By Johnny Johnson
www.kurearsenalfanboy.blogspot.com/
Monday, May 23, 2011 – Post #4,873

Well, as usual we’re stuck at the bottom of the standings… after a 1-11 start, ye olde Arsenal rebounded for a nice sweep last week of the injury riddled ghost-of-the-Ghosts, and even beat the Evas (after getting pounded in the first two games) for what seemed like the first time ever.

BUT, help is (maybe) on the way in the form of a bizzilion high draft picks that are finally coming to fruition.  Maybe we’ll find ourselves out of 5^th or 6^th place one of these days.  Let’s take a look:

Number 1: Naizen Shimizu (BA Top 10 prospects #1)

Duh-dum… duh-dum… duhdum, duhdum, dumdumdumdudmdudmdudmdudmdudmdum

AGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!  It’s a SHARK and it’s named Naizen Shimizu and it’s finally (in what seems like forever) coming to the beach at the Ballpark of Kure.  Yeah, it’s seemed like ages since the team drafted Shimizu out of high school as a 17-year old, but really, he’s only headed into his 3^rd year as a pro.  After a promising, but up and down, AAA debut, THE SHARK was sent down to Single A for what turned out to be more up and down-ness.  While uninformed fans were turned off by his .242 average at Makurosu (A), those who know their numbers saw the 37/4 BB/K ratio in 281 AB and kept the faith.  Now THE SHARK is rewarding us with a .319/.396/.532 start to the season with a downright erotic 6/0 (!) BB/K ratio through just 47 AB.  Johnny Johnson sez, “Me likey!”  Is a summer call-up too much to ask?!  At this pace it’ll be difficult for the management to argue otherwise.  This one’s so easy to call, even the Kure management can’t screw it up.  Time to pull this big catch in and watch him circle and then FEAST on Evas pitching for the next 15 years!

Number 2: Katsumi Hayagawa (BA #7)

Not sure what the folks at Baseball America are smoking, having this kid so far down on the list.  How does a potential 20/50 leadoff man sound?  Pretty good if you ask me, but hey, I’m just a blogger.  Hayagawa was taken in the round after THE SHARK.  He’s never made an error in 81 games at AAA and 75 games in A-ball, which tells me his glove is already LRS ready.  His numbers don’t spell All-Star quite yet, but the word from scouts is the aforementioned power and speed combo.  He’ll patrol every game in center this year in Ikari.  I’m thinking he’ll start 2012 there too, but a good year will get him an invite to spring training next year for sure.

Number 3: Akira Goto (BA #5)

Domo Arigato, Mr. Akira Goto is here to play, although the liftoff looks to have been postponed for Year 1 as last year’s No. 2 overall has struggled in Single A.  He’ll start the year there again and scouts are already saying we can look for something closer to the .299/.372/.468 he posted as a high school senior in Osaka.

Number 4: Hiroyasu Hirano (BA not ranked)

Again, stop smoking the funny stuff, BA!  I’m going to have to start calling your BS.  How can you look at Hirano’s 76 innings in A-ball (2.72 ERA, .297 BAIP) and realize he’s a different pitcher from the 79 innings he threw at Tennoji (5.47 ERA, .390 BAIP).  Duh!  Evidentially the Arsenal saw something in the 55/14 K/BB ratio.  And guess what?  They were right.  For once!  Hopefully he can hone that control into many bloodied batsmen when playing our enemies to the northwest.

Number 5: Kenzaburo Ikarashi (BA #6)

Think Hayagawa with less power (but some power) and an aversion to the strikeout.  Ikarashi is 2 years older than Hayagawa despite having been drafted out of college just last year.  He tore up Single-A base paths to the tune of 54 SB.  He was caught 17 times, but had a 26/3 SB/CS ratio last year in college.  Put that together and you have 80 steals and 20 CS.  Now Johnny REALLY likey!

So yeah, I’d say things are finally looking up in Kure.  I’ll be back later this afternoon with a look at the Top 10 Stupidest Trades in Kure Arsenal History.  Tonight I’ll be back again with my spectacular Top 267 Kure Arsenal Players of All Time.  That’s right, I ranked each and every player that’s ever played in the organization.  (HINT: #1 is NOT Joji Takeuchi).  See ya in a few hours!