The Orix Buffaloes held a press conference at Kyocera Dome today announce additional details of their Natsu-no Jin 2013 series that is set to take place in August at Kyocera Dome.

• August 9 (Fri) - Seibu Lions - 18:00
• August 10 (Sat) - Seibu Lions - 14:00
• August 11 (Sun) - Seibu Lions -13:00

The Buffaloes will also be wearing a special alternate set of "Shining Red" uniforms during the three-game series.  Replica uniforms will be given away to fans that purchase advance tickets to the above games (10,000 for each game = 7,000 reserved infield seats; 2,000 non-reserved infield seats; and 1,000 non-reserved outfield seats).  The lettering on the replica uniforms will vary depending on the day: gold and navy on the 9th, white and navy on the 10th, and gold on the 11th.

Source: official announcement

As mentioned yesterday, the Orix Buffaloes are planning to open contract extension talks with Dae-Ho Lee sometime within the next few days.  Waiting until the off-season is an option, but the Buffaloes do not want to risk losing Lee and want to begin discussions as soon as possible.

According to people close to the situation, team official Yoshio Murayama is planning to sign down with Lee and his family over dinner.  Money and specifics will not be discussed -- the meeting will be about the two sides exchanging thoughts on future plans.  A number of these meetings will be scheduled over the course of the season.  The Buffaloes will most likely offer him a multi-year deal (two to three years), but there are some in the organization that would like to see him finish his career in the Orix organization.  What the club ultimately offers him will most likely depend on how well the initial meetings go.

In addition to all of this, Sports Hochi adds that Orix may also have their eye on KBO reliever Seung-Hwan Oh.  He is scheduled to earn his domestic FA option this year, but will not be able to sign with teams outside of Korea unless he is posted.  If he does get posted, having Lee on the team could make Orix an attractive potential destination.

Source: Sports Hochi 6/18/2013, Sponichi 6/18/2013

Nippon Ham Fighters

Yuki Saito faced two hitters and threw forty-nine pitches during live batting practice on Sunday.  He is currently scheduled to start a game against the Futures on the 22nd (one to two innings).

Source: Sports Hochi 6/17/2013

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Hideki Kuriyama recorded the 100th managerial victory of his career in his 203rd game on Sunday.  Previous Nippon Ham managers: Masataka Nashida (2008-2011) picked up win 100 in his 189th game (excludes Kintetsu victories) and Trey Hillman (2003-2007) notched his 100th victory in his 222nd game.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/17/2013

Softbank Hawks

Nobuhiro Matsuda extended his hitting streak to nineteen games on Sunday.  The franchise reocord of twenty-eight games was set by Tony Bernazard in 1988.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/17/2013

Rakuten Eagles

Over his career, Masahiro Tanaka is 50-17 at Kleenex Stadium and 34-18 everywhere else.  He has faced four former Koshien tournament winning pitchers seven times and is 6-0.  The four are: Kazuki Kondo, Kentaro Nishimura, Yuki Saito, and Shintaro Fujinami.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/17/2013

Tanaka also became the fifth pitcher since the start of the draft to record at least one shutout victory in seven consecutive seasons, beginning with his rookie year.  The other four: Keishi Suzuki (1966-1980), Tsuneo Horiuchi (1966-1978), Yutaka Enatsu (1967-1976), and Yu Darvish (2005-2011).

Source: Sponichi 6/17/2013

He recently changed his intro music to Momoiro Clover Z's DNA Rhapsody.

Source: Sanspo 6/17/2013

Chiba Lotte Marines

Alpinist and environmental activist Ken Noguchi is scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on the 23rd (vs Nippon Ham at QVC Marine).  He will also spend some time picking up garbage in the areas around the stadium after the game.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/17/2013

Orix Buffaloes

The Buffaloes are thinking about opening contract extension talks with Dae-Ho Lee during the season.  Lee is currently in the second year of a two-year deal and the front office does not want to risk losing one of their best hitters.

Source: Sanpso 6/17/2013

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Takashi Kamoshida picked up the first Ichi-gun victory of his career on Sunday in his twelfth year in the pros.  That tied Akira Matsumoto for second most number of years required to record a win.  Kiyotaka Nishi holds the NPB record at thirteen years.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/17/2013

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Kei Igawa had been fighting off a cold since May 21 and was under the weather for his last three Ichi-gun starts (1-1, 2.76 ERA).  He participated in workouts at Hotto Motto Kobe today and told reporters that he was finally feeling better.

Source: Daily Sports 6/17/2013

Yakult Swallows vs Orix Buffaloes @ Kyocera Dome - 13:00
Starters: Leroux, Chris (YAK) 0-1, 5.06 - Nishi, Yuki (ORI) 6-2, 2.50

Attendance: 27044 | Time: 4h23m | Series tied, 2-2-0

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Yakult Swallows vs Orix Buffaloes @ Kyocera Dome - 14:00
Starters: Ogawa, Yasuhiro (YAK) 5-2, 3.66 - Kaneko, Chihiro (ORI) 4-4, 2.55

Attendance: 27976 | Time: 3h33m | Yakult leads series, 2-1-0

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Softbank Hawks

The Hawks won their fourth Inter-league championship on Thursday by clinching first place.  Koji Akiyama moved into sole possession of first for most Inter-league championships (2009, 2011, 2012).

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/14/2013

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Nobuhiko Matsunaka entered Thursday's game against Yakult as a pinch-hitter in the 8th and hit a single to center, but was not present at the post-game championship ceremony.  The team tried to get him to participate, but apparently unsatisfied with his playing time, he declined and left the stadium.  Akiyama was not happy about Matsunaka skipping the ceremony and decided to demote the veteran.

3rd round draft pick Tomoki Takata will likely be called up in Matsunaka's place.  He joined the Ichi-gun team for workouts at YafuOku Dome today.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/14/2013, Nikkan Sports 6/14/2013, Nikkan Sports 6/14/2013

Chiba Lotte Marines

Yuki Karakawa complained of an injury to his right middle finger nail after the 4th inning of today's game against Yokohama.  Despite the problem, he managed to pitch six full innings.

Source: Sports Hochi 6/14/2013

Orix Buffaloes

Today's Ni-gun game against Softbank:

Alessandro Maestri started the game and gave up one run on six hits over six innings of work.  He also topped out at 148km/h.  Source: Nikkan Sports 6/14/2013 ... Takahiro Okada started at first and batted fourth.  He went 1-for-3 with two walks.  Source: Nikkan Sports 6/14/2013

Yomiuri Giants vs Orix Buffaloes @ Kyocera Dome - 18:00
Starters: Sawamura, Hirokazu (YOM) 2-4, 3.45 - Igawa, Kei (ORI) 1-0, 2.38

Attendance: 26491 | Time: 2h53m | Yomiuri leads series, 3-0-1

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Nippon Ham Fighters

Hideki Kuriyama told reporters on Wednesday that there was a good chance 1st round draft pick Shohei Otani will make his next start on the 18th against Hiroshima at Mazda Stadium.  A final decision will likely be reached after the Fighters have had a chance to see Otani is feeling/doing on Thursday.

Source: Sponichi 6/12/2013

Softbank Hawks

The Hawks could wrap-up the Inter-league championship on Thursday if: they beat Yakult and Rakuten, Orix, and Hanshin lose.

Source: Sponichi 6/12/2013

Rakuten Eagles

Ginji's wife gave birth to the couple's first child, a boy weighing 3,130 grams, on Wednesday at 3:13pm.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/12/2013, Oricon Style 6/12/2013

Orix Buffaloes

The Buffaloes decided to demote Yuki Miyazaki after he missed a sign for a squeeze attempt in the 5th inning of Wednesday night's game against Yomiuri and left Tomotaka Sakaguchi out to dry between third and home.

Source: Sports Hochi 6/12/2013

Yomiuri Giants vs Orix Buffaloes @ Kyocera Dome - 18:00
Starters: Sugiuchi, Toshiya (YOM) 4-3, 3.04 - Matsuba, Takahiro (ORI) 3-1, 3.07

Attendance: 28723 | Time: 3h50m | Yomiuri leads series, 2-0-1

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Nippon Ham Fighters

Yuki Saito is scheduled to toss batting practice on the 13th.  He will face two hitters and throw thirty to forty pitches.

Source: Sanspo 6/11/2013

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The PL started using the DH rule in 1975.  Since then, Nippon Ham designated hitters have slugged 989 home runs.  Only nine players have hit forty or more home runs as a DH -- seven in the 1980s and one each in the 1990s and 2000s.  Charlie Manuel set the NPB high for home runs in a season by a DH with forty-eight in 1980.  Highs from the last three years: nineteen by Takeshi Yamasaki in 2010, twelve by Jose Fernandez in 2011, and eighteen by Wily Mo Pena in 2012.  The last player to hit forty or more was Nobuhiko Matsunaka with forty in 2005.

At fourteen home runs as a DH so far this year, Michel Abreu has a shot at becoming the first DH to hit forty or more since Matsunaka.

Source: Sponichi 6/11/2013

Seibu Lions

Tatsuya Oishi was taken off the active roster today because he has not been pitching well.

Source: Sponichi 6/11/2013

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The Lions decided to promote 1st round draft pick Tatsushi Masuda after Hisanobu Watanabe had a chance to watch him toss thirty-four pitches in the bullpen today.

Source: Sponichi 6/11/2013, Nikkan Sports 6/11/2013

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Ikusei player Abner Abreu is a candidate to join the seventy-man roster.  The Lions currently have sixty-four players on the seventy-man roster and need to bump that to sixty-five before the end of July.

Source: Daily Sports 6/11/2013

Softbank Hawks

Wily Mo Pena joined the Ichi-gun team for workouts today.  He took forty swings during batting practice and hit eight over the fence.

Source: Nikkan Sports 6/11/2013

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Sho Iwasaki was fined 200,000 yen for arriving about twenty minutes late to workouts today.

Source: Sanspo 6/11/2013

Orix Buffaloes

Kei Igawa worked out at Hotto Motto Kobe using pitching coach Nobuyuki Hoshino's first baseman's mitt and a pair of Dae-Ho Lee shoes.  When reporters asked what happened, he jokingly replied, "I might have to play some first.  I could always lose my job as a pitcher.  These shoes?  They are special."

What really happened: the team has been on the road and before returning, he had his equipment shipped to Kyocera Dome and forgot to prepare for practices at Hotto Motto.

Source: Daily Sports 6/11/2013, Sports Hochi 6/11/2013