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Lotte's Guest

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Lotte's Guest
I had the great fortune to have been invited to spend some time with the Chiba Lotte Marines yesterday (Friday, June 8, 2007) before the game at Yokohama Stadium. I got to meet the infamous Bobby Valentine and a number of staff members while browsing around in front of the third base dugout trying to listen in on what the Japanese media was asking Saburo.

After getting my guest pass and being led to the third base dugout, the first person there on the bench was Bobby V., wearing sunglasses and a huge smile. I was introduced, as "Michael Westbay from JapaneseBaseball.com," and the reaction by Bobby was, "No kidding?" He remembers all of our correspondence, back to 1995. And he even remembers taking my parents out to dinner while he was with the Mets' AAA team the next year at Norfolk. Whereas I can't even remember the names of all of the people I met yesterday, Bobby has a knack for remembering people and names from many places. There were a number of people meeting with Bobby before the game, and he could name every one, from big-wigs (with whom he spoke in Japanese) to reporters' names. Even if Bobby rubs some people the wrong way, he is most definitely a people person.

One of the main purposes for my visit with the Marines was to learn more about the data gathering system that they use. Much of the innovation in data gathering at Asobos has been implemented at Bobby's request. Regarding the team's data gathering, here's what Ballard-san wrote (mostly quoting SF Giants' Sabean-GM) in his Sports Illustrated article (top of page 6):
Few in Major League Baseball deny that Bobby Valentine can manage. He is acknowledged to be one of the best minds in the game, and few managers work harder to gain an edge on an opponent. (Valentine was famous for studying video, and the cameras he had installed at Shea Stadium led to accusations that he stole signs.) "What was unique about [Valentine] was his game approach," says San Francisco Giants' G.M. Brian Sabean. "He was a top-step guy who watched every pitch. You didn't see him overchecking lineup cards and rifling through matchup stats. He had a general idea what he was going to do on a given day and what personnel he was going to use. But more important, he watched the game. You have to have a feel for that. I don't think he gets quite the credit he deserves."
While it seems that Ballard-san brought up the sign stealing accusations to belittle Valentine-kantoku, if he (or anyone at that time) had bothered to look into how the video was being used, it is clearly for instructional purposes for his own batters. By having video of a batter when he is doing well and when he is struggling, coaches can go through that video and play it side by side to show the batter exactly what differences there are - grip position, leg position, bat angle, etc. He's done the same thing at Chiba Marine Stadium, and Bobby goes over this video with his coaches and players so that they may better instruct and be instructed.

Is the video instruction technology unique to Asobos and the Marines? No. I first saw such systems for instructing was with the Team Oz high school baseball team a number of years ago. But this aspect that Ballard-san and Sabean-GM commented on is just a minor part of what Valentine-kantoku is doing with data. The key for Bobby isn't necessarily the form-review extra cameras. It's these words by Sabean-GM: "He was a top-step guy who watched every pitch."

The biggest thing that Bobby and his staff do is go through not only the TVL (Trajectory, Velocity, Location) data of every batter, but also the accompanying video. They correct any mistakes from the live feeds, the same feeds that power the Yahoo! scoreboard, and have terabytes of combined video and stats that they can call up at will on any player based on any number of conditions. For a stats and database junky, I was left salivating to put my hands on that system. What Bobby and the Marines are doing with Asobos gives watching "every pitch" a totally new meaning.

And it was with the analysis of this data that the Marines have been able to stop the guys you don't want to allow to defeat you; the likes of Wada (Seibu), Matsunaka (Softbank), and Kanemoto (Hanshin) in playoffs and the Nippon Series.

Well, that was my main purpose for going. And let me tell you, I would be in absolute heaven to be able to work with that data. Perhaps I should have gone to work for Asobos?

Anyway, back on the field, the press was gathered on the path back to the dugout from the batting cage where Saburo was finishing up his batting practice. Saburo came through the throng of cameras, made a short comment, and disappeared through the dugout door leading to the locker room. The media crews looked severely disappointed, some looked worried that they wouldn't have their quote for their headline story. I chuckled at the scene.

For those of you who only know about what's happening in Tiger country, Saburo was riding a 9 consecutive at bat hitting streak going into the game. His last at bat on Wednesday was a base on balls, before which he went 9 straight plate appearances with a hit.

Much to the relief of the camera and newspaper reporting crews, Saburo came back out and took questions. I wondered over in that direction in hopes of hearing some of the questions and answers, but now I understand why so many crews have mics on long poles. There were too many people crowded in, and being a guest, I wasn't going to shove my way through. So I apologize, but I was unable to get any pre-game quotes by Saburo to entertain you with.

