Kiyoshi Nakahata told reporters on Tuesday that other than Alex Ramirez, everyone else on the team had to compete for a spot.

Nakahata showed up on the field at 9:07am and showed the media his Yokohama uniform and the number 70.

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Daisuke Miura and Yuki Kuniyoshi left the team hotel at around 6:10 for an early morning walk (lasted about thirty minutes).

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Yoshitomo Tsutsugo took part in a fielding practice session that lasted about forty minutes.  It was originally supposed to last twenty minutes but the time was doubled by Nakahata.  Yuta Naito, attempting a possible position change to the infield, was also part of the group.

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Alex Ramirez spent some time giving Yuki Yoshimura pointers on hitting.

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Team owner Makoto Haruta plans to stick around in Okinawa until Sunday (February 5).

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Bullpen sessions:

Wednesday

Every pitcher at Ginowan tossed a bullpen session with squatting catcher.

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Shun Yamaguchi threw 73 pitches.

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Kentaro Takasaki threw 58 pitches to a squatting catcher.

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Masanori Hayashi threw 50 pitches.

Chunichi Dragons

Morimichi Takagi expects players to work on their small ball skills, like moving runners over and doing the other little things that help improve a team's chances at scoring a run.

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The Dragons announced that they assigned Toshiya Okada a new number: from 11 to 21 (Wei-Ying Chen's old number).

The number 11 was in turn given/returned to Kenshi Kawakami.

Nobumasa Fukuda's registered position was also changed from infielder to catcher.

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Bullpen sessions:

Monday

Yudai Ono threw 33 pitches in the bullpen and later told reporters he was throwing at about 80%.  It was Ono's second bullpen session in Okinawa.  Ono also mentioned that Wei-Ying Chen gave him advice on how to use his lower body more effectively and that he was trying to release the ball about 10cm farther out in front of him.

Yakult Swallows

The Swallows visited Naminoue-gu Shrine in Naha on Tuesday and prayed for a successful season.

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Ryoji Aikawa was named captain of the team.

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Junji Ogawa's to-do list during spring camp (according to Sanspo):

1) have intense competitions at various positions to improve overall quality
2) development the next player to take over for Norichika Aoki
3) help the new foreigners get used to playing in Japan

Ogawa also wants to see his players to sell themselves more, especially with the departure of one of the team's most popular players.

Yokohama Bay Stars

Kiyoshi Nakahata arrived in Okinawa on Tuesday and attended a welcoming ceremony at Naha airport.  About 300 fans showed up.

Nakahata does not plan on taking any early morning walks during spring camp because the days are already long enough as is. ... Nakahata got a hair cut at his sister's beauty salon in Izumi Ward, Yokohama on Monday.  He told reporters he does not care if players dye their hair, wear earrings, and have facial hair, so long as they are presentable, with an emphasis on presentable. ... Nakahata plans to take advantage of the Yomiuri Giants' weak middle infield defense. ... Nakahata is aware that neither Yoshitomo Tsutsugo and Alex Ramirez are solid defenders.  But since he likes their offensive potential, he plans to work with both players during spring camp.

Regarding Tsutsugo: "We will work Tsutsugo hard on defense during spring camp."

Regarding Ramirez: "Ramirez is fast when he runs a straight line.  And while his main position will be in the outfield, I think working at an infield position will help him think more about his footwork.  I think it will also help him on offense."

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Team owner Makoto Haruta accompanied the team to Okinawa on Tuesday.  He also attended the general meeting held at the player hotel.

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 According to Nikkan Sports, the general meeting lasted about an hour.  Sanspo figures it lasted over two hours.

Yakult Swallows

Junji Ogawa arrived in Okinawa on Monday and said to reporters, "We scheduled a lot of practice games to give everyone a chance to play.  The only every day players we have right now are Shinya Miyamoto and Ryoji Aikawa."

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Tatsuyoshi Masubuchi, Tsuyoshi Ueda, and Hitoshi Yamamoto did two thirty-minute zazen meditation sessions at Seiryuji Fudoin in Wako, Saitama on Sunday.

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A new clubhouse was built at Saitobaru Sports Park and will be ready for the Ni-gun players to use during spring camp.

