP, 31 K, 6 BB, 4 HR, 3.97 ERA, 1.50 WHIP. Still an intriguing prospect. * Hiroshima Municipal Stadium is a bandbox. 300 feet down the lines, 380 to straight-away center.

There's a similiar thread [Premium] in Rivalries.

Two of the coolest characters in comics. I'd probably give a slight nod to Batman if I had to pick a favorite between the two. Spidey would wipe the floor with Bats in a fight, though.

Career stats I seriously doubt the Lions will post him. Japanese teams are becoming more and more reluctant to post their superstars. The Swallows refused to post Iwamura again this offseason, for instance. From the video I've seen, Matsuzaka's fastball is in the 90-94 range, with a lot more 90, 91s than 94s. His high IP totals scare me.

With a cable contract in Japan, Hideki brings the Yanks more money than they pay him. He also benefits by exposure in his home country with lucrative endorsements, etc. that add to his overall income. I'm pretty sure that MLB as a whole owns all international broadcasting rights. It wouldn't surprise me if Hideki brings in some significant advertising dollars, though.

Yet another great reason to live in Chicago. :D

Meh, what's one more title for the Yankees? I'm no Yankee fan but it's not like them winning another one's going to make me hate them any more.

They put their hot dogs on slices of Wonderbread at Fenway Park. You can get a better hot dog pretty much anywhere in America.

Too bad it's not a White Sox affiliate, eh? :P

It's just the way it works when it comes to baseball teams from the same city. You're either a Mets fan or a Yankee fan in New York, too. Heck, you were either a Dodger, Giant or Yankee fan in New York before those teams abandoned their fans for the West Coast. If you weren't around to see the White Sox fans celebrating in bars across Chicago when the Cubs lost the NLCS in 2003, I can see how you wouldn't understand the rivalry. Go BoSox.

We opened at home in 2001 vs Montreal (4/2/01) Man, was that a cold day. The later the better is fine by me.

Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together - mass hysteria.

There are idiots in every fan base. This troll just cracks me up.

Let's count the errors. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Yep, still dumb.

Or his skin color What?

Seems unlikely at this point. Then again, maybe there's hope after all.

Looks like San Diego will be hosting the WBC Semifinals and Final. Got room on your couch, BBB? :D