October 11th Messenger v Tohno - Surprisingly unsurprising

A few thoughts on Mayumi's management inadequacies as manifest in the past two games. Let us leave aside for the moment, the question of pitching Messenger too long and using Fujii as the main catcher and look at the batting lineup. This game Brazell was replaced after the sixth innings at bat by Yamato. This was a serious drop in power and hitting ability - Yamato is not a No. 5 batter. The same can be said for Shunsuke who replaced Kanemoto. Both these players lack power and Mayumi's policy of using his small favourites is not adding anything to the team's offense. In fact it is taking power and RBI ability from the side at a vital stage in the game. Replacing both batters with low hitters lets the opposition off the hook and makes it easier for Tigers to lose. So far they have collected a record number of shutouts and walk off loses. They need batters who can hit and don't hit occasionally - so if it is necessary to replace Kanemoto it should be someone like Lin or Kodai (oops!). If Brazell is healthy he shouldn't be replaced by a lesser player at all - his power could come in useful late in the game. Scores

        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9  R  H E
Tigers  0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0  3  9 1
Giants  0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1x 4 11 0

Starting lineups

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

Giants
1. Sakamoto (Short)
2. Sawamura (First)
3. Chono (Centre)
4. Abe (Catcher)
5. Ramirez (Left)
6. Tani (Right)
7. Kamei (Third)
8. Fujimura (Second)
9. Tohno (Pitcher)

Sawamura was replaced by Wakiya before the game started

Tohno started poorly and would struggle throughout the game. His main issue was control of the zone and he couldn't locate the corners with any success. He walked Hirano in the first innings. Shibata bunted him to second but neither Toritani nor Arai could get him further and the innings was scoreless. Messenger was a real curates egg - some of his pitching was awesome, some less so. He should have really been paired with Komiyama not Fujii. He gave up a lead off hit to Sakamoto and Giants were obviously in aggressive mode as Wakiya flew out to short swinging wildly at his first pitch and Chono hit into a double play also off his first pitch. Tigers second started wtih Brazell flying out and then Murton singled to left (30 consecutive games). Kanemoto grounded out to first taking Murton to second but Fujii grounded out to second. His batting was particularly sub-standard this game. Abe led off Giants second with a solo home run to right 1-0 Giants. It was a poor pitch acknowledged by a drop of the head from Messenger. The next three batters did nothing though, the home run having served as a wake up call to Murton. Thankfully for Tigers Tohno chose their third to disintegrate. Things didn't start that way, Messenger grounded out and Hirano flew out - two down, one to go. Shibata followed and worked a walk. He then stole second showing nice explosive acceleration to beat the throw. Toritani then walked and Tohno faced Arai. Arai also worked a walk and the bases were loaded. Brazell hit his second pitch into right bringing in two runs 2-1 Tigers. Tani fielded and in a fine piece of work threw very well to third to catch Arai trying to take third for the final out. It would turn out to be a vital piece of fielding. Giants third was quiet as Messenger struck out Fujimura and Tohno. Sakamoto flew out weakly to second.