The one-story building, complete with three meeting rooms, lockers, and shower facilities, cost about 70M yen.  The city of Saito in Miyazaki paid for the construction out of money they received from the government through a military base grant.

Up until this year, the Swallows spent about 3M yen each spring to build a temporary clubhouse.

Hiroshima Carp

The Carp announced on Monday that Nick Stavinoha's registered name will be "Nick" and "Stavinoha" will appear on his uniform.  Kam Mickolio's registered name will be "Mickolio."

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Dennis Sarfate told reporters on Sunday that he was excited about the current arms in the bullpen:

There is [Takahiro] Aoki from the left and [Takeru] Imamura from the right.  I heard [Katsuhiro] Nagakawa is also throwing.  If [Ryuji] Yokoyama returns we will have a strong bullpen. ...  I do not plan to give up the closer role, but Imamura has what it takes to become a closer in the future.

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Bullpen session:

Sunday

Takeru Imamura threw 15 pitches to a standing catcher.  It was his first session of the year.  Imamura worked on his mechanics during the off-season and is reportedly looking a lot like Takuya Asao (CHU).

Said Imamura, "I am not thinking about [Asao].  I have not even watched any of his footage.  I just looked at my own and thought about [what I need to do].  I made my back motion smaller and I throw the ball further out in front.  Doing that allows me to put my weight behind my pitches.  It also makes it difficult for the batter to time my pitches."

Yokohama Bay Stars

The Bay Stars held a press conference for Giancarlo Alvarado on Monday.

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Kiyoshi Nakahata appeared on NHK's Sunday Sports on Sunday night and said that he wanted to play Yoshitomo Tsutsugo every day and that he imagined him as a number three hitter.

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The new Bay Stars' online store opened on Sunday.  The Bay Stars also sold about 40 new items during their uniform unveiling ceremony.

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84 members of the media from 38 different companies covered Sunday's uniform unveiling ceremony.

Chunichi Dragons

Morimichi Takagi observed players working out at Chatan on Sunday and told reporters he was not very impressed with what he saw.

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The sixteen members of the coaching staff arrived in Okinawa on Saturday.  Pitching coach Hiroshi Gondo told reporters he saw Kenshin Kawakami as a possible replacement for Wei-Ying Chen.

Chen could get the heads up to start at Ichi-gun spring camp.

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Takagi spent about 30 minutes watching Victor Diaz working out on Saturday and said, "[Diaz] has a nice easy swing and he has that strong upper body.  Not bad.  There is a chance he could end up being a bargain."

Takagi was also impressed with 1st round draft pick Shuhei Takahashi's bat speed.

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Jorge Sosa told reporters on Saturday that Sammy Sosa is one of his relatives.

Yakult Swallows

Tatsuyoshi Masubuchi, Tsuyoshi Ueda, and Hitoshi Yamamoto did zazen meditation at Seiryuji Fudoin in Wako, Saitama on Sunday.

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Orlando Roman worked out at Jingu Gaien on Saturday.  Workouts included playing catch and lifting weights.  He also had a chance to meet Ryoji Aikawa.

Roman plans to toss a bullpen session on the first day of spring camp.

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Via Sanspo, Wladimir Balentien's advice to Lastings Milledge on what is necessary in order to succeed in Japan:

- Learn how to speak Japanese -- try to communicate without the use of an interpreter
- Be open and friendly with teammates and coaches
- Get used to eating Japanese food since fast food will not cut it

Sports Hochi and Sponichi mentions a slightly different list:

- Be open and be prepared to listen
- Develop good relationships with your teammates and other personnel
- Learn Japanese

Hanshin Tigers

1st round draft pick Hayata Ito hit a ball that traveled an estimated 115 meters (off a right-handed pitcher, toward right) during outdoor BP at Ginoza on Sunday.

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Keiichi Hirano spent about an hour and a half visiting kids at Koniya Junior High School in Kagoshima on Sunday.

Hiroshima Carp

Bryan Bullington, Dennis Sarfate, Brian Barden, Kam Mickolio, and Nick Stavinoha spent some time speaking to the media at a hotel in Hiroshima on Sunday.

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1st round draft pick Yusuke Nomura threw his 30-pitch bullpen session on Saturday at about 50%.

