2005 Year Draft

Here is a list of the Central League teams and their draft picks that I translated, according to the Nov. 18 morning edition of the SanSpo Sports paper. If you want to use it you can, but if somebody has a better way of writing it out, I won't be offended. I'll be using this list for my own purposes anyways.

Chunichi Dragons
 Rnd  Name                 Pos  Age  Ht (cm)  Wt (kg)  Thr/bat  School/Team
 Pre  Tatsumi Higuchi       P    28    183      83       L/R    JR Kyushu
 2nd  Kenichi Nakata        P    22    180      80       R/R    University of Kita-Kyushu
 4th  Susumu Kawai          P    24    178      70       L/L    Nippon Express
 5th  Yoshihiro Suzuki      P    21    187      85       R/R    Chubu University
 6th  Yuuya Ishii           P    23    178      69       L/L    Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Yokohama
                                                                Baseball Club
 7th  Issei Nakamura        OF   22    185      85       R/R    International Budo University
 8th  Yoshio Koyama         C    24    181      80       R/R    East Japan Railway Company
 9th  Hiroki Kongou         P    25    181      81       R/R    Nippon Express
10th  Keiji Kamata          IF   25    162      64       R/L    Toyota Motor Corporation
11th  Michihisa Sawai       IF   25    175      75       R/S    Tokai Rika
12th  Junichi Fukuhara      OF   21    177      78       R/S    Hosei University

Yakult Swallows
 Rnd  Name                 Pos  Age  Ht (cm)  Wt (kg)  Thr/bat  School/Team
 Pre  Hiroyasu Tanaka       IF   22    177      77       R/R    Waseda Univeristy
 Pre  Kenichi Matsuoka      P    22    181      80       R/R    Kyushu Tokai University
 4th  Ryohei Kawamoto       C    22    178      78       R/R    Asia University
 5th  Kojiro Uehara         P    21    177      75       R/R    Okinawa Electric Power
 6th  Takashi Maruyama      P    18    182      78       L/L    Aikodai Meiden High Shool

Tokyo Giants
 Rnd  Name                 Pos  Age  Ht (cm)  Wt (kg)  Thr/bat  School/Team
 Pre  Takahiko Nomaguchi    P    21    183      86       R/R    Shidax Corporation
 Pre  Hitoshi Miki          P    22    179      80       R/R    Hachinohe University
 4th  Yoshiyuki Kamei       OF   22    178      76       R/L    Chuo University
 5th  Shota Kimura          P    18    179      79       R/R    Ichinoseki Daiichi High School
 6th  Takanori Hoshi        C    22    176      81       R/R    Tohoku Gakuin University
 7th  Shun Tono             P    18    185      85       R/R    Hokota Daiichi High School

Hanshin Tigers
 Rnd  Name                 Pos  Age  Ht (cm)  Wt (kg)  Thr/bat  School/Team
 Pre  Atsushi Nomi          P    25    180      70       L/L    Osaka Gas
 Pre  Taiichi Okazaki       C    21    180      82       R/R    Matsushita Denki
 4th  Kentarou Hashimoto    P    24    191      85       R/R    Nippon Shinyaku
 5th  Masanori Ohashi       C    18    181      80       R/R    Hokuyo High School
 6th  Masato Akamatsu       OF   22    182      72       R/R    Ritsumeikan University
 7th  Yusuke Takahashi      OF   18    178      75       R/R    Saibai High School
 8th  Kento Tsujimoto       P    15    181      75       R/R    Mater Dei High School (CA, USA)
 9th  Yutaka Tamaki         P    18    181      71       R/R    Shiwakayama Shougyou High School
10th  Nobuaki Mizuochi      P    19    183      82       R/R    Shinoda High School

Hiroshima Carp
 Rnd  Name                 Pos  Age  Ht (cm)  Wt (kg)  Thr/bat  School/Team
 1st  Tsuyoshi Satou        P    18    185      84       R/R    Akita Shougyou High School
 3rd  Choji Mori            P    22    184      84       R/R    Kansai Gaidai University
 4th  Yui Maruki            P    18    180      72       R/L    Wajima High School
 5th  Shinjiro Kojima       P    22    183      85       L/L    Kokushikan University
 6th  Tomohiro Umetsu       P    21    191      85       R/R    Kokugakuin University
 7th  Usuzunosuke Kinjo     P    18    187      92       L/L    Chubu Shougyou High School
 8th  Hiroto Tanaka         P    25    185      77       R/R    JFE Steel West

Yokohama Baystars
 Rnd  Name                 Pos  Age  Ht (cm)  Wt (kg)  Thr/bat  School/Team
 Pre  Takumi Nasuno         P    22    192      84       L/L    Nihon University
 Pre  Kensaku Someda        P    22    183      82       R/R    Doshisha University
 4th  Kazuya Fujita         IF   22    175      71       R/L    Kinki University
 5th  Hideki Kishimoto      P    22    189      81       R/R    Kinki University
 6th  Takehiro Ishikawa     IF   18    183      82       R/R    Yokohama High School
 7th  Taro Hashimoto        P    18    183      82       R/R    Osaka University of Health and Sport 
                                                                Sciences Namisho High School
 8th  Yoshiyuki Kuwahara    OF   22    180      86       R/R    Nihon University
 9th  Takahiro Matsuka      P    22    184      85       R/R    University of Tokyo
10th  Toshio Saito          C    20    180      84       R/R    Mitsubishi Motors Okazaki Baseball

You can find a list of the 2005 draft picks here. [Link - Daily Yomiuri]

[by westbaystars: Great! I see this right after I finish translating them!]

