BayStar Woes?

For starters, I don't think they have mentally recovered from last year's meltdown yet. They were in A class for most of the year until Hanshin finally caught them and blew them away in late summer. That poor play has carried into this year and you could pretty much say their season is over in May.

Oh, where to begin?

I think that their biggest problem has been their inability with clutch hitting. Bases loaded, no or one out? Can't get a run in. Batters hit the balls right at infielders against the weaker teams, then still within range against stronger teams (can't be helped against Ibata - argh).

I would summarize their defense to be much like Orix's melt down in Yokohama on Monday night. Orix got out to a 4-0 lead, but were unable to hold it. Ground outs thrown past the first baseman, allowing the runner to go to second. Strike out past balls allowing a runner to reach with two outs - and eventually coming in to score. Those sorts of things always seem to be happening against us - I mean, the BayStars. Not for us.

When I saw the line drive off of Rhodes' bat right at Uchikawa at first, where Uchikawa brought down his glove on the bag to double up Cabrera, I thought, "that always happens the other way around! This game it totally backwards." (Not that I'm complaining.)

How bad is run support for ace Miura? I was just reading in today's Nikkan Sports that Miura has thrown 100% of his starts as Quality Starts (8 of 8). Yet he has a 2 and 5 record to go with his 4th place 1.99 ERA.

If luck plays any part in the game, then the BayStars seem to have nothing but bad luck (I can't explain the reversal on Monday).

Definitely the timely hitting. I'm not sure if it's still the case, but I think the last time I checked the BayStars actually had the highest team batting average in the CL. But if you can't get those runners in, it doesn't matter.

Well, leading the league in runs allowed (216) and having the worst ERA (4.49, second worse is the Giants at 4.19) doesn't help, as the offense is mediocre in terms of OBP and SLG, but is one of the worst teams in terms of runs scored, despite playing in a hitter's park. So yeah, there appears to be a lack of clutch hitting to go along with all the other problems, too.

The team's pythagorean win expectation's about .350, better than their real life one, but not enough to crawl out of the CL basement.

Hopefully that revesal of fortune is here to stay for good. I think the BayStars have a good team, they just need to find their chemistry and blend as a team. Murata is hot, we need Kinjoh and Yoshimura's bats to come alive. Maybe it's time for Ishii and Saeki to make way for the young guns; Uchikawa is having a good year all around.

I think that they can turn things around and salvage the season (with lady luck on our side) and make a realistic run at the third spot in the CL for the Climax Series. No one will catch the Tigers, and Chunichi seems to be getting comfortable in second place. But that third spot is wide open.

It does seem that last seasons' meltdown has carried over to this season; but stay loyal BayStars fans and let's hope they finish this year the way they started last year. Who knows, maybe that game against the Buffaloes is the turning point.

MOVE ON BayStars!

Sorry to say this, but looks like you were too optimistic before. The team is now 2 and 12 in inter-leauge play. With the Swallows and Carp staying competetive this year, looks like A class and a spot in the Climax Series is already way out of reach. Better luck next year!

Yeah. It does look like "wait until next year."

However, they really need to look at the bright spots like Uchikawa (who looks to end the season with a .400 AVG or better), and they still have 2 prime-time (and young) Sluggers in Murata and Yoshimura. And they have a few good young players that should get an opportunity to play more and show they are ready to take over a couple of the starting positions.

Management also needs to look at some of their "aging" players and re-evaluate their value to the team, and maybe go "free agent hunting" for what they can really afford in key positions; as they let a few key players go this past off-season. The biggest loss (in my humble opinion) was Mark Kroon, who was the key bullpen pitcher for the past few years, and gave some much needed stability to the 'pen.

Mark has some of the "nastiest stuff"; I still am a big fan of his (he is still my son's favorite pitcher). And even though he went to "enemy territory," I do wish him well.

As for the BayStars, like I said before, they really need to take a good look at the entire staff, assess the needs, and re-group; not only for next year, but for years to come. They do have a good and young nucleus of players and should try to complement it with some solid veterans that can still play at a high level.

It's weird how 80% of the team "took" this year to slump. Could it be age? Maybe they need a new manager? Or coincidently, key players are in a real year-long "funk"? Maybe a combination of everything I just mentioned?

Whatever it is and no matter how long it last; my loyalty as a fan is unbreakable and will last forever. Here is hoping for better years in the near future.

MOVE ON BAYSTARS!

Yokohama's line up is decent. They have one of the (if not the) highest batting average in the Central League. I think the problem is with the pitching.

