===

Makoto Kaneko and Tomohiro Nioka joined Ichi-gun camp for workouts today.

Source: Sponichi 2/15/2013

===

Mitsuo Yoshikawa was scheduled to pitch batting practice today but instead tossed a bullpen session because of the rain.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/15/2013

===

1st round draft pick Shohei Otani is scheduled to throw seventy pitches in his next bullpen session.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/15/2013

===

Ni-gun players had the day off today.

===

Makoto Kaneko and Tomohiro Nioka joined Ichi-gun camp for workouts today.

Source: Sponichi 2/14/2013

===

1st round draft pick Shohei Otani played catch with Naoyuki Uesawa at a distance of about 100 meters on his day off today.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/14/2013

===

Former Nippon Ham Takayuki Kanamori will be playing for the Ehime Mandarin Pirates (Independent League) this year with an eye on returning to the NPB.  He is coming off right elbow surgery (March 2012, ten months for a full recovery).

Source: Daily Sports 2/14/2013

===

Samurai Japan candidates Atsunori Inaba and Sho Nakata closed out their workouts with the team today and headed to Miyazaki for the start of WBC mini-camp.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/14/2013

===

Ichi-gun players had the day off.

===

Atsunori Inaba gave Sho Nakata tips on how to pull pitches up and in during soft-toss batting practice on Tuesday.

Inaba thinks Nakata needs to lose some weight.

Source: Sanspo 2/13/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/13/2013

Isao Harimoto spent some time working with Nakata on Tuesday -- he explained how taking overly large strides results in less power.

Source: Sponichi 2/13/2013

Inaba and Nakata worked out with Ni-gun players today.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/13/2013

===

Nakata suffered a bit of a scare on Tuesday when he had to go to the hospital because of some swelling on the left side of his face, just below the ear.  Fortunately, it was nothing major since his his condition improved after taking some antibiotics.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/13/2013

===

The coaches are concerned about 1st round draft pick Shohei Otani's workload and no longer have him scheduled to pitch in an intra-squad game on the 17th.  They do plan to have him pitch at least one batting practice before the last day of Ni-gun spring camp on the 22nd.

Source: Sanspo 2/13/2013

===

1st round draft pick Shohei Otani took some fielding practice in the outfield after general workouts on Monday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/12/2013

Otani took fielding practice at third in the morning and fielding practice in right in the afternoon on Monday.  He also ran a fifty-meter in 6.29 seconds, which was tops among first-year players.

Source: Daily Sports 2/12/2013

===

Samurai Japan pitching coach Tsuyoshi Noda and baseball analyst Isao Harimoto were at Kunigami camp today.

Source: Sanspo 2/12/2013

===

Dai-Kang Yoh closed out his spring camp workouts today.  He will begin his WBC training with Taiwan.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/11/2013

===

Before arriving in Japan on the 8th, Brian Wolfe tossed two bullpen sessions in the US.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/11/2013

===

Bullpen catcher Ryuichi Watanabe thought 1st round draft pick Shohei Otani's fastball hit 150km/h during his bullpen session on Sunday.

US-based scout Alan Hargesheimer watched Otani take batting practice on Saturday and toss his bullpen session on Sunday.  He was impressed with the rookie and told reporters the first name that popped into his head when he saw him swing the bat was Larry Walker.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/11/2013

NPB commissioner Ryozo Kato had a chance to watch Otani toss his bullpen session on Sunday.

Otani is scheduled to throw another bullpen on the 12th (forty to fifty pitches).

Source: Sanspo 2/11/2013

Otani worked out at third during fielding practice today.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/11/2013

========== Practice Games ==========

Hanshin Tigers 7 - Nippon Ham Fighters 2

Hanshin Tigers

• Akira Iwamoto started the game and tossed three shutout innings while allowing two hits.  Iwamoto topped out at 139km/h.  He also threw a slow curve at 86km/h.  Of the nine outs he recorded, six were on the ground.
• Kazuo Ito (three shutout innings, topped out at 141km/h), Ryoma Matsuda (gave up two-run homer to Atsunori Inaba), and Masanori Fujihara followed Iwamoto.
• The Tigers offense drove in seven runs on fourteen hits.
• Yamato started in center and batted second.  He went 3-for-5: Ks, single (SB), three-run triple, F3, single
• Ryota Arai started at third and batted fourth.  He went 2-for-5: single, RBI double, G6, Ks, Ks
• Matt Murton started in left and batted fifth.  He went 1-for-2: F8, RBI double
• Brooks Conrad was the starting DH and batted sixth.  He went 1-for-2: single, G4

