Fall camp - the approach begins to emerge

As Tigers fall camp progresses we begin to get a glimpse of what Wada's regime might be like. It isn't encouraging. What seems to be developing is an old style Japanese baseball management environment with very little initiative allowed or encouraged. Morita and Haraguchi were both punished by being made to run the 13km back from the training camp to the hotel. Their crime - both ignored calls to hit and were out during a simulated game. In other words, they showed enterprise and got it wrong. It isn't surprising that Tigers players take so long to develop with this kind of style. Injuries are also piling up, Nishimura and Tsutsui are out of the camp because of injuries and Shibata and Enokida are walking wounded. This is not encouraging - after all it's fall camp. Players shouldn't be getting injured.

An over-conservative style is not going to deliver a pennant and may not even retain the Tigers key players. Both Toritani and Arai have free agency and with Arai only being offered a two year contract there is a chance he may go elsewhere. Toritani is clear about wanting only a one year contract as he plans to try the Majors. Tigers need to do a lot better but they don't seem to be going the right way about it.