Report: Hotaka Yamakawa deactivated from Seibu Lions roster

Prior to Wednesday night's game against the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, the Saitama Seibu Lions had to make a corresponding move in order to make room for Ryoma Nogami on the ichi-gun team as he was scheduled to start. The move ended up being one of two players who excelled in preseason.

Hotaka Yamakawa became the casualty on the ichi-gun roster after an ineffective first-four games to the 2016 season. Yamakawa, 24, made the team and was the starting first baseman on opening day. In 12 plate appearances he failed to get a hit and only drew a walk.

On Tuesday night, he had an RBI groundout and had a sacrifice bunt at the bottom of the order. He will not be eligible to return to the ichi-gun roster until April 9.

Despite starting well in the preseason and being nicknamed "Okawari-II" for his large size, Yamakawa's power wasn't seen in the regular season. The Lions were playing Ernesto Mejia as the designated hitter, meaning there were three players who weighed more than 100 kilograms on the roster at the same time.

With this deactivation, the Lions were able to have Tomoya Mori start as the team's designated hitter for the first time in 2016, a position he held last year. Mori, 20, didn't have a position in the field after the Lions shut down his experiment of being a catcher.

When looking at the roster, there were only two options to choose from. The Lions could've deactivated a reserve in Daichi Mizuguchi due to being the last on the depth chart or Yamakawa due to performance, where they chose the latter.

While Yamakawa has a chance to come back to the ichi-gun, it appears unlikely for the short term as he will need to impress at the ni-gun level. He was originally a second round draft pick in 2012 Fuji University and was teammates with Shuta Tonosaki as well as Shinsaburo Tawata at the college level. Yamakawa's origin out of high school is in Okinawa, where he was also teammates with Tawata.

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2016 Seibu Lions Weekly Digest: Sayonara on Opening Day, Series taken

The Saitama Seibu Lions had an Opening Day and early series for the ages. All three games were sold out for a packed Seibu Dome with plenty of action.

On Opening Day, it was the battle of Orix ace Chihiro Kaneko against Yusei Kikuchi. Both pitchers had a decent duel, but the Buffaloes struck first after a two-run RBI hit from new import Brian Bogusevic. An error on Hotaka Yamakawa led to the rally and runs in the fourth inning.

Kikuchi would last six innings with only one earned run. On the otherhand, Kaneko was on cruise control where only Shogo Akiyama put up a fight. The Lions leadoff hitter drew multiple walks and was able to get on base. Orix rookie Masataka Yoshida would contribute as the leadoff hitter getting two key hits to setup chances.

Orix tacked on another run in the seventh after Chun-Lin Kuo struggled with his control having two walks. Shota Takekuma was able to get out of the inning, but the Lions trailed by three and only had one base hit leading up to that point.

Despite Kaneko's dominance, his control began to fade as his pitch count was past the 100 pitch mark in the bottom of the 7th. He would walk pinch hitters Takayuki Uemoto and Tomoya Mori which gave a chance for Akiyama. The reigning hits leader got his first base hit after the ball struck first base and swooped past Eiichi Koyano into right field as Uemoto scored for the first run.

Takumi Kuriyama would get a sacrifice fly and Ernesto Mejia tied the game on a two-out single. Suddenly there was life and C.C. Lee made his NPB debut with a scoreless 8th.

Tomomi Takahashi would take the 9th and had trouble drawing outs, having runners on the corners. He drew two infield fly balls, but an awkward bounce where Brent Morel hit a comebacker off Takahashi' leg would go away from any player and a runner scored from third.

Takahashi would leave the game with an injury and his conditions are unknown. Tatsushi Masuda struck out one batter to reduce the damage and it would be crucial. Akiyama drew a walk with one out off Erik Cordier and advanced to 2nd on a bad throw pickoff attempt.

Captain Kuriyama would hit a triple into the right-center field gap and tied the game. After Shotaro Tashiro came in as a pinch runner, Ernesto Mejia delivered the finishing blow with a gapper of his own and the Lions would win in Sayonara fashion.

It was a tremendous come from behind win where the Lions had no business winning. The hits wouldn't come until late and they only drew walks off Kaneko.

