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Between throwing batting practice and tossing a bullpen session, Yudai Ono threw about 200 pitches today.  Pitching coach Shinji Imanaka apparently had to step in to stop Ono.

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Ni-gun pitching coach Imanaka visited Ichi-gun camp on Friday and worked with Yudai Ono, Toshiya Okada, and Ryuya Ogawa.

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1st round draft pick Shuhei Takahashi took fielding practice at short on Friday.  While the team does see him as a third baseman, they also feel he may have a future as a shortstop.  He might also get a look at second.

Morimichi Takagi also spent over twenty minutes hitting grounders to Takahashi.

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Ichi-gun pitching coach Hiroshi Gondo visited Ni-gun spring camp today.

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Special instructor Tatsuro Hirooka spent about forty minutes working with Masahiro Araki and Masahiko Morino on their throwing movements before practices today.

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Morimichi Takagi spent about twenty minutes hitting seventy baseballs to Ryoji Nakata at third base from a distance of about fifteen meters on Thursday.  Takagi also had Victor Diaz swing a bat while sitting in a chair (to help correct a slight upper-cut in his swing).

=== UPDATE 2/4 @ 1:37am

Takagi attended a welcoming party hosted by Chunichi Dragons Chatan Organization after practices on Friday.  About 200 people attended the event.

Kenshin Kawakami and Hitoki Iwase played catch at a max distance of about 60 meters today.

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Morimichi Takagi spent about twenty minutes hitting baseballs to Ryoji Nakata today.

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Enyelbert Soto felt tightness in his right calf during practice on Wednesday and was re-assigned to Ni-gun spring camp.

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1st round draft pick Shuhei Takahashi is using a Kosuke Fukudome model bat that is 85.6cm long and weighs 910 grams.

Sports Hochi Osaka notes Takahashi displayed more power '(forty-six swings, six over the fence) during his first pro BP session than Kazuhiro Kiyohara (thirty-three swings, three over the fence) and Hideki Matsui (forty-eight swings, four over the fence).

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Chunichi Dragons' OB chairman, Tatsuhiko Kimata, visited Chatan Stadium today.  He met with team player's group chairman Kazuki Yoshimi and handed him some money to use for the team.

Kazuyoshi Tatsunami visited Chatan on Wednesday.

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Additional Updates (2/3 @ 1:05am)

Takagi gave 1st round draft pick Takahashi tips on catching and throwing the ball in one fluid motion during practice on Wednesday.

A welcoming ceremony was held at Chatan Stadium before practices this morning.

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Both Hirokazu Ibata and Masahiro Araki worked out at short during morning fielding practice.  Morimichi Takagi watched carefully and later expressed concern about Araki's shoulder, indicating he will most likely revert to Ibata at short and Araki at second.

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1st round draft pick Shuhei Takahashi worked out for about eight and a half hours during the first day of spring camp.

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Actress Emi Takei will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch on opening day (March 30, vs Hiroshima, at Nagoya Dome).

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Batting practice:

Wednesday

1st round draft pick Takahashi took forty-six swings against Yuta Muta and hit six over the fence.

According to a report filed by Nikkan Sports, Hiromitsu Ochiai isn't worried about this year's opening day starter, even though his two of his best pitchers (Wei-Ying Chen and Kazuki Yoshimi) probably won't be healthy to make the active roster.

"Everyone seems to be worried [about the opening day starter].  I have absolutely no worries," said Ochiai.  "I'll just use turn to the pitcher that's doing the best on opening day."

Ochiai does still have a fairly wide selection of opening day starters to choose from, like Kenta Asakura, Nelson Maximo, Yudai Kawai, Daisuke Yamai, and Kenichi Nakata.

The Yomiuri Giants and the Chunichi Dragons closed out their spring camps today.

The Dragons will head out to Fukuoka tomorrow for their exhibition game against the Softbank Hawks on 3/1 (at Yahoo Dome).

The Giants' will play 2 exhibition games against the Seibu Lions on 3/2 and 3/3 (at Tokyo Dome).

Takuya Asao threw a bullpen session during each of the 24 days of spring camp this year.  He closed the final day of spring camp in Chatan, Okinawa with 95 pitches.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

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Kazuki Yoshimi threw 30 pitches (all fastballs) to a sitting catcher in the bullpen today.  For Yoshimi, it was his 4th bullpen session this spring and the first session where he had the catcher sit.

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Takuya Asao threw 40 pitches in the bullpen yesterday.  That gave him a total 1,262 pitches during spring camp this year.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

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Yesterday's practice game against the LG Twins:

Joel Guzman was the starting DH and batted 4th.  He went 2-for-3 with 3 RBI.

Kazuhiro Wada started in left and batted 5th.  He went 1-for-2.

===== 2/25 @ 7:55pm

According to Sanspo, it could take N. Donoue up to a month for a full recovery.

===== 2/25 @ 2:11pm

Naomichi Donoue suffered an injury to the area near his right collarbone and worked out under a separate training schedule yesterday.  While the team makes it a point to keep injuries under wraps, it seems that he may have a fracture in the same area as well.  For all intents and purposes, Donoue is basically considered day-to-day.

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The Dragons pitchers took BP (long soft-toss BP, regular BP) today during lunchtime.  Kenichi Nakata and Daisuke Yamai were a part of the group.

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Masafumi Hirai tossed situational BP today and faced 10 batters -- he gave up 4 hits (including one homer) and 3 runs.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

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Today's practice game against the LG Twins:

The Dragons won the game, 3-2.

Hitoki Iwase tossed a shutout inning in relief (0 hits).

Joel Guzman hit another home run, his third in as many games.  With runners on first and second and no out in the third, Guzman hit a slider out to left-center.  He is now 5-for-15 with 8 RBI in non-intra-squad games.

Masahiko Morino started and third and batted 3rd; he collected two hits.

Yetersday's practice game against the LG Twins:

Toshiya Okada started the game and pitched 3 shutout innings while allowing 2 hits.

===== 2/24 @ 11:04pm

Naomichi Donoue did not play in today's practice game against the LG Twins.  Donoue took a ball of his right chest (while playing at third) during Wednesday's practice game and was probably held out of the game because of that.

===== 2/24 @ 4:19pm

Yudai Ono (1st round) threw 30 pitches in the bullpen today (standing catcher).  Since Ono has been taking things slow as he recovers from left shoulder pains, this was his first bullpen session during spring camp.

Ono - "I was feeling pretty good while playing catch, so I thought I'd try throwing off a mound where there's an incline.  I never thought I'd be able to throw in the bullpen during spring camp."

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Toshiya Okada threw 108 pitches in the bullpen after his practice game start yesterday.  Over two practice game outings, Okada has not allowed a run over 5 innings of work.

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While Kazuhiro Wada is more or less penciled in to bat fourth in the line-up, Hiromitsu Ochiai may be willing to move Wada to the 5-hole if another batter can step up and take on the responsibility of batting clean-up.  Wada has already told reporters that he doesn't consider himself a clean-up hitter so moving him wouldn't be a problem.

So far, Joel Guzman appears to be the best candidate.  That means the Dragons could have the following heart of the order: Masahiko Morino, Guzman, Wada, and Tony Blanco.