One of our most common gags here at Graveyard Baseball is to do a literal translation of Lions players and their family names. On Twitter, it often looks like this:
#seibulions lineup
— Graveyard Baseball (@GraveyardBall) November 1, 2020
8 Kaneko
6 Genda
4 Tonosaki
DH Kuriyama
7 Spangenberg
5 Nakamura
3 Mejia
9 Kimura
2 Okada
P Matsumoto#NPBeng
It's followed up with this as a reply.
#埼玉西武ライオンズ 翻訳スタメン
— Graveyard Baseball (@GraveyardBall) November 1, 2020
8 Golden Child
6 Root Paddy
4 Outside Cape
DH Chestnut Mountain
7 留金
5 Center Village
3 救世主
9 Tree Village
2 Hill Paddy
P Pine Tree Book#npbeng #seibulions@Cape_Lions @64Uni_Lions @EthanRKassel
To prevent redundancy, we have assigned 田 to paddy and 野 to field. If some guys have the same family name, we've translated their first name as a bonus. When seeing that kanji, the last name is first, first name is last.
For players with the same surname, we also translated their first name.
Italicized names are players who are not returning for 2021.
All draft picks from 2020 are not included since they won't play until 2021.
===
Pitchers:
Tatsushi Masuda 増田: More paddies
Kona Takahashi 髙橋 光成: Tall bridge, Light growing
Shinsaburo Tawata 多和田: Many harmonious paddies (Note: 和 is the same harmony character that all businesses, teams and work places uses in needing to have Wa)
Yuto Morikoshi 森越: Forest Surpass
Hayato Aoki 青木: Green Tree
===
Bonus: Foreigners
As a continuous gag, we reverse translate the foreigners to see what their name in Japanese would literally look like, not just katakana sounds. Here is what their names would look like in kanji. Chinese names also included, though Hsu is listed with the coaches.
Zach Neal ニール: Senshuken [選手権]. Neal's name has Gaelic origins meaning "Champion." Senshuken could also mean a title besides a championship.
Ernesto Mejia メヒア: Kyuseishu [救世主] . Mejia's name means "Messiah" or "Savior" in latin/greek origin.
Sean Nolin ノリン: Sake [叫]. Nolin's has Irish descent which can be similar to Neal's "Champion" title, but it can also mean a shout, which is Sake.
===
Pitchers:
Tatsushi Masuda 増田: More paddies
Kona Takahashi 髙橋 光成: Tall bridge, Light growing
Shinsaburo Tawata 多和田: Many harmonious paddies (Note: 和 is the same harmony character that all businesses, teams and work places uses in needing to have Wa)
Tawata will be an ikusei in 2021
Ken Togame 十亀: Ten turtles
Ken Togame 十亀: Ten turtles
Shota Hamaya 浜屋: Beach Roof
Shunta Nakatsuka 中塚: Center mound
Shogo Noda 野田 昇吾: Field paddy, Rising Self
Katsunori Hirai 平井: Flat well
Yasuo Sano 佐野: Assistant field
Ichiro Tamura 田村: Paddy village
Makoto Aiuchi 相内: Inside aspect
Keisuke Honda 本田: Book Paddy
Shota Takekuma 武隈: Warrior shadow
Tsubasa Kokuba 國場: Country place
Koki Fujita 藤田: Wisteria paddy
Tatsuya Imai 今井: Now well (Well as in the noun, not the adverb/adjective)
Hiromasa Saito 齊藤 大将: Adjusted Wisteria, General
Daiki Enokida 榎田: Mushroom Paddy
Sho Ito: 伊藤: Italian Wisteria
Ryuya Ogawa 小川: Small River
Kaima Taira 平良: Flat Good
Yutaro Watanabe 渡邉: Ford Edge (ford as in ferry crossing or transit, not the car).
