11/25/2013: Tokyo, Japan – Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to Michael Dukakis…

Numero Uno: There were questions as to whether he could make the jump from the Alianza Béisbol Al Sur de la Frontera to the LRS but Enrique Ortíz answered those doubts by winning the SSG‘s Saiyu-shu-senshu for 2013.  Although Neo-Tokyo failed to return to the playoffs, it was not because of über infielder Ortíz.  Enrique set career highs in G, AB, R,H, HR, RBI and BB, while leading the SSG in VORP, H, HR, RBI, RS, XBH and TB.  He did it with his glove as well, committing only seven errors in 963 TC.  He won Player of the Week 3 times and Batter of the Month 2 months in a row.  He has made the All-Star team every year of his professional career.

Nobu can hit-o: 3B Nobuhito Hasegawa, acquired from the Niihama-shi Ghosts last offseason, was solid if unspectacular in 2013.  He finished the season batting .308 and had 10 3-hit games and 5 4-hit games.  He has hit over .300 every year in the league and has a lifetime .323 BA over 6 seasons, while claiming the Saiyu-shu-senshu in 2010 and 2011. 

It was nothing, really: Hirotada Suzuki had a career best ERA of 2.73 thanks in part to an unbelievable month of July.  He was 4-0 with one no decision and did not give up a run the entire month.  In all, he pitched 45 consecutive scoreless innings while being selected to his first All-Star game.

Give me a break: Neo-Tokyo had three out of the top four leaders in innings played in 2013.  Michael Williams, Ortíz and Hasegawa have played in 1260+ innings each.  That’s an average of 8.5 innings for every game the Akira played this season.

That really hurts: After tearing his UCL and undergoing Tommy John surgery, SP Yasuyuki Kishita has determinedly followed his rehab routine with team trainer Takashi Takahashi.  Last week, Kishita showed up at Neo-Tokyo Grounds for his workout only to find Takahashi – and all his equipment.  It is rumored that Takahashi was disenchanted with the pace of the organization’s contract negotiations.  “Now I really feel bad!” said Yayu.

And the crowds go wild: 2,292,730 showed up at Neo-Tokyo Grounds, beating last year’s record attendance by over 350,000.  That’s more than showed up in 2008 and 2009 combined.

A rookie pitcher was struggling at the mound, so the catcher walked up to have a talk with him.  “I’ve figured out your problem,” he told the young southpaw.  “You always lose control at the same point in every game.”

“When is that?”

“Right after the national anthem.”