Saturday, March 5, 2011
By Hiroki Sakamoto
Exclusive to TrueEastChronicle.com

Every few years, a team comes along that is remembered for generations. These are not those stories. The owners of the Seoul Crushers and Kure Arsenal may (will) finish near the bottom of the standings, but that’s not to say they won’t be interesting.

HS: First question – do you know what the hell you’re doing?

M: What kind of question is that? If this is an ambush interview I’m going to storm out right now. You hear me, Sakamoto?

A: Don’t mind me… I’m going to sit in this chair next to the door. Under this poster of a cat eating sushi.

HS: Sorry, but do you know what you’re doing?

M: Hey, I took over an aging team with a painfully bloated payroll and no farm system to speak of. I have to cut costs while rebuilding and trying to keep the team competitive. What did you do this offseason?

A: I’ll assume you’re inquiring as to the capability of myself and the Kure Arsenal brain trust. Whatever; the answer is, “Yes.” We’ve been working hard this offseason to rectify the many budget and personnel problems handed to us when we took the job just before last season started. Our goal was to first get the franchise out of the gaping financial hole it fell into during the 2009 season and postseason, then to build a solid roster and be competitive in our division. We’ve already accomplished goal #1 and #2 is still in progress, but we’re getting closer.

HS: What is a lingering weakness with your franchise?

M: Payroll flexibility. Left fielder Tashiaki Tanaka is essentially holding us hostage. He’s not using a gun. He’s not using a mask. He came to this club with his finger in his pocket and told us to “stick ‘em up”. 1^st baseman Kenzaburo Sato might also have to be moved before the end of the season. He’s got a solid bat, but we can’t afford his price tag.

A: As the smallest of the small budget teams, we have to be creative. Unfortunately, that meant cutting our losses during 2010 and enduring what was an obviously terrible season. To answer your question specifically, our lingering weakness is money, but we’ve got some young and exciting prospects that we see making significant contributions very soon. We’re not saddled with any ugly contracts and we added two significant pieces in Xavier Salinas and Kaoru Matsumoto who combined for over 80 VORP during 2010. I don’t want to say we’re going to immediately challenge for the division, but we’ve put ourselves in a position to be much better than we were last year.

Is your rebuilding process a work in progress or is it nearly completed?

M: Just gettin’ started, baby. I’m really excited about this year’s draft. Our farm system needs a complete overhaul. When I took this job, I thought we’d have something coming soon. Right now, we’ve only got journeymen, never-wases and never-will-bes. I really can’t wait to start canning some of these zombies.

A: Our budget constraints put us in a position where we’re always going to be rebuilding to a certain extent. We’re just not going to be able to sign players to big long-term contracts. We’re going to have to rely heavily on scouting, coaching, and me to make sound personnel moves. We have a very small margin of error.

HS: What are some of the moves you made this offseason (thus far) that represent change?

M: Well, I’ve had to cut ties with a few talented ballplayers. We had to cut costs this off season, no matter what. I don’t care if I’ve been fleeced. Clearing some of these expensive ballplayers is the key to our future. We added center fielder Sadatake Yoshida. He’s been stuck in the minors far too long. He’s deserved a chance at a starting gig for a while. I’m happy to give him the opportunity. He’s so pumped up for the season that he’s been putting on blue face paint and headbutting his mirror every day since we traded for him. We also added catcher Yuri Ando’s lethal line drive bat.

A: Well, certainly the aforementioned pickups of Salinas and Matsumoto will be big changes. We’re also counting on two Rule 5 draft picks – Soshu Ohayashi and Tsuyoshi Inoue – to contribute this season. We’ve also added setup man Seiichi Sakuma to what was already a solid bullpen. We’re hoping it’ll compliment what we think is going to be a better and deeper starting rotation.

HS: How will you avoid the mistakes of your predecessors?

M: I won’t be signing any ridiculous contract extensions to overrated sluggers. I’m also placing more of an emphasis on scouting and development rather than throwing money at people. Seriously, that’s what went on before I showed up. After every game the team would have a money fight. That’s no way to run a ballclub.

A: Probably something like what Matt said. We’re going to live within our means, so to speak. We’re not going to sign players long-term unless we’re sure they’re going to contribute. We’re going to work hard in the small areas that we think other teams might overlook. We won’t tolerate a losing frame of mind.

HS: Why should fans come watch your team in 2011?

M: Did I mention that floppy hat day is August 17^th? We’re also having a Matt Dewoskin Poster day in May. The first 40,000 fans get a free poster of yours truly. I’ll even sign yours if you ask politely, Hiroki. In all seriousness, I think we’ll lose but I think we’ll do it in exciting fashion. We’ve got a pitching staff that boasts two men nicknamed “Danger Man” and “Checkmate”. I’m excited just saying those names. Also, we’ve got a few players that could turn into household names in Seoul. We still have Tanaka, we still have Sato and we’ve added some interesting ballplayers to the mix. The road to the championship starts this season. True fans wouldn’t want to miss out.

A: Well, in June we’re going to have a Matt Dewoskin public poster burning with all of the posters the Crushers aren’t able to give out in May. In addition to that, I think we’re going to be a very different team in 2011. Our pitching is better and our offense should be a lot better. We’ll probably run less because we’re going to be on base more, but the payoff should be more runs scored. We’re got some good young players like 1B Yasuyuki Hashimoto and Akihito “Snake Hips” Ichihara who should continue to improve as they get more playing time.

HS: I’ll pass on the poster, but that does bring me to my next question. Give me one player that you think will become a household name, and why?

M: One player? 3^rd baseman Junji Yoshida. He posted a .750+ OPS on a crappy team in his age 23 season. I’m expecting big things for Junji. I could see an .800+ OPS in store for him with solid D and solid run production.

A: Mitsuhide Murayama was having a breakout year in 2010 before he suffered a ruptured medial collateral ligament just before the season ended. We’re counting on him to have a very productive year at the plate once he comes back. He’s a late bloomer, but I think he could take that next step this season.