By Chiba Yumi, Niihama Shi Intelligencer

August 4, 2013: Niihama City, Japan – Proclaiming, “We owe the fans some hits,” Ghosts GM Mike Dunn today promoted top AAA first baseman Baden Tamburrino to the big league squad.

The Ghosts have far and away the worst offense in the League of the Rising Sun, and a record to match.  Tamburrino, 25, had been tearing up the Minarai Domei, leading the league in numerous offensive categories, including batting average, RBI, OBP and OPS for the Namuko Puckmen.

It’s clear that Tamburrino has been slated to become the Ghosts’ starting first baseman in 2014.  With the team battling only to stay out of the cellar of the Shining Star Group, it was widely thought that the front office would leave him in AAA this season.  Promoting him next season rather than now would somewhat delay the time before he is eligible for salary arbitration and potentially save the cash-strapped organization millions.

But Dunn said financial concerns were secondary, and the desire to add some much-needed offense to the major league squad was primary.  “Even though this is Baden’s first year at AAA, I can think of no reason to leave him down any longer.  A half season in Namuko showed us this is not a fluke.

“We are doing this for the fans,” Dunn added.  “They deserve to see some runs scored.”  Attendance at Oikake Maze is down more than seven percent this season over last year’s dismal turnout.

Team sources who asked not to be named are privately concerned, though, that Tamburrino is not ready for major league pitching.  “We’re going to find out now, aren’t we?”

Tamburrino gained notoriety this past off-season when he angrily lashed out at the team for not immediately promoting him to AAA after a season in which he won the Ruukii Kyuggi Outstanding Hitter award.  The outburst inspired a song by popular Japanese folksinger Chiba Tadayoshi, which briefly rose to the top 20 in Japan.  That, in turn, prompted a plagiarism lawsuit filed by a washed-up American folksinger.  The suit is still pending.

To make room for Tamburrino on the big league squad, the Ghosts released veteran infielder Sal Marshall.  Marshall himself attracted attention back in 2011 when he was called up from the Puckmen in the midst of the Ghosts’ pennant race.  “We wish Sal the best and hope he is able to pick up with a team elsewhere, perhaps back in the PEBA.”

Tamburrino spoke briefly with reporters: “Obviously I’ll miss my friends in Namuko and the pennant race there, but I look forward to joining the Ghosts.  I only hope I can contribute.”

He will join the team after the All-Star break for a three-game series at Hyakujuu.