Hansin Starter Issue!

Current Tigers' rotation is Igawa, Fukuhara, Shimoyanagi, Andoh, Sugiyama, and Culiban. Nohmi and Taiyo have also been used, but neither have proven really satisfactory.

Maybe a combination of Nohmi with Egusa, Culiban with Hashimoto, Igawa with Fukuhara. It's gonna be real tough. This is the reason we never won a sweep except against Orix in inter-league games.

Nohmi is unlikely to start except as a replacement for Cubillan. The top starting lineup is currently Igawa, Shimoyanagi, and Fukuhara. (Incidently Fukuhara won today - September 9.) The next team is Andoh, Sugiyama, Cubillan. The relief teams are JFK and then Hashimoto, Egusa, and Sajikihara. Okada seems to be operating on a win two out of three ratio. This is working quite well.

- Nohmi is unlikely to start except as a replacement for Cubillan"

It's news to me that Cubillan is in the rotation! He's had one start all year!

Yea, you are right Chris. But why is Igawa so brittle against particular teams, especially against Chunichi? He starts off well but then something causes him to fall back in pitch count and eventually the opposite team hits him.

As I raised this, Igawa and errors have always been together. When an error happens that's it, he is no longer the pitcher we want him to be.

He can be a good bet against Hiroshima, Yokohama, and Yomiuri. Since we have a 5 game series, I don't want to see Igawa and Fukuhara loose. I understand Oakada-kantoku playing with 2-1 games. It would have been better if our first two pitchers win it for us. However, when Fukuhara won against Hiroshima, he was far from impressive. A few excellent plays saved us.

I also can't understand why Chunichi is taking risks at this time, all starters are new faces.

In anycase, we swept Hiroshima, and that's what we needed. Surprisingly, Yomiuri swept Chunichi as well.

Igawa has a psychological problem against Chunichi. I have no idea why this is, but he has blown some very good leads. Fukuhara, to some extent, has suffered from poor offensive support, but also very erratic pitching. When he's good he's better than Igawa, but he can also blow things alarmingly.

Chunichi has problems with their pitching - Ochiai is not taking risks so much as scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Guys, firstly its "Cubillan," and out of his 4 appearances this year, he's only made one start during the regular season. He's not part of the rotation.

With the relaxed schedule (ie less games per week) coming up, I think you'll see Okada stick to a 5 man rotation now comprised of Igawa, Shimonayagi, Fukuhara, Andoh, and Sugiyama.

Of course with the reliable JFK bullpen combination of Jeff (Williams), Fujikawa, and Kubota, the starters don't have to go really deep into the game.

Okada has been managing the double switch fairly well, too, with Hiyama, Spencer, and now Nakamura, the hero of Wednesday night's game, sharing right field.

I was just reading through the thread and had a few questions.

First up, who is this Cubillan guy? I have never heard of him. Does anyone have any further info?

Secondly (sorry, not really a rotation issue!), what do you guys think about Nakamura starting in the outfield and batting in the six slot? I notice neither Hiyama nor Spencer have really fired this season and Nakamura seems to have batted well with an average in the .450s (approx) from his, admittedly limited, ABs in the last couple of games.

Cheers, MT

- First up, who is this Cubillan guy? I have never heard of him. Does anyone have any further info?

Cubillan was signed by the Hanshin Tigers this past off-season to a 1 year deal worth $300,000. Cubillan went 1-0 with a 6.85 ERA in 56 games with the Blue Jays, Rangers, Expos, and Orioles. Cubillan went 40-30 with 66 SVs in 344 games/30 starts and had a 3.40 ERA in his minor league career. [Baseball-Reference] [The Baseball Cube]

See also this thread.

He was the AAA Ottawa Lynx all time save leader. Cubillian never had a major league start in his major league career.

- Secondly (sorry, not really a rotation issue!), what do you guys think about Nakamura starting in the outfield and batting in the six slot?

I think he is doing well right now and that it's better to keep him like that so that we can get a walk out of him in critical situations. Last year, bringing Hamanaka as a regular backfired. So Nakamura can be used pinch hit at critical times so that he can at least get a walk.

- First up, who is this Cubillan guy? I have never heard of him.

He goes by his first name on the field (Darwin), which adds to the confusion.

A hah! That sorts it. I have seen "Darwin" whilst flicking through the Hanshin site.

Another Igawa game, another error to deny a shutout chance. But anyway, this time Igawa stood up. Man, I thought he blew it.

