Cleveland Indians sign reliever Kobayashi
Pitcher brought in to assist Borowski Wednesday, November 21, 2007Dennis Manoloff
The Indians looked to the Far East to bolster their bullpen, signing Japanese right-hander Masahide Kobayashi to a two-year contract with a club option for 2010.
Kobayashi made history as the first Japanese professional ever signed to a major-league contract by Cleveland.
"Masa," as he is known to his friends, was introduced Tuesday at a news conference in Jacobs Field. He sat between Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro and interpreter Kenta Yagi.
Asked what he knows about Cleveland, Kobayashi said through Yagi: "It has a beautiful lake and the Indians."
Kobayashi is one of three pitchers in the history of Japanese pro baseball with 200-plus saves. He has 227. He is the only Japanese professional to notch 20-plus saves in seven consecutive seasons (2001-2007).
Joe Borowski need not worry. Barring injury, he will continue to be the Tribe's closer in 2008. Kobayashi will slot somewhere in front of him, but not too far.
"One of our primary off-season goals is to add depth to the back end of our bullpen," Shapiro said. "We envision Masa' having many opportunities to pitch in meaningful situations."
Shapiro does not foresee a problem with Kobayashi, who will have a full-time interpreter, getting comfortable in the Tribe clubhouse.
"Baseball right now is about playing in a multicultural environment," Shapiro said. "Our players will embrace him."
Kobayashi, 33, went 2-7 with a 3.61 ERA and 27 saves in 49 appearances last season for the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League. He was Chiba Lotte's No. 1 pick in 1999.
In 2006, Kobayashi went 6-2 with a 2.68 ERA and 34 saves in 53 appearances. He said the dropoff from 2006 to 2007 had nothing to do with "neck irritation," reportedly the reason for a disabled-list stint in September.
"My neck is fine," he said. "I'm surprised the U.S. media would say I have neck trouble."
Kobayashi, who throws a fastball, slider and split from an overhand slot, declared free agency at the beginning of November. In search of a new challenge, he looked to the States.
"I know the Indians are one of the best teams in Major League Baseball, and they showed an interest in me," he said.
Agent Mark Pieper said negotiations unfolded as smoothly as could be expected for an overseas free agent. Because Kobayashi was an unrestricted free agent, a posting fee to Chiba Lotte was not required.
Under the direction of scouting director John Mirabelli, the Indians have increased their presence in Japan over the past several years.
At the news conference, Kobayashi held up Tribe jersey No. 30 - Andy Marte's number. Indians Assistant General Manager Chris Antonetti said not to read anything into it, that Marte remains in the mix. Kobayashi's addition brings the Tribe's 40-man roster to 40.
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Tribe finds bullpen help
Masahide Kobayashi, a right-handed closer from Japan, agrees to 2-year contract
By Sheldon Ocker Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Wednesday, Nov 21, 2007
CLEVELAND: As a celebrated reliever in his native country of Japan, Masahide Kobayashi speaks almost no English, but apparently he can cut to the chase in any language.
In a news conference to announce his signing by the Indians on Tuesday, Kobayashi was asked if he had formed any impressions of Cleveland, having been in the city not much longer than 24 hours.
Kobayashi didn't hesitate to answer through an interpreter, saying, ''It has beautiful lake and the city has Indians.''
Come to think of it, what more does he need to know? At least for now. Kobayashi will return to Cleveland in January with his wife and daughter for the grand tour. A month later, he will be exposed to the charms of Winter Haven, Fla., where the Tribe holds spring training.
Six weeks after that, General Manager Mark Shapiro and manager Eric Wedge will begin to learn whether a reported $6.25 million investment in Kobayashi, a right-hander, is going to pay off. Kobayashi will earn $3 million in each of the next two seasons. The Indians hold a $3.25 million club option on his services for 2010. If they choose to decline the option, Kobayashi, 33, will receive a $250,000 buyout.
Although Kobayashi was a successful closer for the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League, for whom he played for nine years, Shapiro is not counting on him to save games for the Tribe.
''If we're a good team, there will be many opportunities for him to pitch in meaningful situations,'' Shapiro said. ''With his experience as a closer, if we need him to save games because of an injury (to Joe Borowski), he can be an option. But one thing we
expect him to do is pitch in meaningful situations.''
Get the picture? Neither Shapiro nor anyone else associated with the team is willing at this point to pick a specific job for Kobayashi and be totally confident he can be successful. After all, he has not facedmajor-league hitters, at least not with any regularity. Twice, in 2000 and 2002, he pitched against big-leaguers for the Japanese national team, and Tribe operatives have scouted him.