Seibu Lions 5 Orix Buffaloes 4

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In Game 2, Ken Togame had a poor start, allowing five runs which were all earned. He struck our four batters, but allowed base hit after base hit with each run coming in the first inning alone. The third inning featured a houdini, where he escaped a jam with two runners on and no outs.

Despite the 5-0 deficit to begin, the Lions were still getting on base as Orix started a rookie in Taisuke Kondo. They were able to score one run off of him in the third, but nothing more even though there were early chances.

In the fourth, Orix went with another rookie in relief in Ken Akama and his lack of control opened the door. With several walks and even errors on the infield, the Lions would tie the game after an error on Masahiro Nishino where he couldn't hold onto the ball at second base for what should have been a routine out.

The Lions followed up with a two out rally in the fifth as Takeya "Okawari-kun" would deliver the go-ahead single. Hideto Asamura would also add insurance with an RBI single of his own.  Kuriyama added a two-run single in the 6th inning and the team would never look back.

Kazuhisa Makita was inserted in the fourth inning as a long reliever and he finished the game for the final six innings. He had four strikeouts, two HBP and a walk, but Norio Tanabe kept confidence in him and Makita was helped with great infield defense.

With the Lions scoring nine unanswered runs, Makita would earn his first win of the season as a "bullpen ace". This is a move that both Christian and Wes have advocated for, as a submarine pitcher is a completely different change of pace in the middle of the game compared to seeing an overarm pitcher to start. We hope this trend can continue.

The Lions also benefited from Orix not playing their best pitcher for Game 2. It could have just been a "baptism of fire" to get all nerves out of the way early in the season and it didn't have the vibe of a "win now" decision. Orix's pitchers lacked control and the Lions were able to take advantage of it the entire game, having a runner on base in all eight innings they were at the plate.

Seibu Lions 9 Orix Buffaloes 5

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In Game 3, it was the battle of foreign pitchers Andy Van Hekken and Brandon Dickson with the former making his NPB debut. It was a rough start for Van Hekken, as he allowed three runs in the first two innings giving up a flurry of hits.

However, the Lions would answer back with three runs of their own in the third inning. Asamura and Okawari-kun would add some RBIs and even Ginjiro Sumitani would reach on an infield single to contribute.

Sumitani would be too aggressive on a throw trying to pickoff a runner with the bases loaded and Orix took the lead for good. Kuo would struggle again and walk runners for Shota Takekuma. Bogusevic added insurance for the Buffaloes to make it 5-3.

The Lions were on base for every inning in this game, but the situational hitting just wasn't there minus the one inning. Yamakawa had a discouraging start of going 0-9 in the series and had a double play when the bases were loaded.

In the ninth inning, there was a chance for the team as the bases were loaded for Shuta Tonosaki as Cordier was pitching. The young shortstop unfortunately struck out on a 1-2 pitch upstairs and Orix prevented a sweep.

Orix Buffaloes 5 Seibu Lions 3

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The Lions will now head on the road to Fukuoka to face the Softbank Hawks as well as Sendai for see the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Takayuki Kishi will start in Fukuoka along with Ryoma Nogami.  With a 2-1 opening record, the Lions are tied with the Chiba Lotte Marines for first place in the Pacific League.

It was an encouraging series where the Lions were not dead and trailed every game. The offense is still in feast or famine mode depending on the pitcher, but the plate discipline looked a lot smarter through three games. Middle relief is suspect, but we were happy that the Lions decided to go with Makita as a long reliever.

The other encouraging thing was Norio Tanabe not bunting often as well as stealing fewer bases. We won't know as much about them through three games, but one thing is for sure: They're competitive to the last out.

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Wes Mills also contributed to this story

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2016 Seibu Lions need to BEAST in order to make the postseason

The 2016 season begins today. Expectations for the Saitama Seibu Lions become an interesting thing for the year ahead.

There's plenty of subplots and question marks to look at. Can the Lions bullpen hold up? Can the rotation last a full season? Will Hideto Asamura and Tomoya Mori play well for a full season? What happens to Shinsaburo Tawata? How does Kona Takahashi do in his second year?

Questions will be answered as time goes on, but how much can we expect out of this team? There's expectations from us here at Graveyard Baseball.

