History: First Draft Pick Retrospective

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History: First Draft Pick Retrospective

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By Hamish Campbell
The Edinburgh News

Welcome to tradition.

This is the first installment in a retrospective look at the first pick made by the Claymores in the annual amateur draft as part of an effort to make the franchise history more accessible and to delve into the treasure trove that is PEBA’s history.

We start in the earliest days of the franchise when it was a member of the League of the Rising Sun in Japan and known as the Fushigi Yugi Celestial Warriors. Then, we’ll look at the picks from the team’s inaugural run in the PEBA as the Dayton Flyers and finally examine the players taken during its current incarnation as the Scottish Claymores.

In most cases, the first player was taken in the opening round of the draft, but occasionally trades or other considerations pushed the pick into a later round. Regardless of whether the player was taken in the initial round or later in the draft, we will spotlight the first player taken in a given year.

As part of the project, we look at the player’s career record, major awards won and other accomplishments of note. Finally, we make an admittedly subjective evaluation of the pick and the value it brought to the team.

In some cases, a draft might receive an excellent overall grade but bring little value to the franchise because the player was traded or left for free agency before he could contribute much.

Let the chips fall, we say.

Here, then, is a look at 21 years worth of Claymores' draft picks. And don't worry - this will be a living document. As the seasons roll by, we’ll add the list, both with profiles of new draft picks and updates on what's happened with the older picks.

2007: Shinsui Hoshino, 1st Round, 4th Pick


Shinsui Hoshino was a left-handed hitting center fielder who was taken with Fushigi Yugi’s inaugural first round selection. After a couple of years in the minors, he broke in with the big club in 2010 and lasted … all of 42 games. The historical record is vague on the hows and whys of Hoshino’s departure from the Celestial Warriors, but he ended 2010 with Shin Seiki, where he went on to have a 9-year career before winding things up with a two-year stint in London in 2021 and 2022. During his LRS career, Hoshino compiled a pedestrian .240 career B.A. with 129 HRs, 366 RBI, and 17.2 WAR. His PEBA years were little more than a footnote, with a .162 career BA, 18 homers, 39 RBI, and 1.0 WAR.

Based on longevity alone, you have to say that Hoshino was a reasonably solid pick, although not necessarily what you’d hope for in the No. 4 pick of the first-round. The Celestial Warriors realized essentially none of his career value; his most successful years were with the Evas. His best overall season: 2014, when he slashed .263/.336/.509 with 29 homers, 74 RBIs, and 4.6 WAR. He made two LRS-All Star Teams, in 2011 and 2014, and won 4 all-league fielding awards. In 2021, while a member of the London Underground, Hoshino drove in 7 runs in a game against the New Jersey Hitmen.

Assessment: C+
Value to franchise: None that can be readily discerned.

2008: Munemori Okubo, 1st Round, 5th Pick


Munemori Okubo was a right-handed hitting (but left-handed throwing) right fielder who was the 5th overall player taken in the first round. Unfortunately, he is the living definition of a draft bust: he lasted 6 seasons, and – except for 4 games in 2014 – all of them were spent in the minors. His first 2 years, 2009 and 2010, were his most productive, where he played for Fushigi’s AAA club, but never hit more than .204.

His career totals in the minors: .200/.249/.283, with 14 homers, 93 RBIs, and -4.5 WAR.

Assessment: F
Value to Franchise: Squadoosh

2009: No Record of any draft picks


2010: Jotaro Chikuda, 2nd Round, 6th Pick


Jotaro Chikuda was a right-handed hitting left fielder who had a 10-year professional career, with portions of 3 seasons in the LRS. Chikuda spent most of his career in the Fushigi minor-league system, slashing .279/.344/.402 with 56 homers, 305 RBIs and 11.5 WAR at the AAA level. His numbers in the LRS were on a par with those: .287/.338/.409 with 11 HRs, 74 RBIs, and 0.4 WAR. He retired following the 2019 season. Although Chikuda certainly wasn’t a bust, he wasn’t exactly a raging success, either, since he was mostly a minor-league player. Still, he played a few years in the Show and didn’t embarrass himself, so the pick merits a passing grade.

