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Archived News of Frank's Field of Dreams

"The Old Reflector"
"Streaking."
Ichiro's hitting streak is now a career high 24 games.
Ichiro had 3 hits, 2 RBIs and his 14th stolen base in
Seattle Mariners' 9 - 5 win over the Texas Rangers.
Cha Seung Baek started the game and picked up
his 3rd win of the season despite allowing 5 runs in
6 1/3 innings pitched. Akinori Otsuka also made an
appearance by pitching the 9th inning, but his ERA
jumped from 1.93 to 2.75 after giving up 2 runs on 3 hits.
(5/31)
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Ichiro sparks Mariners past Rangers

"Ichirolling."
Ichiro extended his hitting streak to 22 games, as he
had 1 of only 5 hits by the team tonight. Los Angeles
Angels beat Seattle Mariners by the score of 4 - 1.

Ichiro currently is third in AL outfield voting for the
78th MLB All-Star Game to be held in San Francisco in
July. He trails Vladimir Guerrero and Manny Ramirez.
(5/30)
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Ichiro hits one and misses one
Ichiro receiving strong support

"Plead the 5th."
Daisuke Matsuzaka ran into trouble in the 5th inning,
and he could not make it out of the 6th. Boston Red Sox
drop one to the Cleveland Indians 8 - 4, as every Indians
hitter collected as least 1 hit for the night. Matsuzaka did
not issue any walks, but allowed 5 doubles and a homer.
(5/30)
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Matsuzaka roughed up by Indians

"Mile High Matsui."
Kaz Matsui's return from the DL has helped the
Colorado Rockies winning six games in a row.
(5/29)
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Matsui's return helping offense

"Win @ Wrigley."
Byung-Hyun Kim solidified his spot in the rotation with 6
shutout innings in his latest start. Kim allowed 3 hits, 3 walks,
while struck out 5 to help the Florida Marlins beating the
Chicago Cubs, 5 - 3. With his unorthodox submarine pitching
style, Matt Treanor is officially the catcher during Kim's starts.
(5/28)
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Kim brings at-bats for Treanor
Kim leads Marlins to win at Wrigley

"Iwamura In, Seo Out."
After missing a month with strained oblique, Akinori Iwamura
will be activated from the DL after passing all the tests in his
rehab down in the extended Spring Training. Jae Seo has lost
his spot in the rotation after compiling 8.10 ERA after 10 starts.
(5/27)
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Iwamura to return Monday

"Ja-Pen."
Both Akinori Otsuka and Hideki Okajima pitched out of
the bullpen, and both were scored upon in their outings.
Otsuka blown his 2nd save of the season, but he is still
having a great season with ERA of 1.93. Okajima converted
his 3rd save of the season, and now the backup closer
for the Red Sox has the same exact amount of saves as
Mariano Rivera, the Yankee's future hall of fame closer.
Boston Red Sox squeezed by Texas Rangers, 6 - 5.
(5/27)
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Sox get to Otsuka for comeback win

"Career Game."
Kenji Johjima went 2 for 4 with 4 RBIs and a run, where he
hit his first career grand slam, while pitcher Cha Seung Baek
struck out a career-high seven in 7 innings, allowing only
1 unearned run, and the icing on the cake, Ichiro had an
RBI single in the 9th inning to extend his hitting streak to
19 games, the longest active hitting streak in the Majors.
Seattle Mariners continued their dominance over the
Kansas City Royals, beating them by the score of 9 - 1.
(5/26)
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Baek turns in a masterful performance

"Win Win Situation."
Ichiro slammed the second pitch of the game out of
the yard, leading off with a home run, to extending his
hitting streak to 18 games. It set the tone for the rest
of the game, as the Seattle Mariners produced 18 hits in
their 10 - 2 victory over the Kansas City Royals. Ichiro
finished the game 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs and a run, while
Kenji Johjima went 1 for 4 with an RBI and scoring a run.

Batting a stomach flu, Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched 5 innings for
his 7th win of the season. Hideki Okajima also appeared in the
8th inning in Boston Red Sox's 10 - 6 win over Texas Rangers.
(5/26)
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Ichiro, Felix overwhelm Royals in win
Dice-K guts it out to beat Rangers
Dice-K shrugs off flu

"One Grand."
Ichiro played his 1,000th MLB game, and put up
an usual outing by going 3 for 6, which gives him
1,414 hits in his 6+ years with the Seattle Mariners.
(5/24)
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Ichiro's 1,000th MLB game a hit

"No Stealing."
Kenji Johjima is having a good season not by just having
hitting .317 with 6 HRs. Johjima is also throwing out
runners that is not respecting his game behind the plate.
(5/24)
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Johjima heating up behind plate

"A Week to Remember, Pt. 5."
Akinori Iwamura is getting closer returning to action after
spending the last few weeks on the DL with a strained oblique.
(5/21)
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Aki's Diary: Oblique rehab going well

"Baseball/Heroes."
Daisuke Matsuzaka's last two starts where he went 2 - 0
with a 2.12 ERA and 11 strikeouts earned him the title as
the AL player of the week, Ichiro had a great week as well.

After missing 32 games with a back injury, Kaz Matsui
returned to the lineup for the Colorado Rockies. Matsui
had an immediate impact as he went 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs
in his first game back, but it was not enough as the
Rockies fall short to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6 - 5.

