April 9th Andoh v Barnette - Kanemoto's blunder?

Tigers are a conservative organisation and this needs to be remembered. Sakurai has proven ineffective at right and is being replaced but the shock was the demotion of Kanoh to the second team. The management have decided that they only need two catchers in the top team. Fair enough but it is Kanoh who should be retained along with Johjima not the aged and ineffective Yano. Seniority should not be a factor in the decision to retain a catcher and this was quite clearly the case in the decision to keep Yano in the top team. Yano needs to be pushed over to a coaching role as soon as possible. Johjima has made it clear that he is not going to share the catching duties with Yano. He has a lot to prove as a pinch hitter as well and once again Kanoh is better in that role. It would be better to reverse the situation so that Kanoh can learn from Johjima.
Andoh provided more evidence, if evidence were needed, of his unsuitability to be the No.1 pitcher in the rotation. Once again he failed to impress and despite having some good stuff could not maintain it or dominate. The last genuine ace Tigers had was Kei Igawa who was strange. If he wasn't interested he was indifferent but still very good. If he was interested he was untouchable. The problem was you could never predict what would interest Igawa.
Kanemoto was also strange in this game. In the third he was on base with Hirano (Hirano on third, Kanemoto on second). Johjima hit to right but Kanemoto only made third base. Johjima was astonished and actually signalled him - 'Why didn't you make home?". Kanemoto provided no suitable answer beyond an embarassed smile. The thing is if Kanemoto had made home - Brazell's later home run would have tied the game. As it was Swallows took the lead and were never again to surrender control. Kanemoto was known to have been aggreived about the fact that Johjima was paid more than him but it is difficult to see that as a factor in the failure to make home. He is known to be carrying a shoulder injury but this should not have affected his ability to make home. After the game he remained in the dugout alone for about half an hour - no doubt reflecting on his behaviour and the implied rebuke from Johjima. This is one of the most impressive things about Johjima - having committed himself to the Tigers he is 100% a Tigers player. It is no surprise that his replica shirts are the best sellers of all the players shirts. Scores

          1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R  H E
Swallows  1 0 0 0 0 3 1 3 0 8 12 1
Tigers    1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 3  8 0

Starting lineups

Swallows
1. Miwa (Left)
2. Tanaka (Second)
3. Aoki (Centre)
4. D'Antona (First)
5. Guiel (Right)
6. Miyamoto (Right)
7. Fujimoto (Short)
8. Kinugawa (Catcher)
9. Barnette (Pitcher)

Tigers
1. Murton (Centre)
2. Hirano (Second)
3. Toritani (Short)
4. Kanemoto (Left)
5. Arai (Third)
6. Johjima (Catcher)
7. Brazell (First)
8. Shunsuke Fujikawa (Right)
9. Andoh (Pitcher)

Andoh would not start well. He gave up a leadoff hit to Miwa. Tanaka's ground out took the former to second. Aoki hit and Miwa was home 1-0 Swallows runner on first. Andoh did manage to keep the powerhouses of the Swallows lineup D'Antona and Guiel under control in this innings and no further score resulted. Tigers were able to respond immediately. Barnette was not particularly impressive but was more collected than Andoh. However, in the first few innings he struggled and the first was no exception. The superlative Murton hit to left. A Hirano bunt took him to second. Toritani walked and it began to look like the Swallows were in trouble. Kanemoto struck out looking but Arai hit sweetly to left bringing Murton home 1-1 scores tied, runners on first and second. Barnette dead balled Johjima to load the bases which brought up Brazell. This was his second bases loaded situation and once again he failed to convert, flying out to left to end the innings. Andoh's second innings was quite presentable as he retired the batters in order. Barnette proceeded to give up his second hit to Murton but with two out Murton strayed too far off first and was caught off base and run down by the field to end the innings. Miwa hit in Swallows third but nothing came of this. So to Tigers controversial third. Hirano led off with a very nice centre hit. Toritani flew out and then Kanemoto had a two base hit, runners on second and third. Arai grounded out to short which kept the runners locked on base but then Johjima hit to right. Hirano was home but Kanemoto only reached third (see above) 2-1 Tigers, runners on first and third. Brazell walked to load the bases but then Fujikawa couldn't convert the runners. The lead should have been 3-1 but Kanemoto blew this.

Andoh started the Swallows fourth in abysmal style with a two base hit to D'Antona. A wild pitch took D'Antona to third but then Andoh pitched really well. Firstly, Guiel flew out to second, no run there. Then Miyamoto grounded out to third, once again no run. Finally, Fujimoto flew out to left to end the innings. Whatever, Andoh's flaws this had been nice pitching. Tigers fourth was quiet with Barnette retiring the batters in order. In Swallows fifth (incidently Andoh's normal danger innings) the Swallows batters fell in order. Tigers fifth saw Toritani lead off with a hit. Then with Kanemoto out, Arai hit to short but was able to beat the double play. A wild pitch took him to second and then the throw from Kinugawa was wayward and Arai moved round to third. This was a good opportunity but Johjima failed to convert and the innings was scoreless. So far Tigers had played well and been in control. This would all change in the Swallows sixth. Tanaka led off with a hit and then Aoki followed with a two base which put runners on second and third. D'Antona struck out but Guiel hit to right and the ball just stayed in for a three run home run 4-2 Swallows. The next two batters grounded out to end the innings. Tigers needed to hit back and Brazell did so with a lead off home run that bounced off the foul pole 4-3 Swallows. With two out Murton walked but Hirano grounded out to end the innings.

Mayumi decided that seven innings of Andoh was too much. Unfortunately, the pitcher he chose to replace Andoh - Tsutsui - did not start well. Kinugawa found himself banging a home run to right 5-3 Swallows. Tanaka hit and then Tsutsui dead balled Aoki to set up runners on first and second with two out. D'Antona was next but this time he could only ground out to end the innings. Tigers seventh was pitched by Matsuoka and one has to note Swallows are developing a very good set of relief pitchers. He retired the batters in order to preserve the lead. Messengr took Swallows eighth and one can only say he still has to adjust to Japanese conditions. Guiel led off with a hit. Miyamoto bunted him to second. Fujimoto walked and then Kinugawa decided he had become a super batter. He hit a timely two base hit which brought home both runners 7-3 Swallows, runner on second. Messengr then let fly a wild pitch which brought home Kinugawa 8-3 Swallows. He then walked Takeuchi in what looked to be a nightmare innings. Miwa hit a grounder which took out Takeuchi going for second (Miwa was then safe). Miwa tried to steal second but was thrown out by Johjima to end the innings. Oshimoto was the pitcher for the shell-shocked Tigers eighth innings and had an easy job or retiring the batters in order. For Swallows ninth, Messenger was replaced by Cheng - it's nice to see him in the top team. He started nervously, though. Tanaka walked and then Aoki hit to short. Nice running put him on base and Swallows had runners on first and third. Yuichi (pinch hitter) grounded into a double play which took Tanaka to third but then Guiel flew out to end the innings. For Tigers ninth, Swallows coach, Takada went with Lim who is normally their closer. This was a non save situation though. Lim was effective and retired the batters in order to end the game. Swallows victory.

Tigers had been competitive for part of the game but had fallen in the latter stages. The relief is not functioning and Mayumi needs to look carefully at how he uses the pitchers. It was great to see Cheng back in the top team but there is another superlative relief pitcher who can be brought up - Abe. He is pitching well and what is more can pitch deep relief and so will be very useful. Swallows had done well and engineered a fine victory but one wonders how much influence the Kanemoto incident had had on the game.