Assessment: C-
Value to Franchise: Meh.

2011: Yosuke "Bus Driver" Imai, 1st Round, 8th Pick



No matter how you slice it – his LRS numbers or his PEBA numbers – Yosuke Imai has been an unqualified success. Unfortunately, most of his prodigious production has benefitted teams other than the Claymores (primarily Seoul in the LRS, and Havana in the PEBA). Imai was traded to the Crushers while a minor leaguer as part of a 5-player swap. He made 5 All-Star teams and was named the top fielding catcher in the LRS 4 times. His 6-year LRS career included a .333/.401/.463 slash line, 56 home runs, 358 RBIs and 24.7 WAR. He led the LRS in batting average 3 times: in 2017 (.349);
2018 (.342); and 2019 (.343).

But, as they say on those late night TV commercials, wait! There’s more! His PEBA career totals, though less gaudy than his Japanese totals, are still more than solid: .275/.358/.402, with 98 HRs, 450 RBIs, and 24.5 WAR.

Over his career in both major leagues, Imai had 6 walk-off hits to win games, 2 grand slams, and twice went 5-5 in a game.

Now, as his career is starting to wind down, the prodigal returned for the 2028 and 2029 seasons: Imai has been a key member of the lineup as the Claymores in both of their Wild Card playoff seasons. The team let him enter free agency at the end of 2029 to let him try for one more big payday, but have not ruled out bringing him back if he doesn't draw interest from other teams.

Assessment: A
Value to Franchise: Solid. His 2028 and 2029 contributions were significant, and we can’t discount the substantial production of Augusto Delgado (who came to Fushigi Yugi as part of the deal with Seoul).



2012: Katsuhiko Yamamoto, 3rd Round, 8th Pick



Katsuhiko Yamamoto was a right-handed pitcher who put together a 13-year career with the franchise, with at least parts of 8 of those seasons in the majors. But to call his career anything but mediocre would be stretching things. Yamamoto had a 4-pitch repertoire, all of which were pretty ordinary except for his splitter, which was his “out” pitch. Yamamoto started his career in the bullpen, but closed it out as a starter.

His LRS career numbers were, um, undistinguished: a 6.18 ERA over 10 games, a 2-2 won-lost record, 5 walks and 31 K’s.

While his PEBA stats are similarly uninspiring, he got substantially more work once the franchise moved to first Dayton and then Edinburgh. His PEBA record included a career ERA of 4.22 over 108 games, a 28-42 record with 1 save, 315 K’s and 141 walks. His WHIP was 1.26, FIP was 4.86, and Command Ratio 2.23. His WAR: 6.0.

Assessment: C-
Value to Franchise: Fair. His best season, in 2024, was solid for a team that went 65-97: 8-13, 3.36 ERA, 4.86 FIP, 2.35 Command Ratio and 3.3 WAR.



2013: Hirotaka Murakami, 1st Round, 7th Pick



Hirotaka Murakami was a left-handed hitting center fielder who terrorized LRS pitchers for 4 seasons, and didn’t let up much once he joined the PEBA. He didn’t hit for a lot of power, necessarily, but he hit a lot. Unfortunately – and this has become something of a recurring theme – he didn’t do it for the Claymores franchise. Again, the annals of history are a bit fuzzy on just how he left, but Murakami did much of his damage for Seoul, although he returned to the fold (Fushigi Yumi and then Dayton) from 2020-2022 before moving to Tempe as a free agent and then mysteriously retiring at age 28 half-way through the 2023 season.

During his LRS years, Murakami slashed .336/.402/.457 with 33 homers, 260 RBIs and 11.7 WAR. He made the All-Star team in 2018, when he led the league in hits with 186 and runs with 103, and again in 2020.