Chien-Ming Wang's solid outing helped the New York Yankees
beat the Boston Red Sox, 6 - 2, but still are 9 1/2 games behind.

Another update on Hideki Okajima, hero in the dark, and Heroes
the television serie. Hideki Okajima pitched 3 scoreless innings
last week and carried an uncanny 0.42 ERA a month and half into
the season. Hiro Nakamura tells his father he must save Ando and
stop Sylar. He teleports to Isaac Mendez's loft, where Ando has
been pinned against the wall by Sylar, who says Ando isn't
worth killing. Hiro arrives to face Sylar, and Sylar challenges Hiro
to move more quickly than he can. To Sylar's surprise, Hiro
transports across the room to Ando and they both disappear
before Sylar can do anything more. Hiro has teleported himself
and Ando back to their office in Japan, escaping Sylar's clutches
once more. Ando is determined to help in Sylar's defeat, but Hiro
is adamant that his friend remain behind. Hiro assures his friend
that he has already proven himself a hero: by facing Sylar without
any powers of his own, Ando demonstrated true bravery and
inspired Hiro to complete the quest. Hiro states that he must
finish it alone, and gives Ando his Kensei sword, telling Ando, "so you
know I'll be back." In the climax, Peter, Noah, and Matt confront
Sylar in the plaza. Hiro teleports from Japan, after leaving Ando
behind, and distracts Sylar as well. Before Sylar can do anything,
Hiro impales Sylar with a sword, apparently fatally wounding him.
However, before Hiro can do anything about Peter's request that
he kill him, Sylar's last act is to telekinetically throw Hiro into
the air; he teleports before he strike a nearby building but does not
reappear. After a fadeout, Hiro lands in a grassy meadow with
an ignoble thud. As he standing up, he spots a group of samurai
archers raising their bows towards him - he turns to run, but
realizes that it is in fact the hero Kensei, poised behind Hiro, that
they are about to attack. The subtitles then note that Hiro is
outside Kyoto, Japan, in the year 1671. In a moment of confusion,
Hiro softly utters a swear word in Japanese. Before anyone
can act, the entire landscape is darkened by a total solar eclipse.
(5/21)
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Matsuzaka wins AL Player of the Week
Matsui back in the lineup
Matsui, Hawpe unable to top D-backs
Wang pulls Yanks closer to Red Sox

"Hit & Run."
Ok, it was a crazy baseball weekend if you attended games
in Lancaster, California during the three games series between
the visiting Lake Elsinore Storm, San Diego Padres affiliate
and the Lancaster JetHawks, Boston Red Sox affiliate. The first
game's box score was 30 - 0 win by the Storm, not a typo, it is in
fact a safety and four touchdowns. The very next day's result
were more competitive as the JetHawks win it 14 - 12, where
Aaron Bates of the JetHawks belted 4 homers all by himself.
The fireworks kept going as the third game, Yordany Ramirez of
the Storm hits for the cycle, and much like the first two games,
resulted in a more football-like box score of 21 - 6, and the
Storm scored 12 runs in the 8th inning. Clear Channel Stadium,
home of the Lancaster JetHawks has to be the Minor League
version's Coors Field, and the best coaching job in all of
Minor League baseball is officially the hitting coach of the
JetHawks. After some research, Colorado Rockies' All-Star closer
Brian Fuentes actually once was a member of the JetHawks,
which explains how he pitching in Coors Field so successful.
(5/21)
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Storm punish JetHawks, 30-0
Bates sets Cal League homer record
Storm's Ramirez hits for the cycle

"Dice Chop."
Daisuke Matsuzaka won his 5th straight decisions by
beating the visiting NL East squad in the interleague
matchup. Matsuzaka again maintained control and issued
no walks in his 8 innings of work, giving up 9 hits and 3 runs
while struck out 6 batters in the process. Boston Red Sox
slammed the Atlanta Braves 13 - 3, and has won 17 out of the
19 interleague games they have played in since last season.
(5/19)
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Dice-K chops up Braves

"The Hitman."
Ichiro's AL-record consecutive-stolen base streak snapped
at 45 when he was thrown out by Jose Molina, but currently
he has another streak going on, as he collected his 1,400th
Major League hit to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
(5/17)
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Ichiro's bat back to normal

"Windy City Win."
After waiting for the rain to stop to start the game in Chicago,
Chien-Ming Wang went 7 strong innings and Hideki Matsui
went 3 for 4 with 4 RBIs to help the New York Yankees
beat the Chicago White Sox, 8 - 1. Wang might be pitching
again on three days rest against the New York Mets in the
finale of the Subway Series. Also, Kei Igawa is scheduled to
pitch for the Tampa Yankees against the Fort Myers Miracles.
(5/16)
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Yankees earn split behind Wang
Wang may get Sunday start

"Dirty Dozen."
Los Angeles Dodgers called up Hong-Chih Kuo from
AAA-Las Vegas. Kuo becomes the 12th pitcher on the
team to provide the pitching staff some depth after
the bullpen had to pitch 6.2 innings the night before.
Kuo felt more comfortable and had better success
as a starter, but as of now, he will pitch out of relief.
(5/15)
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Kuo returns to big club

"Heroes Update."
Two weeks ago Hideki Okajima's quote had me linking him
to my favorite TV Show Heroes, within the last two weeks...

