|
RETURN to Teams Page
Here's what some of the members of the Japan baseball media
thought about the season prior to Opening Day 2008. (We'll keep this up
until shortly before the next season, so you can see how they did.)
From the
Yomiuri
Shimbun Online
Chunichi Dragons --
Projected Finish: 2
The defending Japan Series champion Chunichi
Dragons caught fire in the postseason, losing just once after winning five
straight Climax Series games to snatch their first title in 53 years.
They did it without one of the best hitters in
Japan, losing Kosuke Fukudome to injury in midseason. Fukudome has since gone to
the majors, and the Dragons have to figure a way to compete with the Giants
without that production.
The addition of Kazuhiro Wada makes the team
older and slower. If he bounces back to something closer to his production from
2003-06, he could ease the loss of Fukudome, but that is a massive hole.
The Dragons, though, win with pitching and
defense and those elements remain solid. Kenichi Nakata was the club's best
starter statistically, racking up a career-high 14 wins and finishing second in
the CL in strikeouts with 177.
Ace Kenshin Kawakami and Kenta Asakura, who won
12 games, give Chunichi a strong threesome at the top of the rotation, and the
team figures to have little trouble filling holes in the bullpen.
Offensively, Woods anchors an attack that was the
league's second best in 2007. Woods said his goal is to hit .300 with 40 to 50
homers and 100 RBIs.
The Dragons will need that from their cleanup
batter, but they also need the role players to produce.
Chunichi has two very good base stealers in
Hirokazu Ibata--a key to both the offense and defense--and Masahiro Araki.
Overall team speed, however, is poor.
Araki turned his game up to full volume in the
postseason, but his regular season was barely better than in 2006, when he
missed half the year with injuries. If Araki comes out at postseason speed, and
the middle relief improves, the Dragons could be in it until the end.
-----
From
Jason Coskrey of The
Japan Times
Chunichi finished behind the Giants in the CL race but breezed through the
Climax Series and captured its first Japan Series title since 1954.
The Dragons are missing star outfielder Kosuke Fukudome this season, and were
forced by injuries to play the majority of 2007 without him.
The quick fix will likely be free-agent acquisition Kazuhiro Wada, who batted
.315 with 18 home runs and 49 RBIs last season for the Seibu Lions. Chunichi
also added infielder Tomas de la Rosa and pitcher Maximo Nelson.
The Dragons' infield figures to look the same with power hitters Tyrone Woods
and Norihiro Nakamura manning the corners, veteran Motonobu Tanishige at catcher
and the dynamic defensive duo of second baseman Masahiro Araki and shortstop
Hirokazu Ibata setting the table at the top of the lineup.
Masahiko Morino can also put up big numbers with Lee Byung Kyu joining him in
the outfield.
Twelve-game winner Kenshin Kawakami anchors a pitching staff that dominated
in the postseason. Joining him in the rotation are Kenta Asakura, a 12-game
winner, and 14-game winner Kenichi Nakata. The Dragons are consistent after the
top three, with lefty Takashi Ogasawara and Japan Series hero Daisuke Yamai
waiting in the wings.
Chunichi also managed to convince closer Hitoki Iwase, who is coming off
three consecutive 40-save seasons, to stick around Nagoya for at least one more
season.
| 