Nippon Ham Fighters

• Masaru Nakamura started the game and allowed a run on three hits over two innings of work.  He allow a run on a ground out to short with runners on first and third and one out in the 2nd inning.
• Dai-Kang Yoh started in center and batted third.  He went: Kl, single, G6 (DP)
• Sho Nakata started in left and batted fourth.  He went 1-for-4: G6, F9, single, F9
• Atsunori Inaba started at first and batted fifth.  He went 1-for-3: F8, G6, two-run home run

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/10/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/10/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/10/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/10/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/10/2013, Sanspo 2/10/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/11/2013, Sanspo 2/11/2013

========== Intra-squad Games ==========

Seibu Lions

• Reds beat the Whites, 10-4 (seven inning game).
• Both teams combined for twenty-two hits.
• Yusei Kikuchi started for the red team and tossed three shutout innings while allowing a walk and a hit.  He topped out at 148km/h.
• Ryoma Nogami started for white team and gave up three runs (two earned) over three innings of work.
• Toshihiro Iwao followed Nogami and gave up seven runs over three innings.
• Ryo Sakata was one of two starting DHs for the white team and batted fifth.  He collected three hits.
• Shingo Takeyama (Reds, DH, batted tenth), Takanori Hoshi (Reds, DH, batted eighth), Koji Yamasaki (Reds, first base, batted sixth), Ryan Spilborghs (Reds, right field, batted fourth), Yuji Onizaki (Whites, second base, batted ninth), and Masato Kumashiro (Whites, right field, batted second) each collected two hits.

Source: official report, Nikkan Sports 2/10/2013

===

Orix Buffaloes (six inning game)

• White beats the Reds, 6-3.
• Yuki Nishi started tor the Whites and gave up a run over two innings of work.
• Yuji Maeda started for the Reds.
• Yoshio Itoi was the starting DH and batted third for the White team.  He went 0-for-3: G6, Ks, F3.
• Aarom Baldiris batted fourth for the Red team while Takahiro Okada started at first and batted fourth for the White team.
• Ryoichi Adachi started at short and batted second.  He hit a home run off Yuki Nishi in the 1st inning.
• Takuya Hara and Takahiro Okada also hit home runs.
• Tomotaka Sakaguchi collected two hits and two RBI.

Source: official report, Nikkan Sports 2/10/2013, Sanspo 2/10/2013, Sponichi 2/10/2013, Sanspo 2/11/2013

===

Hiroshima Carp

• Reds beat the Whites, 3-2.
• Kenta Maeda was a starter.  He gave up a run on one hit over two innings of work and topped out at 144km/h.  He threw at sixty to seventy percent.  Maeda retired the side in order in the first inning.  A run scored in the 2nd inning on a throwing E6 by Shogo Kimura (there were two outs with runners on first and third).  He faced a total seven batters and struck out one.
• Takaya Toda tossed two perfect innings in relief.  He topped out at 140km/h.
• Takeru Imamura tossed a shutout inning in relief.
• Shota Dobayashi hit a 2-2 change down the third base line for a double during his at bat in the 2nd inning against Maeda.

Source: official report, Nikkan Sports 2/10/2013, Sponichi 2/10/2013, Nikkan Sports 2/11/2013, Sanspo 2/11/2013, Sports Hochi 2/11/2013, Sponichi 2/11/2013

===

Yokohama Bay Stars

• Ended in a 0-0 tie.
• Kai-Wen Cheng tossed two shutout innings.  He also allowed two hits and struck out two.
  
• Takehiro Ishikawa started at short and batted first for the Reds.  He he a single to center in his at bat in the 6th.

Source: Daily Sports 2/10/2013, Sponichi 2/11/2013

===

Michel Abreu joined the Fighters today.  His tryout will last ten days.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/9/2013

===

Ni-gun pitching coach Keisaburo Tanoue and Ni-gun training coach Seiichiro Nakagaki are working together to help Yuki Saito improve his pitching mechanics.  They are part of the reason why Saito decided to stay away from right shoulder surgery.

Source: Sanspo 2/9/2013

Ichi-gun pitching coach Tomohiro Kuroki visited Ni-gun camp today and spent some time working with Saito.

Source: Sanspo 2/9/2013

===

Micah Hoffpauir and Brian Wolfe arrived in Japan on Friday.

Source: Sanspo 2/9/2013

===

Masaru Nakamura is scheduled to start a practice game against Hanshin on the 10th.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/9/2013

===

The Fighters will hold a 10th anniversary celebration in front of Sapporo Station (south exit) on March 1.