The English speaking NPB media doesn't see a whole lot out of the Lions, which causes doubt due to their inside information. There's reason for hope and also for feeling down.

This Lions team is expected anywhere between 3rd and 5th in the Pacific League. The Fukuoka Softbank Hawks are the undisputed favorites to win it all again while the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters should be a solid second place.

We think the Fighters have vulnerability at pitching, but their hitting couldn't be stopped by the Lions arms. The Lions own the best front-end talent among the rest of the Pacific League teams, but the depth is a problem. The Chiba Lotte Marines owns the depth chart in comparison, but the Lions have what it takes to be the answer to Softbank.

The Orix Buffaloes have the starting pitching to compete, but there's question marks on their hitting as well as bullpen. They're also in a "lame duck" situation with Junichi Fukura as a short term manager. The Rakuten Eagles will have improvements offensively, but their pitching won't last to contend for a playoff spot.

Starting pitching and bullpen will determine how the third playoff spot will be among the Lions, Marines and Buffaloes. Each team has their share of decent starters, but all of them have bullpen uncertainty.

There's a lot of intriguing things in this Lions team due to their top-end talent, but the rotation and bullpen could be a problem if it's not respectable down the stretch. The strikeouts need to improve for the pitchers while the defense has carried the team in games.

In the first half of 2015, the Lions gave everyone a tease with a decent amount of wins. Then it took a historic losing streak of 13 consecutive losses which brought the Marines back in the race. They rode a mediocre rotation and bullpen towards the end of the year while the offense was also inconsistent.

We cannot expect another record season from Shogo Akiyama, but he should still be an effective leadoff hitter by getting on base. Takumi Kuriyama needs to rebound while Ryo Sakata has a chance to win the everyday right field job.

It will take a team effort, with better stability at right field, possibly more offense at shortstop and the hope for an upgraded rotation/bullpen with the additions of Andy Van Hekken and C.C. Lee, respectively. While no one is high on the Lions, this could bode well for them, as there weren't expectations in 2015 either.

If the Lions can get contributions from their imports, combined with growth in the rotation and bullpen among young pitchers like Chun-Lin Kuo and rookie Tawata, they would be in good shape for a playoff spot.

Politics within Seibu could also play an issue, as we view this as a lame duck season for manager Norio Tanabe. Tetsuya Shiozaki was promoted from farm manager to being the head coach (bench coach) this season waiting in the wings for next year. This could mean Tanabe takes more risks knowing his back is against the wall no matter how this team does in 2016.

Regardless, we'll be with you all through this journey and our first full season of writing and covering the Lions. We've been watching this team for a very short time at the start of 2015, but didn't begin writing until the middle of the year. Here, we hope to provide the best coverage with all things Seibu Lions exclusively in English. From podcast episodes to recapping the team each week to even some general thoughts on other things around NPB, we will be paying attention.

Enjoy your baseball everyone and Ganbarre Raionzu.

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2016 Seibu Lions Opening Day Roster released

Yusei Kikuchi will start on Opening Day

The Saitama Seibu Lions Opening Day roster was released on Wednesday night. This will be the first 28-man man active roster for the season.

We explained how top rosters and farm teams work here. Here is some early analysis of each player who made the team for Opening Day.

Pitchers

Starters: 

Yusei Kikuchi: Kikuchi was announced as the Opening Day Starter for March 25 against the Orix Buffaloes. This is also a tactical decision based on the first six games of the schedule.  More on this later.

Andy Van Hekken: The Lions paid about $1.7 million for the rights to Van Hekken in purchasing his contract from the KBO's Nexen Heroes as well as his wages for the 2016 season. He should be pegged as the No. 3 or No. 4 starter in the rotation in the beginning.

Ken Togame: After having an All-Star first half of 2015, Togame slipped and gave up his share of home runs in the second half. He could be a decent back end starter, but in the short term, the Lions will need to depend on him most likely for the opening series.

Where is Takayuki Kishi you ask?  The Lions will save their rotation and players for the following series against the Softbank Hawks starting on March 29th. They can save money (and service time) by waiting to activate the starters they have in line by putting only three starters on the active roster and adding the rest on the day they're expected to start in Fukuoka.

