According to Nikkan Sports, Eri Yoshida (20) will be playing for the Hyogo Blue Sandars this year.  A press conference is scheduled on February 3 at Sanda Sports Park Baseball Stadium in Hyogo.

Even though her contract will run through to the end of November, Hyogo plans to allow Yoshida to pursue playing opportunities in the US.

The Toyama Thunderbirds (BC League) announced today that Naohisa Sugiyama (31) joined the team as a player/coach.  He was also assigned the number 18.

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NPB Career Stats

The Tokushima Indigo Socks announced today that they added Go Kida (32) to their staff as a batting coach.

Kida began his pro career with the Hanshin Tigers in 2002 and was traded to the Hiroshima Carp in 2007.  In 2010, he was traded twice, once to the Orix Buffaloes and then to the Yokohama Bay Stars.  Kida was then released on12/2/2011 without every having appeared in any Ichi-gun games with the Bay Stars.

The Tokushima Indigo Socks announced today that Naoya Shimada (41) will be taking over as the new manager.

Shimada was a pitching coach with the Shinano Grandserows (2007-2010) before becoming the Indigo Socks pitching coach in 2011.

The Niigata Albirex Baseball Club (BC League) held a press conference at Hard Off Eco Stadium Niigata yesterday (currently available on Ustream) to introduce Shingo Takatsu as their new manager.  Takatsu, who will also be on the active roster next season, told reporters that he was most likely going to retire as a player after the 2012 season.

The Kochi Fighting Dogs announced today that they hired Toyohiko Yoshida (45) to be their pitching coach next season.  Yoshida was an Ikusei coach with the Rakuten Eagles (2008-2011).

The Fighting Dogs also announced that Chiaki Sadaoka (58) will return as manager next year.

The Niigata Albirex Baseball Club announced today that relief pitcher Shingo Takatsu (43) will assume the role of player/manager next season.  This will be the first time in BC League history that a player will also take on the role of manager.

Prior manager Hideki Hashigami left the team after the past season in order to take on a job as a strategy coach with the Yomiuri Giants.

Sanspo is reporting that Hanshin senryokugai Naohisa Sugiyama could end up signing with the BC League's Toyama Thunderbirds Baseball Club.

When reporters confronted Sugiyama at Naruohama on Wednesday, he neither confirmed nor denied the rumor.  When asked what his thoughts were on playing for an independent league team, he replied, "I would like to continue playing baseball."

Trand25, from French baseball site Honus, informed me that two Frenchmen, Frédéric Hanvi and Felix Brown, were selected by the Gunma Diamond Pegasus Baseball Club during the BC League's player draft on Friday.

I do not have any info on the two players, but if you can read French and have an interest, there is an article on Honus that provides some info.

The Kagawa Olive Guyners announced today that Shinji Nishida (51) will be returning as manager again next season.