Hideki Okajima pitched 6 innings, and gave up no runs.
Okajima lowered his ERA to 0.48, and I am not sure if there
is another rookie reliever dominating hitters the way out of
the gate in his rookie season that Okajima is doing right now.
It will crazy in both Japan and Boston when Okajima make
the AL All-Star team and Daisuke Matsuzaka is fishing during
the break in July. Overall, Okajima has pitched 18.2 innings,
giving up only nine hits, four walks, and one earned run,
while striking out 22 batters. Fans in Japan are starting
to wonder why can't Okajima pitch like this back in Japan.

Hiro Nakamura had a chance to kill Sylar, the main villain on
the show; before he can deliver a killing blow, Sylar catches
the sword in his hand. Sylar orders Hiro to kill him, but senses
his hesitation and threatens to kill Hiro instead, freezing the
sword as he speaks. Hiro used his power and teleport to NYC, but
notice that his sword had snapped in two during the encounter.
A dejected Hiro mourns his own lack of conviction and his
broken sword, his friend Ando continues to try and restore
Hiro's spirits. Ando searches the Yellow Pages for a repairman
for the sword. Hiro teases Ando about who he expects to find
to mend a centuries-old relic, but Ando chances upon a
sword-smith. With new-found hope, the pair set off across the
city to the shop of the mysterious sword-smith. There they
meet Mr. Claremont, who is amazed by Hiro's possession
of the centuries-old sword Kensei sword. Hiro asks if the
sword can be repaired, and the repairman replies that it
depends on the decision of a third party who is also in the
shop: Hiro's father, Kaito Nakamura, who steps out from the
backroom of the shop. Hiro goes on to learn that his father had
known of his powers all along, but had never been convinced
that Hiro would have the right spirit to wield his abilities.
Having observed Hiro's progress, Kaito is now convinced
that Hiro is of true Nakamura descent. Hiro reveals to his
father that he may be wrong about him, recounting his failure
to kill Sylar when he had the opportunity. But Kaito is not so
easily disappointed, and reveals himself to be a master
swordsman. He tells Hiro that he will teach him the ways of
the sword, and surprisingly turns Hiro into an able swordsman
in only a short time. Kaito also reminds Hiro of the sacrifice
Takezo Kensei made to be a hero. With renewed conviction
of his abilities and of the steadfastness he must have as a
true warrior, Hiro sets off to defeat Sylar, only to find that
Ando had already left the shop. Ando, believing that Hiro
would be unable to continue his mission to kill Sylar, bought
a sword and left to hunt down Sylar himself. Kaito tells Hiro
that should Ando try to face off with Sylar alone, Ando will die.

The season finale is next monday, don't miss it!
(5/15)
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"Beantown Battle."
In a game between the two top teams in the AL,
Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched his first career
complete game in the Major League to lead the
Boston Red Sox over the Detroit Tigers 5 - 1.
(5/14)
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Matsuzaka adds tempo to repertoire

"Unlikely Duel."
Jae Seo entered the game with an 8.82 ERA and have only
won two games since being acquired last season pitched
his best game as a member of Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
In Seo's 100th career Major League start, he limited the
Toronto Blue Jays to only two hits while striking out seven in
seven scoreless innings. Seo retired 14 of the first 15 batters
he faced, including a stretch of 12 straight to win the pitcher's
duel against Shaun Marcum 2 - 1, who was making his first
start of the season after pitching out of the bullpen all year.
(5/13)
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Pena's home run is all Seo, Rays need

"Mile High to Miami."
The Colorado Rockies traded Byung-Hyun Kim to the
Florida Marlins for Jorge Julio. It is unclear if the Marlins
going to put Kim in the rotation or send him to the bullpen.
(5/13)
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Fish acquire Kim, send Julio to Rox

"Saito the Savior."
Takashi Saito ranks 3rd in the NL with 11 saves, and he
has been dominant since becoming the closer last season.
So far this campaign, Saito has allowed just two runs and
has posted a 1.59 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 17 innings.
(5/12)
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Saito locked in this season

"Shutout @ Safeco."
Kenji Johjima called a good game and had a good day
at the plate as he went 2 for 4 with a homer, where it
made a difference in Seattle Mariners' 3 - 0 shutout win
against the New York Yankees. Ichiro went 2 for 3 and
had a pair of stolen bases, extending his success to 43
straight steals without getting caught, an ongoing AL record.
The Major League record is 50, set by Vince Coleman.
Hideki Matsui was hitless in 4 plate appearances.
(5/12)
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Johjima backs Washburn's gem

"Complete Win."
Cha Seung Baek recorded his 1st career Major League
complete game with 112 pitches en route to help the
Seattle Mariners defeat the Detroit Tigers, 9 - 2.
Both Ichiro and Kenji Johjima went 2 for 5 for the game.
(5/10)
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Baek ends Tigers' streak with first win

"Matsuzaka/Ohka Duel."
For just the 4th time in Major League history, two Japanese
starters faced off against one another. Daisuke Matsuzaka
made some adjustments on pitching out from the stretch,
and it paid off as Matsuzaka pitched 7 strong innings in
Boston Red Sox's 9 - 3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
In contrast, Tomo Ohka could not make it through 5 innings.
(5/9)
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Dice-K shuts down Jays

"Matsuzaka, Seo, Ryu Update."
Daisuke Matsuzaka threw a productive side session,
he is working on to pitch better out from the stretch.