In PEBA, Murakami slashed .293/.344/.406 with 24 homers, 124 RBIs and 4.6 WAR, and was selected to the Imperial League All Star squad in 2022. When Murakami announced his retirement, he had appeared in 41 games and had been playing excellent ball. The Tempe general manager posted this as part of an All-Star break roundup of his team:

On the other hand, 3-time all-star Hirotaka Murakami retires at age 28. He played 3 months after signing a 3 year 19.5m free agency contract with us. He was hitting .324 with 5 HR's and 15 RBI's at the time and was even named the player of the week the month before. This one just doesn't sit well. He doesn't have any injuries and is playing well. Maybe more playing time is the reason? Of course I don’t have control of that so idk for sure.

Assessment: A-
Value to Franchise: Good. His years in Dayton were productive and included his PEBA All-Star appearance. We ding him a bit because he retired so early, but there’s no question he was a terrific player.


2014: Nobuharu Okamura, 1st Round, 7th Pick


Nobuharu Okamura was a right-handed pitcher who spent most of his 11-year career as a starter – and a pretty effective one, at that. Also noteworthy: most of his career was spent with the Fushigi Yugi/Claymores franchise.

Okamura’s most effective seasons were earlier in his career while pitching in the LRS. In 2015, he was named the No. 38 prospect in the LRS, and he was soon promoted to the major league club. During his LRS career, he compiled a 65-44 record with a 3.89 career ERA, 592 strikeouts and 289 walks. His career FIP was 3.80, his BABIP was .303, and his Command Ratio was 2.05. He won the Bright Blade Group Rookie of the Month and Pitcher of the Month once each in 2015, and would go on to win Pitcher of the Month three more times in his career.

The peak of Okamura’s career came in 2017 and 2018, when he was a key member of the starting rotation of the best teams in franchise history: the Celestial Warriors made the LRS playoffs both years, and won the league championship in 2018. In 2017, Okamura was 14-5 with a 2.99 ERA (second in the league for wins and ERA), and in the title-winning year he was 11-5 with a 3.26 ERA (6th in the league).

The PEBA years, while the team was in Dayton, were less storied: a 22-35 record, with an ERA of 5.90, 194 K’s and 109 walks. He was released after the 2024 season, then bounced around the minors for a couple of seasons and finally called it quits in 2027.

Assessment: B-
Value to Franchise: Good. He was a solid starter for several seasons, and an integral part of a championship club. Hard to argue with those accomplishments, although we dock his grade a bit because his good stretch was shorter than you would like.


2015: Tokuma Kondoh, 1st Round, 6th Pick


Tokuma Kondoh was a baseball tragedy: a phenomenal talent brought low by a series of catastrophic injuries. After a strong showing in A ball following the draft, Kondoh was promoted to AAA in 2016 and was promptly named the No. 7 major league prospect. In late June, though, he suffered a serious elbow injury and had to sit for 3 months. In 2017, he was back on the mound and looking as good as ever. He was named the No. 2 prospect, and by mid-season he was starting for the major league club, where he went 9-3 with a 2.87 ERA. In 2018, the LRS Championship season for Fushigi Yugi, Kondoh was a full-fledged member of the rotation and went 8-12 with a 3.56 ERA and 3.36 FIP.

That was his last healthy season. In 2019, Kondoh tore a back muscle in mid-June and missed 5 months of action; in 2020, he tore his rotator cuff at the end of May and missed 12 months; and in 2021, he suffered a torn labrum in mid-May and missed another 12 months. Although he would struggle back to the mound in 2022, he was never the same and by 2024, Kondoh was out of baseball.

His LRS career totals: 20-18 with a 3.33 ERA, 222 K’s, and 119 walks. His career FIP was 3.51 and career BABIP .291.

By the time the franchise had moved to the PEBA, Kondoh was a shell of his former self. His career numbers there: 1-0 with 1 save, a 4.64 ERA and 4.86 FIP.

