August 18, 2019: Toyama — Earlier this season the Lupin faithful were torn and amazed at the results of the team’s Rule 5 draft behavior.  The team’s new GM dug deep into the draft and pulled out four names.  Four.  Four players that would now need to spend the entire year on the Cliff Hanger’s active roster, four players who were not good enough to fit on anyone else’s 25-man roster.  And this included the humiliating debacle of actually drafting two players from their roster due to some unheard of “administrative error.”

 Needless to say, the four masked Rule 5ers were on people’s minds a lot back in the spring, and not in the most pleasant of ways.

 But, my, how time can heal wounds.

 When the season started,LRS insiders were not convinced the team’s bullpen would pass muster.  But the team made two Rule 5 selections in Tokimasa Daisen (3-1, 2.38 ERA), and Yodo Yoshida (2.51 ERA), who have combined for 37 stellar innings so far, and been part of what is quite arguably the best bullpen in Japan this season. 

 Daisen is a 31 year-old journeyman, who had been a starter for most of his career, but being relegated to the pen has given him new life.  “I see the game so differently now,” he said recently.  “I’m so indebted to Mr. Collins and Mr. Walker for giving me the chance to work here, and to (pitching coach) Sadakuno Kouki for showing me great patience in spring training.

 Yoshida came from the Naha organization, where he had seen some success in the minors, but had a horrendous stint with the big club last season, and was caught up in the numbers.  While the fans are still coming around to him, the organization itself loves him.  “Yodo is a young man who comes to work every day,” said manager Kinnosuke Iwasaki.  “And he listens to everything you say, then he goes out and picks the things that work for him.  The guys see that, and they appreciate it.  He’s much fun to manage.”

 And that brings us to the offensive side of the game, where the team drafted infielder Kikaku Ono and outfielder Hiroyuki Masuda (both 25 years old, and semi-respected prospects who were, for some reason, left off the 35-man roster).

 Ono’s inclusion meant the team had to send Bill Kennedy to the minors, which in itself wasn’t so terrible, but meant that the Cliff Hangers would be locked into depending on a untried resource for a full season of utility play.  True to that, Ono has appeared in 56 games to date at second, short, and third, and turned in a respectable .288/.346/.393 slash.  “Those numbers are a little misleading because Kikaku struggled a little early in the year as he adjusted to the game at this level,” said GM Collins.  This appears to be true, as Ono’s OPS has been above .900 since the first of July.  The move to keep him on the team was also fortuitous given the injury to Dan Stewart earlier this year.

 Masuda’s is a more interesting situation, because his minor league numbers have not been eye-popping, but as a fill-in, Masuda’s seen action in 59 games and registered 6 homers and 20 RBI, good for a .299/.424/.557 slash–a factor that’s been more than instrumental in keeping the wheels on for Lupin as superstar Sadatake Sato has been injured at various times.  “Hiroyuki is coming into his own.” Ishikawa said.  “He’s a very quiet teammate, but he works hard and he wants to win.”

 Obviously, none of these players are the primary cogs of the franchise.  None of them can match the import of guys like Sato or Kuniyoshi Kato, or (the best shortstop in the league) Shiro Adachi.  None of them are as big of an impact as steady starter Akira Watanabe, or the dual headed closers that Tadao Harada and Jo Kichida have become.  But don’t think for a moment that the rest of the guys out there don’t know exactly what these four have brought to the table, and while fans continue to be confused when they show up in the team’s box scores, we’re thinking it won’t be long before they catch on to these Rule 5ers, too.