Japanese Smallest Ball?

It's because of the new manager, Takada-kantoku. His style of play is very much "small ball." In fact, the opening series this year between the Swallows and Giants was advertised by Yakult as "Small ball vs. Big Ball."

I don't mind it so much, though I do feel that Takada can overdo it at times (for example stealing with 2 outs), but I won't complain too much as we're a vastly improved side compared to last year.

We're tenacious and hard to beat (on the whole) and are in contention for the final play off spot in the CL, which is much better than the absolute faliure that was Furuta's final year as manager.

I think the Japanese baseball strategy can benefit as a whole if most teams stopped forcing their sluggers to bunt on too many occasions, especially early in the game.

- I think the Japanese baseball strategy can benefit as a whole if most teams stopped forcing their sluggers to bunt on too many occasions, especially early in the game.

I'm not sure I fully understand what you're getting at, but I get the gist.

In terms of making sluggers bunt, Takada isn't too guilty of this considering the only real "slugger" in our current lineup is Guiel, and he is never made to bunt for that very reason.

The thing with the Swallows is that, aside fron Guiel, there's pretty much no power in that lineup (even moreso with Aoki out). What there is are plenty of contact hitters and speed on the basepaths, hence Takada's policy of "get the runner home at any cost."

You only have to look at last night's (May 21st) game against Seibu (which I went to) to see Takada's small ball in action. I think he called for a bunt every time a man got to base (even with a man on second with no outs) and they kept chipping away at the high-flying Lions (who have plenty of power in their batting lineup), out hitting them 10-6 and winning the game.

Yakult's pitching is vastly improved this year (both in terms of starters and relief), and with the triple team of Matsuoka (ERA 0.482), Oshimoto (ERA 0.00), and Lim (ERA 0.529) we now have the ability to close out close games and sneak wins by a run or two. Which is all perfect for Takada's tactics.

These tactics are not going to win us every game, and we're not going to win the pennant this year, but we're once again a competitive outfit who can beat anyone on our day, which makes a change from the resignation of defeat that acompanied watching games last year.