The Rookies are an NPO team made up of players that had to leave their high school baseball teams, failed to make it into a high school, or dropped out of high school.  The team was established in 2011 with the hopes to help kids earn their high school degrees.  They are also officially recognized by the Japan Amateur Baseball Association as a Club Team.

Ichiro Suzuki - 122nd overall / 35th as an outfielder

Yu Darvish - 150th overall / 39th as a starter

Hiroki Kuroda - 212th overall / 57th as a starter

Koji Uehara - 355th overall / 39th as a reliever

Kosuke Fukudome - 390th overall / 106th as an outfielder

Hideki Matsui - 400th overall / 108th as an outfielder

Wei-Ying Chen - 542nd overall / 162nd as a starter

Daisuke Matsuzaka - 555th overall / 226th as a starter

Takashi Saito - 673rd overall / 82nd as a reliever

Hisanori Takahashi - 685th overall / 87th as a reliever

Tsuyoshi Nishioka - 710th overall / 63rd as a shortstop

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Farsad Darvish is planning to sell Yu Darvish merchandise at his shop in Osaka (Darvish Gallery).

Matsui's workouts on Monday lasted about an hour and a half and included long distance throwing and sprints.  He said to reporters, "The only thing I have left to do is run at full speed and to do my [on field] workouts wearing cleats.  I should be ok [if I have to go to Spring Training right away]."

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FoxSports' Ken Rosenthal tweets the following update on Koji Uehara:

Sources: #Athletics among teams pursuing #Rangers' Uehara. #Orioles remain interested. #MLB

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Sponichi reports that Yu Darvish could still be eligible for the Rookie of the Year Award based on quotes from Newsdays' Ken Davidoff and the Seattle Times' Larry Stone.

Darvish fans in Japan can now also order his official uniform from Majestic Japan.

The reply is open-ended and could be taken any number of ways, so it does nothing to confirm the rumors, but I still thought it might be worth mentioning since a lot of media sites have picked up on it.

"While I threw at about 70% last time, this time I tried to throw as hard as I could.  I am glad that I was able to throw at close to 90%," said Matsuzaka.  "A part of me is still holding back.  I want to continue examining my mechanics moving forward."

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Via Sponichi: Koji Uehara posted a blog update informing fans that he tossed around 40 pitches (fastballs) in his first bullpen session of the year.

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Tsuyoshi Wada left for Hawaii out of Haneda Airport on Sunday.  Wada plans to spend a week working out in Hawaii before heading to Baltimore to find a place to live.  He will then head down to Sarasota, Florida sometime around February 15 to prepare for the start of Spring Training.

Wada is currently at about 60-70% and is hoping to toss a bullpen session during his workouts in Hawaii (he has not yet tossed a session this year).

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Hiroki Sanada left for the US out of Narita Airport on Saturday.  He is scheduled to meet up with Hisanori Takahashi in Los Angeles and will attend tryouts over a three day period beginning on February 10.  Sanada has tossed four bullpen sessions in Japan, since his return from Hawaii on January 26.

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Hisashi Iwakuma, Wei-Ying Chen, and Norichika Aoki made it into USA Today's Countdown of the 100 Names You Need to Know: Nos. 41-60.  A snip:

50. RHP Hisashi Iwakuma, Mariners, 30: He couldn't reach a contract last year after Oakland won posting rights and this year he arrives as a free agent. In the meantime, he dealt with some shoulder issues that reduced his fastball to the 90 mph range. But he uses the fastball to make an exceptional forkball more effective. He should be a solid ground-ball pitcher in a ballpark that will be forgiving if and when major league hitters zone in on the fastball.

53. OF Norichika Aoki, Brewers, 30: Signing a two-year contract all but ensures the three-time batting champion in Japan is at least Milwaukee's fourth outfielder. And he would get a quick and extended opportunity to increase his role if Ryan Braun is suspended at the start of the season. Aoki is a strong defender and had an on-base percentage over .400 four of the past five seasons. He's a line-drive hitter but less of a slashing swinger than Ichiro Suzuki.

55. LHP Wei-Yin Chen, Orioles, 26: He's younger and throws harder (92-94 mph) than most pitchers coming out of the Japanese leagues. Plus, he has a sharp slider that should be effective. After Jeremy Guthrie, the Baltimore rotation is wide open. Chen and Tsuyoshi Wada should have an edge over the Orioles' collection of promising young pitchers, most of whom struggled last year.

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The Texas Rangers' tweeted that Yu Darvish merchandise is now available:

Darvish gear is here! Get it b4 the 1st shipment is gone. Rangers Team Shop Locations: http://atmlb.com/oawrO0 Or Online: http://atmlb.com/zcWfQ2

Girardi acknowledged that the Yankees have considered several hitters, including free agents Johnny Damon, Raul Ibanez and Hideki Matsui as potential solutions. GM Brian Cashman has said several times this winter that the Yanks could use a surplus of starting pitchers – A.J. Burnett, Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia will all vie for the No. 5 slot – as a trade chip for a hitter, too.

