Monday, October 17, 2011

The Evas were supposed to be an unstoppable juggernaut in 2011.
They were supposed to dominate in every statistical category.  They did not.
They were supposed to win 100 games.  They did not.
They were supposed to win the SSG.  They did not.
They were supposed to have Eitoku Yamada, Sotaro Chikafuji, Shunsuke Takayama, Kosami Tanaka, Shinsui Hoshino and Alonso Arteaga for the playoffs.  They don’t.
They were supposed to win the Neo-Tokyo Cup.  They still might.

Despite all of the things that they were supposed to do in 2011 and did not, the Evas still have as good of a shot as anybody to be crowned the 2011 LRS champion.  Evas fans would be wise to consider the following before giving up hope:

1. Even missing “Cookie” and Arteaga, the Evas have the best rotation in the LRS.
   Abe, Tanaka and Taniguchi are all aces.  Uemura, Doroteia and Takahashi provide solid depth if needed, and oh yeah, they have Yoshiyuki Kikuchi too.  Can any other LRS team boast a spare southpaw ace?  I think not.
2. Their bullpen is as good if not better than anyone else’s.
   I don’t care what anyone else says; in my opinion; Sachi Sakurai is the best closer in the LRS.  With Cristián Rosado, Masamichi Takaki and Kickuchi leading up to him, opponents better hope they score early.
3. Even missing Chikafuji, Tanaka, Hoshino and Yamada, they are littered with offensive talent.
   True, the outfield is looking a little patchwork.  Ideally, no one would want Wada near a glove.  But other than an offensive hole in CF, Shin Seiki is still solid all around.  They still boast 6 All-Star-caliber hitters in their lineup in Sozen Kato, Masamune Matsui, Ton Nakamura, Akira Sakurai, David Robert and Hisashi Wada.  They can still score like crazy.
4. They went 13-11 against Niihama-shi in 2011, outscoring them 119-100.
   The Evas have had success against the Ghosts.  There is no reason not to expect a hard-fought series.
5. If they can manage to get past the Ghosts, reinforcements are on the way.
   Not that anyone would dare look past Niihama-shi – they are far too formidable, and the playoffs are far too unpredictable for that – but if the Evas manage to beat them, their chance improve markedly.  The Evas could get Chikafuji, Cookie and Yamada back for the title round.  I don’t know about you, but I like Shin Seiki’s chances if that were to come to pass.

So buckle up Evas fans; it should be a fun ride.