I also played Deanna and took a ton of pictures. I'll try to post them all eventually.

As for the game? Well, from the BayStars' point of view, it wasn't very good. Katoh was knocked out after two innings, while Shimizu went the distance for Lotte. The BayStars finally managed to score in the 9th on a pair of two-out doubles. But the one run looked rather sad against the 12 runs Yokohama had given up.

So, all in all, mixed emotions for this game. My stay with the Marines was absolutely out of this world. That they can so easily trounce my 'Stars, ummm.
Comments
Re: Lotte's Guest
[ Author: Christopher | Posted: Jun 9, 2007 1:00 PM | HAN Fan ]

Nice report Michael and very interesting. So Lotte's analysis techniques cover every Central League player in considerable depth?
Re: Lotte's Guest
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Jun 9, 2007 2:20 PM | YBS Fan ]

Yes, every NPB player in considerable depth. At least, those at ichi-gun. If you're looking for a way to evade Lotte's impressive IT department, I'd suggest bringing up a bunch of rookies from ni-gun just before next weekend's series at Chiba Marine. Anybody with less than 40 ABs at ichi-gun over the last three years should be statistically difficult to analyze. (Hmm. I now know that Lotte reads this site. You don't think Hanshin does, do you? I don't want to give them any ideas.)

I wish Yokohama had this system to figure out Tsuyoshi (who just led off today's game with a single up the middle). Then again, as a closet Lotte fan, I'm rooting for Lotte to take Inter-League for their third year in a row. I'm so torn with this Wangan Series, especially with Nippon Ham refusing to lose to the Central League at all.
Re: Lotte's Guest
[ Author: BigManZam | Posted: Jun 9, 2007 2:37 PM | CLM Fan ]

Bobby is the best thing to happen to Lotte since the Murata and Ochiai days.

Saburo is such a streaky batter. I've read his blog a bit. It seems like he really needs his ego fed in order to play at an optimum level, because his ego is massive. That's probably why he does so well when he bats #4 in the batting order.

I wish you asked Bobby about what's going on with the Internet streams.
Re: Lotte's Guest
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Jun 10, 2007 10:08 AM | YBS Fan ]

Internet streams! You're right, I should have asked about those. I guess I was most interested in learning about the data stuff that I put all the other ailments of foreign Pro Yakyu fans to the back of my mind. If I ever have the chance to talk to any official personnel again, I'll be sure to bring that up.

Sorry about forgetting about that. I promise not to again.
Re: Lotte's Guest
[ Author: Christopher | Posted: Jun 9, 2007 4:28 PM | HAN Fan ]

At the moment I don't think Lotte need any stats to beat Hanshin. But as Jim Allen has mentioned, it's difficult to move from ni-gun to ichi-gun in Tigers.

At the moment I'm watching a pretty clueless display of wasted chances and poor pitching (not from Orix by the way). Personally, I'm rooting for Nippon Ham or Rakuten.
Re: Lotte's Guest
[ Author: Deanna | Posted: Jun 9, 2007 5:03 PM | NIP Fan ]

You jinxed them, Michael - the Fighters just lost to Yakult! (I was so good - I never said the word 'streak' and 'Fighters' in the same sentence for two weeks!)

But, I like Lotte and Bobby quite a lot, and I'm all about data gathering and stats as well, as you know. So, I agree, it sounds like an amazing visit. Personally, I'd love to see the pitch charts and videos for submariner Shunsuke Watanabe more than anything. I think he's the most interesting pitcher on Lotte, and am really curious about what's changed in his approach from 2005 to 2006, and 2006 to 2007.

Are they really the only team that's that far ahead on the data-gathering, though? It seems to me like other teams must do it to some extent, even if they might not have spent so much time and money investing in it.

And are they hiring?

Anyway, that's really exciting! Looking forward to seeing the pictures. Yokohama is one of the best stadiums to take pictures in, and that's without field access!
Re: Lotte's Guest
[ Author: BigManZam | Posted: Jun 9, 2007 6:20 PM | CLM Fan ]

Could the hardcore analysis be the key to the very successful rookie campaigns of Kawasaki and Ogino? I haven't been able to see them, so I have no idea what kind of stuff they have. Ogino seemed pretty normal from the spring training footage I saw.
Lotte vs. Yokohama Photos
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Jun 9, 2007 7:48 PM | YBS Fan ]

I've thrown together the photos here. Looks like I didn't take nearly as many as I thought. Nonetheless, I hope you all enjoy them.
Re: Lotte vs. Yokohama Photos
[ Author: mijow | Posted: Jun 10, 2007 10:37 AM | HT Fan ]

Good pics, but where are you? I would have at least tried to get one of me shaking hands with Valentine!
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