Bobby Valentine/Marines Breakout Ex-Met Thread

[Guest Edgy DC]

10-1

Wow.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Baseball: Lotte crushes Hanshin again, moves 1 win from

.c Kyodo News Service

NISHINOMIYA, Japan, Oct. 25 (Kyodo) - (EDS: ADDING MORE QUOTES, DETAILS, DETAILS, EDITING)

Bobby Valentine's Lotte Marines are one victory from their first Japan Series title in 31 years while the Hanshin Tigers had another nightmare night, this time in their own backyard.

Tomoya Satozaki got a lucky break for the go-ahead run and Kazuya Fukuura hit a grand slam in a seven-run explosion in the seventh inning as Lotte stomped Hanshin 10-1 in Game 3 to take a 3-0 advantage in the series Tuesday.

''We played very, very well tonight but still need one more win,'' said Valentine, whose team has outscored Hanshin 30-2 in the most lopsided first three games in the 56-year history of the Japanese version of the World Series.

''The guys were hitting very well and had confidence and good concentration,'' Valentine said. ''(Starting pitcher Hiroyuki) Kobayashi had a stiff back but showed guts in six great innings.''

The Tigers now need a miracle to survive their nightmare series.

In 16 cases, only three teams have ever come back to win four straight after falling to a 3-0 deficit in the Japan Series. The Yomiuri Giants were the last team to accomplish the feat when they beat the Kintetsu Buffaloes in 1989.

Once again, the Hanshin bats came up empty and could muster just six hits on the night. Cleanup hitter Tomoaki Kanemoto was held hitless for the third straight game while Central League RBI leader Makoto Imaoka, who bats fifth, went 1-for-3 with single.

''I have few things to say...All we have to do is create more scoring chances,'' Hanshin manager Akinobu Okada said. ''Ending our season in such an awful way makes me feel that what we've done all year means nothing. We'll just try to go out there and give our all.''

In the fourth, Satozaki hit into a potential inning-ending double play to shortstop but beat out the throw to first on a controversial call as Koichi Hori, who had hit a leadoff single to right, scored the go-ahead run to make it 2-1.

Toshiaki Imae, who set a new series record with eight hits in as many at-bats through two games, struck out in the second to end his hitting streak but chipped in a run on an RBI infield single to third to extend the lead to 3-1.

''I didn't know what was going to happen but I just ran as fast as I could. It's a big difference between finishing with one run and getting two. I'm happy with anything that results in a score,'' Imae said.

Lotte put away the game in the seventh. Valentine sent Tasuku Hashimoto in to pinch-hit for starter Hiroyuki Kobayashi (1-0) after reliever Kyuji Fujikawa loaded the bases.

Hashimoto worked a 3-2 count and delivered a two-run single to center off to make it 5-1.

''I hit a fastball. The bases were loaded with a 3-2 count, so I tried to avoid a ball and swing compactly. I was the pinch-hitter for Kobayashi, so I had to try and get a hit,'' Hashimoto said.

Tsuyoshi Nishioka added a run with an RBI single to center and after Okada opted for another pitching change, Fukuura put the game out of reach with his grand slam off Masashi Sajikihara to the right-field stands.

''It was a fastball. The game was going our way and I decided I'd swing if an easy pitch came first. I wasn't sure it was a home run at first because the ball was so low. This was the best thing that could have happened for us,'' Fukuura said.

Kobayashi allowed one run on three hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked one before giving way to the bullpen.

''I didn't have a good start but after my changeup started working, my slider and fastball got better,'' Kobayashi said. ''I can only hear the deafening cheers of Koshien Stadium so it was hard to focus.''

Hanshin starting pitcher Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi (0-1), who led the CL with 15 wins in the regular season, allowed three runs and four hits in five innings in taking the loss.

The Marines, who won 10-1 and 10-0 in the first two games at home, posted double-digit runs for the third straight game after becoming the first team to score 10 times or more in back-to-back Japan Series games.

The Tigers made a promising start to the game when Takashi Toritani had a one-out double off the left-field wall in the first but Andy Sheets struck out swinging and Kanemoto grounded out to second to end the inning.

Lotte cleanup hitter Saburo Omura led off the second with a double to right, took third on a Shimoyanagi wild pitch and scored on a Benny Agbayani sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.

Hanshin came back in the bottom half for its only sign of life.

Imaoka got his first hit of the series after an 0-for-6 start with a single to left and after Shinjiro Hiyama drew a walk, Akiro Yano grounded out to second to put runners on second and third. Imaoka then scored on a Kentaro Sekimoto groundout to third to tie it 1-1.

In Wednesday's Game 4 at Koshien Stadium, Dan Serafini is scheduled to start for Lotte in a matchup with Naohisa Sugiyama.

[Guest Rotblatt]

Sweet! Let's hope by this time tomorrow, we'll have broken out the brooms . . .

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

I'm wearing my Chiba Lotte cap today. This is what's on the front of my cap -





This should be the Official Offseason Alcoholic Beverage of the CPF -

[Guest sharpie]

Is it Bo-Beer or Bob-eer?

[Willets Point]

Scarlett, where did you get that hat? I'm curious if Chiba Lotte Marines "Benny" jerseys are available anywhere.

[Willets Point]

Bigger image of Bobeer can (made in China!?!?!?!).