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Bullpen sessions:

Sunday

Yuya Fukui threw 22 pitches (11 from the wind and 11 from the stretch) in the bullpen (standing catcher).  It was his first session of the year.

Saturday

Ryosuke Ikenouchi threw 30 pitches (mostly fastballs) to a squatting catcher.

Yokohama Bay Stars

In addition to unveiling their uniforms for 2012, the Bay Stars also formally introduced their 2011 draft class on Sunday.  About 5,000 fans showed up.

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Kiyoshi Nakahata tried to recruit Hideki Matsui again during a wedding party on Saturday and was told that he would have to wait five more years.

The new Yokohama DeNA Bay Stars uniforms were unveiled at Queen's Square Yokohama today.

You can can see more images at the official team site.

Chunichi Dragons

Morimichi Takagi checked out the Ichi-gun and Ni-gun spring camp facilities on Saturday.

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1st round draft pick Shuhei Takahashi took 54 swings during outdoor BP on Friday and hit four over the fence.

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The Dragons are planning seven things for fans during spring camp:

- Hand out training menus to fans that come
- Put up welcome signs around the facilities
- Doala will be present at all times
- Set up a Doala air tent for the kids
- Autograph sessions after practices
- Practice session tours conducted by members of cheer-leading team
- Fan participation during BP and practice games (ball boy/girl, player announcer)

Yakult Swallows

Orlando Roman and Dicky Gonzalez (YOM) have known each other since they were kids.  And it was Gonzalez that gave Roman information about playing baseball in Japan.

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Lastings Milledge arrived at Jingu about two hours later than scheduled on Friday and only had about 40 minutes to workout (he arrived at around 3pm and the facilities were only available until at 4pm).  His reason: he had some problems getting his mobile phone.

Hanshin Tigers

Craig Brazell arrived at Kansai International Airport on Saturday and told reporters he felt like he was coming home.  He also said that there were days he spent two to three hours taking batting practice and that he worked on strengthening his lower body by doing things like stretches, Pilates, and yoga.

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Atsushi Nomi tossed 33 pitches in the bullpen (squatting catcher) at Ginoza on Saturday.

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Robert Zarate threw 35 pitches (fastballs and change-ups) in the bullpen (squatting catcher) at Naruohama on Saturday.

Yokohama Bay Stars

Alex Ramirez may have spoken to DeNA about a video game and commercial.  DeNA is also brainstorming ideas.

He also showed off his a new jig: point to the camera with his right hand, point to himself, then do an Usain Bolt pose, all while saying "Hama-no Rami-chan, zekkocho!"

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Kiyoshi Nakahata was a guest at Okinawa Tourism Kick-off Project 2012: Okinawa Night in Tokyo on Friday.

Nakahata attended Iwakiyama's (sumo wrestler) hair-cutting (retirement) ceremony at Ryogoku Kokugikan on Saturday.

Yakult Swallows

Orlando Roman arrived in Japan on Friday.  Roman played winter ball in Puerto Rico through to December 26 and has tossed bullpen session once every two days since then.

Wladimir Balentien also arrived in Japan on Friday.

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2nd round draft pick Ryohei Kiya, 4th round draft pick Yuya Ota, and 6th round draft pick Masato Furuno all tossed bullpen sessions on Thursday (squatting catchers).

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Nikkan Sports provides the following quotes from Lastings Milledge:

My friends know what kind of person I am.  My image will change if I put up good numbers. ... It usually takes me about twenty minutes to get to the airport, but there was an accident that caused a traffic jam and it took me an hour and twenty minutes.  It is not as if I did not want to come, or got scared about coming.

Milledge could end up batting fifth in the line-up while playing left field.

Hiroshima Carp

Kam Mickolio and Nick Stavinoha arrived in Japan on Thursday.  The Carp held a press conference for both players at Mazda Stadium today.

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1st round draft pick Yusuke Nomura plans to proactively introduce himself to each and every player on the team beginning on January 31.

Yokohama Bay Stars

Alex Ramirez visited the DeNA offices in Shibuya on Friday and met about 100 or so of the company employees.  Incidentally, it was Ramirez that pushed for the visit.

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Takehiro Ishikawa managed to gain three kilograms without any change in his fat content (7.8%).

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Taketoshi Goto is ready to play anywhere he is needed: outfield (left), third, first.  He also dropped his weight from 94kg to 85kg.

