=== 3/11/2010 1:05am JST

...Shogo Yamamoto will likely get to pitch in one more exhibition game before the start of the regular season.  On Wednesday, he started a game against the Nippon Ham Fighters and gave up 5 runs (all earned) on 7 hits and a walk over 4 innings.  He threw a total 93 pitches, faced 20 batters, and also struck out three.  Of the 7 hits he gave up, 6 were with 2 strikes.

...Akinobu Okada wants Takahiro Okada to be more patient at the plate, especially when he's out in front in the count.  On Wednesday, during his final at bat, he had the count at 3-1 and ended up striking out because he chased a few pitches up high.  He ended up going 2-for-4 in the game.

=== 3/10/2010 8:38pm JST

...Orix announced on Tuesday that they will be wearing uniforms they used between 1991 and 2000 (as the Blue Waves) during Inter-league play this year.

...The Buffaloes apparently plan on holding (or have already held) evening practice after their game against the Nippon Ham on Wednesday.  And it seems their starting rosters will start taking shape after Thursday's game.

...While Arizona is a possible location for their Spring camp next season, Hawaii's Maui appears to be their first pick.

...Naoyuki Ohmura had been working his way back from pain in his right flank at Ni-gun.  He rejoined the Ichi-gun team on Monday.

...Chotokudai Goya officially joined the Orix Buffaloes on Tuesday.

...The Buffaloes apparently have an official twitter account: orix_buffaloes.

=== 8:51pm JST

...Shogo Yamamoto will be starting the exhibition game against the Rakuten Eagles on Tuesday.

=== 3/8/2010 5:05pm JST

...The Buffaloes currently have 9 relievers on the roster.  Akinobu Okada told reporters on Sunday that 7-8 of those relievers will likely stay on the Ichi-gun roster once the regular season starts.

...So Taguchi continues his hot hitting: he went 2-for-3 on Sunday against the Chunichi Dragons and is now 4-for-5 through two exhibition games.  Throw in his practice games from Spring camp, he's 10-for-19 with 4 RBIs with a 7-game hitting streak.

...Hiroshi Kisanuki apparently has a shot a being the opening day starter after his outing on Saturday against the Chunichi Dragons (5 IP, 3 H, 2 SO, 2 BB, 0 R, 0 ER).  Chihiro Kaneko is also vying for the opening day start.

Akinobu Okada told reporters that he plans on announcing his opening day starter some time around the 10th.

...The Orix Buffaloes are apparently close to signing former Rakuten Eagles mascot, Chotokudai Goya.  I guess the Eagles didn't need him after the addition of Baby Brown on 2/8.

=== 11:39pm JST

...Akinobu Okada named Chihiro Kaneko Spring Camp Pitching MVP.  Takahiro Okada was Spring Camp MVP.

...Most of the team stayed back after general practice for more work.

=== 3/4/2010 2:45pm JST

...The Buffaloes will become the last team to close out Spring camp when their practice day ends on Thursday.

...What Alex Cabrera apparently said to the umpire during situational BP on Wednesday that would ordinarily warrant a warning:

"You've got to be kidding me!" 「ナメトンカ！」

"It's time to change the umpire.  Please!" 「アンパイア、チェンジオネガイシマス」

"You're getting in the way!" 「ジャマ！」

=== 9:06pm JST

...So Taguchi hit a home run during situational BP on Wednesday.  With a runner on second and 1 out, Taguchi took an inside fastball from Mamoru Kishida and hit it over the left field wall.

...Alex Cabrera has been working his way back from tightness in his left calf.  On Wednesday, he took part in situational BP and had three at bats.  In his third at bat, with Jon Leicester on the mound, Cabrera hit an off-speed pitch out in front and still managed to pull it over the left-field fence for a home run.

The home plate ump later told reporters that during the regular season, Cabrera would have been warned for arguing balls and strikes.  The ump added that a second warning would mean an automatic ejection from the game.

=== 3/3/2010 5:27pm JST

...Hiroshi Kisanuki tossed situational BP on Wednesday; he faced 9 batters and gave up 2 hits.  Kisanuki is scheduled for a start against the Chunichi Dragons (exhibition game) on the 6th.

