The Toyama Wind Dancers Blog

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Re: The Toyama Wind Dancers Blog

#46 Post by Vic »

So, Dylan, just curious- what’s your verdict on Higgins? Good signing all in all, or no? Do you bring him back? I liked your earlier posting on him, and noticed he had kind of a meh year at the plate, but not horrendous. Just curious about his fate ...
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Re: The Toyama Wind Dancers Blog

#47 Post by Wind Dancers »

Claymores wrote:So, Dylan, just curious- what’s your verdict on Higgins? Good signing all in all, or no? Do you bring him back? I liked your earlier posting on him, and noticed he had kind of a meh year at the plate, but not horrendous. Just curious about his fate ...
He wasn't great at the plate, but I didn't really expect him to be. He was a short-term replacement for Marino who was hot garbage who was actually a very solid defender. I thought about bringing him back, and may still, but it would be through free agency instead of the $4mil he is asking for in an extension.
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Re: The Toyama Wind Dancers Blog

#48 Post by Wind Dancers »

Longtime Wind Dancer Adachi to Retire
October 4rd, 2028
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2B Shiro Adachi, the longtime captain of the Wind Dancers has announced his retirement from baseball at the age of 36. At a press conference in front of the Castle of Cagliostro, Adachi officially stepped away from baseball citing that it had taken a physical toll on his body. “The body’s beginning to creak a bit and I’m not getting any younger” Adachi said with a smile on his face. “I felt with the talent moving up the ranks and the leadership in the locker room, now was the best time for me to move away as a player”.

Adachi was drafted 3rd overall in the 2014 LRS draft by the Lupin Cliffhangers after a successful 4 years in college. Adachi flew up the Lupin system making his LRS debut as the starting shortstop in 2016 before moving to second base in late 2023. Adachi sent all but one professional season with Toyama/Lupin and played in a franchise leading 1,445 games across 12 years. His career OBP finished at .324 with a WAR of 22.2, currently 2nd in the history of the organization. But it was his leadership skills that players will remember him by as he captained the Wind Dancers for the majority of the year and was integral in maintaining the stability in the locker room during the PEBA/LRS merger. A local hero, Adachi spent his offseasons doing charity work in the Toyama prefecture including the opening of the Adachi Baseball Academy in nearby Imizu.

It has been reported by media outlets that Adachi has been offered a role as a BNN play-by-play caster for the 2029 season. But rumors circulating around the Wind Dancers organization say he is also in talks to take over the vacant hitting coach role in Takaoka, our single-A affiliate just 21km outside of Toyama. While Adachi may no longer be a player, it seems he has just hit the next step of his career in baseball.
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Re: The Toyama Wind Dancers Blog

#49 Post by DrewV »

Goodbye Baseball, Sayōnara Baseball!

Shiro still has the career WAR record at Aoyama. Perhaps a commencement speech there is overdue?
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Re: The Toyama Wind Dancers Blog

#50 Post by Wind Dancers »

Wind Dancers hire Nagumo, Trade for Lopez
November 7th, 2028
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Toyama manager Kuemon Ishibashi has been relieved of his duties after just one season in charge. The 48-year-old led Toyama to an improved 73-89 record in 2028 before the team decided to go another direction. It was announced this morning that Manobu Nagumo had accepted an offer to take the job after 2 solid seasons in the WIL for the Kure Arsenal. Nagumo was in talks with Toyama back in 2027 before taking the job in Kure but will now finally make the move. Nagumo is known for his friendly demeanor, something that could benefit the young Wind Dancers who already have an established core leadership. Fresh off of a 95-67 season in Kure, Nagumo will bring a conventional approach to the game with a preference towards the offensive side of the game.

In other news, Toyama has officially completed a deal with the West Virginia Alleghenies that will see the 2-time all-star reliever David Lopez join the Wind Dancers. Lopez is on the final year of his contract and will cost a 5th round draft pick for the upcoming 2029 season. Despite struggling in the most recent playoffs, Lopez is a proven reliever with experience as a closer and setup man. With Dan Ross still recovering from a torn UCL suffered back in April, Lopez will compete for the closer role with a few players in the Toyama pen.
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Re: The Toyama Wind Dancers Blog

#51 Post by Sandgnats »

It's hard to find a good manager.
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Re: The Toyama Wind Dancers Blog

#52 Post by Wind Dancers »

Toyama Releases Seven Starters
November 29th, 2028
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Arbitration is over and free agents have filed from all over PEBA while Toyama contributed 7 of their own. The second step of a major team overhaul that started last season is about to kick off with the arrival of free agency. With young talent moving its way up the system, Toyama has released a few well-known names to make room for some fresh faces.

The least surprising release was veteran pitcher Tadamasa Hashimoto who failed to reach the $16million vesting option in his contract. “Six Pack” was a mainstay starting pitcher since arriving in 2022 before a chain of severe injuries took its toll. The 36-year-old was limited to just 21.2 innings over the past two seasons after being relegated to a relief role. Hashimoto was a 2-time all-star and 3-time Garabuken Award winner in the LRS. He finishes his time in Toyama with a 50-38 record and a 3.47 ERA.

