Searching For Hoshino, The Finale

I did it.

I had a lousy day for most of the day. Our DSL went out last night and I spent two hours on the phone with Verizon, trying to get them to acknowledge there was a problem outside the house, not inside. I wasn't successful, but when I got up this morning, our DSL was working again. Obviously elves came in the middle of the night and fixed it. I almost missed my train and the rain made it take 40 minutes to drive the 10 miles from where the train drops me off to where I work. So I was tired and cranky when I made it out to Cal Sr's Yard this evening. The Japan/Mexico game was supposed to have started at 5, but rain had delayed the early games so that the Australia/Korea game was just ending when I got there a little after 6.

I kept scanning the crowd while the Japanese and Mexican teams warmed up on the field. I had lent my Sharpie to some teenage girls who were trying to flirt with some of the Australian players. Just as I got the pen back, I spotted this man walking from the hotel beyond the field over to the stands. I was pretty sure it was Senichi Hoshino. I stopped one of the Japanese fans who I knew spoke English and he confirmed it was him.

I walked up to him and said "Excuse me, Mr. Hoshino, but could you sign this for me?" I think he was a bit surprised and amused that someone knew who he was. I asked him if it was OK if I took a picture as he signed the card and he said yes.


Here's the card (2003 BBM 1st Version #94):


Once he handed the card back, I thanked him and moved away quickly. I had been worried that I was going to go all fanboy and I really didn't want to embarrass myself. I hung out for a little bit longer, but even though I had a little rush of adrenaline from meeting him, I was still pretty exhausted and I wanted to crash early tonight. I did take another picture of him from across the field while he was watching the team warm up:


So my day ended on a much brighter note than it started on.

Japan ended up beating Mexico 1-0 to go undefeated in pool play. This was the only game that they did not win via the slaughter rule. Their next game will be Friday at 5 in the first round of the championships. I can't make that game, but I may be able to be at the International Bracket's Final on Saturday at noon. I'll have to see.

UPDATE: Via Yakyu Baka, Hoshino was at an Orioles/Mariners game this week and met up with Ichiro, Koji Uehara and Alonzo Powell. Looks like he's wearing the same shirt in this photo that he was when I saw him.

Hoshino Stalking Interrupted By Rain

My excitement over possibly finally encountering Senichi Hoshino at the Cal Ripken World Series was tempered by the fact that it had been raining all afternoon. Still, the website said that the games that were to be played at 2:30 would be played at 4:30 and the Japan/Australia game was still on for 4:30, so despite the downpour, I headed on over a little after 4.

The rain didn't let up after I reached the baseball complex and after waiting for an hour, I became more and more convinced that there was no way the game was going to get played. Here's a picture of Cal Sr's Yard, the nicest field at the complex and a mini-Camden Yards replica:


It's a nice field with lights and a tarp over the infield. Unfortunately, the Japan/Australia game was scheduled for the field that (generously) resembles the Nationals' Park, which has no lights and no tarp:


So I really don't expect them to get this game in today. I did see the Japanese team working out in one of the batting cages, but I didn't see Hoshino with them:


With that pesky work-thing interfering with my day time, I'm not sure I'll be able to make it to another game. I can probably catch the last half of their game against Mexico on Wednesday. Hopefully Hoshino will still be in town.

Oh, shoot - I just checked the tournament website. They're actually playing the game. After an inning and a half, Japan is already up 5-0. Australia is being no-hit so far. By the time I could run back over there, the game will probably already be over. I really didn't think they'd be able to get it in - they did postpone the games that were supposed to be played at 2:30.

Searching For Hoshino, 2010 Edition

Last year, I discovered that former Dragons pitcher and former Dragons and Tigers manager (as well as 2008 Japanese Olympic team coach) Senichi Hoshino would be traveling to Aberdeen, MD to support the Japanese team in the Cal Ripken World Series. Since the tournament would be played only about 5 miles from my house, I decided to go over and see if I could find him and get him to autograph a baseball card for me. I was unsuccessful in finding him, but I had a good time watching the games anyway. I took a bunch of pictures of the games I attended against Mexico, Canada and Korea.

This year's tournament kicked off this afternoon with Japan taking on Canada. I headed over with a Hoshino card and a Sharpie, hoping to have better luck this year.

Almost immediately after arriving, I ran into one of the Japanese team officials that I had talked to last year. I asked him if Mr. Hoshino was going to be attending the game. He told me that Hoshino would be arriving later that day, but he would almost certainly be at tomorrow's game. He asked me if I was press and I said no, just a fan hoping to get a card autographed. He assured me that he would help me accomplish that at tomorrow's game. So bad news that Hoshino wasn't at today's game, but hopefully good news that I can catch him tomorrow.

I stuck around for the game against Canada. Last year, Japan completely demolished the Canadian team 16-0, no-hitting them for four innings before the game was called due to the slaughter rule. The Canucks fared a little better today - getting two hits and scoring a run, but they still lost 13-1 in a game called after four innings due to the slaughter rule. Ritsuki Ohnishi was the star for the Japanese team - he went 3 for 3 with a single, a double and a home run, scored two runs, drove in four, stole two bases AND pitched two innings, striking out three and getting the win. Not a bad afternoon's work.

