...Toshiya Sugiuchi's next start will be against the Hiroshima Carp on Saturday.  On Thursday, he threw about 40 pitches in the bullpen.

...Tsuyoshi Wada got the start against the Swallows on Friday at Jingu Stadium.  The last time (and only time since turning pro) he pitched at Jingu Stadium (May 2005) he tossed a complete game victory and recorded his first hit, his first run, and his first sac hit.  On Friday he gave up 2 runs (all earned) on 4 hits while striking out 3.  He faced a total 20 batters and tossed 6 innings.

...The Hawks will apparently be carrying three left-handed relievers during the season.  Yasushi Kamiuchi and Masahiko Morifuku will likely be two of them.  Shinsuke Ogura, Hiroki Yamada, and Reo Chikada are all candidates for the third spot.  Yao-Hsun Yang is currently with the Ichi-gun roster but likely won't be on the opening day roster because he requires a foreign player slot.

Ryota Igarashi tossed an inning of relief against the Boston Red Sox on the 11th.  He faced 6 batters, gave up 3 hits (all doubles), struck out 1, and allowed 2 runs (both earned).  Igarashi apparently had a tough time keeping his fork and slider down low in the zone.

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Junichi Tazawa did not give up any runs in his two innings of work against the New York Mets on the 11th.  He faced 7 batters, did not give up any hits, walked 1, and struck out 2.  He retired the side in order in the 8th and then walked the first batter he faced in the 9th before retiring three straight to end the game.

Daisuke Matsuzaka was in the middle of playing catch on the 11th when he suddenly stopped.  There was some concern that it might be another injury, but it turns out the hot cream he put on his right shoulder was too strong and was irritating his skin.  After taking a shower to wash the cream off, the shoulder was feeling fine again.  After general practice he returned to the field and played some catch with his interpreter.

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Akinori Iwamura started at second and batted lead-off against the Tampa Bay Rays on the 11th.  He went 0-for-3: strike out, GIDP, ground out to pitcher.  Hew as lifted in the 5th on defense.

He told reporters he was happy to meet up with some of his former teammates -- he spent some time chatting with Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton prior to the game.

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Kei Igawa was set to pitch on the 11th, but the game was canceled due to rain.  His next outing will likely come on or after the 13th (he won't be traveling with the team on the 12th).

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Hideki Matsui spent about 30 minutes in the cages on the 11th.  On speaking to reporters about playing in the outfield, Matsui said that he wasn't even thinking about an opening day start in the field.

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Hiroki Kuroda threw 36 pitches in the bullpen on the 11th in preparation for his outing against the Texas Rangers on the 14th.  He also spent some time hanging out with Timo Perez, a player that spent a few years with the Hiroshima Carp in the late 90s.  Incidentally, Perez signed with the Carp through their academy in the Dominican Republic.

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Kenshin Kawakami spent about an hour lifting weight prior to general practice on the 11th.  He told reporters that he practices were much shorter in the US and that he isn't given enough things to do.

Takashi Saito told reporters that he plans on placing more focus on running and weight training for his current workouts at Spring training.  He will likely get to pitch again on the 16th.

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Ichiro Suzuki started in right and batted lead-off against the San Francisco Giants on the 11th.  He went 1-for-4 with a stolen base: double then stole third base,  ground out to pitcher, line out to second, fly out to left.  He was replaced on defense in the 5th.

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Koji Uehara tossed a shutout inning in relief against the Minnesota Twins on the 11th.  He faced the minimum three batters and struck out two.  For his third outing during Spring training, Uehara focused in on his fork.

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Seems Toshihisa Nishi signed a contract with the Lancaster Barnstormers (IND, Atlantic League).  Nishi returned to Japan on the 10th and will be returning to the States for Spring camp with Lancaster in early April.  Nishi is hoping to catch the eye of an MLB scout.

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Tomokazu Ohka arrived in Cancun on the 6th.  The Mexican League regular season begins on the 17th.  Ohka told reporters that conditions weren't very good and that he was feeling a little stressed.  He also added that he's fully committed to doing his best, regardless of where he might be playing baseball.

The one exhibition game Matsumoto missed this year was against the Softbank Hawks with Toshiya Sugiuchi on the mound.  It was the same game that Tatsunori Hara test Hisayoshi Chono in the number 2 hole in the line-up.

On Thursday, Matsumoto went 0-for-3 in a simulated game.