Jae Seo started the game, Jae Kuk Ryu finished the game,
but neither had a good game as the Baltimore Orioles
beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 8 - 3, where Seo and Ryu
were responsible for 7 of the runs being allowed.
(5/8)
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Dice-K searching for groove
Seo struggles against Orioles

"Good & Bad."
Chien-Ming Wang was named as the spokesperson for the
2009 World Games, which will be held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Wang's role for the games will be promotion and advertising.

Kei Igawa is struggling, bad enough that the New York Yankees
has decided to option him down to the Minor League to work
on his mechanics with the organization's pitching coordinator
Nardi Contreras and Minor League pitching coach Gil Patterson.
(5/7)
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Wang named World Games spokesman
Igawa sent to Minors

"Milestone Matsui."
Hideki Matsui reached 2,000 career hits (NPB/MLB combined)
which automatically puts him in the Meikyukai. There are two
Hall of Fame equivalents in Japanese baseball. One is the
Japanese baseball Hall of Fame; the other is Meikyukai.
Hall of Fame members are elected. Membership in the
Meikyukai is automatic after a position player reaches
2,000 career hits, or a pitcher compiled 200 career wins or
250 saves. The totals are roughly the equivalent of 3,000 hits or
300 wins in the MLB because the Japanese season is shorter.
(5/6)
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Matsui reaches milestone

"Wang...derful."
On May 5th, 1904, Cy Young became the first person to
have pitched a perfect game in the modern era. Exactly
103 years later, Chien-Ming Wang flirted with a perfect game
into the 8th inning until Ben Broussard's homer spoiled both
the perfection and no-hitter. The pitch was a changeup, and
it was the only one Wang threw the entire game, where
he pitched 8 innings and gave up only two hits to help the
New York Yankees get past Seattle Mariners 8 - 1. Another
news related to the Yankees, is that they may open the
2008 season against their rival Boston Red Sox in Japan.

On a side note, Chien-Ming Wang was honored by the
Time Magazine as one of the Top 100 Heroes & Pioneers.
(5/5)
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Wang nearly perfect in Yanks' rout
Change of pace ends Wang's bid
Yanks, Red Sox may open '08 in Asia
Heroes & Pioneers: Chien-Ming Wang

"The Matsu Boys."
Hideki Matsui's double in the 8th inning scored the winning
run in New York Yankees' 4 - 3 win over the Texas Rangers

Daisuke Matsuzaka again had trouble of locating his pitches,
despite the shaky performance, where he allowed 7 runs on
5 walks and 5 hits in 5 innings, Matsuzaka took a no-decision.
Boston Red Sox squeezed by the Seattle Mariners, 8 - 7.
(5/4)
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Matsui's eighth-inning double lifts Yanks
Manny bails out Sox, Dice-K
Matsuzaka searching for answers

"A Week to Remember, Pt. 4."
Akinori Iwamura is still a few weeks away from returning to
game action, and right now he is in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays'
Minor League Complex working his way back from the injury.
(5/3)
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Aki's Diary: Life on the shelf

"Short Stay."
Shin-Soo Choo was optioned down to AAA-Buffalo as the
Cleveland Indians looking for more help in the pitching
department right now. Choo batted .294 with 5 RBIs in
6 games since being called up from Buffalo on April 23.

Chan Ho Park got designated for assignment after one
ugly start, he can either accept the assignment and head
back down to AAA-New Orleans, or become a free agent.

Hideki Matsui's double in the 8th inning scored the winning
run in New York Yankees' 4 - 3 win over the Texas Rangers
(5/3)
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No rest for weary bullpen, but help is on the way
Park's stay with Mets not long

"Honored Hero."
Hideki Okajima, by now known to many fans as the
hero in the dark was named the AL Rookie of the Month
in April. Okajima's only blemish was allowing a HR to
John Buck on the first pitch he threw in the Major League.
Since then, Okajima has been marvelous, compiled a
0.71 ERA and struck out 17 batters in 12 2/3 innings.
The Boston Red Sox also recently hired Okajima's friend
Jeff Yamaguchi as Okajima's new personal interpreter.
(5/2)
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Okajima named AL Rookie of the Month
Big day for Okajima

"Out of Park."
Chan Ho Park was called up from AAA-New Orleans to fill
in for Orlando Hernandez who went on the 15-day DL, and
Park did not make a good first impression as he was taken
out of the park by both Alfredo Amezaga and Hanley Ramirez.
Park actually retired the first eight batters before running into
trouble, and he finished the game allowing 7 runs on 6 hits
in 4 innings. Florida Marlins beat the New York Mets, 9 - 6.
(4/30)
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Park unable to prop up Mets in opener

"Heroes."
 My favorite TV show is Heroes and Hideki Okajima's quote
"I'm willing to be a hero in the dark." sort of have me compare
him to Hiro Nakamura, played by Masi Oka on the hit show.

       
Nakamura                     Okajima

Hiro Nakamura's power is the ability to teleport and
manipulate the space-time continuum. Okajima is a
southpaw pitcher who has a funky delivery that gets
most batters trouble to adjust to his pitching style.

Maybe Okajima's next quote would be.

"Save the Red Sox Nation, save the world."

Be sure to catch the last four episodes of Heroes
the next few weeks, starting tonight at 9 pm ET.
(4/30)
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Okajima emerging out of the shadows

"Pitching Discussions."
Chin-Hui Tsao is flashing the skills that reminds everyone he
was one of the best pitching prospects from a few years back.

