Original articles can be read here 元の記事① and here 元の記事②
The Hanshin Tigers have announced their signing of former Chunichi Dragons pitcher Onelki Garcia (29). In 2018, his first season in NPB, he recorded a team-high 13 wins. His departure is surely a tough pill to swallow for the Dragons.
Some people have speculated that he is not an effective pitcher in outdoor stadiums, and that he lets his emotions get the best of him, so he will not do very well with the Tigers. They also say that he was only successful thanks to former Dragons manager Mori’s ability to manipulate situations for his pitcher.
He also proclaimed at season’s end that Dragons blue coursed through his veins. (However, rumors are that he was very interested in signing with the Tigers this year anyways, and that he approached the team, and not vice-versa.)
Looking at his numbers carefully, it becomes evident that he pitches well in domed conditions: 10-4 with a 2.20 ERA at home (Nagoya Dome), and 2-0 with an 0.56 ERA at Tokyo Dome against the Giants. On the other hand, his ERA was 5.40 in Hiroshima, and 3.86 in Yokohama and at Jingu. And his 2019 home turf? His ERA there was an ugly 7.20 (in two outings), which puts some doubt into whether or not he can succeed with this team.
On the other hand, one of the former Dragons coaches shared this episode: after night games, Garcia was without fail in the video room checking over his night’s work. He might look less-than-serious with his blond hair, but he is serious and does his homework. His fastball is consistently over 94 mph (150 km/h) and he’s got stamina. He knows a lot of the Japanese hitters’ quirks already, and as long as he doesn’t get big-headed about his success this season, he will do just fine next year.
More encouraging words for Hanshin fans to feast on come from the Dragons’ players rep Fukuda, who saw Garcia up close all the time from the hot corner: “He was always so level-headed on the mound. The data speaks for itself but it’s just one year. Things change from season to season… but the movement he gets on his pitches is filthy.”
The Dragons lost Alex Guerrero to the Giants during the 2017 offseason, after he got a huge offer. It didn’t exactly pan out for the Tokyo squad. The difference is, Garcia is a much more sociable guy than Guerrero, and should fit it well with his new team right away. Many of those who know Garcia believe he will put up good numbers with Hanshin in 2019.
Hanshin also officially announced the signing of 27-year old infielder Jefry Marte on Friday the 28th. Marte will wear #31 (yes, the one belonging to team legend Masayuki Kakefu) and make ¥110-million in this one-year deal. He says getting the number worn by the team’s all-time home run king is an honor, and that he feels like signing with the Tigers was by God’s guidance.
Kakefu, for the record, has said this about someone else wearing his number: “I heard he requested to wear #31. I hope to see that number shining brightly on the Koshien field once again. I hope he can lead the team to a Japan Series championship as the cleanup hitter.”
Here are some quotes of an interview done with Daily Sports about a week ago:
“I feel very lucky. I’m really happy. Playing in Japan is going to be a great experience for me.”
“I’ve heard great things about this team, that they have a strong history and very passionate fans. I have heard about the Curse of the Colonel, and hopefully I can contribute to helping the team break that curse.”
“I want to keep hitting long balls, just as I always have. I’m going to bring some lighter maple bats to Japan with me to be able to properly face Japanese pitching.”
“I feel confident in my hitting but also in my running. I can run the 60-yard in 6.8 seconds. That’s above average for a man my size. I just want to do the job that I’ve been given by the team, though. I don’t have a set number as for how many home runs I want to hit. I just want to help the team win, that’s all.”