2005 Foreign Players?

Former Met and Oriole outfielder Karim Garcia sign with Orix, and there were reports that former Oriole Darwin Cubillan signed with a Japanese team.

A quick Google turned up this page [in Japanese] mentioning that Darwin Cubillan had a tryout for Hanshin scheduled for October 31. I didn't find anything mentioning if they signed him after the tryout.

I assumed they had signed him, but trawling through the back issues of SanSpo, the most recent info I can find says only that Hanshin have provisionally decided to take him on. SanSpo reported that he had a successful try-out, and he toured Kobe City and its surrounding area with Hanshin people based on both sides' assumption that he would be with the Tigers in 2005 (and that, therefore, Kobe would be his new home).

Thanks for the news about Darwin Cubillan. It is an excellent report. Can you give me some information about his salary? I have learned that Hanshin extended him a $500.000 contract, but I need confirmation.

Luis Raul Villamizar

Popular Red Sox utility man Gabe Kapler signed today with the Yomiuri Giants to a one-year contract. He will be their regular center fielder for 2005.

Good Luck Gabe!

Here's wishing Gabe Kapler in 2005 a year of excellence!

Then, I want him to come back to us! "Us" = Red Sox fan.

I am a huge Gabe Kapler and Red Sox fan. I meet him a little while ago. He's wicked nice and I know all of Red Sox Nation will miss his effort. The Yomiuri Giants will hopefully take care of him and make sure he is used properly.

I heard he is supposed to be a starter, which he hasn't been since 2001. He was kind of a starter when Nixon was hurt. He might not do too hot at the begining, but he'll heat up (I hope).

Go Kapler, I'll miss him! (He's got a six-pack too.) The girls of Sox Nation will really miss him!

Left handed pitcher Lindsay Gulin has re-signed with the Hawks for 2005 season.

- Popular Red Sox utility man Gabe Kapler signed today with the Yomiuri Giants to a one-year contract. He will be their regular center fielder for 2005.

Did I miss something? What happened to Tuffy Rhodes?

Heard that Kevin Witt signed a contract with the Yokohama BayStars. Is that true? Has anyone heard?

That is true!

- What happened to Tuffy Rhodes?

Nikkan Sports puts Kapler in center, Takahashi remains in right, and Rhodes moves over to left. The person missing from the outfield is Shimizu.

Shimizu has declared free agency. While he has stated that he wishes to remain a Giant, there are rumors that the Giants may not keep him next year. Shimizu finally got the full time left field job (for the third time in his carrer) last season, but signing Kapler looks to end that. He'd be a regular on any other team.

- Did I miss something? What happened to Tuffy Rhodes?

That's what it said on ESPN.

I'm a Red Sox fan, so I know firsthand how good Kapler is, and he is good. His defense is excellent and he has a rocket for an arm. He could play any position in the outfield, but is best suited for right field because of his arm and "lack of instincts"? His speed is above-average and he's always a threat to steal, could steal around 15 bases as a regular for a running team. Although he is huge (muscle-wise), he's not a home-run hitter. His swing is long and slow and his weaknesses might be exposed as a regular player. However, he did very well over three years as a regular starter for the Texas Rangers. Kapler should put up close to 20 home-runs and should have an OPS over .800 in Japan, if his previous years as a regular are any indication. Also, he is the epitome of a gamer.

From what I've seen of him, I expect him to have great success in Japan.

Stats [Baseball Reference]

Cardinals' first baseman Kevin Witt and Rockies' right handed pitcher Marc Kroon have both agreed to one-year deals worth about $400,000 each with the Yokohama BayStars of Japan. Witt hit 36 home runs and had a .306 BA last year for Triple-A Memphis [home run king] while Kroon had a 2.74 ERA in 49.2 innings with 72 strikeouts for Triple-A Colorado.

The Chiba Lotte Marines are looking at acquiring Nationals OF Val Pascucci. Pascucci batted .177 (11-62) with 2 HR and 6 RBI. He batted .298 with 25 HR and 92 RBI in AAA Edmonton. [News - Japan Ball] [Profile - Baseball Reference] [News and Stats - RotoWorld]

Hanshin is looking at signing outfielder Shane Spencer [Baseball Reference]. Spencer batted .262 with 59 HR and 242 RBI in his major league career. [Link - JapanBall]

Also, former Oriole third baseman Tony Batista [Baseball Reference] is on the Hawks' radar. Batista batted .251 with 214 HR and 681 RBI, has 1,078 hits, and played in 1,179 games. Batista is a two-time All-Star, and was 4th in the majors in HR's with 41 in 2001. [Link - JapanBall]

The Mariners have reportedly sold IF/OF Jolbert Cabrera [MLB.com] to an unknown NPB team. Cabrera batted .258 with 15 HR and 145 RBI in 561 major league games with the Indians, Dodgers, and Mariners. [Link The News Tribune]

I would like to know how to reach Marc Kroon? I know him from Triple A in Colorado as well as the Rockies. Would love to get in touch with him but I have not found anything on the website for him?

Thank you
Shannon

Kroon is with the Yokohama BayStars. Team contact information is here.