Chien-Ming Wang is still a bit rusty since being activated
from the DL. But as history showed, Wang's record in April
has not been impressive in the past. Boston Red Sox won the
serie finale against New York Yankees 7 - 4, Hideki Okajima
lowered his ERA to 0.71 by pitching two more scoreless innings.

Tomo Ohka won his 2nd game of the season, he went
seven strong innings to help the Toronto Blue Jays
defeat the visiting Texas Rangers by the score of 7 - 3.

Cha Seung Baek had a no-hitter going on through
5 2/3 innings, but received a no-decision in the
Seattle Mariners' 5 - 1 win over the Kansas City Royals.
(4/29)
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Tsao proving worth in 'pen
Wang can't slow Red Sox in finale
Ohka sharp as Jays roll past Rangers
Mariners take advantage of good tip

"Land of Rising Sons."
In Daisuke Matsuzaka's next outing, the Boston Red Sox
staff would like him to trust his arsenal of pitches.

Takashi Saito carried his success from his rookie year
by converting seven saves so far this season.

Kei Igawa was skipped in the rotation in favor of fellow rookie
Jeff Karstens, but he ended up helping the New York Yankees
stop the team's seven games slide by pitching his best game
so far this season. Igawa was inserted into the game earlier
than anyone expected after Julio Lugo's liner struck Karstens
on the first pitch of the game, and Karstens was out of the
game just five pitches later. Igawa's gem also helped the
Yankees beat the Red Sox for the first time this season.
(4/28)
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Words of advice for Dice-K
Saito not worried about streak
Sox have no answers for Igawa
Igawa pens gem as Yanks snap skid

"Deja Vu."
Despite the switching of the venue, Daisuke Matsuzaka
once again struck out seven New York Yankees and defeat
the Bronx Bombers for the second time within a week.
Hideki Okajima also got in the game, pitched a scoreless
inning to continue his dominance out of the bullpen.
(4/27)
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Dice-K prepared to pitch in Bronx
Matsuzaka short-arms Yanks
Dice-K is money well spent

"Senbazuru."
Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima received
two sets of Senbazuru from students at Showa Boston,
an institute of Japanese-American language and culture.
Senbazuru is a colorful display that is made of 1,000
paper cranes that are tied together, used in Japan for
several purposes, one of which is to wish sports teams well.
(4/24)
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Matsuzaka, Okajima receive gifts

"Choi Cut."
Hee Seop Choi was released by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
after opted not to accept an assignment to AAA-Durham and
had contemplated heading back to South Korea to resume
his baseball career, where he will play for the Kia Tigers.
(4/24)
|
Minor League Transactions (April 14-20)
Kia Drafts Big Choi, Will Choi Do the Same?

"Four Up, One Down."
Shin-Soo Choo received the call up to Cleveland
with the hamstring injury to Andy Marte.

Seattle's pitching phenom Felix Hernandez went on
to the 15-day DL, and the Mariners called up
Cha Seung Baek to take his spot in the rotation.

Hideki Matsui is activated from the 15-day DL, he had
been on the DL since April 8th with a left hamstring strain.

Chien-Ming Wang is also activated from the 15-day DL,
Wang was scheduled to be the opening day starter to face
Scott Kazmir and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays a few weeks
ago, but he will get another crack on Kazmir/Devil Rays
as he will make his 2007 season debut against them.

Akinori Iwamura is the latest Asian player to be on the injury shelf.
Iwamura went on the 15-day DL with a right oblique strain.
(4/24)
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Choo recalled from Triple-A Buffalo
Yankees activate Matsui
Wang warmly welcomed back
Iwamura placed on 15-day disabled list

"A Week to Remember, Pt. 3."
 Akinori Iwamura is starting to settle down and getting
used to life in the Major League. Iwamura found his
favorite Japanese cuisine restaurant via teammate
Shinji Mori, and is fitting in the clubhouse nicely.
(4/23)
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Aki's Diary: Fitting in among 'mates

"Swept."
Daisuke Matsuzaka's outing was not all that, but thanks to four
consecutive solo home run from Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew,
Mike Lowell, and Jason Varitek, Matsuzaka got his first win at
Fenway in his first career start against the Red Sox's biggest
rival. Boston complete the sweep against New York Yankees.
(4/23)
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Welcome to Sox-Yanks, Dice-K
Boston's five homers sink Yankees

"Southpaw Save."
Hideki Okajima quickly played a part of the Yankees/Red Sox
rivalry when he earned his first career save as a Major Leaguer
during the first meeting between the two rivals this season.
(4/21)
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Okajima fills in flawlessly for Papelbon

"Center of Attention."
Ichiro patrolled the right field for the American League
during the last six All-Star Games, this year, he will find
himself in the center field during the game on July 10th in
San Francisco after making the position change full-time.
(4/18)
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Ichiro leads cast of All-Star candidates

"Major/Minor Report."
Kei Igawa won his first Major League game, thanks for the
offense provided by his teammates. Igawa pitched fairly well
as he only allowed two runs on five hits in six innings of work.

The San Francisco Giants released Sun Woo Kim, while
the Los Angeles Dodgers called up Chin-Hui Tsao.

Yung-Chi Chen, playing in AAA-Tacoma is placed on the team's DL,
Chen's injury is the latest among some Asian players in the last
few weeks. Here are the list of players that is currently out of action.

