Card Of The Week September 21

The Giants kept the Dragons at bay today by beating them 3-2 on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth by Yoshihito Ishii.  Ishii, who was pinch hitting for Yoshitomo Tani who was pinch hitting for Tetsuya Matsumoto (the Dragons changed pitchers after Tani was announced), hit a bases loaded single to left to win the game.  This sets up a winner-take-all playoff final for tomorrow.

Like so many others before him, Ishii is an unlikely post season hero.  Ishii is a 34 infielder who has previously played for Yokohama and Seibu.  He had a few years in the mid-00's as a regular with the Lions - even making the All Star team in 2005 - but he hasn't played a lot at the ichi-gun level the past few seasons.  The Lions released him at the end of last season and the Giants picked him.  He only appeared in 51 games for the big club this year, although he did hit .315.

It looks like there's only one card of him this year - from the BBM Giants set.  Since I don't have that card, I thought I show one from his days with the Lions:

2008 BBM Lions 30th Anniversary #83