Here's something interesting about Hanshin's 15-year-old signing Kento Tsujimoto: He appeared in a movie when he was a kid. Apparently he played (drum roll please) a kid baseball player. He even got a few lines, too.

He went to middle school in Japan and goes to high school in California.

The movie was Kishiwada Shonen Gurentai Yakyudan (2000), which I would tentatively translate as "The Badboy Baseball Team of Kishiwada." (NB: Kishiwada Shonen Gurentai is a wildly popular - well, it's popular in the Kansai region, anyway - comic and movie franchise. I've seen a number of translations of its title: "Young Thugs," "Bad Boys," etc.)

That format worked for me. Here's the Pacific League draftees from today's Nikkan Sports.

Seibu Lions
 Rnd  Name                 Pos  Age  Ht (cm)  Wt (kg)  Thr/bat  School/Team
 1st  Wakui Hideaki         P    18    184      76       R/R    Yokohama High School
 3rd  Kataoka Yasuyuki      IF   21    176      77       R/R    Tokyo Gas
 4th  Yamagishi Minoru      P    22    175      74       R/R    Aoyama Gakuen University
 5th  Hoshi Hidekazu        C    18    180      74       R/L    Maebashi Industrial High School
 6th  Fujiwara Koki         P    18    195      80       R/R    Kotooka High School

Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
 Rnd  Name                 Pos  Age  Ht (cm)  Wt (kg)  Thr/bat  School/Team
 1st  Egawa Tomoaki         P    18    181      79       R/R    Ujiyamada Commerce High School
 3rd  Takahashi Tooru       P    17    184      73       R/R    Yokohama Sougakukan
 4th  Nakanishi Kenta       C    18    177      76       R/R    Kitaohtsu High School
 5th  Takahashi Hideaki     P    22    181      77       R/R    Kyushu Kyoritsu University
 6th  Katoh Ryota           C    22    174      83       R/R    Aoyama Gakuen University

Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
 Rnd  Name                 Pos  Age  Ht (cm)  Wt (kg)  Thr/bat  School/Team
 1st  Darvish Yu            P    18    195      83       R/R    Tohoku High School
 3rd  Hashimoto Yoshitaka   P    24    182      75       R/R    Honda
 4th  Michael Nakamura      P    28    178      77       R/R    Toronto Blue Jays
 5th  Ichikawa Suguru       IF   18    185      90       R/L    Komono High School
 6th  Kikuchi Kazumasa      P    22    181      74       R/R    Jyobu University
 7th  Nakamura Wataru       P    25    183      85       L/L    Mitsubishi Paper Hachinoe
 8th  Ugumori Atsushi       OF   17    187      80       R/R    Saiba High School
 9th  Kudoh Takahito        OF   23    171      73       L/L    JR East Japan

Chiba Lotte Marines
 Rnd  Name                 Pos  Age  Ht (cm)  Wt (kg)  Thr/bat  School/Team
 Pre  Kubo Yasutomo         P    24    181      82       R/R    Matsushita Denki
 Pre  Tejima Satoshi        P    22    185      80       R/R    New Nippon Sekiyu
 4th  Takehara Naotaka      OF   24    193      88       L/R    Mitsubishi Automobile Okazaki
 5th  Ohmatsu Shoitsu       OF   22    183      85       L/L    Tokai University
 6th  Kikoh Takuya          P    18    177      74       L/S    Hokkaido Sakae High School
 7th  Aomatsu Keiyo         C    17    185      79       R/R    Uenomiya Taishi High School

Orix Buffaloes
 Rnd  Name                 Pos  Age  Ht (cm)  Wt (kg)  Thr/bat  School/Team
 Pre  Kaneko Chihiro        P    21    180      77       R/L    Toyota Automotive
 2nd  Mitsuhara Atsuhiro    P    24    184      86       R/S    JR East Japan
 4th  Machi Katsumasa       P    22    183      88       R/R    JR Kyushu
 5th  Tanaka Akira          IF   22    186      85       R/R    Hosei University

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
 Rnd  Name                 Pos  Age  Ht (cm)  Wt (kg)  Thr/bat  School/Team
 Pre  Ichiba Yasuhiro       P    22    183      84       R/R    Meiji University
 2nd  Watanabe Koki         P    26    176      70       L/L    NTT East Japan
 4th  Nishitani Hisanori    IF   22    178      77       R/L    Meiji University
 5th  Shiokawa Tatsuya      IF   21    180      79       R/R    Tohoku Fukushi University
 6th  Ohhiro Shoji          IF   22    183      85       R/R    Toyo University
 7th  Hiraishi Yosuke       OF   24    176      75       L/L    Toyota Automotive

Can you guys give me more info (like stats, position, when he'll get signed) on this Tsujimoto Kento guy? He sounds pretty interesting.

