Waiting by the Phone
By Kenko Gato,
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
When the LRS was purchased by the PEBA last year, financial catastrophe was narrowly avoided. Although this created an almost immediate “wait till next year” credo for some teams, others have managed to remain stable, and as a whole the league looks relatively healthy heading into 2011.
However, one of the aftereffects of this mini-bubble has been that a number of LRS veteran players have spent the entire 2010 on the sidelines. Much too expensive for the teams in financial peril yet not viewed as valuable enough to the upper tier teams, these veterans have found themselves in a tough spot – and let’s just say the phone isn’t exactly ringing off the hook.
Take the case of Sekien Morimoto, most recently of the Shin Seiki Evas. The 37-year-old first baseman slugged 37 HR during 2009, and 40 and 51 in the years before that. His career .906 OPS would indicate he’s one of the better power hitters in the game. Yet despite some interest from teams prior to the 2010 campaign, Morimoto has found himself MIA this season.
“I’m not hurting financially,” says Morimoto, who lives in Yamagata, “but heck… I’ve got a family to feed and I still want to play.”
The rumor mill suggests that Morimoto was initially looking for a multi-year deal, but now considers himself to be a $4-5 million per year player. Despite the drop off in power numbers, Morimoto arguably had his best season in 2009, during which he walked more and struck out less than he had in any of his previous years with the Evas. He also made only four errors at 1B.
“I’m right here,” says Morimoto when asked about his desire to play. “I’ve got a phone right here in my pocket. Let’s make a deal.”
Another former 1B with the Evas, Kanko Yoshioka, has also seen a solid 2009 fall on deaf ears. The 220 lb. power bat was mostly used at DH last season and posted a 31.7 VORP in the process. In 2007 he had a career year, crushing 26 HR on his way to a 29.5 VORP season. While Yoshioka’s work ethic has been questioned, he claims he wants to play.
“I’m in my prime,” he said from his apartment in Tokyo. “I’m 32-years-old. This is when I ought to be getting a nice 2 or 3 year deal for solid money. And yet here I am sitting in my apartment playing computer games.”
Yoshioka claims there was some interest in his services as recently as last month. Sources say he’s looking for a 1-year deal in the $2-3 million range.
“Teams have been lowballing me… let’s be honest here. I’m not going to play for free. My record speaks for itself.”
When asked what he plans to do if not signed, Yoshioka claims it won’t be a big problem.
“I want to win, plain and simple. I have a very strong desire to play for a winning team,” he says, “But I won’t do it for free. I’m staying in pretty good shape and I’ll be ready for 2011… in
Yoshida Okubu thought he was a lock for a decent contract and a starting job as the Kure Arsenal’s leftfielder. Rumored to be close to signing a multi-year deal last December, negotiations fell apart and the Arsenal’s financial situation bottomed out. With one of the worst teams in the LRS out of the picture, suddenly Okubu found he was unwanted… this despite posting double figures in HR in each of the past three seasons in what can reasonably be called a pitcher’s park.
“It’s disheartening,” says Okubu, who was a starter on the Shining Star Group’s All-Star team in 2007. “And it also pisses me off. I try not to think about it… but every day I go to the gym and I think about it.”
Okubu says he’d be hard pressed to ever don a
“Never say never. But we had a deal in place. It wasn’t a “break the bank” kind of deal by any means, but I was satisfied. I was ready to sign it. Then the next day I get a call from my agent telling me the team suddenly can’t afford me. I threw the phone at the wall, I was so angry,” says the 6’3”
“Aoki” would be Nakazo Aoki, who for much of 2009 was
“Discouraging,” Aoki says, “That’s really all I want to say about it. It’s been a tough year. I haven’t decided yet, but I may just retire. I’ve got a new girlfriend and I’m looking into opening a sushi restaurant.”
One scout, speaking off the record, said “The financial situation of the league has played a part in some players not getting deals, but when you look at those particular players, it’s not as though they aren’t without deficiencies. Some are too old, some want too much money… some just aren’t very good.”
“For example, take Okubu. Here’s a guy with good gap power, someone who’ll get a number of doubles, but he lacks HR power and speed. And he’s a below-average defender.”
“Below average defender?!” retorted Okubu when told of the unnamed scout’s comments. “I had 17 outfield assists in 2007. Is that below average? I had 11 in 2008. Who said that?”
With the season heading into its final weeks, it would appear these neglected talents will all have to look toward 2011 for redemption.
“In a way it’s been a blessing,” says Morimoto. “I’ve gotten to spend some time with my family. My body isn’t what it was when I was 18. I’ve had a few nagging injuries that are completely healed. I’ll be ready for 2011.”