AAAA Player Sends Universal Message to Front Office
By Chiba Yumi, Niihama-shi Intelligencer
6/19/2013: Niihama City, Japan – An upraised finger. That was the simple message of veteran LF Toshiro Suzuki to the Ghosts organization after they demoted him yet again to the AAA Nakumo Puckmen.
Suzuki, 26, has spent much of the last few seasons bouncing back and forth between the Puckmen and Ghosts, becoming a veritable poster child for the quadruple-A label. He was moved back down to AAA on June 13th and was promptly placed on the bench.
Then, good fortune came to the fuming Suzuki in the form of an injury to Puckmen DH Ron Samuels in the second inning of the Puckmen’s June 18th game against the Yamauchi Plumbers. Samuels was hurt on a collision at the plate, and Suzuki was put into the lineup in the DH slot.
One inning later, with the Plumbers up 1-0, the Puckmen had loaded the bases against Yamauchi starter Kenji Minami. The Nakuma crowd stirred in anticipation. And because there sometimes is divine justice in this game of baseball, it was Tosh Suzuki, still angered over his recent demotion, frustrated by the course of his career, who came to the plate.
He worked a 2-2 count and then uncorked on a shining fastball. Grand slam.
“Was I thinking at that moment about having been sent down?” Suzuki told reporters later about the at bat. “Damn straight. I should be in the bigs. I am ready.”
Suzuki later added an RBI double in the eighth as the Puckmen coasted to a 13-1 victory. His final line for the day: two hits in four at bats, two runs scored, 5 RBI.
More surprisingly, Suzuki unloaded on Ghosts management after the game. “This front office sends me down while their starters are hitting below .200. They have won only nine friggin’ games this season. Nine games! (Ed. Note: Niihama-shi won their 10th game of the season last evening) And they can judge talent? They think I’m triple-A? And they only win nine games?!”
When a reporter then asked if he had a message to relay to the Ghosts front office, Suzuki smiled and said, “Here’s your message.” He then raised his middle finger for photographers.
A spokesman for the team refused to comment on the outburst, which was followed by Suzuki slapping high-fives with his amused teammates.