This would mean we expect Kikuchi, Van Hekken and Togame to take the opening series against the Buffaloes from 3/25-3/27.  Ryoma Nogami will also be in the rotation and is pegged to face the Hawks on March 30. The Lions won't need a sixth starter until April 21st, as the schedule indicates three consecutive five-game weeks, not counting the opening three games.

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Bullpen: 

Chun-Lin Kuo: The Taiwanese pitcher is entering his second year playing professional baseball. He was a sixth starter last season and it looks like he could appear out of the pen in middle relief. We like this decision to put him in the bullpen as he would struggle when facing the lineup the second time through the order.

Kazuhisa Makita: Makita is taking on a new role as a reliever. His submarine arm could be handy out of the bullpen as a change of pace. He has experience with the Samurai Japan team as a relief arm.

Tatsushi Masuda: Masuda was the setup man in 2015, could he be the closer after the competition was uncertain?

Yosuke Okamoto: Okamoto was viewed as unreliable in the first half of 2015, but had a better second half of drawing the weak contact and ground balls. He could be handy in middle relief as early as the 6th or 7th innings.

Tomomi Takahashi: Takahashi hard a brutal second half where he lost his closer role last season. He is coming off a foot injury and it's uncertain if he will return to being the closer or not. At minimum, he could take the setup role for the 8th on Opening Day.

Shota Takekuma: Takekuma was decent out of the bullpen as he would mostly come in for the 7th inning. Norio Tanabe would also use him as a lefty specialist, but he's more than just a one out person.

C.C. Lee: The new foreign import from the Cleveland Indians organization, Lee could also become the closer if the Lions see him fit. He should provide better stability on the back end so that Tanabe isn't forced to used Masuda/Takekuma too often.

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Catchers: 

Ginjiro Sumitani: "Gin-Chan" should be the everyday starter at catcher for his defense. Even though he provides a hole offensively.

Masatoshi Okada: Okada can be a respectable catcher when given a chance. He's a better hitter than Gin-Chan and could see time if there is struggles from the latter.

Tatsuyuki Uemoto: Mostly a longtime reserve catcher, the veteran will be on the roster for opening day. He can hit better for catcher's standards, but not worth having behind the plate everyday.  Tanabe could use him as a pinch hit option.

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Infielders: 

Hideto Asamura: Asamura is hoping to have a full season with a strong bat. He struggled in the second half after showing what he is capable of in the first half. Asamura will be the everyday 2B.

Takeya "Okawari-kun" Nakamura: The Pacific League's home run king is supposed to have reduced time in the field with more of a focus at DH. However, some other developments could mean the DH position will continue to rotate.

Ernesto Mejia: Mejia is back hoping for a season of redemption after having a rough 2015 for two-thirds of the year. He still had 27 home runs, but we hope he can get to 30 at minimum. It's possible he could be playing DH for more games.

Shuta Tonosaki: After playing in 43 games as a rookie last year, the Lions expect big things from him as the starting shortstop. He has speed and is improving on defense, but it's unsure how his bat can be. There's a lot of raw tools which will be a work in progress as the season goes on.

Hotaka Yamakawa: After spending two years in ni-gun, Yamakawa worked his way to the ichi-gun roster for opening day. He could get a significant number of games at 1B if they like his bat. He provides extra power and could be another "Okawari" for the Lions, meaning the team would have two towers playing the corner infield positions.

Daichi Mizuguchi: The big early surprise is Mizuguchi making the roster. He was promoted from the ikusei in the middle of 2015 after a productive season in ni-gun. If everything goes right, he will be the first ikusei player in Lions history to play in an ichi-gun game. Expect the Lions to use him as a pinch runner.

Yuji Onizaki: Onizaki is a hole offensively, but is a defensive whiz. He should be a late inning replacement for defense at the end of a game.

Naoto Watanabe: He's a utility infielder capable of being a spell defender if anyone needs a day off. He isn't the most flashy of the group, but Watanabe can provide a respectable bat if needed. Expect Watanabe to play 3B if Okawari-kun needs a day off or SS for defense.

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Outfielders: 

Takumi Kuriyama: The captain hopes to have a better 2016 as he was benched and even moved down in the order last season. He should be aiming for the .290 mark in batting average.