Kaito Awatsu 粟津: Millet Harbor
Tetsuya Utsumi 内海: Inside Sea (Inlet)
Ryosuke Moriwaki 森脇: Forest Armpit (or side / flank)
Shunta Nakatsuka 中塚: Center mound
Shogo Noda 野田 昇吾: Field paddy, Rising Self
Katsunori Hirai 平井: Flat well
Yasuo Sano 佐野: Assistant field
Ichiro Tamura 田村: Paddy village
Makoto Aiuchi 相内: Inside aspect
Keisuke Honda 本田: Book Paddy
Shota Takekuma 武隈: Warrior shadow
Tsubasa Kokuba 國場: Country place
Koki Fujita 藤田: Wisteria paddy
Tatsuya Imai 今井: Now well (Well as in the noun, not the adverb/adjective)
Hiromasa Saito 齊藤 大将: Adjusted Wisteria, General
Daiki Enokida 榎田: Mushroom Paddy
Sho Ito: 伊藤: Italian Wisteria
Ryuya Ogawa 小川: Small River
Kaima Taira 平良: Flat Good
Yutaro Watanabe 渡邉: Ford Edge (ford as in ferry crossing or transit, not the car).
Kaito Awatsu 粟津: Millet Harbor
Tetsuya Utsumi 内海: Inside Sea (Inlet)
Ryosuke Moriwaki 森脇: Forest Armpit (or side / flank)
Kaito Yoza 與座: Participation Seat
Tetsu Miyagawa 宮川: Shrine River
Daisuke Matsuzaka 松坂: Pine Tree Slope
Hiroki Inoue 井上: Well Top
Daisuke Matsuzaka 松坂: Pine Tree Slope
Hiroki Inoue 井上: Well Top
Koki Matsuoka 松岡: Pine Tree Hill
Towa Uema 上間: Above Space
===
Catchers:
Tomoya Mori 森: Forest
Masatoshi Okada 岡田: Hill paddy
Hitoto Komazuki 駒月: Horse moon (Interesting note that 駒 [koma] also refers to the knight piece when playing chess or another board game involving a horse)
Shoya Makino 牧野: Shepard Field
Masato Saito 齊藤 誠人: Adjusted Wisteria, Sincere Person
Sena Tsuge 柘植: Mulberry Plant
===
Infielders:
Sosuke Genda 源田: Root paddy (源 [gen] can refer to the origin or root of something)
Hotaka Yamakawa 山川: Mountain river
Takeya Nakamura 中村: Center village
Daichi Mizuguchi 水口: Water mouth
Kyohei Nagae 永江: Long bay
Haruka Yamada 山田: Mountain paddy
Ryusei Tsunashima 綱島: Rope Island
Shuta Tonosaki 外崎: Outside cape (cape as in headland, not the cloak)
Kakeru Yamanobe 山野辺: Mountain Field Area
Ryusei Sato 佐藤: Assistant Wisteria
Ryota Kawano 川野: River Field
===
Catchers:
Tomoya Mori 森: Forest
Masatoshi Okada 岡田: Hill paddy
Hitoto Komazuki 駒月: Horse moon (Interesting note that 駒 [koma] also refers to the knight piece when playing chess or another board game involving a horse)
Shoya Makino 牧野: Shepard Field
Masato Saito 齊藤 誠人: Adjusted Wisteria, Sincere Person
Sena Tsuge 柘植: Mulberry Plant
===
Infielders:
Sosuke Genda 源田: Root paddy (源 [gen] can refer to the origin or root of something)
Hotaka Yamakawa 山川: Mountain river
Takeya Nakamura 中村: Center village
Daichi Mizuguchi 水口: Water mouth
Kyohei Nagae 永江: Long bay
Haruka Yamada 山田: Mountain paddy
Ryusei Tsunashima 綱島: Rope Island
Shuta Tonosaki 外崎: Outside cape (cape as in headland, not the cloak)
Kakeru Yamanobe 山野辺: Mountain Field Area
Ryusei Sato 佐藤: Assistant Wisteria
Ryota Kawano 川野: River Field
===
Outfielders:
Yuji Kaneko 金子 侑司: Gold child, Assistant director
Takumi Kuriyama 栗山: Chestnut mountain
Fumikazu Kimura 木村: Tree village
Outfielders:
Yuji Kaneko 金子 侑司: Gold child, Assistant director
Takumi Kuriyama 栗山: Chestnut mountain
Fumikazu Kimura 木村: Tree village
Manaya Nishikawa 西川: West River
Seiji Kawagoe 川越: River surpass
Masato Kumashiro 熊代: Bear substitute (Fun fact: Shiro is a homophone for the color white (白). Unfortunately the kanji shows he's not a polar bear.)