"Johnny's been a great player for a long time," Girardi said when a reporter brought up Damon, a Yankee from 2006-09. "There have been a bunch of names that have been talked about and they're all good players. Ibanez's name has been brought up and he's had a great career, Matsui's name has been brought up and he's had a great career.

"Obviously, we know what Johnny and Matty have meant to this organization over the years and how they've been successful in New York. I'm curious to see how it's all going to shake out."

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Junichi Tazawa worked out with Takashi Saito in Kawasaki on Friday.

And Bobby Valentine has been quoted as saying, "[Tazawa] could help bullpen from opening day."

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Former Yomiuri Giant and Nippon Ham Fighters, Wirfin Obispo (27), has signed a minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds.

And Sponichi seems to think that the Baltimore Orioles will be strong suitors for Matsui.  They also mention other teams like the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets.

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Daisuke Matsuzaka did long throws at a distance of about 50 meters on Wednesday.  Matsuzaka tossed his first bullpen session in about eight months on January 30.  His next session will like take place on February 3.

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Sponichi is reporting that Hiroki Sanada will be getting a tryout in the US.  Not much else is known, other than that he will be leaving for US the on Saturday and will continue his workouts with Hisanori Takahashi for a few days before the tryout.

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Hideki Okajima returned from Australia (Gold Coast) on Thursday and told reporters that he will approach the season as if it were his very last.  Okajima has already tossed two 100+ pitch bullpen sessions.  He will head to the US after spending a few days in Japan.

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Sponichi notes the Texas Ragners' signing of Don Kalkstein, sports psychologist.

7. Hideki Matsui, DH-OF. His .252 batting average from a year ago hurts him, but Oakland is a death trap for hitters. Wouldn't bet against this guy.

15. Kosuke Fukudome, OF. Speaking of being a disappointing Cub, Fukudome wasn't looked upon kindly as an overpaid North Sider. But as an outfield extra who plays defense and gets on base (.361 career OBP), he'd be a solid pickup.

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Matsui took 123 swings during soft toss BP on Wednesday.  He also started wearing batting gloves during BP for the first time this month.

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Tsuyoshi Wada will finish out his off-season workouts in Hawaii (he is scheduled to leave Japan later this week).

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Hisanori Takahashi is currently working out in Los Angeles.

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Ryota Igarashi tossed 52 pitches (mostly two-seamers and sliders) during his first bullpen session of the year.  He plans to toss five more sessions before the start of Spring Training.

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Tsuyoshi Nishioka is in the middle of divorce talks Naoko Tokuzawa.  Her inability to support Nishioka in the US and reports of an affair by Nishioka (which he has denied) are mentioned as reasons.  They are currently living apart from each other.

Nishioka is planning to head to the US on February 10.

Matuzaka also decided to get a new hairstyle to mix things up a bit -- his stylist apparently dropped by his hotel on January 22 and that is when he decided to get his first perm in about 10 years.

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Hideki Matsui worked outdoors on Tuesday for the first time in five days.  He finished out his practices by taking 102 swings during soft toss, a high for the current off-season.  Regarding any potential offers, Matsui said he still had not heard anything and that he was not considering a return to Japan.  When asked what he would do if he did not receive any offers from teams in the US, he replied, "I have not thought that far ahead."

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Sponichi notes that Munenori Kawasaki was assigned the number 61.

Matsuzaka also visited Yoshihiro Doi (signed a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles) in Ft. Lauderdale and spent about two hours with him.

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Koji Uehara is planning to return to the US in early February.  On Monday, he played catch at a distance of about 60 meters.

"I am more or less ready to go," said Uehara.  "I plan to toss two to three bullpen sessions before heading to America."

When asked about the trade rumors, he replied, "If it is going to happen, I hope it happens quickly."

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Via Sponichi, The Daily News' Andy Martino reports that the New York Mets are interested in Kosuke Fukudome.  A snip:

... According to two team insiders, the club is looking for a veteran lefthanded bat for the bench, and is shopping in the aisle that includes Rick Ankiel, Kosuke Fukudome, Raul Ibanez and Johnny Damon.

The latter two, while bigger names, appear less of a fit, because of a presumed desire for more at-bats and less defensive versatility. But Ankiel or Fukudome could provide Terry Collins with a lefty pinch-hitter, occasional platoon partner for Jason Bay and insurance against an injury to, or disappointing performance from, Bay, Lucas Duda or Andres Torres.

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Sponichi reports that KOMO News incorrectly pronounced Hisashi Iwakuma's name HIGH-SA-SHI, instead of HE-SA-SHI, during a recent news broadcast.

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Yu Darvish made Dayn Perry's "What you should watch for in 2012" list.

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Former Seibu Lion Tetsuya Iwasaki (29) left for the US on Monday to participate in the Arizona Winter League.  Iwasaki wants a chance to pitch in the Majors and is willing to sign a minor league deal.