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Kiyoshi Nakahata plans to have players work on the base-running skills during spring camp.

Taketoshi Goto worked out at the Yokosuka training facilities today for the first time since being traded to the Bay Stars.  His workouts lasted about five hours.

Goto worked out with Kazuhiro Wada (CHU) this winter and was told that players should not prepare themselves for the season during spring camp, but to be prepared to play from the first day of spring camp.

Goto dropped about nine kilograms since last year.

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Yuki Kuniyoshi threw 20 pitches (including curves) in the bullpen on Wednesday (squatting catcher).  He told reporters that he was close to throwing at 100% and that he was feeling good.

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When reporters asked Daisuke Miura what he thought of Kiyoshi Nakahata's plan to improve communication by leaving his door at the team hotel open during spring camp he replied, "I am worried about crime prevention."  He then said, in a more serious tone, "Communication is important and it would be good to have a chance to talk about all kinds of things."

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Nakahata is thinking about holding karaoke contests with players at the team hotel during spring camp.

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The team is planning on increasing the number of seats for the media at both Ginowan Stadium and the team hotel.  WiFi will also be available.

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Curfew during spring camp: 11pm on nights when there are practices the following day and midnight on nights where there are no practices the next day.  Nakahata does not plan to enforce these with an iron fist.

Yakult Swallows

The Swallows decided that they will be bringing back evening practice sessions during spring camp.    They will also have 16 of their 20 position players practicing their swings, in silence, over a one-hour period (every day, other than specified days off, beginning at 8:30pm).

The four players that have been excused: Shinya Miyamoto, Ryoji Aikawa, Lastings Milledge, and Wladimir Balentien.

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Junji Ogawa told reporters that he decided to assign Hitoshi Yamada to Ichi-gun spring camp after hearing about his waterfall meditations in the news.

Tsutomu Wakamatsu will also be at spring camp again this year as a special hitting instructor.

Hanshin Tigers

Daiki Enokida, Masahiro Nakatani, Akira Iwamoto, and Fumiya Araki participated in a ceremony at Osaka Tenmangu Shrine on Wednesday.  About 200 people attended the event.

Hiroshima Carp

Early training camp for 25 players began in Okinawa on Wednesday.

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Six of the eight members of the 2011 draft class, not including 4th round draft pick Shohei Habu and Ikusei 3rd round draft pick Kohei Tsukada, worked out at Mazda Stadium for the first time on Wednesday.

Habu and Tsukada were excused from practices because of exams.

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Yuya Fukui plans to toss a bullpen session with a standing catcher before the start of spring camp.  Fukui has already spent some time as a BP pitcher when he worked out with Yasuyuki Kataoka (SEI) earlier this month.

With regards to pitching against Tatsuya Oishi (SEI), Fukui said that he would rather face him during the season, when games counted, than during pre-season games.

Yokohama Bay Stars

The Bay Stars released player assignments for spring camp on Wednesday.

They also announced that they re-signed Kuan-Yu Chen to an Ikusei deal.  He was assigned the number 118.

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The Bay Stars are scheduled to unveil their new uniforms during a pres conference on January 29 at 1pm.  A number of players, including Alex Ramirez and Daisuke Miura, will participate in the event.  The 2011 draft class will also be introduced.

Kiyoshi Nakahata was a guest on Radio Nippon's Kashiwa Hideki no G Plus Sports on Monday and said that the team still had one spot open on the 70-man roster.  He added that one of the spots could go to one of two foreign players they planned to test during spring camp, but that he was not really counting on it.  Ikusei 1st round draft pick Kosuke Tomita is also a candidate for that opening.

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Yoshitomo Tsutsugo had a chance to meet Nakahata for the first time while taking BP at Bay Stars Stadium on Monday.  Nakahata once confused Yuki Yoshimura and Tsutsugo.

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Alex Ramirez is interested in doing the Marumo dance with Nakahata.

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Tomoko Namba (DeNA Director, Founder) visited the team offices in Yokohama today.  She also met Nakahata for the first time.

Nakahata and team president Jun Ikeda visited the Yokohama City offices today and were greeted by about 300 city employees.  The two were there to attend a meeting with mayor Fumiko Hayashi.