Source: official announcement

===

1st round draft pick Shohei Otani will make his debut as a hitter during an intra-squad game on the 17th.  He will also most likely begin taking live batting practice on the 15th.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/9/2013

Moving forward, most of Otani's workouts will apparently focus on pitching.

Source: Sponichi 2/9/2013

===

3rd round draft pick Yohei Kagiya is scheduled to pitch in an intra-squad game at Kunigami camp on the 17th.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/9/2013

The Ichi-gun and Ni-gun teams had the day off today.

===

Dai-Kang Yoh gained about four kilograms through a weight training program during the off-season (from eighty-three to about eighty-seven).

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/8/2013, Sports Hochi 2/8/2013

===

Of the fifty-one home runs Sho Nakata has hit, forty-three were toward left/left-center.  Only three were to the opposite field.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/8/2013

Nakata has also hit the first pitch of his first at bat of the year twice over his pro career (this includes pre-season games).  Both have come during intra-squad games: February 9, 2009 and February 7, 2013.

Source: Sports Hochi 2/8/2013

===

Ichi-gun pitching coach Tomohiro Kuroki is scheduled to watch 1st round draft pick Shohei Otani toss a bullpen session on the 10th.  That could also be the day Otani pitches to a squatting catcher.

Source: Sanspo 2/8/2013

Otani returned to Okinawa at around 9:00pm today

Source: Sports Hochi 2/8/2013

===

Mitsuo Yoshikawa is scheduled to toss batting practice some time during the fourth block of spring camp.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/7/2013

===

Sho Nakata fielded grounders with a first baseman's mitt for about an hour on Wednesday.

It started with three players for the first half and ended with two players in the second half.  About 770 baseballs were used.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/7/2013

===

1st round draft pick Shohei Otani could make his debut as a hitter during a practice game against KIA (KBO) on the 14th.

Source: Sanspo 2/7/2013

Otani's debut as a pitcher could take place during an intra-squad game on the 17th.

During his bullpen session on Wednesday, he threw thirty-four fastballs, nine curves, five sliders, and two cutters.

He could have the catcher squat during his next session, which might be as early as the 10th.

Source: Sanspo 2/7/2013

Otani could remain with the Ni-gun team after Ni-gun spring camp ends on the 22nd.

Source: Daily Sports 2/7/2013

Otani used glasses and a surgical mask as a disguise for his trip back home on Wednesday.  It did not stop fans from calling out to him at Haneda Airport.

Source: Sponichi 2/7/2013

===

At around 3:20pm on Wednesday, the Fighters e-mailed all players at Nago camp about the tsunami warnings and reminded them to stay away from the ocean.

Source: Daily Sports 2/7/2013

===

Bobby Keppel is coming off right shoulder surgery.  His bullpen session was canceled today because it was a little chilly (precaution).

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/6/2013

Keppel did apparently throw the ball five times before cutting the session short.

Source: Sanspo 2/6/2013

===

Mitsuo Yoshikawa will likely start to toss bullpens every other day.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/6/2013

===

Yuki Saito threw into a new for about an hour on Tuesday and stopped every now and then to check on footage of his mechanics.  He has also been checking footage after returning to the player hotel.

Source: Sponichi 2/6/2013

===

During workouts on Tuesday, Shinya Tsuruoka said he would quit if he allowed Takuya Nakashima to steal a base on his during base-running/catching exercises.  Nakashima ended up getting the stolen base and people started to jokingly chant, "Quit!"

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/6/2013

===

Sho Nakata and Atsunori Inaba are expected to play a full game on 7th (intra-squad).  Inaba will likely shift to just a hitting role after the 5th inning.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/6/2013

Nakata spent about an hour taking grounders at first base after general workouts today under the watchful eye of Samurai Japan OF/base-running coach Koichi Ogata.

Source: Sanspo 2/6/2013

===

Masaru Nakamura is currently slated to start a practice game against Hanshin on the 10th.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/6/2013

===

1st round draft pick Shohei Otani took part in pick-off play and bunt defense practices on Tuesday.  He had some difficulties keeping up and made a number of mistakes.  Drills had to be stopped three times during the twenty minute or so session.  Makoto Kaneko did his best to help Otani out.

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/6/2013

The Fighters have more than ten signals for plays involving bunts and pick-off throws.

Source: Sponichi 2/6/2013

Otani left Okinawa today for Iwate -- he has high school finals.  He will return on the 8th and rejoin workouts on the 9th.

Source: Sanspo 2/6/2013, Daily Sports 2/6/2013