[Guest Edgy DC]

Bobby's turning Japanese.

I really think so.

[Centerfield]

Next year I'm starting the BoBeer PoTG polls to battle the Schaefer ones.

All voting will be in Japanese.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

I ordered it from Star Struck

And this is what the cap looks like -

[Centerfield]

Is Shinjo on that team? Wasn't he on it last year?

[Centerfield]

Chiba Lotte Jerseys:

http://www.yakyushop.net/proddetail.php?prod=JM1096&cat=7

*Edited to fix link to 2005 Road Jersey

[Guest sharpie]

But Bobby's beer can hat has the M on it and no sign of the chicken. Can one get a non-chicken hat?

[Centerfield]

Marines "M" cap.

http://www.yakyushop.net/proddetail.php?prod=CM2027&cat=8

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Shinjo is Fighting Hams:

[Centerfield]

This was when Chiba Lotte clinched a spot in the Japan Series.

Look at how high they're tossing Bobby! Imagine if they actually win it all?



And for the record, I would never get tossed in the air in a situation where I'm relying on someone named "Matsui" to catch me...

[Guest Rotblatt]

SWEEP!!!

] The Lotte Marines won their first Japan Series title in 31 years Wednesday after a 3-2 win over the Hanshin Tigers in Game 4, which gave the Pacific League champions a four-game sweep. Lotte, managed by former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine, overwhelmed Hanshin and became only the seventh team to sweep the annual best-of-seven series and first since the Yomiuri Giants did it against the Seibu Lions in 2002.

http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstPhotos/getimage.php?photoid=9071

[metirish]

Great news, a huge congratulation to Bobby and the boys..a full report below..

]Full Report Print-friendly version Valentine's Marines win Japan Series South Korean outfielder Lee Seung-yeop drove in all three runs Wednesday, leading Bobby Valentine's Chiba Lotte Marines to a 3-2 win over the Hanshin Tigers and their first Japan Series title in 31 years. Lotte becomes the first team to sweep a Japan Series since 2002, when the Yomiuri Giants defeated the Seibu Lions. Valentine, meanwhile, becomes the first foreign manager in the 70-year history of Japanese baseball to win a Japan Series. "I feel wonderful," said Valentine. "We started in spring training with a dream to be here for the last game. We wanted to win the last game and we did." Valentine, who took the New York Mets to the World Series in 2000 where they lost in five games to the New York Yankees, is in his second stint with the Marines. He guided the team to a second-place finish in 1995. "I would like to thank everyone in the Lotte organization," said Valentine. "Including (team owner) Mr. Shigemitsu, who had the faith to bring me back for a second time." Lee connected for a two-run homer in the second inning at Koshien Stadium to give the Marines a 2-0 lead and then drove in a run in the third with a double off Hanshin starter Naohisa Sugiyama. Lotte starter Dan Serafini gave up two runs on five hits over 5-1/3 innings for the win. Makoto Imaoka drove in a run with a bloop single in the bottom of the sixth to make it 3-1. Pinch-hitter Shinjiro Hiyama hit a single to right to cut the lead to one run. Since Japanese baseball went to a two-league system in 1950, only five teams have swept the Japan Series. Lotte becomes the sixth. The Tigers, who never got their offense on track and scored only four runs in the series, hit into four double plays in Wednesday's game. After Lotte reliever Masahide Kobayashi walked Atsushi Kataoka to leadoff the ninth. Akihiro Yano then hit into a double play on a failed sacrifice bunt before Kobayashi struck out Atsushi Fujimoto to end the game. Toshiaki Imae was named the series MVP after going 10-for-16 with four RBIs. He also set a new Japan Series record for consecutive hits when he went 8-for-8 in the first two games. "It's a great feeling," said Imae. "It was amazing the way this team played all season long and in the series." (AP) October 26, 2005

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Yea Marines! Yea Bobby!

[Centerfield]

"After Lotte reliever Masahide Kobayashi walked Atsushi Kataoka to leadoff the ninth..."

Freakin' Kobayashi always gotta make it interesting...

Honestly, how much do you miss these guys?

[metirish]

]Honestly, how much do you miss these guys?

A lot, Bobby was the best....

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Centerfield wrote: Honestly, how much do you miss these guys?

Don't get me started.

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Here's a toast - To Bobby and his Championship Team!

[metirish]

When Bobby first managed Chiba didn't he get fired because he clashed with the GM?...interesting that he comes back under the same owner and wins it all.......ahh I'm just thinking aloud, it would never happen..

[Centerfield]

The best part about this celebration is you can cure your BoBeer hangover with Benny Bean coffee.

(Couldn't find a pic of Benny Beans online, how is that possible?)

[seawolf17]

I think they pulled Benny Bean coffee. I looked it up a year or so ago, and the company didn't offer it any longer.

[Guest sharpie]

Anybody here ever had a cup of Benny Bean coffee? If so, how was it?

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

I did. It was a strong, nice blend.

BTW, I e-mailed MK's teacher this morning so that he could hear about the sweep in school (he asked me to check the score for him this morning, but it wasn't available before he had to leave for school). He came home VERY happy

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

[seawolf17]

I want to have a really good college fair tonight and have all the other college reps throw me into the air at the end of the night.

I love sports.