Open Games

Finally! The Open Games are about to start!

You can check the schedule in the official website, or here in this blog.

It's difficult to say exactly what the line-up and the starting rotation will be, but before the beginning of the open games, I think it'll be something like that:

1. Murton (RF)

2. Hirano (2B)

3. Toritani (SS)

4. Arai (3B)

5. Brazell (1B)

6. Fujii (C)

7. Kanoh (LF)

8. Shunsuke (CF)

9. Pitcher (P)

Starting pitchers: Kubo, Nohmi, Standridge, Iwata and Tsuru.

Murton and Brazell seem to be as strong as last season. Murton even joked saying that this season will be great since he hit against Nohmi during the practice game.

Arai is still aiming to be the clean-up, and apparently many people think that Kanemoto won't be among the starting members. That's why I think Kanoh will be left fielder. Moreover, it's almost sure that the catcher will be Fujii.

The infielders will probably be the same ones. Shunsuke and Saka are competing for the center field, but to my mind Shunsuke is better.

Regarding the starting rotation, Kubo seems to be in better condition than Nohmi: he threw more pitches in the bullpen and had less hits during the practice games. However, Nohmi has always been quite disastrous in the first innings, and he didn't give up runs, so I guess he's alright anyway.

Standridge was good last season, so no doubt he will be part of the rotation. Iwata has recovered from his injury, I think he will make it too. I hesitate between Tsuru and Akiyama, but since the pitching-coach Nakanishi has been correcting his motion, maybe the 5th starter will be Tsuru after all.

During the spring camp, many young players did excellent performances: Takahama did many hits, and Wakatake, Kojima and rookie Enokida proved to be reliable pitchers. I can't wait to see them in the open games!