Kei IGAWA {oversea ball #3} : It's a slow offseason.

by ConditionOakland on Jan 16, 2006 8:16 PM PST

Hey everybody--
It's been incredibly slow lately, so I thought I would submit Oversea Ball #3 featuring Hanshin Tiger ace Kei Igawa.

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2001    Hanshin Tigers    9-13, 2.67 ERA
29 G, 192.0 IP, 171 K, 3 CG
2002    Hanshin Tigers    14-9, 2.49 ERA
31 G, 209.6 IP, 206 K, 8 CG
2003    Hanshin Tigers    20-5, 2.80 ERA
29 G, 206.0 IP, 179 K, 8 CG
2004    Hanshin Tigers    14-11, 3.73 ERA
29 G, 200.3 IP, 228 K, 6 CG
2005    Hanshin Tigers    13-9, 3.86 ERA
27 G, 172.1 IP, 145 K, 2 CG

Igawa has repeatedly requested to be posted via posting system. The front office of the Tigers has said they will agree to this once Igawa "has one last exceptional season." So far, Igawa has "not met their expectations," and Igawa has realized this. He is not eligable for FA until 2009, when he will be 29 y/o.

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Vitals:
Jul. 13, 1979 DOB, 26 y/o
BIRTH PLACE: Ibaragi, JP
T: Left B: Left
6'1, 191 lb.
#2 draft pick by Hanshin Tigers in 1998.

Igawa is reported to have fastball low in the 90s, a good curveball, and a very good changeup (his best pitch). Igawa is considered also to be one of the top young pitchers in Japan.

Personally, I think the best thing to do about Igawa, is to wait it out (well, that's all anyone can do). His somewhat decline in performance, after a very good start as a young pitcher (ERA is the 2's when he was 23/24 y/o), is something to watch. This could cause some teams to be overly cautious when signing or bidding for him, but I definatly don't think it is anything to worry about. He could be going through a "Zito Blues" type of thing.

I think he would look really good in an A's uniform, with the shag and all (Zito/Haren type of look).

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Hope you are well well.
I hope to report with some Korean or Taiwanese players next.

Resources:

Kei Igawa Official: Iron Nerves.

Hanshin Tigers Official (JP).

Japan Ball.

Japanese Stats (JP).

I'm not sure if a poll would have much value, considering there isn't enough information to act on with Igawa, and it might be a while until teams are able to act on. Based on his record and poise though, he is definatly one to keep an eye on.
(Possibly replace Z...? I hope we can have both.)

-CO

Poll

Should Oversea Ball continue?

No, because...

1 votes

Yes, they are fun to read. More A's scouts overseas!

29 votes

Hmm, we have nothing else to read.

4 votes

34 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

I am in favor of signing foreign FA's

like such from Japan, but you have to try for the Superstarts, or at least, the very good young players. Otherwise you get stuck with guys like Yabu.

The problem I see is simple: If we signed such a pitcher, how would we work our rotation?

Right now our rotation is as follows:

Barry Zito
Rich Harden
Dan Haren
Joe Blanton
Estibal Loaiza

In 2007, if all goes according to plan, it should look more like:

Rich Harden
Dan Haren
Joe Blanton
Estiban Loaiza
Dan Meyer

That is a cheap, effective rotation with no real place to put an incomming starter unless we either trade Loaiza or Meyer's career tanks.

Knowledge is Power, Ignorance is Bliss. But I have Blissful Power, because I have a lot of knowledge, I just forgot it all!

by Zonis on Jan 16, 2006 8:21 PM PST reply actions

Igawa

It's fun imagining him in green and gold, but really, the A's would never outbid other teams during the posting process.

by OaktownTribesman on Jan 16, 2006 8:24 PM PST reply actions

after

signing a reasonably solid aging SP Loiza to a big contract, outbidding several other teams, I'm more confident the A's would be willing to take part in these bids with Japanese players. Also, the initial bidding could be solved with the benefit of having a top Japanese player on your roster.
Looking back... was it worth for Seattle to bid $11 mil.for Ichiro? I think so. They've made that back, and then some.

YABU: You're always eating cheese. ...Is cheese good for you? . FISCHER: IT'S BETTER THAN SUSHI!!!

by ConditionOakland on Jan 16, 2006 8:28 PM PST up reply actions

At the time

Seattle had the largest revenue stream in baseball, thanks to Safeco. They had money to spend, and it didn't hurt that their owner is Japanese too.

by OaktownTribesman on Jan 16, 2006 8:29 PM PST up reply actions

Yes, that's true.

But Ichiro has brought so much to Seattle.
On front of EVERY Japanese travel guide for Seattle, Ichiro's picture is on the cover. Travel agencies all over Japan offer trips to "See Ichiro Play," with trips to Seattle with a Mariners game as the main event.
Personally, bringing in a player like that would bring a lot of attention to Oakland, hell, we created attention with YABU, who is nowhere as near as popular as these other guys.
I'm not saying a J-player would pay for himself, but you would be getting much more than just the player.

Which brings me to a question-- what is a better investment, a young Japanese pitcher, or a proven US pitcher (like Mussina, Pettite, etc)? Both would bring in a considerable amount of attention... but in the long term who would bring more attention to Oakland?

YABU: You're always eating cheese. ...Is cheese good for you? . FISCHER: IT'S BETTER THAN SUSHI!!!

by ConditionOakland on Jan 16, 2006 8:38 PM PST up reply actions

I totally agree that it could be worth it

I'd love to see Igawa in Oakland. I'm just saying there's no way it's happening, not considering the A's current financial situation.

by OaktownTribesman on Jan 16, 2006 8:56 PM PST up reply actions

I'm sure the A's could find a pitcher in Japan...

using Sabermetrics and quantifying their risks and neutralizing them to a fair playing field...

Oh... and when did the Red Sox sign Petagine? OMG !

by Instant Replay Umpire on Jan 16, 2006 8:53 PM PST reply actions

I think these are interesting

especially the guy with the secret pitch. It's true though that this seems to be the most "set" the A's rotation has been that I can remember so they won't be needing these japanese pitchers for more than a bullpen role.

Any info on Japanese position players that will be available in the upcoming years?

"If you throw at someone's head, it's very dangerous, because in the head is the brain." -- Pudge Rodriguez

by niallmack on Jan 16, 2006 11:11 PM PST reply actions

definatly.

I agree.
I'll do a position player next.

YABU: You're always eating cheese. ...Is cheese good for you? . FISCHER: IT'S BETTER THAN SUSHI!!!

by ConditionOakland on Jan 16, 2006 11:30 PM PST up reply actions

cool

thanks for the interesting articles

"If you throw at someone's head, it's very dangerous, because in the head is the brain." -- Pudge Rodriguez

by niallmack on Jan 17, 2006 9:33 AM PST up reply actions

"Secret pitch"

It's The Shootah from this movie.

Check this trivia out:

Trivia: The rookie who pushes Tom Selleck's character off the Yankees roster was played by Frank Thomas, who went on to become one of the best MLB hitters in the 1990s and won two MVP awards.

"HRs by second basemen are sexy. They're rare and exotic." -Kyli

by McFood on Jan 17, 2006 8:52 AM PST up reply actions