Assessment: B
Value to Franchise: Incomplete. Clearly, Kondoh was a good draft pick – his talent was evident at every level. But injuries essentially shattered his career year after year.


2016 Eijiro Nakagawa, 1st Round, 2nd Pick

It’s hard to look at a 13-year big-league career that included pitching for a championship club as a disappointment, and yet there’s a whiff of that in the air when you look at Eijiro Nakagawa’s record.


There’s no question he was an outstanding prospect: his high school career was so strong that Neo-Tokyo made him the overall No. 8 pick in the 2013 draft. He chose not to sign, though, and went to college, where his record was even more impressive – making the Tokyo Collegiate Circuit All Star Team in 2016, and helping his team win back-to-back college championships. prompting the Celestial Warriors to snare him at No. 2.

Things went well enough at the minor league level: Nakagawa was named the No. 3 prospect in the LRS in 2017 and at the end of that season was named the franchise’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Major league competition would prove a little tougher, though. He had some dazzling moments – 15 strikeouts in a 2019 game against the Kuwana Steel Dragons and an Imperial League Pitcher of the Month Award in 2023, for example – but the overall record is fairly meh. Nakagawa has never won more than 12 games in a year, his ERA is usually OK but not great, and although he compiles a lot of K’s, he issues a lot of walks, too.

So, his LRS career record closed out at 25-22 with a 3.94 ERA, a .271 BABIP, a 3.78 FIP, and a Command Ratio of 2.01.

His PEBA totals are similar, so far. Nakagawa is currently a member of the Crystal Lake organization, although he has missed all of 2028 with a torn labrum suffered in Spring Training. He’s still just 33 and may be able to resume his career, but the future is a bit cloudy at this point.

Nakagawa’s PEBA totals, mostly with Dayton and Scotland, include a 52-58 record, a 3.84 ERA, 919 K’s and 539 walks, a 1.85 Command Ratio, a 3.91 FIP and .276 BABIP.

Not terrible, certainly, but also not what you want from a No. 2 overall pick.

Assessment: C
Value to Franchise: Solid. Not exciting, but solid.


2017 Kaoru Morimoto, 4th Round, 6th Pick

Kaoru Morimoto is a right-handed first baseman/designated hitter who was afflicted with Crash Davis syndrome.

Like the Bull Durham character, he had an impressive record in the minors, and is still in the midst of a fairly “meh” major league career.


His minor league resume includes several player of the week and batter of the month awards, outstanding hitter of the year awards in 2020 and 2021, and three all star game appearances. He once hit three homers in a game, went 5-5 several times, had six RBIs in a game twice, and also hit for the cycle once.

His major league award list? Crickets.

Not to mention that Morimoto never made a major league appearance for the Claymores franchise – he was taken by Florida from Dayton in the 2021 Rule 5 Draft. He played parts of two seasons for the Featherheads, and then was picked up off waivers by San Antonio in 2023 and is still playing for the Calzones.

Morimoto has a .272/.307/.430 major league career slash line, with 47 homers, 159 RBIs, and 2.7 WAR. He has never appeared in more than 109 games in a season.

Not good, not bad, just … blah.

Assessment: C-
Value to Franchise: Nada.


2018 Nobuo Suzuki, 1st Round, 7th Pick

Nobuo Suzuki is convincing evidence that Crash Davis syndrome is catching. Like Kaoru Morimoto the year before, Suzuki had some nice moments in college and in the minors (4 all-star selections, twice batter of the month, 6 RBIs in a game in 2021), and has – so far – taken the collar for accolades in the majors.


And here’s a surprise: what major league value he’s provided, he’s provided to another franchise: specifically London, where he’s still playing third base in 2028 and putting up the best numbers of his career (.251/.307/.394) at age 31.

Suzuki went to London in 2021 courtesy of the Rule 5 draft.

His PEBA numbers, overall, though, are pretty weak sauce: .210/.270/.324, with 48 homers, 215 RBIs and -1.5 WAR.

