Takanawa Times Volume 9
Thursday, August 16, 2012

I am Tricia Takanawa, and today we will talk about how the Seoul Crushers look to be bleeding red this year.  We know GM Kierstead is trying his hardest to turn this team around.  He has made moves already to get another 1^st rounder for the 2013 draft.  We also see that Seoul is not only bleeding red in salary but also on the roster.  They have been hit hard with injuries.  Most unfortunate is LF Jon Wood who has spent 8 weeks so far on the DL.  Kierstead traded away CF Jaime García and SS César “Pepi” Castillo, who both started off very slow and also went to the DL.  Sadly, LF Masaharu Sugimoto, formerly of the AAA Pyongyang Black Bears, suffered a career-ending injury just 2 months after Seoul traded him.

When we talked to Kierstead about what he could do to get out of the red and back into the black, he told us, “Winning.  Winning is good and has only dropped by the Crushers 26 times this season.  Where you have bad, you have good.”

Kierstead set up a blood drive for fans.  Since the team is bleeding red, why not let the fans bleed for a good cause?  Every fan who donated blood received a free autograph from players in attendance.  I am told Kierstead had a few the new guys from A-ball show up as a surprise.  I noticed that it looked to be a packed house.  That would be a first for the season.  Too bad fans haven’t shown up for games like this.

I did meet with a few players today and asked them what they thought of the blood drive.  Kojiro Ogawa, who made the All-Star team this year, told me, “It’s great to see fans show up for a good cause.  The team will improve, as we had a great draft year, so fans should show up to games also.”

Even injured Jon Wood, who is a fan favorite, showed up for the cause.  Wood stated, “We are looked at as underdogs even at home games.  People who need blood can also be looked upon as underdogs, so we are here to make fans happy and get as many to donate as possible.”

The crowd went wild when the fans saw the future of Seoul run down the field.  Pitchers Jun’ichi “Hobo” Yoshino and Naizen Chikafuji, CF Nimulodi Chekhemani, SS Tadamichi Sato and C Yosuke Imai greeted all of them.  Sato and Chek, who are both speed demons, had races with the fans.  Hobo and Imai showed fans how to toss and catch a fastball.  Imai has to have the best ‘stache in the game.  Overall, it seemed that Kierstead knows the team may be bleeding a little, but he also showed he knows how to have fun and that the team will do what it takes to make fans happy.

I am Tricia Takanawa, and I am next in line for my donation.  This is the Takanawa Times.