"Those who lose the battle for a regular position will become pinch hitters. But pinch hitters have got to hit homers. Since a picher's biggest fear is a free swinging batter, ya' know? A pinch hitter who just get hits is, well, one is enough."Kataoka and Hiyama could both well fit Okada-kantoku's ideal pinch hitter scheme, but Fujimoto hits for average (.301 last season), not the long ball.
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Michael Westbay
(aka westbaystars)
Founder
Hanshin has acquired two infielders this off season, Kinkade and Toritani, and we can expect to have Hamanaka for a full season. Here's how I project the starting lineup:
C Yano
So I'm wondering, what will happen with Fujimoto, Kataoka, and Hiyama? Any ideas? I like next year's lineup, but I kind of hate to see those guys relegated to the bench, given the kind of effort they gave last year.1B Arias
2B Imaoka
3B Kinkade
SS Toritani
LF Kanemoto
CF Akahoshi
RF Hamanaka