So, maybe it’s not so bad that he did all that for another team …

Assessment: F. For now, don’t see how you can judge Suzuki as anything but a bust.
Value to Franchise: Addition by subtraction only.

2019: No record of any draft picks



2020: Soichiro Ogawa, 1st Round, 3rd Pick



After several years where it appeared he would never achieve the promise suggested by his high draft position, Soichiro Ogawa has emerged as a key member of the Claymores pitching staff.

As of 2029, Ogawa had middling stuff and three average-to-above-average pitches, including a nasty slider, a fastball that hits 93 mph on the radar gun - down from 95 the year before and a high of 99 in 2024 - and a split-fingered fastball that doesn't do much.

His statistics over his decade in professional baseball were decidedly so-so until the late 2020s. He struggled in his first couple of seasons of major league ball, and was relegated to the bullpen for much of the 2027 season. He was restored to the rotation in 2028 at the insistence of the team’s front office, and responded with his strongest season: 18-7 with a 4.14 ERA, 123 K’s and 64 walks.yet. In July of the year, he won the Imperial League Pitcher of the Month Award.

The following season was a step back, though, as Ogawa went 9-6 with a 4.00 ERA in 144 innings pitched, with 1.4 WAR.

His career statistics, so far, are a 4.86 ERA with a 34-36-2 record, 433 strikeouts and 261 walks.

There's no question that 2028 and 2029 were the best seasons of his career, but given the seeming erosion of his skills, there are significant questions about whether he'll keep performing at this level. Still, he has put his name in the franchise record books: his 18 wins in 2028 tie him for the most ever by a Claymore in a single season. He shares the mark with Carlos Perez, who won 18 in 2029.

Assessment: B
Value to Franchise: Solid.

2021: Tim Hunt, 2nd Round, 11th Pick

Tim Hunt has carved out a modest career as an outfielder since his selection in 2021 by the then-Dayton Flyers, playing mostly in the minors but tasting major league action in portions of four seasons.



Hunt was originally drafted in 2017 by the Palm Springs Codgers, but he decided to attend college instead of signing a pro contract out of high school.

After signing with the Claymores organization, Hunt spent portions of three seasons in the minors before getting a call-up by Scotland in mid-2024. He appeared in 55 games, slashing .283/.306/.368 and seemed poised to break through to a PEBA career.

Instead, he bounced between the parent club and AAA for the next two years, before being claimed off waivers by West Virginia in 2027. He currently is playing for the Alleghenies’ AAA affiliate.

His career major league stats look reasonably solid (.286/.313/.403, 13 HR, 63 RBIs, 1.3 WAR), but certainly not world beating. He played no major league games for West Virginia in 2028.

Assessment: C-
Value to Franchise: Minimal.

2022: Manuel Muñóz, 6th Round, 10th Pick

Manuel Muñóz played portions of five seasons in the Claymores system, making two brief appearances with the major league club before being released in 2026.


He played mostly as a starting pitcher, but never cracked double digit wins and attracted little attention – with the exception of 2026, when he threw a no-hitter for Aberdeen against the Joplin Red Racers with 9 strikeouts and two walks.

By early December of that year, though, Muñóz had been granted his release, and subsequently caught on with the Tlalnepantla de Baz Progresivos minor league team. In 2028, he led the Alianza Beisbol Al Sur De La Frontera in victories, with 12.

His PEBA totals with Scotland, however, were meager: a 0-3 record in 10 games spread over parts of two seasons, with 1 save, 25 strikeouts, 23 walks, and 8 home runs allowed.

Assessment: D- (Can’t give him an F with a no-hitter on his resume).
Value to Franchise: Virtually none, save for those no-hit thrills.