As for Yokohama Stadium being a hitters park, the field is quite big and has a high fence and the wind tends to blow from the sea, therefore in from right and not out, so I don't think Yokohama is such a hitter friendly park.

Jim Allen put together a park effects table from 2002 to 2007. You can see it here [Google Docs] or download and play with it in ODF (Open Document Format - works on all platforms with NeoOffice, OpenOffice, KOffice, and others) here.

As you can see, 2002 was a fluke as home runs kept on going out at Yokohama thereafter, especially in 2007 (the year Murata and Yoshimura both really came into their own).

The thing is, it's always seemed like everyone else hits a lot of home runs at Yokohama, not the BayStars. Our pitching staff suffers from serious ippatsu-byo.

A generation change is very difficult to pull off without a new manager from outside the organization. Ohya-kantoku came in and rebuilt the team in the image of the 1997 BayStars - centering the team around Ishii Takuro and Suzuki Takanori. Suzuki-kun had really showed promise of a comeback for part of last season, but faded away.

Ishii Takuro still has very good range at short, moreso than many of his potential replacements. But I really want to see Nonaka get a real chance to take over at short. Of course, he's one of the non-home grown players, coming over from Nippon Ham in 2004.

Who are the stars of the 'Stars this year? Well, first we have the home grown players:

• P 13 Nasuno
• P 18 Miura
• P 20 Kizuka
• P 21 Yoshimi
• C 8 Aikawa
• C 57 Tsuruoka
• SS 5 Ishii Takuro
• 3B 25 Murata
1B/RF 26 Saeki
• CF 1 Kinjoh
• IF/OF 2 Uchikawa
• RF 31 Yoshimura

And the acquired players:

• P 24 Terahara
• P 42 Hughes
• P 64 Matt White
• 2B 7 Nishi
• LF 6 Bigbie
• LF 33 Ohnishi

Yes, there are many players I've left off (including Nonaka). That's because these are the players that I see most often. Just having Terahara (from SFT), Nishi (from YOM), and Ohnishi (from ORX) on the team has really had a positive effect. Tamura and Yoshimura have become the two most recognizable faces on the team after veteran Ishii Takuro. I think that the two "Muras" combined were on BayStars Club (a local UHF show) during the off season than all other BayStars put together.

- Tamura and Yoshimura have become the two most recognizable faces on the team after veteran Ishii Takuro.

Did you mean Murata and Yoshimura? You had me going there for a while; I was looking all over the Internet for the "Tamura returns home" headlines (lol).

I believe the Yoshi-Murata combo will be a very productive one for years to come. They just need to be surrounded with good young talent in some positions to turn this team in the right direction.

I agree Nishi, Ohnishi, and Terehara have been a huge plus for the team. But, how many "GOOD" years do you think Nishi has left in him? The same question should be asked of Ishii, Suzuki, Ozeki, and Saeki for that matter.

I also would like to see Nonaka take over at short, even if for the rest of the season, and given a chance to prove he is ready. Uchikawa's playing is speaking very loud saying "keep me in the line-up." He's always been able to hit, but now they have him at the top of the order where he belongs. Plus, he is solid defensively.

I would like to see the line-up changed a bit just to see what some of the "young bloods" can bring to the team. Maybe playing these positions:

LF Ohnishi
CF Kinjoh
RF Yoshimura
1B Uchikawa/Koike
2B Nishi/Uchikawa
3B Murata
SS Nonaka
C Aikawa

Just to see how well they can perform together. For next year they should try to pick up a power hitting-left handed first baseman and move Uchikawa to play second. I would keep Nishi and Ishii, because they can be of great value off the bench, both offensively and defensively. And we need to add good arms in the pen and another good starter.

Moving Terehara into the pen is not the solution as he is of better value as a starter. We do, however, need a closer (Kroon, pleeeeeeeeeeease come back).

Anyhow, I am neither the manager nor an owner; so I can only wish for these or any other changes, as every other BayStars fan.

MOVE ON BAYSTARS!

My question is, can the Mariners beat them? (Sorry, I'm just in such despair at the performance of the M's this season - how does Chuck Armstrong keep his job much less Bavasi?)

Anyway, Yokohama's OBP is pretty bad (Yoshimura is at a Tony Batista-like .296 right now in that department), so even if they have four players with a .290 or better average with runners in scoring position, it's not like they are putting constant pressure on opposition pitching the same way the Yankees do.

Also, their pitching has been, outside of Oyamada, homer prone. Oyamada, however, has a .289 batting average against, which is terrible, and several other prominent members of their pitching staff are worse than that (Nasuno, Wood, Doi, etc.).