Shogo Akiyama: Akiyama is coming off a record 2015 season where he won't repeat it most likely, but will he show the same discipline in 2016? He showed no signs of slowing down in the preseason and should continue to be an effective leadoff hitter.

Ryo Sakata: Sakata had a promising 2013 season, but was derailed by injuries which had him sitout the entire 2014 season. After making the opening day roster in 2015, he spent majority of the year in ni-gun after being ineffective with the bat. He won the competition in right field through training camp and preseason, but can he keep it? It would go a long way to providing stability for the bats if he can continue his strong run from preseason and promise from three years ago.

Tomoya Mori: Mori was initially tried out at catcher, but Tanabe ended the experiment and the team is telling him to focus on his bat. He will only appear in right field if they feel he's needed for his hitting abilities. Mori should also see time at DH.

Masato Kumashiro: The "Bear" has mostly been a reserve outfielder, but initially gained playing time a few years ago. Last year, he was demoted to being the 5th and 6th outfielder for the team. He will be playing mostly for defense in the late innings.

Shotaro Tashiro: Tashiro has only seen a handful of games with the ichi-gun in his career. This could also be the same for 2016 unless he finds a solid role. He will mostly be a pinch runner if not defensive replacement for the end of games. If the Lions want to deactivate someone, he would most likely be the option if another outfielder emerges from ni-gun.  Right field could still be by committee and the revolving door will create players being activated/deactivated for the season.

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The Lions have multiple pinch running options at the start of the year, but expect this roster to change up and down as the season goes on. When the team has an established rotation, we should see more pitchers on the roster.

The major storyline will be how the Lions use the designated hitter position among Mori, Yamakawa, Okawari-kun and even Mejia due to plenty of offensive power. Someone has to sit on the bench at the start of the game and right now, it looks like Mori could be the odd man out.

We hope the team can BEAST through the 2016 season after last year's disappointment.  Ganbarre Raionzu.

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Seibu Lions 2016 Preseason: Stock up/down

Okawari-kun isn't going anywhere, but where do the others place?

 The 2016 NPB preseason (open-sen) is officially over. While some players were already guaranteed a roster spot, others had a chance to improve themselves and bring good will the the organization.

Here, we will look at players who were affected by preseason and will most likely play a role (or not) for 2016 at the start due to how they did in practice and Open-sen.

Stock up

1B Hotaka Yamakawa: A second round draft pick from 2013, Yamakawa had an impressive spring training showing some extra pop in the lineup and was hitting above .300.  His defense to be at 1B was adequate and it's possible he could see a handful of starts there.  

SS Shuta Tonosaki: The Lions organization has been high on Tonosaki since he made his way to the ichi-gin last year as a rookie. There may be some growing pains at SS, but they're willing to play him and he earned his spot over Yuji Kaneko and Yuji Onizaki, who are more defensive specialists.  

OF Ryo Sakata: The right field position has been a revolving door. After training camp, it appears that Sakata has emerged as the Opening day starter. If he can bring stability to a position that's been in flux, it could go a long way for the 2016 season. After a promising 2013, he battled an injury that sidelined him for 2014 and some poor batting led to most of last year in ni-gun.  

SP Isamu Sato: Sato was a high school draft pick who has remained in the organization since 2012. He had a better preseason and camp, which could lead to his ichi-gun debut in 2016. It's possible they could have him as a sixth starter or spot starter if needed. 

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Stock down

OF Fumikazu Kimura: A former pitcher, Fumikazu Kimura looks like he'll only come up to the ichi-gun for a handful of matchups. He appeared in 49 games last year and with the emergence of others, he will stay down as a result.  

C/DH/OF Tomoya Mori: The Lions thought they could get Mori to his natural position at catcher, but it ended up not working as he struggled behind the plate. Runners in practice games were stealing on him and there were a share of wild pitches allowed. Norio Tanabe will have to get creative on when to play him in the lineup as a DH or a right fielder. However, he should be playing quite a bit in 2016, even though his stock as a catcher defensively went down.  

 P Makoto Aiuchi: Aiuchi was a high school draft pick of the Lions, but recently suffered an elbow injury setback in camp. He was forced to rehab in ni-gun camp after initially being in ichi-gun camp at the start. He is only 21, but it is a long journey to get back to starting with this recent injury. 

