MLB signing

Yes, I can confirm that. Today's Nikkan Sports has a short about Tohoku Fukushi University's (same university atteneded by Sasaki) Kumatani signing a minor league deal with the Boston Red Sox for US$450,000. It goes on to say that he's a side arm throwing right hander with a straight in the 140's (kph), a sinker, slider, and various henkakyu (can be translated as either change up or breaking fast ball). He is expected to show up to the Red Sox Spring camp starting on the 14th of next month (February).

Gee, funny how I almost missed that little article filled with information when the page dedicated to the Giants in Nikkan Sports has a lot more words yet says nothing.

japfan-san asked about this player on this thread, but apparently called him "Kumagai." My guess is that I mis-translated his name above (which is the characters "kuma" as in "bear" and "tani" as in "valley." However, the "tani" has several pronunciations to choose from - and it looks like I chose the wrong one.

I just hope that not too many people are using my miss to write main-stream articles with. I'm still wondering where the main-stream press in the U.S. got that Orix was in the Central League (which it is not) as many reported that last year.

Well at least, unlike the idiot who defamed Ohgi-kantoku as the manager who didn't give Ichiro a chance (boy was he wrong!), I can and do admit my mistakes as soon as they're brought to my attention. (The guy who wrote that was told of his mistakes by several people yet never retracted the article nor apologized to the Pro Yakyu community for it.)