Tigers fourth was also quiet - one would have thought that the batters could have done more after Tohno's poor third but he was let off. Giants fourth and with two out Abe was up again. Messenger was out for revenge and with the count at 2-2 fired off a superb straight taking on Abe and having him swing wildly for the strike out. A very good pitch indeed. Tigers continued to tootle along in their fifth and no one reached base. This was worrying as Messenger does lose focus around the fith and a one run lead didn't seem enough. This proved to be the case - the lead off batter was Ramirez and Messenger's pitching was rather tentative. This coupled with Fujii's ineptness led to a walk. Then Tani hit to right and once again Ramirez showed a good turn of speed to reach third - Giants now had runners on first and third with no outs. Kamei hit to Brazell at first and he threw to Fujii to block Ramirez coming for home. Ramirez was run down and sandwiched but it was all a bit casual and Tani was able to take third and Kamei second. Tigers should have blocked Tani from third as well and should have been sharper, Tani actually ambled to third. Fujimura followed and hit high and far into centre. This was just the wrong type of ball to call with Shibata's throw not being that strong. Tani was able to tag up and make home 2-2 scores tied runner on second. Finally, Takahashi (pinch hitter) grounded out to end the innings. Giants could be more satisfied with the innings than the Tigers who hadn't fielded well enough. Takagi took over for Tigers sixth and got Toritani to ground out. Arai launched into a loose pitch and hammered it over the left wall for a solo home run 3-2 Tigers. Brazell tried the same thing but didn't get hold of it enough and flew out to left and finally Murton grounded out. Tigers were showing fight but their fielding was letting them down. Once again this showed in the Giants sixth. Sakamoto led off the innings with a wild swing to left. The ball bounced along the third baseline but Yamato (who had replaced Arai at third, Arai moving to first) was very poor and allowed the ball past him giving Sakamoto a two base hit. Wakiya bunted and Messenger picked up and threw to first missing Hirano's glove. Runners on first and third. We also saw the scorer's usual generosity to the home team - two errors ruled as hits. Chono flew out to Fujii for the first out and then Abe hit right bringing home a run 3-3 scores tied, runners on first and second. Abe had taken round three of the battle. Ramirez hit deep to centre where Shibata took the fly but Wakiya tagged up and took third. Finally, Tani grounded out to second to end the innings.

So Giants had pulled back to level twice and were growing in confidence. Takagi was much more assured in Tigers seventh and all three batters flew out, the last being Messenger. He was going to pitch the Giants seventh having only thrown 76 pitches. He did rather well with all three batters falling in order. Yamaguchi took over for Tigers eighth and faced Hirano who was all over the place and struck out swinging. Not his best at bat by any means. Shibata was better and hit nicely to right but Toritani hit into a double play to end the innings. Messenger returned for Giants eighth - this was more unusual but his pitch count was still low. The first two batters flew out to left and then things started to fall apart. Chono hit into centre where Hirano dived but could only get the tip of his glove on the ball and could do nothing to stop it. Next was Abe who singled to left and Giants had runners on first and second. Ramirez hit left and Chono set off for home. The throw from Shunsuke was good and Fujii blocked the plate as Chono slid in. Here though the umpire screwed up. Fujii received the ball before Chono slid in but didn't make a tag. This wasn't a force out and so Chono was safe and the Giants should have had a run. A nice escape for the Tigers and one is reminded of Jim Allen's 'Hot Corner' on the subject of umpires not enforcing the laws properly. Still it's nice that it went Tigers way and being the final out ended the innings. Tigers ninth was also quiet and all three batters failed - it was painful watching Yamato bat fifth though. Messenger returned for Giants ninth and here we saw Mayumi's inability to manage in all its glory. He had thrown 100 pitches and had escaped the eighth by luck not by good pitching. His last three batters had hit and so it was obvious he was too tired. The lead off batter for Giants ninth was Tani who hit his first pitch to centre. Furuki bunted Tani to second and we could see Kubo (pitching coach) explaining something to Mayumi. Mayumi's mouth formerly closed rounded into an O of comprehension. Kubo had probably told him Messenger was tired and a relief was needed. The relief was Kyuji who faced Fujimura. Kyuji was pitching well within himself and with Fujii one felt that the Giants would win. Kyuji let fly a disinterested 143 km straight in the middle of the zone. The wrong kind of ball and Fujimura drove it into left field for a two base hit. Tani was home Giants sayonara victory.

The management of this game had been poor - Yamato should never have been brought into the game so soon and Tigers fielding had been slack. Mayumi had left Messenger in too long with ample evidence that he was tired and had relied on an inadequate catcher again. The talk among the front office is replacing the head coach Kido with the ni-gun coach Yoshitake for next season. This is just 'shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic'. The major problem for Tigers is their manager and his coaching team. Mayumi needs to go and Tigers need to recruit a genuine manager who is then allowed to choose his own coaching team and left alone to manage the team. The dithering and incompetent front office needs to step back after sacking Mayumi and not interfere if the team is doing well. It should not be protecting the inept and the incompetent which is its current role.