P Esmerling Vasquez: The Lions were playing quite a few games in preseason, treating it like it's simulated for the regular season.  With C.C. Lee receiving more playing time over Vasquez, it's clear the latter will begin the 2016 in ni-gun as organizational depth.  
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Report: Kona Takahashi fractures cheek bone in ni-gun game

Saitama Seibu Lions pitcher Kona Takahashi will have to wait in order to play with the ichi-gun team.

On Sunday afternoon at a ni-gun game against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Takahashi was hit in the face by a ball on a return throw from either the umpire or catcher. He remained in the game and went five innings, being credited with the win, but was diagnosed with a fractured cheek bone. Takahashi is expected to be re-evaluated on Monday, March 21.

Takahashi, 19, was the Lions' first round draft pick in 2014 out of Maebashi Ikuei high school. He made his debut in August and went 5-2 last season. Takahashi earned the Pacific League Pitching MVP for the month of August where he also earned a shutout.

He is primarily remembered for being the ace and he became a Koshien champion in 2013, carrying the team through the tournament. The Lions view him as the next ace for the long run.

With Takahashi out indefinitely, the Lions have plenty of options to fill the starting rotation. Yusei Kikuchi will be the opening day starter while Takayuki Kishi is currently the ace. Ken Togame, Kazuhisa Makita, Ryoma Nogami and Andy Van Hekken are also expected to contribute to the rotation.

Shinzaburo Tawata, the Lions' 2015 first round draft pick, is also injured as he recovers from a shoulder injury he suffered last year. Chun-Lin Kuo was a 6th starter last year while farm pitcher Isamu Sato has made his case to be in the rotation through a good spring training.

On June 24, the Lions are expected to play in Maebashi, Gunma against the Chiba Lotte Marines, which is Takahashi's hometown.

Update: Takahashi's condition is not viewed as serious, but he will be out for the Opening Week of the season. It appears that he lost his footing when receiving a ball thrown by the umpire, which struck his face.

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Spring Koshien 2016: Which schools are represented by Lions players?

Spring Koshien is about to kickoff. As a result, the nation begins to start watching some high school baseball.

Summer Koshien is the more premier of the two tournaments, but this event still has some importance. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles propsect Tomohio Anraku was once featured on ESPN for his performance at the Spring Koshien.

With the tournament beginning, here is a  look at which schools are connected to the Saitama Seibu Lions roster. Multiple schools are represented. Prefectures of each school are in parentheses.

Tsuruga Kehi (Fukui): P Yusuke Tamamura


Tamamura was as fourth round pick of the Lions in 2014. He mostly spent time as a reliever for ni-gun in 2015.

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Osaka Toin (Osaka): 2B Hideto Asamura, 3B Takeya "Okawari-kun" Nakamura, C Masatoshi Okada, C/OF/DH Tomoya Mori

This group of players is pretty well-documented. Asamura, Okawari-kun and Mori made the all-star game in 2015 easily while Okada is the backup catcher. In 2013, Okada and Mori were drafted in the same class, where the former was taken out of an industrial league team and the latter came straight out of high school. Osaka Toin is a powerhouse which includes Ryosuke Hirata (Chunich Dragons), Shintaro Fujinami (Hanshin Tigers) and Sho Nakata (Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters)

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Kaisei (Nagasaki): IF Kyohei Nagae

Nagae is mostly a reserve shortstop who is good for the late innings. He's a defensive replacement player for the ichi-gun.

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Nichinan Gakuen (Miyazaki): P Yuta Nakazaki

Nakazaki was formerly a first round pick of the Lions in 2008 straight out of high school. Unfortunately he has not contributed much with the ichi-gun. The other notable player to come from Nichinan Gakuen is Softbank pitcher Hayato Terahara.

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Hanasaki Tokuharu (Saitama): OF Aito Otaki

Otaki is the Lions' fourth round draft pick from last fall out of high school. He played in the 2015 Summer Koshien tournament with a majority of this team heading into Spring Koshien.

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The first games begin on March 20, which will be in the evening on March 19th for those in North America. Be sure to contact @Eigokokoyakyu for any insight and a legal stream to watch it all.

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