7/28/2010 10:43pm JST

The Swallows held a press conference for Chulk yesterday at Mazda Stadium.

7/23/2010 6:18pm JST

The Carp announced today that they signed 31-year-old right-handed pitcher Vinnie Chulk to a one-year deal with 22.5M yen (plus incentives).  He was also assigned the number 42.

Hiroshima is hoping Chulk will be able to step in as their closer.

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Hiroshima Carp interested in Vinnie Chulk

...The Carp set a new franchise high for offensive scoreless innings at 40.  The previous high of 38 was set by the team in 1959 between 5/16 to 5/24.

It appears as though the Hiroshima Carp are interested in attaining the services of 31-year-old righty, Vinnie Chulk (Pittsburgh Pirates organization).  The two side apparently made official contact on the 20th and will begin negotiations sometime within the next couple of days.

Seems the Carp are looking for someone to take Mike Schultz's place on the roster.

MLB Career

Current MiLB Career

...Kenta Maeda was scheduled to make a start tonight against the Hanshin Tigers, but it seems the team will be giving him the night off instead.  Maeda is expected to make his All-Star start.

...The Carp were shutout for the fourth straight time in as many days.  The last run they scored came in the 9th inning against the Yokohama Bay Stars on 7/15.  That a total 36 innings without a run.

The team was last shutout four games in a row between 5/16 and 5/23/1959.  They're also just 2 innings away from matching their franchise high for consecutive scoreless innings.

...The Carp were shutout for the second time in as many days yesterday.  It was the first time they dropped back-to-back games on shutouts since 9/13/1997 and 9/14/1997 vs Yokohama.

...The Carp hit 5 home runs last night.  The last time they did that was back in 2007.

...Kenta Maeda did not take part in pre-game practice yesterday and instead stayed back at the team hotel to rest.  Seems the team is giving him a little break after he suffered his shortest outing of the season on the 13th.  Maeda should be back with the team for practice today.

...Kenjiro Nomura wasn't too happy about the way Eric Stults pitched yesterday, specifically with regards to how he gave up runs immediately after the Carp scored runs:

In the top of the first, the Carp scored a run to give the team a 1-0; Stults promptly gave up the tying run in the bottom of the first.

In the top of the 5th, Hiroshima tied the game at 2; Stults gave up the game-winning run in the bottom of the inning.

...Masato Akamatsu has hit safely in his last 5 straight games.  But more than that, Akamatsu has collected 2 or more hits in each of those 5 games, including 3 hits in his last three games.

...Kenta Maeda's next start will likely be on the 13th (vs Yokohama).  Maeda could have a total two more starts before the All-Star break.  If he can win both, that would give him 13 victories in the first half.  The last Hiroshima pitcher to do that was Manabu Kitabeppu back in 1982.

...Batting coach Junzo Uchida had Soichiro Amaya put on catcher's mask during a special round of BP that involved tossing baseballs at Amaya's head.  According to Uchida, the drill is supposed to get hitters into a more aggressive state of mind.

...Seems the Carp will be pitting Masato Akamatsu against Amaya for the number 3-hole in the line-up.  Hiroshima is hoping the competition will get Amaya going offensively.

...Kenta Kurihara started taking BP with both hands yesterday (about 500 pitches against a machine throwing at 100km/h).  Depending on how his next medical check goes on the 15th, Kurihara's rehab could take a big leap forward.

...Junpei Shinoda's next start could come on the 10th against the Yakult Swallows.