Another estranged name around Toyama, Ivan Rosa was also released after declaring his interest in free agency. The 28-year-old made a big splash after joining the Wind Dancers in 2023, chalking up a combined 12.7 WAR in his first four seasons. His play garnered him a well earned 2-year extension in 2026 as one of the core members of Toyama’s young roster. But a significant drop in production led to Rosa riding the bench in late 2028 in favor of the young, talented Roberto ‘Fudd’ Martinez. Rosa couldn’t hit above .246 in his final 2 seasons and became reliant on his defensive and running ability. Rosa’s age means his career is not yet over and could easily turn things around, but it was deemed that a new environment would be best for the Puerto Rican.

Two short-term players have also left the team after their 1-year deals expired.1B Dwight Carver and 2B Duane Higgins both enjoyed moderate success in Toyama and played up to the expectations they were given upon signing. Carver finished 4th in the SL for RBI’s but also lead the league with a whopping 190 strikeouts. Higgins arrived as a much needed defensive option at 2B and quickly made a name for himself around Toyama. An unspectacular hitter, Higgins ended up within shouting distance of an all-leather award.

And finally, three starters were not offered arbitration and have left the team. Spot starter John Gillard was a full-time SP last season due to team injuries, but his ceiling was always that of an emergency starter. RP Shihei Matsubara missed most of last season and all of this season due to a setback in recovery following elbow reconstruction surgery. RP Irwin Delaney was the third and final departure after a successful year in the Wind Dancers pen. With upgrades on the horizon, his role would’ve been reduced to AAA for the upcoming season which wasn’t worth the salary he wanted.
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Re: The Toyama Wind Dancers Blog

#53 Post by Vic »

Big changes afoot in Toyama. Will be interesting to watch. Wonder if Higgins finds his way home to Manchester?
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Re: The Toyama Wind Dancers Blog

#54 Post by Wind Dancers »

Adachi Returns to Toyama
December 20, 2028
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About a month and a half since Shiro Adachi’s retirement from playing, the Toyama legend has put pen to paper to become the hitting coach for Toyama’s single-A affiliate, the Takaoka Shiko. Drafted in 2014, Adachi was widely known as the Cliffhangers/Wind Dancers captain and was expected to take up some sort of role within the organization post-retirement. Adachi toyed with the opportunity to get into broadcasting, but couldn’t turn down an offer to return home. Takaoka is just a 30-minute drive outside of Toyama.

Adachi currently holds the Toyama record for most games played with 1,445 and quickly became a Toyama icon. Never a true superstar, Adachi was more of a consistent role player that lead the locker room and gave you exactly what you expected out of him. The 36-year-old will look forward to developing the new wave of talent in Toyama as he continues to be the local legend Toyama knows him as.
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Re: The Toyama Wind Dancers Blog

#55 Post by Wind Dancers »

Pandas Move North, Rebrand
December 20, 2028
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Leaked news from back in October has proven to be correct as the Wind Dancers AA affiliate the Beppu City Pandas have agreed to a deal that will see them to into the city of Sapporo in Hokkaido. Despite many successful seasons, the Pandas have struggled with attendance, often selling out their stadium yet sitting in the bottom 5 of league attendance. Construction of a new stadium in the Toyohira Ward of Sapporo began last year and the 30,000 seat “Snow Dome”, inspired by the local Sapporo Dome, will be ready for opening day in 2029. The dome provides solace from the unique cold weather of northern Japan. Sapporo was selected due to a lack of presence in Northern Japan which is full of passionate fans of the sport.

Along with the move, Toyama officials agreed a fresh take on the Pandas was needed with the goal being to capture the essence of Sapporo. Therefore, the Pandas will now be known as the “Toyohira Fubuki” which translates to blizzard or snowstorm. The logo and colors are a darker blue, lighter blue, and white to match the name. The logo depicts one of the Ainu (indigenous people of Hokkaido) atop a mountain unleashing a blizzard on everything below him. This represents the unique climate of Hokkaido which is often a symbol for the people who live on the island.
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The uniform is a sleek white with light blue borders and in blue, Kanji representing “Fubuki” along with a darker blue undershirt. The cap keeps in style with other Toyama teams with a dark blue T on the front of a light blue hat.
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The Fubuki will be ready for the upcoming 2029 season and should add a fresh take on the Toyama org as a whole.
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Re: The Toyama Wind Dancers Blog

#56 Post by Borealis »

Exciting stuff in Toyama this off-season!
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Re: The Toyama Wind Dancers Blog

#57 Post by DrewV »

Awesome, Dylan. I was really impressed with the logo at WM. Did you design it yourself?
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Re: The Toyama Wind Dancers Blog

#58 Post by Vic »

I’m with Drew - that logo is sweet!
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Re: The Toyama Wind Dancers Blog

#59 Post by Wind Dancers »

I wish I had the ability to design that. All the credit goes to Mike for that one. We did some brainstorming together and tried a few different looks but that final version is what we rolled with.
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Re: The Toyama Wind Dancers Blog

#60 Post by Wind Dancers »

Spring Arrives in Toyama
March 5, 2029
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A busy offseason of retooling has come to an end and spring baseball is finally here. Spring represents the first time we will see this new look Wind Dancers on the field as well as a handful of young prospects looking to make a mark while training with the veterans. The past 3 seasons have been forgettable at best and the Toyama faithful will be looking for something to get excited about in Spring. With so much movement in the offseason, much of the roster will be fought for during spring.

