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Shimoyanagi

Discussion in the Rumor Mill forum
Shimoyanagi
I heard that Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi hired Scott Boras to see if he would stick with some MLB team. San Diego, Atlanta, and Seattle were mentioned as interested teams, only if he would accept a reliever role. The Padres inked Akinori Ohtsuka and Seattle resigned Hasegawa, so only the Braves might be interested. Is there some news about his situation?
Comments
Re: Shimoyanagi
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Dec 16, 2003 6:32 PM | YBS Fan ]

All I've read about Shimoyanagi is that, if he stays in Japan, it's 50/50 as to whether he'll go to Yokohama or stay with Hanshin. He hasn't been in contact with either Yokohama nor Hanshin for a while, so it's speculated that he's waiting to hear from North America first. I don't recall seeing any percentage chance of going to MLB.
Re: Shimoyanagi
[ Author: 1908 | Posted: Dec 16, 2003 9:38 PM | HT Fan ]

Re: Shimoyanagi
[ Author: Guest: George Steinbrennernot | Posted: Dec 23, 2003 2:30 PM ]

What are this Shmegeggie's stats?
Re: Shimoyanagi
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Dec 23, 2003 5:17 PM | YBS Fan ]

Hard name to pronounce, yes. Take it slowly.

Shi - mo - ya - na - gi

Anyway, his stats are on his profile page.

Click the "Players" link at the top of any page to get a list of all the players I have any information on. I'm slowly getting all career data in. If you want to know stats for a particular player who I haven't entered yet, make a request on this thread.
Re: Shimoyanagi
[ Author: Guest: Jim Albright | Posted: Dec 24, 2003 1:55 AM ]

Gary Garland indicates he's been tough on lefties -- but if so, right-handers have eaten him up. If he has any chance in the majors, it seems to me to be as a guy who only faces lefties. I have no love of that type (too limited in value for my taste) of pitcher.

Jim Albright
Re: Shimoyanagi
[ Author: PLNara | Posted: Dec 24, 2003 10:25 AM | HT Fan ]

For me, most of Shimoyanagi's value came from his performance against the Giants. He pitched several games in which he dominated them for several innings. In one particular game at Koshien, he took a shutout into the ninth before giving up a few runs. In those games, he was effective against righties and lefties.

That said, he really comes across as a guy who gets it done with smoke and mirrors. Last season was his first in the Central League, and I think he benefited from most of the other batters not knowing his stuff.

I agree that he would have to be lefty relief specialist in MLB. His stuff reminds me of Doug Jones a little.
Re: Shimoyanagi
[ Author: 1908 | Posted: Dec 24, 2003 10:59 AM | HT Fan ]

- If he has any chance in the majors, it seems to me to be as a guy who only faces lefties. I have no love of that type (too limited in value for my taste) of pitcher.

I think there's something to be said for a LOOGY (Lefty One Out GuY). I doubt Shimoyanagi would be happy with that role, though.
Re: Shimoyanagi
[ Author: Guest: Jim Albright | Posted: Dec 25, 2003 12:44 AM ]

The use of a LOOGY, as you call them, is a philosophical matter. I just think a roster spot can be used more effectively than that.

As for Shimoyanagi, I think he is best off in NPB. He might well not even make it in the LOOGY role in MLB, and I don't think there's a huge market for LOOGYs who might be good enough. I looked at him as a 2004 possible, and 2003's equivalent ERA was his best at 5.07. His equivalent ERAs for 2000-2002 look like a pitching horror story: 6.49, 6.79, and 7.94. I know few MLB teams would find that kind of performance acceptable.

Jim Albright
Re: Shimoyanagi
[ Author: Guest: Mike Andersen | Posted: Dec 25, 2003 2:23 AM ]

Are there any other big name players coming to the USA other than Matsui?
Re: Shimoyanagi
[ Author: Guest: Jim Albright | Posted: Dec 25, 2003 11:35 AM ]

Ohtsuka is negotiating with San Diego after being posted, per my info. Other than that, it doesn't seem there will be any other Japanese imports this year.

On another point, another reason that I doubt MLB teams would be too interested in Shimoyanagi, is his age -- 35 this past May. Awfully old to be a MLB experiment -- at that age, he could just lose what talent he has due to age and accumulated usage, even if he has been good enough to fill a role on a MLB pitching staff.

Jim Albright
Re: Shimoyanagi
[ Author: Guest: George Steinbrennernot | Posted: Dec 25, 2003 2:30 AM ]

Thanks Westbaystars-san,

After checking his stats and reading Albright-san's comments, I am reminded of an old Jackson Browne song (The Roady's Song/Stay).

Why don't you stayayayay, just a little bit longer?

Or for you even older folks,
The Impossible Dream.
Re: Shimoyanagi
[ Author: bouton-kun | Posted: Dec 25, 2003 8:00 AM ]

I heard through the grapevine (talk about old songs) Shimoyanagi is a Tiger. Has there been any word on other Japanese players hiring Boras?
Re: Shimoyanagi
[ Author: Guest: George Steinbrennernot | Posted: Jan 1, 2004 9:59 AM ]

Boras is such a conniving and greedy toad! He is bad for baseball and has had a hand in creating the current financial difficulties. This fella doesn't seem to be at the top of the front line pitcher's list. I wonder why he agreed to take him on, if he indeed did?
Re: Shimoyanagi
[ Author: Guest: rimguy | Posted: Jan 4, 2004 6:01 AM ]

Count out the Braves in the Shimoyanagi speculation.
Re: Shimoyanagi
[ Author: torakichi | Posted: Jan 6, 2004 11:49 PM | HT Fan ]

Didn't Shimoyanagi sign with the Tigers? I thought I saw a report on NHK a week or so ago that he signed with them, primarily for the fact that they offered to take such excellent care of his pet dog or something.

I was "close" to Shimoyanagi this year. By which I mean that everytime I bought tickets, the gods would make it rain, causing cancelled games, thus throwing the pitching rotation out of whack. Then, come game day, it was almost always (I'm not kidding!) Shimoyanagi on the mound. Once or twice was fine, but I got sick of him by July. It wasn't until late August that I got to see other pitchers starting.
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