2023: Ken “Pappy” Fisher, 1st Round, 12th Pick

Ken Fisher has been an important part of the Scottish bullpen mix since he was first called to the majors in 2025, but truly came into his own in 2028 when he was named the Claymores’ closer. He was named to the Imperial League All-Star team in 2028, and was a key player in the Scottish stretch drive to clinch a Wild Card spot. His play continued to shine in the post-season.

Fisher didn't disappoint in 2029, either: he led the Imperial League with 46 saves, appearing in 72 games with an ERA of 2.24. He was selected to the IL All-Star Team in 2029, and finished third in the league's "Shutdown Reliever" balloting.

For his PEBA career so far, Fisher has a record of 12-9 with 94 saves, a 3.06 ERA, 128 ERA+, and 3.51 FIP. He has 243 K’s and 111 walks. The 2028 and 2029 seasons were breakout years for him and the team expects more of the same going forward.

The present is bright, but the future looks brighter.

Assessment: A+
Value to Franchise: Immense.

2025: Jorge 'Yogi' Vázquez, 1st Round, 4th Pick


Jorge 'Yogi' Vázquez is a starting pitcher who has shown flashes of genuine talent, along with a worrying propensity for injuries. He is currently out of action for 13 months to undergo Tommy John surgery, putting his career prospects up in the air.

Vázquez moved swiftly through the Claymores minor league system, impressing scouts at every stop. He was named to the Class A 2025 Surf and Snow Amalgamation All-Star Game and finished third in the voting for the league’s Outstanding Pitcher that year.

He missed most of 2026 with a succession of injuries, but made the major league roster in 2027 and pitched well (2.95 ERA, 126 ERA+ in 55 innings) when healthy. He missed roughly 10 weeks of that season with a variety of ailments.

In 2028, he established himself as the Claymores’ No. 3 starter, with a 6-4 record and 3.00 ERA before disaster struck. Stung by criticism that he was too fragile, he convinced pitching coach George Mooney to let him start on just one day of rest on May 31, and suffered a forearm injury that shelved him for 4 months. He came back at in September and reported to AAA ball for a couple of rehab outings and promptly blew out his elbow.

By then, the Claymores had seen enough, and declined to offer him arbitration. He became a free agent at the end of 2029.

Assessment: A
Value to Franchise: OK. There’s no question Vázquez was a smart draft pick because his talent is undeniable. His injury history, however, cut his career in Edinburgh short.


2026: Marcos Uribe, 1st Round, 5th Pick


Outfielder Marcos Uribe has had a worrisome career path in the Claymores minor league system and likely has reached a make-or-break point. He showed flashes of talent during his 2026 debut with Fukumitsu in Short Season A ball, winning the Batter of the Month Award for August. But he finished that season with a .228/.425/.446 slash line, hitting 10 home runs and knocking in 24.

His best stretch came in 2027 at Class A Govan, where he slashed .264/.419/.484, in just 28 games. He was promoted to AA ball, but struggled there with a .182/.317/.304 line.

Uribe’s 2028 season at AAA Aberdeen was more of the same: .151/.259/.258. His 2029 was slightly better (.226/.309/.482 with 12 HRs and 32 RBIs), but he's looking more and more like a career minor leaguer.

Assessment: D-
Value to Franchise: Minimal

2027: Jiro Murase, 1st Round, 5th Pick


Center fielder Jiro Murase, at age 20, is still at the beginning of his career, and in 2030 will finally move beyond Short Season A ball. He was a high school stud, selected for All-Star teams in his freshman through senior years.

Murase has struggled with his offense at the pro level, though. In 76 games for the Fukumitsu Timbers in 2027, he slashed just .218/.281/.327 – and actually slipped some from that in 2028, slashing .161/.251/.253 in 87 games. He showed signs of progress in 2029, though, as he slashed .251/.348/.393 with 4.3 WAR for the season, and even got some consideration as the team's Minor League Hitter of the Year.

His fielding ratings from the scouts are on the upswing but nothing special: an 8 (up from 7) outfield range, 8 (also up from 7) outfield errors, 10 outfield arm. His overall fielding rating for CF is up to a 6, but his RF rating is a 9 - and may suggest a move to the corner outfield positions in the future.

