Gossip mag Friday published a story in their May 18 edition about a woman that spilled details on her relationship with Hideaki Wakui.

According to reports, the two exchanged contact information when Wakui met her at a high class Fukuoka hostess club.  In December 2011, the two took a trip to Hokkaido, where the woman slipped and had to be taken to a hospital for treatment.  The woman's boyfriend found out and tried to contact both Wakui and the Seibu Lions on a number of different occasions.

Both the team and Wakui ignored the boyfriend's calls and Friday picked up the story, in addition to the private photos the woman took.

On Saturday, Seibu Lions' managing director Noriaki Iida held a press conference at Nagoya Dome and said, "Fans pay attention to pro yakyu so we are in a position where we set the examples.  We take this recent event very seriously.  We will do our best to ensure something similar does not happen again in the future."

The team also released the following prepared statement from Wakui: "I feel awful for worrying the fans, the team, and my team mates with regards to this latest report.  I am currently talking to the team about the incident."

Note: I have not read the actual Friday article.  The information I got was pieced together from a number of different sources.

Hideaki Wakui will get the opening day start.

===

The Seibu Lions visited Sayama Fudosen in Tokorozawa, Saitama on Wednesday and prayed for a successful season.

===

Tuesday's Ni-gun game against the Yomiuri Giants at Yomiuri Stadium (Giants 6 - Lions 5): Yusei Kikuchi relief Fumiya Nishiguchi and gave up a run on two hits over two innings of work. [Sponichi]

Today's Ni-gun game against the Rakuten Eagles: Hideaki Wakui tossed three shutout innings while allowing four hits. ... Yasuyuki Kataoka started at second, played second, and went 0-for-3.  He was replaced on defense in the 6th inning.  This was Kataoka's first game since he had left shoulder surgery last year.

===

The Lions decided to leave 1st round draft pick Ken Togame out of the starting rotation after two straight bad outings:

3/24 vs Yakult - 3 IP, 4 H, 0 SO, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 5 R, 3 ER
3/18 vs Hanshin - 4 IP, 8 H, 4 SO, 1 BB, 0 HBP, 6 R, 6 ER 

===

The Lions announced today that, as part of their All-Time Baseball Project, they will be hosting Monday Pa-League on April 16.  Former Lion Yoshiaki Kanemura will be on hand as a guest and fans will have a chance to taking fielding practice with him after the game (he will hit one grounder to each fan that participates).

Hideaki Wakui start (vs Yakult at Jingu) was rained out today.  With rain in the forecast again tomorrow, the coaches decided to have Wakui pitch in a Ni-gun game at Seibu Dome against the Rakuten Eagles on Saturday.  He is expected to pitch around three innings.

===

Kazuhisa Ishii could be used in a set-up role until he is needed back in the starting rotation -- the rotation will most likely be expanded back to six pitchers some time in mid-April.

===

Hisanobu Watanabe does not think he will be able to decide on an opening day starter until about two weeks before opening day.

===

Potential upcoming starters:

• Yusei Kikuchi, practice game vs LG Twins, February 29.
• Hideaki Wakui, exhibition game vs Yomiuri Giants, March 3. Coud face Toshiya Sugiuchi (YOM).
• Takayuki Kishi, exhibition game vs Yomiuri Giants, March 4.

Of the twenty-eight pitches Hideaki Wakui threw during a practice game against the Orix Buffaloes on Saturday, five were fork balls.  Wakui has been spending a lot of time working on the fork during spring camp this year.

===

Chris Carter is thinking about using the C.C. Lemon theme song as his intro music.  Seems his wife will have final say on which song he uses.

===

The Lions received 1,912 entries for their Lions Uniform Design Contest.  The deadline was February 20.

===

The Ni-gun Lions had the day off today.

===

Today was the last day of the second block of spring camp for the Ichi-gun Lions.  The team has the day off tomorrow.

===

Potential candidates for the starting rotation: Hideaki Wakui, Takayuki Kishi, Fumiya Nishiguchi, Kazuhisa Ishii, Kazuhisa Makita, Yusei Kikuchi, Tatsuya Oishi, 1st round draft pick Ken Togame, and 2nd round draft pick Hirotaka Koishi.

===

Today was the end of the first block of spring camp for the Ni-gun Lions.  The team has the day off tomorrow.

===

Tatsuya Oishi and Yusei Kikuchi tossed situational BP today.  Oishi faced ten batters and did not allow a hit.  Kikuchi also faced ten batters and allowed one run to score on four hits.

===

1st round draft pick Ken Togame wants to start working on his off-speed pitches.

====== UPDATE 2/9 @ 2:10am

According to Sponichi, the average pick-off move takes about 1.1 seconds while Hideaki Wakui's pick-off move takes 0.9 second.

===

Kazuhisa Makita rejoined the rest of the players for general practices today (returning from the flu).  His workouts included playing catch, running, and fielding practice.

===

Hideaki Wakui told reporters he tossed his bullpen session today at about 60%.  He also said he felt pressured into the session by the coaches because he was the last pitcher that had yet to toss one.

===

2nd round draft pick Hirotaka Koishi told reporters on Saturday that he will not write haikus until he records his first victory and gets a hero interview.

===

NPB Commissioner Ryozo Kato visited the Seibu Lions today.