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New Meikyukai Players?

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New Meikyukai Players?
Tatsunami Kazuyoshi of the Dragons surpassed 2,000 hits this season and is now a Meikyukai member.

I know that Kyohara (Giants: 1883 + 69 so far) and Tanaka (Fighter: 1835 + 51 so far) are close, but are there any other players who will surpass 2,000 hits or 200 wins this or next season?

Thanks
Comments
Re: New Meikyukai Players?
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Aug 20, 2003 8:41 PM | YBS Fan ]

Looking at the Meikyukai home page [in Japanese], I see that they had a contest to guess the date for Tatsunami's entry. But they don't have one for anyone else. That would suggest that they aren't expecting to recieve anyone else new this season.

I just finished watching Kudoh get a complete game shutout against the BayStars, the first over 40 in Pro Yakyu history to throw a shutout. They also mentioned that it's his 190th win, so he's 10 wins away. Can he stick it out another year?

Also being highlighted tonight is the Giants' Kawai, who hit his 512th sacrifice bunt this evening, a new world record. It may not be one for the Meikyukai, but it is one that will go down in history.
Re: New Meikyukai Players?
[ Author: Martin | Posted: Aug 20, 2003 10:20 PM | SL Fan ]

Thanks for the information.

I also followed the game stats today at TBS' site and "watched" Kimyasu Kudoh pitch. I hope Kudoh can win 2 or 3 more games this season and hopefully he will reach the 200 wins next season if he decides to go on.

Kudoh is one of my favorites. He was a rookie when I lived in Japan (1982-1984). Other Seibu Lions favorites were Tabuchi, Ishige, Steve Ontiveros, Terry Whitfield, Higashio, Yamazaki, and Ohta.
Correction about Kudoh
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Aug 21, 2003 8:51 AM | YBS Fan ]

Kudoh was the 5th player over 40 to throw a shutout, not the first.
Re: Correction about Kudoh
[ Author: Guest: Gary Garland | Posted: Aug 21, 2003 5:10 PM ]

Kudoh is indeed the fifth all time to do that, but he is apparently the first Yomiuri hurler over 40 to toss a shutout. The last guy before him to do it was Yutaka Ono of Hiroshima.

As for the Meikyukai, they may change their criteria for induction due to the number of players who have or are interested in going to MLB. Under consideration is to admit players who, when you combine their Japanese and MLB stats, would meet the Meikyukai criteria. Right now, the closest in that sense would be Hideo Nomo (who isn't far off 200 wins) and Ichiro, who isn't very far away from 2,000 hits.

Kudoh has 190 wins, so he only needs ten more. But how long his health is going to hold out is a real question.

By the way, Masahiro Kawai broke Eddie Collins world record for sacrifice hits with his 512th Wednesday. And Yoshitomo Tani reached 1,000 hits the same day against Daiei.
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