The coming season will be an important one for Murase, as the Scottish have moved him up to Class A Govan to see how he fares. If he continues to progress, Jurase may find himself in the majors at some point.

Assessment: Too early to determine, but looking better.
Value to Franchise: See above.

2028: Keiji Honda, 1st Round, 6th Pick


Closer Keiji Honda has two seasons under his belt now (one at short season Class A ball, another at AA) and he continues to show great promise.

One concern: he missed 6 weeks of the season when he came down with a sore shoulder on May 13, but he came back strong. He posted a 1.25 ERA in 57.2 IP for Inverness in a middle relief role, with 46 Ks and 22 walks.

In his first season, at Fukumitsu, Honda appeared in 41 games as a closer. He pitched 46.1 innings with a 1.75 ERA, 166 ERA+, 55 K’s and 20 walks. He compiled a 3-3 record with 19 saves.

Honda actually was drafted by the Duluth Warriors as the 18th pick in the first round back in 2025, but decided to return to college instead of signing. Given that his talents matured enough for him to move up 12 places in the draft, it was likely the right move.

At the end of the season, the Claymores decided that Honda had shown them enough at the AA level and promoted him to AAA Aberdeen. If he shows well there, he may be ready for the big league club by 2031.

Assessment: Looking good so far!
Value to Franchise: See above.


2029: Hunter Greene, 5th Round, 6th Pick


Shortstop Hunter Greene was the 120th overall pick in the 2029 amateur draft, but was the first player taken by the Scottish, who had traded their first four picks.

As you might expect, Greene was not exactly an overwhelming talent at that point in the draft, and his first season in Short A minor league ball with the Maui Mahi-Mahi went about as you might expect: he didn't play all the much, and when he did, he didn't do much. His slash lines for his first professional season were .109/.149/.290 with -0.9 WAR.

For the 2030 season, the Claymores have assigned the 18-year-old Greene to its new Rookie League club in Khartoum, in hopes that playing against more "age-appropriate" competition will help his development and bring him more success.

The odds do not appear to be with him, though.

Assessment: Too early to determine.
Value to Franchise: See above.
Last edited by Vic on Thu Oct 31, 2019 4:59 pm, edited 24 times in total.
Vic Caleca
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Re: History: First Draft Pick Retrospective

#2 Post by Borealis »

That was awesome Vic! I love delving into team draft history, and I frequently make reference to players origins - I find it helps me follow draftees as the move through the PEBA... such as 2014 2nd rounder Josh Ligonier, currently with the Scottish...
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Re: History: First Draft Pick Retrospective

#3 Post by Evas »

Mr. Hoshino has continued on in SS after his playing career too.

He's currently regarded as an excellent Hitting Coach in AAA Kyoto and could potentially be a candidate to replace SS's current 63 year old Hitting coach, were he to suddenly hang them up.
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Re: History: First Draft Pick Retrospective

#4 Post by Vic »

Thanks - yeah, it's a blast going back and piecing together the story of the team. I just added a segment on Murakami - a 3-time all star who mysteriously retired in the midst of a season where he was playing really well and had no injuries. I found the posting that the Tempe GM wrote at the time expressing his dismay, but haven't had a chance to look much further to see if anyone did any further stories on him after that.

If not, I may need to dispatch Hamish to see if he can track him down for an interview ...
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Re: History: First Draft Pick Retrospective

#5 Post by Reg »

Really, really loving this, Vic!
These retrospectives are so fascinating, especially for someone like me who came in (immediately) after the glory days of the LRS.
It's like this whole other world of players, all-stars, teams and championships that isn't talked nearly enough in the current PEBA era. Cool! :clap:
Claymores wrote:If not, I may need to dispatch Hamish to see if he can track him down for an interview ...
Neat! Like a 'Whatever happened to...' PEBA segment!
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Re: History: First Draft Pick Retrospective

#6 Post by Vic »

Hi Reg - yeah, the LRS isn’t nearly as well documented as the PEBA in the forum (at least as far as I’ve been able to find), and the history section of the older players is blank. So some of it is just a black box.