Major League
Byung-Hyun Kim
Hong-Chih Kuo
Hideki Matsui
Kaz Matsui
Chien-Ming Wang

 Minor League
Yung-Chi Chen
Chi-Hung Cheng
Po-Hsuan Keng
Masumi Kuwata
Shinji Mori
Hyuk Son
(4/18)
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Igawa, Yanks topple Indians
Minor League Transactions (April 7-13)

"Oh Canada!"
Daisuke Matsuzaka made his first appearance in Canada and
he struck out 10 over six innings but forced in the go-ahead
run with a bases-loaded walk to Gregg Zaun in the 4th inning,
and Toronto Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox 2-1 despite
getting just three hits off of Matsuzaka. Hideki Okajima also
pitched in the game, struck out the side in his only inning.
(4/17)
|
Fans eager to watch Dice-K
Chacin outduels Matsuzaka
One laborious inning hurts Dice-K
Matsuzaka kept Jays guessing

"A Week to Remember, Pt. 2."
Akinori Iwamura wrapped up his second week in the
Major League by traveling through Texas and Minnesota.
(4/17)
|
Aki's Diary: On the road with the Rays

"Rocked Rockies."
Disgruntled reliever Byung-Hyun Kim got a spot start
but instead of making a comeback to the rotation, Kim
actually landed himself on the 15-day DL when he
allowed five runs in three plus innings before coming out
of the game with a thumb injury. The Colorado Rockies
also put Kaz Matsui on the 15-day DL before the game,
and it is uncertain when Matsui will return to action.
(4/16)
|
Kim to start in place of Lopez
Kim struggles as Rockies fall in finale
Matsui heads to disabled list
Rockies shake up bullpen

"Streak Snapped."
Akinori Iwamura's nine game hitting streak came to an
end against Johan Santana and the Minnesota Twins.
(4/14)
|
Iwamura's walk speaks volumes

"West Coast Wounds."
Despite pitching better than his first outing, Kei Igawa
received a no decision against the Oakland Athletics.
Igawa's current ERA is 7.84 after two outings.

Ichiro started the season hitting .400, but after the snow
postponed all of his games in Cleveland, his bat also
cooled down and is currently hitting a dismal .182.
(4/14)
|
Igawa denied first win for Yankees
Ichiro working past April woes

"(Ichi)Rolling the Dice(K)."
With most if not all the attention being focused on the
Ichiro/Matsuzaka showdown, it was Felix Hernandez who
stole the spotlight by pitching a one hit shutout. Ichiro went
hitless for the night, but Kenji Johjima collected two doubles
off Matsuzaka, who pitched seven innings while giving up
eight hits, three runs, walked one, with four strikeouts.
(4/12)
Fans pack Fenway to witness history
Matsui protective of Matsuzaka
Matsuzaka outdueled by Hernandez
Seven years later, Japanese stars meet
Johjima maintains focus

Together they helped Japan win the inaugural WBC, and fate
brought they together once again, only this time at different
dugouts. Ichiro will square off against Daisuke Matsuzaka at
Fenway Park, their first head to head encounter in six years.
(4/10)
|
Tune in to Dice-K vs. Ichiro
Fenway faithful await Dice-K's debut

"Don't Mess With Texas."
In a high scoring affair, the Texas Rangers
pulverized Jae Seo in his three innings of work.
(4/10)
|
Seo roughed up in loss to Rangers

"A Week to Remember."
Akinori Iwamura's first week in the Major League
proved his slump during Spring Training is only a fluke.
(4/9)
|
Aki's Diary: First week in the Majors
Iwamura making big impression

"Weekend Updates."
Brian Cashman did not want to rush Hideki Matsui
back from the strained left hamstring, so he decided
to place Matsui on the 15-day disabled list.
(4/8)
Matsui placed on 15-day disabled list

As expected, Daisuke Matsuzaka had a very successful debut
against the Kansas City Royals, but unexpected, Hideki Matsui
suffered a strain left hamstring, but he said the pain is not
too serious and he should not be out for more than a few days.
Kei Igawa also made his MLB debut, and it was a forgettable
one as he had control issues throughout the whole game.
(4/7)
|
Matsuzaka's debut
Matsui injured in win over O's
Igawa struggles in debut

"Dice Debut."
Daisuke Matsuzaka made his anticipated debut against the
Kansas City Royals and it was a nice one, he lived up to the hype
in his first official day of pitching in the major leagues. He threw
108 pitches in seven innings, allowing only one run and one walk.
(4/5)
|
At last, Matsuzaka to make debut
Sox fans make trip for Dice-K debut
Matsuzaka leaves striking impression
Matsuzaka aces big-league debut
Nothing 'normal' about Dice-K

"Royal View."
 In Kansas City, the Royal fans and players especially
Mark Grudzielanek are ready to take on Daisuke Matsuzaka.
(4/4)
|
Matsuzaka mania hits Kansas City
Royals eager to face Matsuzaka
Time to roll the Dice-K

"Mega Matsuzaka."
MLB Journalist Jim Street, Maureen Mullen, and Ian Browne
wrote some really informative articles on Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Matsuzaka's former Seibu Lions teammate Kaz Matsui
had another great opening day, although Matsui did not
hit a homer like he did the previous three seasons, he still
finished the game 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
(4/3)
|
Ichiro paved way for Matsuzaka
Opponents in awe of Matsuzaka
Plenty of weapons up Dice-K's sleeve
Dice-K holds himself to higher standard
Dice-K breaking down language barrier
Japanese media keeps tabs on Dice-K
Matsui 'held' to two-single opener

"Rankings & Roundups."
This is my personal ranking on Asian players in both
the Major and Minor League during the 2007 season.
Some Major Leaguers are currently in the Minor League
working their way back up to the Majors, while couple
of the Minor Leaguers are in the extended Spring Training
and will not start play official games until late June.
Also, the 2007 Far East Heroes page is up as well.