So they can't catch the ball, they don't get on base, and their starting pitching bites. Can't tell them and the Mariners apart.

Therefore, they need to make some moves and shake-up the line up - PRONTO!

They cannot afford to wait around for things to just "fix" themselves. Ohya needs to be aggressive now, and make some bold moves to know who he can count on next season. Then, get really busy this next off-season and address the team's needs (which are plenty) if the team plans on being competitive year in-year out.

How much worst can it get? They are the "cellar dwellers," playing under .300 ball. The pitching has been a nightmare. They are good at getting base runners on; they are average when moving them over, and are horrible when bringing them in. I don't think much will be lost by letting the young talent play to see what they can do.

As bad as Orix and Lotte have been, they are 8.5 and 7 games (respectively) better than us. Something's got to give; we can't expect to be this bad all the time.

And after last season (even with the meltdown) BayStars fans had high hopes for this season. I know I did. The team just needs to look at making changes that will move them in the right direction.

That said, MOVE ON BAYSTARS!

So uh, does trading catcher Kazunari Tsuruoka to the Giants for pitcher Hiroki Sanada count as "shaking things up"?

It's true though, the lineup isn't what needs to be fixed, it's the pitching. Westbay kinda hit that one on the head.

(Also, I know it's contradictory, but I am both a huge Takuro Ishii fan and a huge Shingo Nonaka fan. Don't ask how that works exactly.)

The thing is, the Shonan SeaRex are currently like 0.5 games back for the top spot in the Eastern League. There's good stuff coming up through the BayStars' system, and remember they actually had a pretty good draft last year (assuming guys like Atori Ohta actually pan out, but I can't imagine he won't). Yeah, this is a historically bad year for them, but there are bright spots and things to look forward to.

And just as I stumble upon this thread, the BayStars blew a 5-run lead and they called upon Terahara to attempt (and fail) a 6-out save.

That is a start; but not a huge "shake down." At least they are trying to address there biggest issue: Pitching. Yet it's going to take more than that.

It looks like the management is "stuck" in the '90s; waiting for a "Machine Gun Revival." We (fans included) need to get past that. I just want to see a team that is going to be competitive every year and give me "hope." Make me believe we have a chance to win it all.

I know they have good young talent waiting in the wings. But, just how long will they be waiting?

I have been through "this" for a long time (being a Cubs fan), watching the team struggle to put a competitive squad on the field consistently. Now, with Piniella and Hendry at the helm, they seem to have straightened out things and are moving in the right direction.

The Cubs have a great 25-man roster and really good young talent waiting in the wings. It looks as if we will have a very competitive team on the field for years to come. Hopefully the next manager and GM will build upon what Jim and Lou have put together, and continue to draft good players.

That is all I would like to see happen with my beloved BayStars. Just make me believe that every year is a true possibility.

MOVE ON BAYSTARS!

Last night's ignominous collapse did indicate serious difficulties. I happen to believe that the BayStars do have pitching talent, but that the pitching coaches need to be replaced quickly to actually bring it out. Furthermore, the refusal to give Kroon his desired contract was the height of stupidity and the side is paying for it.

A further problem is living in the past - the Machine Gun Offense is dead and the BayStars need to work to their current strenghths.

I would suggest that they open the purse strings and look towards buying some big names. They have given away too many quality players (Tyronne Woods, Marc Kroon) and paid too much for over the hill has-beens (Sasaki). If they want to be competitive they need to spend on players in their prime.

I am not sure that this has sunk in yet (rather like the Carp and Swallows). For the BayStars this season is almost certainly over, but next season is different (see Seibu's turn around).

Does anyone have any stats for the worst records in CL history? With their 3-18 play through inter-league, I imagine the BayStars have to be up there, er down there, with some of the worst of all time.

Sorry, I have nothing against the team and don't want to rub salt in the wound, but I was just thinking from a historical perspective!

Does anyone know why foreigner Furmaniak is not playing on the BayStars? I see that he is in the minors and doing very well. It would not hurt to have him come up and play for the BayStars.

There are about 2-3 other guys I'd play before JJ. Sorry, but he's not impressing me this season.

- Does anyone have any stats for the worst records in CL history?

The 1970 Yakult Atoms hold the worst record in CL history (33 wins, 92 Losses, 5 Ties).

2 words: Fire Ohya! (I realize that this doesn't happen in Japanese baseball.)

Yes our pitching and our aging veterans are issues that need to be addressed, but before any of that we need a manager change. Ohya's politics have been pulling us down this year and there's really no room for that.

Ohya may have been a great manager for Yokohama at one time, but he clearly isn't the answer if we are to reach the post season again.