...The Orix Buffaloes have added Arizona to their list of possible Spring camp locations moving forward.  Buffaloes' GM Yoshio Murayama is heading to the US on the 4th to finalize a contract with a foreign player (likely Freddie Bynum) and could also do some research on potential Spring camp sites.  Whether the Buffaloes move their camp locations is still not yet known.  Much will depend on whether Miyakojima City is able to make improvements to their current facilities.

George Foster will likely take Murayama around to a number of possible sites, with a focus in Tucson.

...Kazuki Kondo threw 103 pitches in a bullpen session on Tuesday.

...Shogo Yamamoto held a bullpen session on Tuesday and threw 80 pitches.  Former Kintetsu Buffalo Yoshiaki Kanemura stood in the batter's box calling out various counts for Yamamato to pitch to.

...Daisuke Nobue was the pitcher on the mound during base-stealing practice on Tuesday.  He apparently managed to throw out a number of runners with a really good pick-off move.

...Shuichi Furukawa had his elbow checked out on Monday and was informed on Tuesday that he had bruising in his left pectoral muscle (左大胸筋筋挫傷).  Furukawa will not be allowed to throw for at least 10 days, meaning there's a chance he won't be ready for the start of the regular season.

Furukawa started feeling discomfort in his left shoulder area after pitching on 2/27 against the Hanshin Tigers (exhibition game).

...Eleven players, including Takahiro Okada, Alex Cabrera, and Tomotaka Sakaguchi, spent their day off on Monday practicing.  T-Okada has apparently taken only 1 day off since February 1st: his birthday on 2/9.

...The Hawks may go with Chihiro Kaneko, Shogo Yamamoto, and Kazuki Kondo in the opening series of the regular season against the Rakuten Eagles.  The same three players that pitched on Sunday.

...After Sunday's game, Akinobu Okada said that he'll likely go with Tomotaka Sakaguchi and Shogo Akada as his one and two hitters in the line-up.

... Batting coach Kozo Shoda worked with Akada prior to Sunday's game, giving him pointers on how to hit from the left-side.

...While Yoshihisa Hirano will likely be used as a reliever to start the season, the Buffaloes also have their eye on him being a 6th starter during the season as well.  Only thing is, he gave up 7 runs over 3 innings of work during his start on Saturday.  At one point during his outing, he gave up 4 consecutive hits: home run, single, single, and double.

...Okada may not have been trying to find an excuse for his pitchers giving up 5 home runs on Saturday, but did make mention of the Mizuno baseballs that were in play.

"They fly.  Ever since we changed to Mizuno, they've been flying.  Mizuno [balls] travel further.  That shot by Toritani, and the one by Sakurai too."

=== 2/27/2010 2:09am JST

...Yoshihisa Hirano will be starting the exhibition game against the Hanshin Tigers on Saturday.  Shuichi Furukawa and Toru Anan will also likely get to pitch.  Chihiro Kaneko is penciled in to start Sunday's exhibition game against the Tigers.

...Akinobu Okada is worried about the rain.  He's hoping none of the team's remaining games get rained out.

...After throwing a bullpen session on Friday, Satoshi Komatsu threw another 100 or so pitches (at a distance of about 15 meters) to a standing catcher after having a brief meeting with Okada and pitching coach Nobyuki Hoshino.

=== 2/26/2010 7:10pm JST

...Akinobu Okada was apparently quite disappointed in Satoshi Komatsu's outing and spent some time with him on Friday.  Okada suggested Komatsu try throwing the ball on one hop to a standing catcher so that he can work on throwing the ball downward.

...Takahiro Okada will likely bat fourth again in an exhibition game against the Hanshin Tigers on the 27th.

...Additional notes from Thursday's intra-squad practice game:

Shogo Akada was relieved after picking up a hit in his third at bat.  He also laid down a sac bunt in the 7th with runners on first and second and no out.

T-Okada went 1-for-3: home run in his first at bat; a walk in his second at bat, and two back-to-back strike outs to end his day.