The Pacific League held a board of directors meeting in Tokyo today.  Among the issues they discussed:

• recognize Hirotoshi Masui (HAM) and Hiroki Kokubo (SOF) for the accomplishments -- give Masui commendation for setting a new rookie record with forty-four holds and give present Kokubo with an achievement award for his nineteen-year career.
• if Shinnosuke Abe (YOM) wins a triple crown, recognize the achievement with a special commendation, even though he plays in the Central League

Source: Nikkan Sports 10/1/2012

Atsunori Inaba started his workouts at an indoor tennis court in Saga today (due to the snow).  Seems he used a racket and ball for parts of his training.

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Makoto Kaneko told reporters on Sunday that he was disappointed that the younger players didn't step up last season when he got injured partway during the season last year.

"You can't get by on just ability and skill," said Kaneko.  "You also need to know baseball. ... It isn't about working on things after being told by someone, but rather going out and finding issues on your own. ... I want them to surpass me."

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Hirotoshi Masui started up his training at Kamagaya.  He was recently married (in November) and told reporters the last thing he wanted people to think was that his career went down the drain because of his marriage.  Seems he also managed to gain some weight after getting married (from being in the mid 60 to over 70kg).  Masui has plans of working out with Tomochika Tsuboi beginning on the 12th.

The Nipon Ham Fighters announced that 26-year-old Hirotoshi Masui filed marriage papers with a Kana Sugimoto (杉本佳奈), a 25-year-old woman living in Kanagawa.

It seems the Fighters decided to take Hirotoshi Masui (HAM) off the active roster after he gave up 4 runs (all earned) on 5 hits and 4 walks over 2.1 innings of work yesterday.  Masui is also 0-2 in 6 starts since his last victory on 5/27 (vs Chunichi) -- 22.2 IP, 30 H, 11 BB, 15 R, 15 ER.

The Fighters will now likely call up Mitsuo Yoshikawa to strengthen the bullpen and give the team 8 relievers.

It seems the Fighters will be bringing Hirotoshi Masui and Keisaku Itokazu back in to the starting rotation.  Itokazu will likely start a game against Lotte on the 18th and Masui will likely get a start on the 20th against Seibu.

Both players were out with injuries they suffered in June -- Itokazu with a right flank injury and Masui with some inflammation in his right shoulder.

This could give the Fighters a potential rotation of Yu Darvish, Masaru Takeda, Bobby Keppel, Masaru Nakamura, Itokazu, and Masui (not necessarily in that order).