Shohei Suzuki 鈴木: Bell tree
Daisuke Togawa 戸川: Door river
[Aito] Takeda 武田 愛斗: Military paddy, Love Big Dipper / Ladle (Takeda has his first name registered)
Wataru Takagi 高木 渉: Tall Tree, Ford (as in fording or crossing a river)
Seiji Kawagoe 川越: River surpass
Masato Kumashiro 熊代: Bear substitute (Fun fact: Shiro is a homophone for the color white (白). Unfortunately the kanji shows he's not a polar bear.)
Shohei Suzuki 鈴木: Bell tree
Daisuke Togawa 戸川: Door river
[Aito] Takeda 武田 愛斗: Military paddy, Love Big Dipper / Ladle (Takeda has his first name registered)
Wataru Takagi 高木 渉: Tall Tree, Ford (as in fording or crossing a river)
Junichiro Kishi 岸: Beach
===
Ikusei:
Tomomi Takahashi 髙橋 朋己: Tall bridge, Companion self
Aoi Tono 東野: East Field
===
Ikusei:
Tomomi Takahashi 髙橋 朋己: Tall bridge, Companion self
Aoi Tono 東野: East Field
Toshihiro Idei 出井: Exit Well
Jiyu Okubo 大窪: Large Cavity (or cave in / depression).
Beware, 窪 has multiple meanings
Daichi Nakaguma 中熊: Center Bear
===
Manager and Coaches:
Hatsuhiko Tsuji 辻: Intersection
Toshifumi Baba 馬場: Horse Place
Jiyu Okubo 大窪: Large Cavity (or cave in / depression).
Beware, 窪 has multiple meanings
Daichi Nakaguma 中熊: Center Bear
===
Manager and Coaches:
Hatsuhiko Tsuji 辻: Intersection
Toshifumi Baba 馬場: Horse Place
Kiyoshi Toyoda 豊田: Rich Paddy
Shigenobu Shima 嶋: Island
Masahiro Abe 阿部: Corner head of Yamato Group (saw Africa for Abe's name, but too confusing)
Kosaku Akimoto 秋元: Autumn Beginning
Fumiya Nishiguchi 西口: West Mouth
Tomoaki Sato 佐藤: Assistant Wisteria
Kazuo Matsui 松井: Pine Tree Well
Hiroyuki Takagi 高木 浩之: Tall Tree, This Abundance
Kento Sugiyama 杉山: Cedar Mountain
Ming-Chieh Hsu 许: Permit
Kosuke Noda 野田: Field Paddy, Abundance of help
Satoshi Kuroda 黒田: Black Paddy
Shogo Akada 赤田: Red Paddy
Hiroshi Hirao 平尾: Flat Tail
Eiji Kiyokawa 清川: Pure River
Shigenobu Shima 嶋: Island
Masahiro Abe 阿部: Corner head of Yamato Group (saw Africa for Abe's name, but too confusing)
Kosaku Akimoto 秋元: Autumn Beginning
Fumiya Nishiguchi 西口: West Mouth
Tomoaki Sato 佐藤: Assistant Wisteria
Kazuo Matsui 松井: Pine Tree Well
Hiroyuki Takagi 高木 浩之: Tall Tree, This Abundance
Kento Sugiyama 杉山: Cedar Mountain
Ming-Chieh Hsu 许: Permit
Kosuke Noda 野田: Field Paddy, Abundance of help
Satoshi Kuroda 黒田: Black Paddy
Shogo Akada 赤田: Red Paddy
Hiroshi Hirao 平尾: Flat Tail
Eiji Kiyokawa 清川: Pure River
Tatsuyuki Uemoto 上本: Top Book
Tatsuya Ozeki 小関: Small Connection
Norio Tanabe 田辺: Paddy Border
===
Bonus: Foreigners
As a continuous gag, we reverse translate the foreigners to see what their name in Japanese would literally look like, not just katakana sounds. Here is what their names would look like in kanji. Chinese names also included, though Hsu is listed with the coaches.
Zach Neal ニール: Senshuken [選手権]. Neal's name has Gaelic origins meaning "Champion." Senshuken could also mean a title besides a championship.
Ernesto Mejia メヒア: Kyuseishu [救世主] . Mejia's name means "Messiah" or "Savior" in latin/greek origin.
Reed Garrett ギャレット: Tsuyoyari [強槍]. Garrett is a "Strong Spear" with German and French origins .
Cory Spangenberg スパンジェンバーグ: Tomegane [留金]. Spangenberg derives from Spange, which is a clasp or buckles in German.