I took a bunch of pictures, but I have a bit of a complaint about the field. It's the Ripken Academy's Wrigley Field replica and it seemed like it was impossible to find a good place to sit and have good sightlines to the whole field. Between the trees along side the field, the "press box" behind home plate and the tall roofs to the dugouts, it seemed like no matter where I stood, some part of the field was blocked from view. So I ended up moving around quite a bit. I still think some of the shots turned out alright though:


Manager Koji Okumura. Does he wear 77 in honor of Senichi Hoshino?





Japanese center-fielder Kanji Ito. Notice the ivy in the background:



Canadian baserunner breaking for second on Ritsuki Ohnishi:




Pitcher Shuichi Katayama. I like the yellow glove:


Pickoff attempt at second:


Oendan section:



Ohnishi being greeted at the plate after his three run homer:


Ohnishi getting an award as Japan's player of the game:


Team bow after the game:

Searching for Senichi Hoshino, Part Three

Japan followed up their victories last weekend with a 12-0 perfect game victory over Australia on Tuesday and a 12-1 victory over Korea on Wednesday. Japan finished pool play with a 4-0 record, tied with the Dominican Republic for the best record. Japan won the tie breaker based on runs against (4 vs. 19) so they ended up being the number one seed for the international bracket, which meant that they would play at 5 PM on Thursday in the international bracket semifinal against the fourth seed, which was Korea.

I was able to make this game after work, so I showed up once again with my camera and a couple of Hoshino cards, hoping that the third time would be a charm. Unfortunately, I discovered that he had returned to Japan that morning. So much for supporting the team. Perhaps he got spooked when he learned there was this strange person stalking him. (In defense of Hoshino, I learned today while watching my recording of today's game vs. Mexico that Hoshino not only was responsible for putting a Japanese team together for this tournament, he's been its principal financial backer as well. So he supports the team whether he actually appears at a game or not.)

Despite not finding Hoshino, I had a great time at these games. The semifinal game against Korea was a tight ballgame early, with Japan only leading by 2-0 until they blew the game open by scoring five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Must have been strange for Japan - it was the first game since Saturday that they'd had to play more than four innings. The final score was 7-0.

Here's some pictures. Here's one of the players running out during the introductions:


Lined up for the National Anthems:


One of the Japanese players read the Babe Ruth Baseball Code Of Conduct:


Japanese starter Akira Ouro:


Coming off the field after the top of the first:


The Oendan section was in force again:


A couple random player pictures:





The flags in center field:


I watched an inning or so from the berm in right field:


A couple more random player shots:




Mexico defeated the Dominican Republic team in the other semifinal Thursday, setting up a rematch of last Saturday's tournament opener for the international bracket final. Behind a great performance by their pitcher and a couple key baserunning mistakes by Japan (they'd made a couple similar mistakes against Korea, but it didn't cost them), Mexico squeaked out a 1-0 victory this afternoon to move into the final tomorrow against the US bracket champ from Montgomery County, Maryland. It turns out that Japan was fighting history today - since this tournament was first played in Aberdeen in 2003, Mexico has been the international bracket winner every year.

So better luck to both the Japanese team and me next year. Maybe they'll get a championship and I'll get a Senichi Hoshino autograph!

Whither Canada? Or Searching for Senichi Hoshino, Part Two

Continuing my quest to find Senichi Hoshino in Aberdeen, MD at the Cal Ripken World Series...

Sunday evening, Team Japan took on Team Canada at the Camden Yards replica known as Cal Senior's Yard. This is a beautiful little ballpark with real seats in the infield, a grassy berm in the outfield, outfield walls with padding and a hotel in right field that looks a little like the B&O Warehouse at Camden Yards. I've been to minor league games at ballparks that weren't as nice as this.

Japan, of course, was coming off of their squeaker of a victory over Mexico on Saturday afternoon. Canada was reeling from being blown out by Korea at the same time. Unfortunately for Canada, this game was almost identical to their game against Korea.

It was obvious from the start of the game how it was going to go. The leadoff hitter for Japan, Atsushi Takahashi singled to center.

On the first pitch to the second batter, Kazumi Doi, Takahashi stole second without a throw.

On the second pitch to Doi, Takahashi stole third without a throw.

Doi took the third pitch for a strike. On the fourth pitch, the Canadian pitcher balked and Takahashi scored.

The final score of the game was Japan 16, Canada 0. And not to denigrate the Canadians, it wasn't even that close. The game was called after four innings due to the slaughter rule. The Canadians were no-hit, getting only two base runners on walks in the third and fourth innings. Nine of the twelve outs the Canadians made were strikeouts.

The Japanese team scored more runs (16) than the Canadians had plate appearances (14).

You have to feel bad for the Canadians. They are the champions of their country and they lost their first two games by a combined score of 33 to 0. (And as I write this, I see that they are losing to Australia by a score of 6 to 0).

While once again, I failed to find Hoshino, I did actually talk to a couple of the people from Japan watching the game and verified that he is actually around. Unfortunately, Japan's remaining games are scheduled for during the day this week and I won't be able to go. If they end up as the number one seed in the international bracket, they'll play Thursday at five and I should be able to make that. I'm hoping Hoshino will as well.

I took some more pictures. Here's one of the coaches hitting fly balls to the outfielders in the pregame fielding warmups:


The team lined up and bowed both to the field and to their fans before the game.


Both teams lined up for the National Anthems:


First pitch of the game:


The Oendan section:


Banner on the dugout roof:


Random player shots:



They had these between innings huddles that would always end with a cheer:


The lone Canadian base runner to get to second:


Final score:


Bowing to their fans after the game: