Sho Nakata took forty swings during batting practice on Thursday and hit ten over the fence.

Source: Sanspo 3/29/2013

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1st round draft pick Shohei Otani will most likely be allowed to throw fifty to sixty pitches as a starting pitcher during his next Ni-gun outing.

Source: Sanspo 3/29/2013, Sponichi 3/29/2013

Otani threw thirty-three pitches in his relief Ni-gun outing on Thursday.  He topped out at 156km/h on Seibu Lion radar guns three times.

Otani, Hiroshi Kisanuki, and Masaru Nakamura hopped on a taxi at Kamagaya at around 6:00pm on Thursday and arrived at the team hotel in Tachikawa after 8:00pm.  Cab fare: 24,500 yen.

Source: Sanspo 3/29/2013

The stadium radar gun topped out at 152km/h for Otani on Thursday.

Source: Nikkan Sports 3/29/2013

Twenty-four of the thirty-three pitches Otani threw were fastballs.  Nineteen were clocked at or over 150km/h.

Source: Daily Sports 3/29/2013

Only two first-year players out of high school in franchise history have made the starting line-up on opening day: Noboru Makino on March 21, 1956 (pitcher batting ninth) and Isao Harimoto on April 10, 1959 (left field batting sixth).  Both players struck out in their one plate appearance -- Makino to Atsushi Aramaki and Hairmoto to Tetsuya Yoneda.

Source: Sponichi 3/29/2013

Otani's next outing as a pitcher could come during a Ni-gun three-game series against Lotte that begins on April 9.

Source: Nikkan Sports 3/29/2013

Ten players, including Sho Nakata and Atsunori Inaba, will make special appearances on five different Hokkaido news programs on Tuesday, between 4:00pm and 7:00pm.

Source: Nikkan Sports 3/25/2013

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Keisuke Tanimoto could make his first regular season start on the 31st against Seibu at Seibu Dome.

Source: Sports Hochi 3/25/2013

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1st round draft pick Shohei Otani has a shot at becoming the first player out of high school in franchise history to make the opening day line-up in his first year since Isao Harimoto in 1959.

Source: Sanspo 3/25/2013

Daily Sports figures Otani will start the year at Ni-gun.  While the team does have an opening in right, there is a good chance Hideki Kuriyama will have the rookie take things slow.

"In considering the future of players, we need to use them carefully.  We will not use players that do not have to be rushed," said Kuriyama.

Source: Daily Sports 3/25/2013

Sports Hochi claims that Otani will be in the opening day starting line-up in left batting seventh.  He could then go on to make his debut as a pitcher on April 29 vs Orix at Sapporo Dome.

Source: Sports Hochi 3/25/2013

If Otani makes the Ichi-gun roster, there will probably days he pitches in Ni-gun games during the day before playing in Ichi-gun games as a position player in the evening.

Source: Sanspo 3/25/2013

Otani went 12-for-45 in various pre-season games (from spring camp in February through to Sunday).  He went 4-for-22 in the exhibition games he played.

Source: Sponichi 3/25/2013

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3rd round draft Yohei Kagiya got a new prescription for his contact lenses after he had trouble seeing signs from the catcher during a game against Orix on the 10th.

Source: Nikkan Sports 3/25/2013

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Ichi-gun players had the day off.

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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

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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

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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

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

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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

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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

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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

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

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/7/2013

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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

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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

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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

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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

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

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/6/2013

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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

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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

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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

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

Source: Nikkan Sports 2/6/2013

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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

Sho Nakata was evaluated at a hospital in Sapporo today and diagnosed with a fracture in the 5th metacarpal in his left hand.  He will require about three weeks for a full recovery.

Nakata took an HBP off the back of his left hand during Game 2 of the Nippon Series on October 28.  Nakata did not miss any action during the Nippon Series because he was originally diagnosed with a contusion.

Source: Nikkan Sports 11/5/2012

This is a Sho Nakata's Kyocera Dome ground-rule double in the third inning.  Not my upload.

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Sho Nakata's right knee appeared to be ok on Wednesday -- while he did not take part in general warm-ups, he did participate in situational fielding practice, infield drills, and batting practice.

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Masao Kida will begin the year at Ichi-gun as a reliever.  If he ends up playing in the opening day game, he will become the first 40+ year old pitcher in franchise history to do so.  The last 40+ year old player in franchise history to play on opening day: Hiromitsu Ochiai in 1998.

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1st round draft pick Toshiharu Moriuchi is the only member of the 2011 draft class that made the opening day roster.

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The Nippon Ham Fighters open the season with a three-game series against the Seibu Lions.  Hideki Kuriyama told reporters on Wednesday that he was going to keep his eye on Esteban German.

"This is about who we need to be careful of.  Seems [German] can run pretty well.  It can be a pain if a speedy runner gets on base," said Kuriyama.

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The new cheer-leading uniforms were unveiled to the press on Tuesday.

Sho Nakata injured his right knee during fielding practice at Sapporo Dome today and cut his workouts short (he tweaked his knee when he jumped).  He is considered day-to-day.

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Bobby Keppel started a Ni-gun game against Yokohama at Kamagaya today and tossed seven shutout innings while allowing four hits.  Of the twenty-one outs recorded, eleven were ground ball outs.

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Hideki Kuriyama visited Kamagaya today to check on Ni-gun players.

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The team has apparently received more inquiries about their home opener and sold more tickets after Yuki Saito was named the starter.  Promo tickets to their opening series are also close to being sold out.