I'm a bit late on this but ten days ago
the final roster for Samurai Japan's World Baseball Classic team was announced. After seeing
George's post showing off the Korean team and a
post on
Not Another Baseball Card Blog for the Canadian team, I thought I should do one for the Japanese team.
First up, the "active" pitching staff:
#10 Yuki Matsui, Eagles
 |
| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-02 |
#11 Tomoyuki Sugano, Giants
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-03 |
#12 Ryo Akiyoshi, Swallows
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-04 |
#14 Takahiro Norimoto, Eagles
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-05 |
#15 Naoki Miyanishi, Fighters
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| 2016 BBM Fighters #F12 |
#17 Shintaro Fujinami, Tigers
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| 2016 BBM 1st Version #221 |
#19 Hirotoshi Masui, Fighters
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-08 |
#20 Ayumu Ishikawa, Marines
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| 2016 BBM 1st Version #057 |
#30 Shota Takeda, Hawks
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-14 |
#34 Toshiya Okada, Dragons
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| 2016 BBM Dragons #D11 |
#35 Kazuhisa Makita, Lions
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-15 |
#41 Kodai Senga, Hawks
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| 2016 BBM 2nd Version #337 |
#66 Yoshihisa Hirano, Buffaloes
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| 2016 BBM 1st Version #111 |
Next up the "designated" pitchers pool (no uniform numbers):
Kenta Ishida, Baystars
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| 2016 BBM 1st Version #300 |
Yuta Iwasada, Tigers
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| 2016 BBM 2nd Version #361 |
Tatsushi Masuda, Lions
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| 2016 BBM 1st Version #084 |
Masahiko Morifuku, Giants
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| 2016 BBM 2nd Version #374 |
Yusuke Nomura, Carp
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| 2016 BBM 1st Version #248 |
Daichi Ohsera, Carp
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| 2016 BBM 1st Version #246 |
Hirokazu Sawamura, Giants
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-06 |
Yasuaki Yamasaki, Baystars
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-11 |
The catchers:
#22 Seiji Kobayashi, Giants
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| 2016 BBM 1st Version #200 |
#27 Shota Ohno, Fighters
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| 2016 BBM 1st Version #038 |
#37 Motohiro Shima, Eagles
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-19 |
The infielders:
#3 Nobuhiro Matsuda, Hawks
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-22 |
#4 Ryosuke Kikuchi, Carp
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-23 |
#6 Hayato Sakamoto, Giants
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-25 |
#13 Sho Nakata, Fighters
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-27 |
#23 Tetsuto Yamada, Swallows
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-28 |
The outfielders:
#1 Seiichi Uchikawa, Hawks
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| 2009 Konami WBC Heroes #W09R110 |
#7 Norichika Aoki, Astros
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| 2009 Konami WBC Heroes #109 |
#8 Ryosuke Hirata, Dragons
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-33 |
#25 Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, Baystars
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-35 |
#51 Seiya Suzuki, Carp
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| 2016 BBM 1st Version #263 |
#55 Shogo Akiyama, Lions
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| 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-36 |
I wanted to show the players in their Samurai Japan uniforms if possible. Just over half the players (18 of 35) appeared in the 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan set so that worked out well. Only two of the other players had ever played for Team Japan so I used a 2016 card for the rest of them.
The Giants have the most players on the team with 5. The Carp, Fighters and Hawks each have 4 while the Baystars, Eagles and Lions each have 3 and the Dragons, Swallows and Tigers each have 2. The Marines and Buffaloes each have only one player on the team and there is only one MLB player on the roster.
3 comments:
I'll definitely be cheering for Japan again... but was bummed to find out that Shohei Ohtani was injured. That left Norichika Aoki as the only familiar name on the team. Who else should I be looking out for? Any guys eventually headed to the MLB?
Tetsuto Yamada and Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh are probably the best hitters on the team. Seiya Suzuki and Shogo Akiyama are personal favorites of mine - Suzuki hit game winning home runs in three consecutive games against the Buffaloes last summer and Akiyama set the single season hit record in NPB in 2015. Sugano, Norimoto, Ishikawa and Takeda will most likely be the main starters - Takeda took Ohtani's place on the roster. I think Nakata, Sakamoto, Uchikawa, Morifuku and Matsuda are the only players who were on the 2013 WBC team and Aoki and Uchikawa are the only ones from the 2009 team.
Matsuda tried to come to the US a couple winters ago as a free agent but got no takers. There's been a lot of speculation on Yamada coming in the near future and I think i've heard some rumblings on Norimoto.
Thanks for the heads up. I'll use this information as my scouting report when I watch the games. Go Samurai Japan!
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