With a 7-1 lead in the second he would have had to work really hard to blow that match.

Yea, when I watched the Chunichi game we had 9-1 lead. Once the error happened, he lost his control.

Truely, we can't put the load on Igawa, as he never lost a game by himself, but once an error is committed he seems to be a different pitcher - like a rookie.

He would have won at least 5 or more games, had the infield team mates not let him down, with Igawa letting the team down afterwords.

But just at the right time he is getting better. That's good!

Watching Igawa this season is bad for the heart and the hairline. Perhaps his long hair is an attempt to grow some implant stock for all the people who he's caused to go prematurely bald this season.

I was quite suprised to see on Borisov's that even with this habit of blowing decent leads, Igawa, along with Hiroshima's Kuroda, shares the lead for victories in the Central League with 12. Anyone else surprised?

Not at all - he is a very good pitcher - one of the best in Japan.

- ...he is a very good pitcher - one of the best in Japan

Exactly Christopher. Like I've been saying all along.

Though not tonight. Any thoughts on using Igawa for this game?

And yet, at 12-7 and a 3.62 ERA, he's not doing too badly.

- And yet, at 12-7 and a 3.62 ERA, he's not doing too badly.

Indisputable. I wasn't making the point that he's pitching poorly this year and has fluked the above record, more that there appears to have been a huge expectation on him to perform this season and that he hasn't quite delivered, many column inches and forum space seem to reflect this. In my opinion his pre-season MLB desires succeeded only in putting him under presure to perform on a higher plane - something I think Uehara might also have experienced this season. Reminds me of a series of English cricketers who have been lumped with the tag of the next great only to have suffered, and correspondingly fallen, under the weight of press and popular expectation.

- [snip] ...a series of English cricketers who have been lumped with the tag of the next great only to have suffered, and correspondingly fallen, under the weight of press and popular expectation.

Well, they're not doing too badly at the moment, having just dispatched the feared Australians and reclaimed the Ashes.

Anyway, back to the original issue: I, too, agree that although Igawa's pitching this season has sometimes seemed like it's going to cause a huge increase in business for heart surgeons, hair replacement clinics, and psychologists, his stats tell the only story that matters: he and Hanshin are usually winning when it counts.

- [...] more that there appears to have been a huge expectation on him to perform this season and that he hasn't quite delivered, many column inches and forum space seem to reflect this. In my opinion his pre-season MLB desires succeeded only in putting him under presure to perform on a higher plane - something I think Uehara might also have experienced this season.

I, too, think so.

But blowing huge leades like 9-1 and all will do no good, even if he want to move to MLB! He is much much better than what he is today!

- But blowing huge leades like 9-1 and all will do no good...

Sorry, I'm not quite with you. Exactly which game are you talking about? The Tigers haven't blown a 9-1 lead in a long time. And if you mean that Igawa gave up a couple of runs after being ahead by a huge margin, well that's not actually blowing a lead. For me, blowing a lead means giving up runs so that the other team takes the lead. Is this what happened?

Sorry for the mis-quote. It was a 7-1 lead against Chunichi.

Tuesday, August 9 at Nagoya Dome - blown up. Top of the 5th we were 7-1.

Ok, I remember that game now. Another example of the Nagoya Dome hoodoo.

Anyway, it looks like Okada-kantouku committed the mistake of letting his ex-ace pitcher start against Chunichi. They love Igawa, and love to go deeper. Almost everyone in the Chunichi line-up had a home run against Igawa. Is he faltering only against Chinichi? Is there any good reason?

Finally, Okada-kontouku says, he (Igawa) was simply careless. An ace pitcher against a packed home crowd. Hmm, I'm really starting to hate Igawa.

- In my opinion his pre-season MLB desires succeeded only in putting him under presure to perform on a higher plane - something I think Uehara might also have experienced this season.

I seriously don't think Igawa's desires to go to the majors are bugging Igawa that much. In my opinion, it's a mental problem that's bugging Igawa. Also, Igawa isn't having such a bad year. He's 12 and 7 with a 3.62 ERA, 52 walks, and 134 Ks in 154.1 IPs. [Tigers 2005 Stats - Borisov's Pro Yakyu]

The Giants have Uehara, yet have a down-year, and Uehara has been good nonetheless. Uehara is 8 and 11 with a 3.52 ERA with 21 walks and 134 Ks in 171.1 IPs. [Giants 2005 Stats - Borisov's Pro Yakyu]