Hanshin Makes Biggest Moves this Off Season
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Re: Hanshin Makes Biggest Moves this Off Season
[ Author: CFiJ | Posted: Dec 23, 2001 5:19 PM
]
> Unlike when Nomura-kantoku took over the Tigers,
> Hoshino-kantoku appears to be very much into
> restructuring the team. I never thought that
> Nomura's heart was in it. But Hoshino-kantoku looks
> like he's been rejuvinated.
The man is all out dedicated. He even called Taguchi in Arizona! I suppose for a man who enjoys beating the Giants as much as Hoshino does, Hanshin is the place to be. I think he sees his chance at immortality here. If he retired now, he'd be a great figure among Dragons fans, but just another manager as far as the greater-revolving-around-the-Giants baseball world goes. But to beat the Giants with the Tigers, and to bring the Tigers to respectability, to (dare I say it) bring a championship to Hanshin....well then, he'd go down as one of the greatest managers in Pro Yakyu history...
Off-hand, I'd have to say that he's exactly what the Tigers have needed.
> Hoshino-kantoku appears to be very much into
> restructuring the team. I never thought that
> Nomura's heart was in it. But Hoshino-kantoku looks
> like he's been rejuvinated.
The man is all out dedicated. He even called Taguchi in Arizona! I suppose for a man who enjoys beating the Giants as much as Hoshino does, Hanshin is the place to be. I think he sees his chance at immortality here. If he retired now, he'd be a great figure among Dragons fans, but just another manager as far as the greater-revolving-around-the-Giants baseball world goes. But to beat the Giants with the Tigers, and to bring the Tigers to respectability, to (dare I say it) bring a championship to Hanshin....well then, he'd go down as one of the greatest managers in Pro Yakyu history...
Off-hand, I'd have to say that he's exactly what the Tigers have needed.
Re: Hanshin Makes Biggest Moves this Off Season
[ Author: Guest | Posted: Dec 29, 2001 7:17 AM
]
Personally, I think that the Tigers' acquisition of Kataoka won't mean a thing. Kataoka is way overrated, and his numbers will plummet once he starts playing in spacious Koshien. Hanshin always signs or trades for washed up veterans from the Pacific League like Ishimine, Matsunaga, etc. and gets little or no production from these losers. However, I think that the acquisition of George Arias might help them out a little in the run production department. He faces the tough task of learning a new league and playing at pitcher-friendly Koshien, but at least he's a proven player in Japan. Now if they can sign Domingo Martinez...
BTW, Hanshin's slogan for this coming season is "Never, Never, Never Surrender." I smell a Corey Hart resurgence.
BTW, Hanshin's slogan for this coming season is "Never, Never, Never Surrender." I smell a Corey Hart resurgence.
Re: Hanshin Makes Biggest Moves this Off Season
[ Author: Guest | Posted: Dec 30, 2001 9:43 AM
]
> BTW, Hanshin's slogan for this coming season is
> "Never, Never, Never Surrender." I smell a Corey
> Hart resurgence.
Corey Hart is an infielder in the KC Royals chain. It took a season and a half for the Wilmington, Delaware team to figure out that they should play "Sunglasses At Night" when he batted. Perhaps Hanshin should look into acquiring him...
(My apology for the somewhat off-topic post)
Re: Hanshin Makes Biggest Moves this Off Season
[ Author: Guest | Posted: Dec 30, 2001 12:03 PM
]
That's pretty interesting! I thought I was one of the few people in the world who remembered Mr. Sunglasses at Night, Corey Hart. Speaking of playing songs when guys with interesting names bat, I always thought that they should've played the song, "Rico Suave" when Rico Brogna came to the plate.
While we're on the topic, I wonder why former Fighter and current? Carp Erik Schullstrom stopped the routine of coming into games while "Crazy Train" blasted from the speakers?
While we're on the topic, I wonder why former Fighter and current? Carp Erik Schullstrom stopped the routine of coming into games while "Crazy Train" blasted from the speakers?
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1. Signing Hoshino as manager, and
2. Signing free agent Kataoka from the Fighters.
After Nomura-kantoku resigned due to a family "scandal," Hanshin went after "Mr. Dragons," Hoshino Senichi, who had just taken off his uniform after serving as Chunichi's skipper a total of two terms and 11 years.
Unlike when Nomura-kantoku took over the Tigers, Hoshino-kantoku appears to be very much into restructuring the team. I never thought that Nomura's heart was in it. But Hoshino-kantoku looks like he's been rejuvinated.
Of interest, in one poll taken in the Nagoya area, 90% of the 300 respondence said that they were Hoshino fans, and 48% said that they were against the idea of Hoshino managing a rival team.
Nonetheless, Hoshino's first task after signing was to talk with free agent Kataoka (Nippon Ham). It was just two days after that talk that Kataoka came to his decision on whether to stay or go - and he chose to follow his boyhood dream of playing at Koshien. The decision was a hard one as the Fighters had given him every opportunity to become the player he is today, and had never given him reason to want to leave. Kataoka said that even up until 2:00 a.m. on the day of his announcement he wasn't sure which he would chose.
I see both signings as huge plusses for the Tigers. Yet, they don't appear to be finished. They are still pursuing Orix free agent Taguchi (currently considering either the Majors or Tigers), and Hoshino-kantoku really wants to pull away his right-hand man Shimano from Chunichi (2-gun kantoku).
While the outside temperature is dropping, the stove league is really heating up the Kansai region.