Softbank signs Batista

Rakuten must have high hopes for Batista. I converted the contract fee in to Japanese yen, seeing as though we are all not Americans. It's not an exact figure, but $15 million over 2 years = 7.5 mil/year, which is approx 7.8-oku a year. That would make Batista the highest paid NPB player ever deshou?

He'll be interesting. He clearly has good power, but his on base percentages are anything but Oh-like. In fact, in the past five years, even projected to NPB, they've been poor.

YEAR	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	AVG	OB PCT	SLG
2000	128	517	146	27	2	57	36	.282	.329	.567
2001	135	500	128	24	3	36	34	.256	.304	.531
2002	139	531	139	32	1	44	54	.262	.329	.574
2003	139	545	137	18	1	37	30	.252	.291	.491
2004	129	498	129	25	1	44	27	.259	.296	.576

Jim Albright

Not a bad salary for someone who makes more outs in a season than almost all other players.

I'm from Montreal, so I got to see Batista play all last season long and I'm telling you, you guys will be impressed.

Everybody already knows about his power, but his defensive play is very strong, and he even has some pretty good speed (even though that's not why Softbanks signed him).

He should be close to 50 HRs.

Tony Batista [Sports Wired]

I used to watch him play for the A's. Batista is a very weird player, especialy last year. He gets an absurd number of RBI's dispite putting up an abismal batting average and terrible on base percentage. I don't understand how he did it, especialy playing for the Expos.

We're all shocked that he managed to get that high a contract over here in Oakland, and I can't understand why anyone would give him over a $5,000,000 contract to tell you the truth, and even that is a bit high.

As you can see, his career high is 41 in 2000 with the Blue Jays, but the last 3 years in Montreal he has averaged about 32 home runs per year (36, 20, 30), and it doesnt help that he is on the wrong side of 30.

If the $ figures are correct, this is up there with giving Mo Vaun $19,000,000 to sit on the DL for an entire year (Mets).

- but the last 3 years in Montreal

Batista only played one year in Montreal (2004). He was with the Orioles from half way through the 2001 season until the 2003 season. Baltimore claimed Batista off waivers from Toronto.

- He gets an absurd number of RBI's dispite putting up an abismal batting average and terrible on base percentage.

Batista has one of the most unique batting stances I have ever watched. When Batista is on, everything is right, when he's in a slump, Batista tends to over-swing and miss.

Still, a .272 on base percentage is pretty bad.

Even if he doesn't hit a ton of HR's, I'll bet he'll at least hit some tape measure shots like Ortiz did in Tokyo Dome during the Nichi-Bei series last year. I'll be sure and watch as much nightly highlights as I can. Maybe I might even go to a game early to watch him take BP.

Bautista will hit many homers and be on base very little. He got more money in Japan than he would in the U.S. A decent signing nevertheless, though pricey. He'll be fine.

You hit it right on the seams. More money in NPB than MLB, I can't blame him. Do the Hawks have a lot of money?

These owners are in favor of the NPB champ playing the MLB World Series champ in a true World Series, which in my lifetime, you'll never see.

However, players who sign up in NPB never get a second guess as to why, because it's all about money. Yet NPB players will sign with the MLB at bargain prices.

- You hit it right on the seams. More money in NPB than MLB, I can't blame him. Do the Hawks have a lot of money?

These owners are in favor of the NPB champ playing the MLB World Series champ in a true World Series, which in my lifetime, you'll never see.

Masayoshi Son just might be Japanese baseball's answer to Roman Abramovic, the owner of the English soccer team Chelsea FC (without, of course, any alleged ties to organized crime). And since the Hawks sell out practically every game, the money will come to him as well.