Rakutens Additions

Gary Rath has played four years in the Korean Baseball Organization. Rath became the all-time single-season leader for wins by a foreign pitcher with 17 victories this year. Two Korean pitchers tied Gary with 17 wins in 2004. The Doosan Bears' pitcher was second in ERA and was a Golden Glove candidate this year.

Thomas St. John has a great article entitled "Rath Feels at Home in Korea" in the November 3, 2004 Korea Times [Link].

It's news to me that Damon Minor signed with Rakuten. He signed a minor league contract with the Pirates. [Link - Beaver County Times/Allegheny Times]

It seems that the Beaver County Times, messed up as MLB.com has no record of the Pirates signing Minor. [Link - MLB Transactions]

Taken from Stats.com [Link]:

12/9/2004 Damon Minor, 1B Signed to a Minor League Contract

Damon Minor, who joined the Pirates, is expected to join the Rakuten Eagles. [Link - RotoWorld]

A lot of these guys sign minor league contracts that have a Japan "escape clause" in them. If you get an offer from Japan (and thus much bigger money), you are allowed out of your minor league contract. Don't know about Minor, but that may have been what happened.

Damon Minor is the twin brother of former Orioles' third baseman Ryan Minor. Damon is 6'7", bats left and throws left, while Ryan is 6'7" also but bats right and throws right.

Ryan played last season in the independent leagues before being signed by the Marlins and played for their AA team. Ryan has an interesting background. He replaced Cal Ripken in the lineup at third base when Ripken finally sat out to end his long consecutive games streak.

Ryan was also a great college basketball player at Oklahoma who was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round (32nd overall) of the 1996 NBA Draft. Ironically, the player chosen before him at 31st overall (also by the 76ers), 6'10" Mark Hendrickson, currently pitches for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and came to Japan last March with the D-Rays when they played the Yankees.

I don't know if Damon played basketball at Oklahoma also like his twin brother Ryan. Ryan was a great, great shooter who should've stayed with basketball. Even if he didn't make the 76ers' roster, he still could've made a lot of money playing in Europe - or even Japan. Former Blue Jays' farmhand (and Chicago Bulls' forward) Scott Burrell is currently playing basketball in Japan.