But how can you resist the story of a mysterious retirement by a star player in his prime? Was he sick? On drugs? Decided to pursue transcendental meditation? Wanted to pursue a career in restaurant management?

Also, this happened right around the time it was decided that Tempe would be folded, so maybe he was bitter about that.

If Hamish can find him, we’ll ask!
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Re: History: First Draft Pick Retrospective

#7 Post by Borealis »

Or maybe he was bitter for not being selected in the Contraction Draft?
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Re: History: First Draft Pick Retrospective

#8 Post by Evas »

Claymores wrote:Hi Reg - yeah, the LRS isn’t nearly as well documented as the PEBA in the forum (at least as far as I’ve been able to find), and the history section of the older players is blank. So some of it is just a black box.

But how can you resist the story of a mysterious retirement by a star player in his prime? Was he sick? On drugs? Decided to pursue transcendental meditation? Wanted to pursue a career in restaurant management?

Also, this happened right around the time it was decided that Tempe would be folded, so maybe he was bitter about that.

If Hamish can find him, we’ll ask!
There used to be an entire section of the forums for the LRS. There was a ton of content there.

I'm not sure what happened to it. Was it deleted? Or walled off?

Having that back might help everyone fill in some blanks.
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Re: History: First Draft Pick Retrospective

#9 Post by Fishermen »

Yes, the LRS has it’s own section just as rich in stories as PEBA but the big scandal wrecked it. One GM was found to be controlling multiple franchises in the LRS and even a couple over in PEBA. It nearly tore the league apart and the LRS never recovered from it. Somewhere there is a walled off damp basement with rusty filing cabinets containing the league’s history, perhaps now would be the time, after many years have past to break that wall and let the LRS show it’s his again? I fear though that after several website glitches the wall and it’s whereabouts might be lost in the sands of times


Just digging into the sands and found my first ever welcome post, nine years ago lol, http://pebabaseball.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5796
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Re: History: First Draft Pick Retrospective

#10 Post by Vic »

Oh man! It would be great to find that, wherever it is ...
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Re: History: First Draft Pick Retrospective

#11 Post by Vic »

By the way, was that a real life scandal? Was someone really controlling a bunch of franchises?
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Re: History: First Draft Pick Retrospective

#12 Post by Fishermen »

Yes, that eventually led to the absorption of the LRS and contraction of PEBA

I assume most of the threads about it were in the now blocked / lost LRS section but here’s one about the resultant merger http://pebabaseball.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8747
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Re: History: First Draft Pick Retrospective

#13 Post by Evas »

Claymores wrote:By the way, was that a real life scandal? Was someone really controlling a bunch of franchises?
The LRS had struggled with filling all GM spots for a long time. It had some rule quirks (limited number of non-Japanese players primarily) that made it tricky. Plus operating with a general lower talent and budget level than PEBA made it hard to retain or sign Free Agents.

That guy was able to exploit that situation to get control of 3 separate franchises that he traded between extensively for less than a season. It was a massive mess that destroyed the LRS.

I wouldn't mind peaking back behind that wall, at least for a little while. There's some Eva history I lost somehow (minor league players of the year specifically) that I'd like to try to recover.
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Re: History: First Draft Pick Retrospective

#14 Post by Alleghenies »

The LRS was the toughest league and funnest ever. The fact we had to build teams with limited resources compared to PEBA and free agents rarely ever defecting to LRS made it even more difficult, but fun.
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Re: History: First Draft Pick Retrospective

#15 Post by Borealis »

There used to be an LRS forum 'folder' at the bottom of the main forum page that held all the old LES stuff - and not all that long ago! I wonder where that went and why it'd have been removed?
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