...Beginning on the 16th, when the Giants' current road trip end, catchers and pitchers will hold meetings on a daily basis to go over strategies on how to pitch against other Central League teams (one team per day).  Their advanced scouts will also be at the meetings, providing information they have managed to gather over the last few weeks.

...The Giants are testing a new batting practice machine that "floats" a ball in the strike zone (tee-batting without the tee) at the Kawasaki indoor training facilities on Thursday.

...The two opening day starter hopefuls will be pitching during the weekend: Dicky Gonzalez on the 13th against the Orix Buffaloes and Tetsuya Utsumi against the Hanshin Tigers on the 14th.  On Thursday, Utsumi tossed 54 pitches in the bullpen in preparation for his start on Sunday.  These two starts will likely go a long way towards determining who will be the 2010 opening day starter.

...Marc Kroon will likely pitch in his first simulated game on Friday.  Kroon originally told reporters after his BP session on Wednesday that he wasn't sure if he'd be able to pitch in a simulated game until he found out how his elbow felt on Thursday.  With no reported problems, it appears he got the green light.  Kroon is expected to throw about 30-40 pitches.  If he's feeling fine after the outing, he'll likely rejoin the Ichi-gun team on the 16th.

...The Giants made some history when they borrowed the Naruohama training facilities on Thursday.  It had been the first time the club had ever worked out at Naruohama since the facilities opened in 1994.  The stadium where the Giants worked out for about 3 hours (they held a simulated game) was shut off from the public.

I'm guessing die-hard Tigers' fans weren't exactly pleased.

...The Giants announced that Seth Greisinger had his elbow cleaned out at a hospital in Los Angeles on the 11th (US time 10th).  Greisinger will require about three weeks of rest before he can start playing catch.  His current ETA places his return sometime in or after May.

...Akinobu Mayumi told reporters he'd like to have 1-2 pitchers he can turn to before getting to K. Fujikawa.  Mayumi currently likes what he sees in Kubota.

...Kenji Johjima caught K. Fujikawa for the first time during exhibition play on Thursday.

...Casey Fossum told reporters after dismal his start on Thursday against the Orix Buffaloes (5 IP, 25 BF, 80 NP, 11 H including a home run, 0 SO, 1 BB, 6 R, 6 ER) that he wanted another chance to prove his worth.

...It appears K. Fujikawa's next appearance might be for 2 innings in an Ikusei League game on the 14th (vs Chunichi).

...Matt Murton picked up his first hit in his 13th trip to the plate against Orix Buffaloes on Thursday.  It was during his second at bat in the third inning with a runner on second and 2 out.

...Craig Brazell also broke a bit of a slump, picking up his first hit in his 12th plate apppearance during Thursday's game against the Orix Buffaloes.

...Over 6 exhibition games, Ikuro Katsuragi is 7-for-9, which also includes the home run from his game on Thursday against the Buffaloes.

...Club president Nobuo Minami told reporters that it was still too early to start looking into new / aditional foreign help.

180cm / 82kg
R/R

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帝京・鈴木、練習試合で粘投３失点

ドラフト候補の右腕、鈴木昇太投手（３年）はプロ４球団のスカウトが見つめる前で最速１４１キロをマークするなど、８回９安打３失点。前田三夫監督 （６０）は及第点を与えた。

...

バックネット裏には４球団のスカウトが集結。この日は最速１４１キロで自己記録の１４７キロには及ばなかったが、ソフトバンクの宮田スカウトは「この時期 で１４０キロが出れば十分」と話していた。（石川洋）

Sanspo 3/12/2010

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ドラフト･レポート

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Seibu Lions vs Chiba Lotte Marine @ Chiba Marine Stadium - 13:00

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Orix Buffaloes vs Yomiuri Giants @ Kyocera Dome Osaka - 18:00

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Hiroshima Carp vs Hanshin Tigers @ Skymark Stadium - 13:00

Incidentally, the NPB is hoping to decrease the average length of a 9-inning game to 2 hours and 59 minutes this year.  Last season, an average 9-inning game lasted 3 hours and 8 minutes.

...Ken Takahashi told reporters after pitching against the Rakuten Eagles on Wednesday that he'd like to pitch 4-5 innings during his next outing.

League 2, Group A

League 2, Group B

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Removed from Active Roster

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Pacific League Roster Updates

Added to Roster

Orix Buffaloes

- Bynum, Freddie INF

Added to Active Roster

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Removed from Active Roster

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Commissioner Updates

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