Rank - Name - Organization

Major Leaguer
1 - Ichiro - Seattle Mariners
Heading into his 7^th season in the MLB, Ichiro will have for another .330 season while appear in San Francisco for the All-Star game and receive another Gold Glove at the end of the year. Ichiro will be one of the most sought after free agent and could make around 20 million a year in his new contract.

2 - Daisuke Matsuzaka - Boston Red Sox
Like Nomomania more than a decade ago, Matsuzaka will be followed everywhere he pitches this upcoming season. I truly believe either he, Delmon Young, or Alex Gordon will win the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year award. 16-6 with ERA around 3.5 is my prediction.

3 - Hideki Matsui - New York Yankees
With great talents surrounding him in the outfield, Matsui should have a fine season, 35 to 40 HRs with 110 RBIs is a possibility.

4 - Akinori Otsuka - Texas Rangers
Will remain as the closer until Eric Gagne return from the DL, statistically Otsuka is the best Asian pitcher that have pitched more than 2 seasons in the Major League, and this is why he is ranked behind Ichiro, Matsuzaka, and Matsui.

5 - Chien-Ming Wang - New York Yankees
Unlikely to match his win total from last year, but Wang will still have the talents to get 15 wins. One of the top five American League starters heading into the season.

6 - Kenji Johjima - Seattle Mariners
Had a great rookie year with the Mariners this past season, Johjima have a good chance of making the All-Star game with Ichiro if he keep up the good works.

7 - Akinori Iwamura - Tampa Bay Devil Rays
You might wonder why I ranked him so high since he struggled during Spring Training, but unlike pitchers, it usually take hitters a few months to adjust in the new environment. Ichiro and Hideki Matsui both experienced it, now Iwamura will go through the same thing.

8 - Tadahito Iguchi - Chicago White Sox
A stable player since making his debut in MLB two years ago, Iguchi will give the White Sox another .280 season with 15-20 HRs.

9 - Takashi Saito - Los Angeles Dodgers
Came out of nowhere and had a great rookie year where he become the closer for the Dodgers, Saito is the only reliever to struck out more than 100 batters last season.

10 - Tomo Ohka - Toronto Blue Jays
Steady pitcher in MLB, Ohka will get plenty of run support from his Blue Jays' teammates, #4 starter in the rotation.

11 - Jae Seo - Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Great performances in 2005, not so good in 2006. Seo pitched great in Spring Training, and Devil Rays give him the #2 nod in the rotation behind Scott Kazmir.

12 - Hideki Okajima - Boston Red Sox
Experienced southpaw who helped his club Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters to win it all last year in Japan Series, could he played a big role for the Red Sox?

13 - Byung-Hyun Kim - Colorado Rockies
Starter, reliever, good year, bad year, I'm not sure what to expect out of Kim since he is so inconsistent.

14 - Kei Igawa - New York Yankees
Reminds me of Kaz Ishii, there were talk of Igawa pitch in AAA for few starts to get adjusted to the life style in the US, but with some injury in the rotation, Igawa stay with the Major League club.

15 - Shin-Soo Choo -Cleveland Indians
With Trot Nixon on board, Choo will spend some more time in AAA, likely a full time starter for the Indians by opening day of next year.

16 - So Taguchi - St. Louis Cardinals
Talents is limited compare to other Asian hitters, but Taguchi gives his all and is one of the best bench player in the MLB. Played a big part of Cardinals' championship run last year.

17 - Chan Ho Park - New York Mets
Last year is the first time his ERA was under 5 since his days with the Dodgers, unlikely to contribute much with the Mets but is insurance in case an injury on the rotation early in the year.

18 - Kaz Matsui - Colorado Rockies
2 1/2 years with Mets and Matsui did nothing special besides hitting a homer in his first at bats during all three years. Matsui did perform much better with the Rockies for the final two months of last season.

19 - Chin-Hui Tsao - Los Angeles Dodgers
Former #1 prospect who the Rockies part way with last year. Tsao is finally healthy for the first time in almost two years and still have the 95 mph fastball in his arsenal.

20 - Hong-Chih Kuo - Los Angeles Dodgers
Injuries is nothing uncommon with Kuo, as he will be on the DL at the beginning of the season.

21 - Cha Seung Baek - Seattle Mariners
Lost his chance to be on the Mariners when perform terribly in Spring Training, Baek might find himself out of 40man roster again if he don't improve quickly.

22 - Sun Woo Kim - San Francisco Giants
Journey man who don't have the good enough skills to stay in the Major League, but more talented than most of the AAA pitchers.

23 - Jae Kuk Ryu - Tampa Bay Devil Rays
A starter who made the Devil Rays' squad as a reliever, need to perform better than he did with the Cubs otherwise his spot will be someone else's soon.