Hi. I'm Marc Kroon's wife. I can relay any messeges you have for him.

Hi, I didn't know he was married, how long have you been married?

Does he like Japan?

There is a forum called "Open Letters" if you would like to try to get a message to him. I'm not sure how many of the players check the messages, but I would assume that eventually it will get to him.

May you inform me if there is a change in the rules for contracting foreign players? I saw the rosters and some teams have more than four non-Japanese players signed. Would you refresh me on the foreigners' rules (actives in rosters; how many playing at the same time; amount of position players playing in a game)?

Cordially,

Luis Raul Villamizar

There is no limit to amount of foreign players a team can sign. Though, only 4 players are allowed at the top team at one time. For more on the roster limits in the NPB read the FAQ about foreign players.

This thread also has some information about foreign player rosters. In particular, it points to The Baseball Agreement, Chapter 11, Provision 82-2:

Provision 82-2 (Number of Foreign Players) The number of foreign players that a ball club may possess under their control is optional.
However, the total number of registered players for participation is limited to be within four (4), with as many as three (3) registered as either a fielder or pitcher at a given time.
[Amended October 7, 1997; December 19, 2001]

A better translation is welcome. (You can get the original Japanese by clicking on the "ja" following "Language" in the upper-right, or getting the original from the above thread or attached to the top Baseball Agreement page.)

Hi guys.

I'm looking for info about Robert Perez (Venezuelan), Mike Romano (American), and Alex Cabrera (Venezuelan). Thanks in advance.

Nina.

Venezuela.

As Brooks-san answered here, Mike Romano will be playing for the Hiroshima Carp.

Alex Cabrera has been here in Japan for a number of years and shares the single season home run title of 55 home runs with Sadaharu Oh and Tuffy Rhodes. You can get his Japanese career stats here.

Robert Perez played with the Orix BlueWave last season. His stats are here. I'm not aware that he's re-signed with any Japanese team this season. But I haven't finished updating my Player Meikan for 2005.

Robert Perez played in Korea last year. Perez will be playing for the Lotte Giants of the KBO. [Link]

Michael:

Do you have a list of Venezuelan players who played in Japan since Bobby Marcano? I would like to match my list: Bobby Marcano, Luis Mercedes Sanchez, Johnny Paredes, Robert Perez, Eddy Diaz, Edwin Hurtado, Roberto Petagine, Alex Cabrera, Alex Ramirez, Alex Ramirez Junior, Darwin Cubillan, Juan Carlos Pulido, Rafael Betancourt, Giovanni Carrara.

I really enjoy your answers and information regarding to Japan Baseball.

Truly yours,

Luis Raúl Villamizar

I'm afraid that my list only covers the past 10 years or so(*), not including this year. Here's all that I have:

Giovanni Carrara
Edwin Hurtado
Eddy Diaz
Pulido Carlos
Rafael Betancourt
Alex Ramirez
Alex Cabrera
Carlos Pulido
Robert Perez

I'll enter career data for those that don't yet have it entered after work this evening.

* Note, this isn't an extensive list for the last 10 years, either. Before 2002 I missed a number of late signees, so there may be more. This is just the list I have of players born in Venezuala.

I notice that I have Petagine as having been born in the U.S.A. I need to check that. And I'll go though and check the rest of your list for birth places. The problem is, birth place does not alway represent nationality, which I think is what you're looking for.

Bobby Marcano - Hankyu Braves 1975-82
Luis Mercedes Sanchez - Yomiuri Giants 1986-87
Johnny Paredes - Yakult Swallows 1987
Roberto Petagine - Yakult Swallows, Yomiuri Giants 1999-2004
Alex Ramirez - Yakult Swallows 2001-
Alex Ramirez Junior - (born in Florida) Yakult Swallows 2005-
Darwin Cubillan - Hanshin Tigers 2005-

* I've updated Petagine's birthplace to be Venezuela. The yearly Shukan Baseball Player Meikan claims that Petagine was born in the U.S.A. The Pro Yakyu Name Dictionary 2001 has him as being born in Venezuela. I'll take your word as verification that it was Venezuela.

Thanks for the information. Roberto Petagine was born in New York but raised in Venezuela. I have learned that his mother is Venezuelan and, consequently, he has double nationality. He played a lot of years for Lions of Caracas before going to MLB and to NPB.

I am pleased about learning that Pedro Castellano and Jose Francisco Malave played in Japan. I really forgot it.

According to Baseball-Reference, Petagine was born in Nueva Esparita, Venezuela. An earlier baseball card of mine of Petagine says the same thing. And MLB.com states the same birthplace.

Here are two more Venezuelan players:

Pedro Castellano (1997 Giants)
Jose Malave (1998 BayStars) [Jose Malabe]

Michael Eng

Thanks for catching that. Malave has had both his name and birthplace updated, as well as Japanese career data added.

I heard former Met Benny Agbayani is tearing up Japan, is this true?

- I heard former Met Benny Agbayani is tearing up Japan, is this true?

Yes this is true. Agbayani last year was spectacular with Chiba, batting .315 with 35 HR and 100 RBI. So far this year he's batting .289 with 6 HR and 37 RBI. [Stats - NPB BIS]