Next Season For Shinjo

If you want him to play, he's better off in Japan. He'll likely hit well enough there to be a good player in NPB. Unfortunately, he doesn't hit well enough to be a regular major league outfielder, despite his excellent glove work. He's rather consistently followed this pattern, and I don't expect it to change.

Jim Albright

Maybe he can regain his batting like his past, because he played solid in the Minor Leagues.

Why does everyone have this notion that Shinjyo was ever any good with the bat? He had one decent year right before he left for the U.S. Check the stats. His career OBP is .307! His career high OBP is .321. He's all flash, no substance.

I'm a huge Hanshin fan, but Shinjyo was and continues to be the most overrated player I've ever seen.

He should follow through on his "joke" and become an actor or something. He has no place on a baseball diamond at this point in his career.

'Fraid I have to agree. I don't think Shinjo would make the current Tigers squad on merit. Who would he replace? Akahoshi? Hiyama? Kanemoto? No way.

Shinjo belongs in NPB. His MLB days are over. I saw a couple of Mets games early in the season. I felt he was up for a cup of coffee. He reminded me of Benny A, from Hawaii who the Mets also had. These guys were AA - AAA players, possible Mexican League players, also. With all the bad moves the Mets made this year, playing Shinjo has to be within the top 3 bonehead moves.

Yeah, he's not good in the critical on-base department, but in Japan, he had some power and can certainly field like a quality center fielder. In that role, he's a good, not excellent or great, player.

Jim Albright

I watched Shinjyo play for the San Francisco Giants. He made some pretty awesome plays in the outfield. In one game, he threw the ball on one hop to home plate nailing a runner, from the center field warning track. That was a real "GEM." And, watching him during the game made me realize that he has really good instincts in the outfield.

During another game, J.T. Snow, was "miked" and talked to Shinjyo who was on first base for the Mets. J.T. and Shinjyo got into this conversation about Shinjyo becoming a movie star.

If only he could hit, ... I thought that if he would shorten his swing and try to hit for average, he might be a little more successful. It was a real shame that he couldn't hit for average because he is a fun player to watch in the field and the fans liked him.

As far as the New York Mets go, I can think of more boneheaded moves other than acquiring Shinjyo.

- He has no place on a baseball diamond at this point in his career.

Kind of a harsh statement. He is hitting around .320 in the minor leagues. How many of us could do that?

A lot of players for the Mets this year can't play very solid. So I think Shinjo was same. Unlike the past, maybe he should change to a team that can give him more of a chance to play. The Mets have traded many of their players to other teams, like Jeromy Burnits and Alomar were traded to other team because they couldn't play well there. So I think the Mets have some problem.

Ah, so a case of contagious incompetence? The Mets' problem was that they had guys like Shinjo, Burnitz, Alomar, and Fatty Mo Vaughn who could not contribute to the team, the latter three while collecting big pay checks.

Shinjo was into more flash than focusing on his game this year. The Orange hair, showing up in Spring training in a flashy Rolls. You would think he was like some rock star - a legend in his own mind, instead of a third-stringer. It played OK at first when he could hit for a decent average and play defense. When he could no longer do either, it played like a joke.

He should go home to Japan, find his game, and his head. I agree that he does need to be an everyday player to stay focused.

But there are now six teams (MLB 2 teams, NPB 4 teams) interest him.

Two MLB teams interested in him? As the bat boy or team mascot? He just does not have the skills to be an everyday MLB player. He has shown dislike for being a bench player. If he can change his attitude he can probably make it on a 25 man roster. But he cannot expect to be paid much.

So I think if Shinjo wants to play every game, he'd be better off in Japan. But if he wants to play in the Major Leagues, then he will be a bench player.

There is a rumor that the Yomiuri Giants are interested in him. The Giants need him more for his flamboyance than his baseball skill.

Watching Shinjo playing for Yomiuri should be a hoot. Generally, when you put two guys with huge egos on the same club like Shinjo and new manager Tsuneo Horiuchi (and then you would have Kiyohara, provided he isn't sold to Seibu, in between), something will have to give.

At this point, though, it would make more sense for Orix to get him (they are also in talks about Tetsuro Kawajiri and Keiichi Yabu as well), though whether he would hit better than Ikuro Katsuragi, who hasn't been much good, is an open question. I think the Japanese leagues have improved a bit since Tsuyoshi left and he might find himself in ni-gun after mid-season of hitting his usual .230 with RISP and around .250 BA.

And I think Yokohama would be just nuts to get him. He won't outproduce Tamura, though he can run rings around any of the Stars' outfielders defensively. But you don't score runs with your glove.

I'd read about the rumors of the Giants' and BayStars' interest in Shinjo, and I can only come to one conclusion: they want him for PR. All the years he was with Hanshin he was untouchable by management for one reason, he brought in the female fans. The press called him "uchijin" (spaceman) as they never knew what kind of strange thing he would do next.

I called him "the Tiger Prince" as the off season silliness where Shinjo's mother told off Hanshin's manager for speaking poorly of her son. To make matters worse, Shinjo himself said that he had no baseball sense. And in the end, the owner told the manager to lay off of Shinjo. Shinjo goods were more important than his attempt at the strike out crown. Prince Shinjo could do no wrong.

When Shinjo gave up a huge pay increase for near minimum MLB wage, my view of him changed. And he did much better than I ever expected in the Majors. Certainly better than someone without any baseball sense.

But still, when I read that he may go to Yokohama, I remember the ToSpo (Tokyo Sports) article stating that Shinjo wanted to be traded to Yokohama to be closer to his girl friend. Shinjo on the Stars' (or any team) will just generate more similar headlines that TBS (Yokohama's owners) may enjoy, but I could do without. I don't think we need that kind of PR.

I am just 16, so I don't think I know a lot of things about Shinjo's past experience. But I know he [will] play in Japan better than in MLB.

There is no place that he can play in the U.S. any more. Shinjo can field, but he can't hit. He might want to consider making his career in the Taiwanese professional league, or Cuba.

Honestly speaking, he does't want to go back to Japan. I guess he wants to retire in the U.S. His first year was a huge success. He thinks so, too.

Maybe Jen Wei will get his wish. Bobby "The Mouth" V's first announced move will be to contact his pal Shinjo-san to play for Chiba. Hope this isn't going to be a case of flash over substance under the new regime.

Bobby V. isn't the same guy of old. He's fried. The New York papers also speculated that this is a way for him to get back into managing in MLB. He should have stuck with broadcasting, although the ESPN guys I hear are upset at him. Seems like it doesn't take long for him to overstay his welcome. However, he may initially sell a few more tickets in the crowded Tokyo baseball market.