Outfield
The dynamic duo of LF Ramiro ‘Footloose’ Salinas and RF Roberto ‘Fudd’ Martinez are back for another season of Toyama baseball as the “core” of the Wind Dancers offense. The corner outfielders are expected to retain their starting spot in the corners while longtime WinD Okakura Ishikawa fills in at CF as he did last season. Ishikawa brings a decent bat but struggled heavily in center last season. Attempts to bring in a natural CF failed so the Wind Dancers had to look within. Looking to fill that hole as the 4th OF are a handful of hopefuls who can flex around the outfield. Carlos Marino has been up and down over the past few seasons and his strengths/weaknesses are clear as day. A natural ball-player, Marino could play anywhere in the field but is fighting as a capable CF. The 25-year-old is at the stage in his career where he needs to step up. Battling it out with Marino is Toyoshige Yamashita who has spent the last 2 seasons in AAA Yokohama. Yamashita can also play anywhere in the outfield and was a 4.1 WAR player last season. A third, unlikely candidate, is David Trujillo the Wind Dancers 2nd round pick in the 2026 Draft. Trujillo has been getting some extra coaching during the offseason in preparation for AAA baseball and could make an appearance in the majors at some point. DH/OF Willie Edmonds rounds out the final OF spot but is expected to be the starting DH on Opening Day. CF Pedro Alvarez and CF Guang Liu are the prospects spending their spring with the Wind Dancers.

Infield
The right side of the infield was changed in the offseason while a few mainstays are still around. 3B Ivan Juarez will look to improve on a disappointing 2028 season where he hit just .234 in the leadoff spot. If Juarez can rediscover his form, the 1-2-3 punch of Juarez-Salinas-Martinez could be solid. SS Edison Terry also returns after setting career highs across the board in 2028. While his defense dipped a bit, Terry has been a consistent factor in the Toyama lineup. Newly signed 2B Gabriel McIntyre was one of the bigger signings of the offseason and is expected to be the permanent second baseman, a role which has been up in the air since Jose Escobido left the team at the end of 2027. McIntyre struggled for the Borealis last season and will hope a change of scenery will help him get back to his 2027 form. The battle for first base will be an interesting one this spring. Ernesto Villalobos was signed with every intention of starting after a dominating 2028 in the WIL while playing for Manchester. But Skip Jordan, who was the starter in 2027, has emerged as a candidate following a 4.8 WAR season in AAA last year. Both have one played one season in the PEBA while Villalobos has experience in the WIL behind him. Spring could very well decide who starts and who is relegated to a platoon/backup role. Infield flex player Katai Nomura also returns in his backup role along with prospects 2B Shuji Suzuki, 2B Bernardo Alvarado, and SS Rodrigo Vasquez, the latter being highly rated. Arguably the most competitive fight is at Catcher. Recently signed, Hirotsugu Suzuki is the most likely to start but Reynaldo Garcia and Michinaga Ueda fighting for the backup spot. Garcia hits better vs righties which would work best with Suzuki, but we cannot rule anything out yet. And to throw a wrench in the mix, highly rated prospect Fransisco Alejandrez has been called up for spring which will even more pressure on the veteran catchers.

Starting Pitching
The rotation is essentially locked in with 2 new faces joining the Toyama ranks. Big money signing Juan Cervantez is viewed as the “ace” and is in line to start on opening day. Cervantez has a proven track record and fills the hole left by Clayton Lewis after his departure. The order of the next 4 is completely up in the air but it will surely consist of new signing Kazuhiko Nishiyama, power pitcher Francois Gosselin, Dylan McIntosh, and Jose Castillo. Daichu Chishu will fill in as the 6th starter but will likely be relegated to AAA for some more fine tuning after his struggles last season.

Bullpen
The pen is back and better than ever. One of the few bright spots last season, most of the bullpen returns with a few upgrades mixed in. The biggest name is the expected closer, Jo Kichida who signed in the offseason. Kichida spent the past 5 seasons in West Virginia and brings an elite pedigree with him. In the setups roles David Lopez joins from West Virginia (via trade) and Dan Ross returns from a torn UCL that put him out almost all of last season. Junzo Inagaki, Kyuso Yoshida, Bob Whitaker, Shinobu Takeuchi, and Jorge Martinez round out the pitchers that will likely make it.
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