- Can you guys give me more info (like stats, position, when he'll get signed) on this Tsujimoto Kento guy? He sounds pretty interesting.

Kento is a pitcher, he's only 15 years old, and has a fastball that goes over 140 kph. [Link - JapanBall.com]

Kento signed a provisional contract, with a first year salary of 4.4 million yen ($42,650), and had a 10 million yen ($96,932) signing bonus. [Link - JapanBall.com] [Exchange Rate]

One question I have, why did the Nippon Ham Fighters use a draft pick on Michael Nakamura? Couldn't they have just signed him to a contract like any other foreigner? Or would that cause them to lose a first and second round draft pick because they made a pre-draft agreement?

- One question I have, why did the Nippon Ham Fighters use a draft pick on Michael Nakamura?

Nakamura is of Japanese descent, he was born to a Japanese father, and was born in Nara, Japan.

- Nakamura is of Japanese descent, he was born to a Japanese father, and was born in Nara, Japan.

So even though he played in the Majors, they still have to pick him through the draft? What about Sasaki, Shinjo, Yoshii, and Mac Suzuki? I don't remember their teams using a draft pick them.

- So even though he played in the Majors, they still have to pick him through the draft? What about Sasaki, Shinjo, Yoshii, and Mac Suzuki? I don't remember their teams using a draft pick them.

Well, Sasaki was the number one draft pick by the Yokohama Taiyo Whales in 1990.

Yoshii was the number two draft pick by the Kintetsu Buffaloes in 1984.

Shinjo was the number five draft pick by the Hanshi Tigers in 1990.

The three of them had already gone through the Japanese system and were free agents. When they returned, they were free to sign with whomever they wished.

However, after playing in the Majors, Mac Suzuki was the number two draft pick by the Orix BlueWave in 2003.

What I belive that it comes down to is whether or not a player is considered Japanese for foreign (against the foreign player limits). Players of Japanese descent may be drafted and will be excluded from foreign player limits. For the ball clubs, this allows them to have more tallent available to them, and it essentially locks said players into their system for nine years. If Nakamura could contract as a foreign player, he'd be able to have an escape clause in two or three years.

So, to a player of Japanese descent, is it more adventagous to enter through the draft or as a suketto? That all depends on one's ability above the other foreign players to whom one will be competing. By not being tied to the foreign player limit, Nakamura will have more chances to prove himself early on than he would have otherwise. Otherwise, it's perform from the start or be released next year. From such a player's stand point, it's a matter of job security vs. personal control.

Also, does anyone know the background of Darvish Yu? I gathered he has been to a Japanese school, however where is he from?

- Also, does anyone know the background of Darvish Yu?

Darvish is of Iranian-Japanese descent. He is from Japan to the best of my knowledge.

Darvish was born in Osaka to an Iranian father and Japanese mother. To the best of my knowledge, he grew up in Japan, integrated with other Japanese kids, just as my kids are doing.

Other than being the tallest player ever drafted (at 195cm), pitching at Koshien twice, and being sought after by a number of Major League teams as well, Darvish is like any other Japanese high school baseball player.

Can anyone give me any information on Egawa, whom the Hawks drafted in the first round?

This site [NishiSpo - Nishi Nippon Sports] has lots of information on the whole Hawks' draft, but because I am only beginning to learn the Japanese language, I can read very little of it. Could anyone just give me the basics about each player? Or, just Egawa if you only have time for one?

Thanks!

Egawa pitched in the 2003 Summer Koshien Tournament, has fast ball in the 140s, and hit 33 home runs in high school. He can run 50 meters in 5.8 seconds, which is a very good time compared to most of the other draftees, the mean being above 6.0 seconds range. And he can throw the ball 120 meters, which is from the center field fense to home plate. [Source: Nikkan Sports Draft Report]

The Hawks are going to have to evaluate if they want his arm or his bat. There are a number of players drafted as pitchers who turn into excellent fielders (Yokohama's shortstop Ishii is one example, and wasn't Seibu's Matsui Kazuo drafted as a pitcher?).

Hey guys.

I figured I'd say something here about Kent since I caught a few of his bullpen sessions here in the States where he trained at. He is not a bad ball player with upside to his potential, yet what I liked best about him is his delivery which will throw off some hitters. I know it threw me off the first time I caught him, I almost got hit, since I was distracted by the double pump with slight hesitation he has during his windup.

I guess they didn't mention Clyde Wright as being his pitching coach - former big leaguer and father of current big leaguer Jaret Wright. I thought I'd mention him here.

Keep me posted as to how he does over there in Japan, 'cause I'd sure like to know.