24 - Hee Seop Choi - Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Participated in the HR derby in Detroit two years ago, but spend a whole year in AAA last year with injury. Choi is trying to figure his way back to the Major League, but he might also head back to Korea soon.

25 - Kazuhito Tadano - Oakland Athletics
Japanese version of Sun Woo Kim.

Minor Leaguer
1 - Masumi Kuwata - Pittsburgh Pirates
Before Matsuzaka, Kuwata is the guy who dominated in the Koshien Tournament and NPB. Even at the end of his career, he still have the better stuff than Sun Woo Kim or Kazuhito Tadano.

2 - Shinji Mori - Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Trying to find his way back from torn labrum, have the skills to help out the Devil Rays' bullpen. Like Kuwata, he is a better pitcher than Sun Woo Kim or Kazuhito Tadano.

3 - Yung-Chi Chen -Seattle Mariners
Likely the next Asian amateur player make it to the MLB. Superb hitter with enough fielding skills to stick around in the Major League.

4 - Young-Il Jung - Los Angeles Angels
The first Asian player to receive 7 figure signing bonus in the last 5 years, Jung is the best Asian pitching prospect.

5 - Chin-Lung Hu - Los Angeles Dodgers
Most scouts think he is not going to hit enough to stick around in the Majors, Hu is still young and have time to improve.

6 - Hyuk Son - Baltimore Orioles
Korean league veteran, but playing for the first time since 2004 when he retired from injury. I like his experience that is why he is this high compare to the rest at this point.

7 - Sung-Wei Tseng - Cleveland Indians
The best college pitcher out of Taiwan who was the only amateur to played on Taiwan's WBC team.

8 - Chi-Hung Cheng - Toronto Blue Jays
Have a Major League ready curveball and is a southpaw, but will be out for most if not all of 2007 trying to recover from injury.

9 - Ching-Lung Lo -Colorado Rockies
Big bonus signee who received more money than Young-Il Jung. Have not quite reward the Rockies with his performances since turning a pro 5 years ago, but still fairly young since he was signed when he was only 16.

10 - Po-Hsuan Keng - Toronto Blue Jays
Pitched for Taiwan in the WBC, but was hit hard during his brief call up to High-A ball. Too early to tell if Keng is a contender or pretender to be a Major League pitcher.

11 - Chih-Hsien Chiang - Boston Red Sox
Above average hitter with below average defense who also have medical issues with diabetes. But if BJ Upton and Jason Johnson can make it, only the sky is the limit for him.

12 - Kuo-Hui Lo - Seattle Mariners
Good runner, but not sure if he have the enough tools to be consider as a serious prospect.

13 - Yusaku Iriki - Toronto Blue Jays
NPB Veteran who played for Mets' AAA team last year with unspectacular stats. He was also tested positive for steroid and suspended for 50 games. Most likely just a filler in AA/AAA for the Blue Jays.

14 - Ryohei Shimabukuro - Atlanta Braves
One of the few Japanese players signed as an amateur, Shimabukuro is only 17 but should be able to fit in easier with his teammates since he is fluent in Spanish from his mother's side.

15 - Po-Yu Lin - Chicago White Sox
Fist year player, but the money he got was more than the rest of the guys below, so this is where I will place him right now.

16 - Takumi Hamaoka - Atlanta Braves
Hit .253 with no HR in his debut last year, too early to tell how good (or bad) he really is.

17 - Wang-Wei Lin - Minnesota Twins
Outfielder who is a regular on Taiwan's Junior National Team, better than most of the amateur hitters in Asia.

18 - Wang-Yi Lin -Boston Red Sox
Never was a highly sought after player, but had a great year in his first year in the US with a 1.31 ERA and no HR allowed.

19 - Tzu-Kai Chiu - Cincinnati Reds
Contender or pretender? But being a southpaw pitcher is an advantage.

20 - Chen-En Hung - Atlanta Braves
Another first year player, but I place him higher since he is younger and stayed healthy than rest of the pitchers below.

21 - Sheng-An Kuo - Colorado Rockies
Can flip his ranking with Hung, but being hurt the last two years dropped his stock tremendously.

22 - Yoon Hee Nam - Texas Rangers
A lefty so that should be an advantage, but was hurt all of last year.

23 - Yen-Feng Lin - Philadelphia Phillies
Had a 3.92 ERA in his first pro season, but was older than most players he played against last year.

24 - Jang Ji Cho - Atlanta Braves
Older than most Asian players in the Minors and was hurt last year, neither helps his case.

25 - Chih-Hsiang Huang - Boston Red Sox
Had a tough time in his first year against better quality pitchers than the one he sees back home in Taiwan.

26 - Jae-Hyung Jang - Minnesota Twins
Spend a year in college before signing. Like Huang, Jang might have tough time to hit against better quality of pitchers compare to the one he sees back home in Korea.

27 - Keisuke Ueno - Texas Rangers
21 years old who put up a 4.95 ERA in rookie ball, probably not even good enough to play in Japan.

28 - Chao-Kuan Wu - Cleveland Indians
22 years old who hit around the Mendoza line the last two years.

(4/3)
  |

"Play Ball!"
So Taguchi came off the bench and received the starting
nod on opening night against southpaw Tom Glavine of the
New York Mets. Taguchi had success in the past against
Glavine and Tony La Russa felt it was the right move.
(4/1)
|
Taguchi gets call in opener