''He pitches aggressively with his fastball, which comes in at 90 and sometimes gets up to 94,'' said scouting director John Mirabelli, who has watched Kobayashi throw. ''His out pitch is a wipeout slider, and he throws a split, which is more of a forkball.''
One thing that Shapiro emphasized is that Kobayashi throws strikes, unlike many pitchers who have come from Japan and prefer to nibble at the corners of the plate as if they were afraid to throw a strike.
The Indians' financial commitment and two-year deal indicate that club officials like Kobayashi's chances of ''adding to our back-of-the-bullpen depth,'' as Shapiro put it.
It's likely that Kobayashi will be worked into the bullpen pecking order slowly, behind Borowski, the closer, and Rafael Betancourt, the setup man.
For the Lions, who were managed by Bobby Valentine, the former big-league skipper, Kobayashi was 2-7 with 27 saves and a 3.61 ERA in 49 appearances last season, when he walked only 12 and struck out 35 in 471/3 innings. Kobayashi is accustomed to closing out games. He began to pile up saves in his second season with Chiba Lotte and amassed a total of 227 along with a career ERA of 2.79.
Injuries are not an integral part of Kobayashi's history.
''I don't remember going to a doctor or a hospital the last 10 years,'' he said, a neck injury last season being the exception.
Kobayashi declared for free agency on Nov. 2, the first day allowed under Japanese rules, and the Indians were among a group of teams that expressed interest. Kobayashi said other teams were in the hunt but would not reveal which ones.
''Several teams made offers, but I couldn't say which,'' he said. ''The Indians showed me the most interest. I know the Indians are one of the best teams in the major leagues, and I was impressed that they had interest in me.''
Asked if his offseason search for relievers is at an end, Shapiro said: ''I don't think we'll ever be satisfied with our bullpen, because of the volatility of relievers. So we'll continue to try and reinforce things there.''
Despite the limitations imposed by Kobayashi's lack of familiarity with English, he gave the language a gallant effort to get one important message across: ''My name is Masahide, but call me Masa,'' he said without the help of the interpreter.
Tickets on sale
Tickets for the March 31 home opener (3 p.m.) will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, as will those for the following two games of the opening series against the Chicago White Sox on April 2 and 3, and select ''six-pack'' ticket packages. Most tickets have increased in price by $1 or $2 from the 2007 season.
Tickets can be bought online at http://www.Indians.com, at Indians gift stores, through Ticketmaster outlets or by calling 216-241-5555 or 866-488-7423.
New uniforms
The Indians will wear uniforms with slight style and color changes in 2008.
The biggest difference will be the home alternate design. It will feature a cream-colored top with block ''INDIANS'' across the chest in red and Chief Wahoo on the left sleeve. The jersey will be worn with a blue cap with a red block ''C.''
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Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com.
CLEVELAND: As a celebrated reliever in his native country of Japan, Masahide Kobayashi speaks almost no English, but apparently he can cut to the chase in any language.
In a news conference to announce his signing by the Indians on Tuesday, Kobayashi was asked if he had formed any impressions of Cleveland, having been in the city not much longer than 24 hours.
Kobayashi didn't hesitate to answer through an interpreter, saying, ''It has beautiful lake and the city has Indians.''
Come to think of it, what more does he need to know? At least for now. Kobayashi will return to Cleveland in January with his wife and daughter for the grand tour. A month later, he will be exposed to the charms of Winter Haven, Fla., where the Tribe holds spring training.
Six weeks after that, General Manager Mark Shapiro and manager Eric Wedge will begin to learn whether a reported $6.25 million investment in Kobayashi, a right-hander, is going to pay off. Kobayashi will earn $3 million in each of the next two seasons. The Indians hold a $3.25 million club option on his services for 2010. If they choose to decline the option, Kobayashi, 33, will receive a $250,000 buyout.
Although Kobayashi was a successful closer for the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League, for whom he played for nine years, Shapiro is not counting on him to save games for the Tribe.
''If we're a good team, there will be many opportunities for him to pitch in meaningful situations,'' Shapiro said. ''With his experience as a closer, if we need him to save games because of an injury (to Joe Borowski), he can be an option. But one thing we
expect him to do is pitch in meaningful situations.''
Get the picture? Neither Shapiro nor anyone else associated with the team is willing at this point to pick a specific job for Kobayashi and be totally confident he can be successful. After all, he has not facedmajor-league hitters, at least not with any regularity. Twice, in 2000 and 2002, he pitched against big-leaguers for the Japanese national team, and Tribe operatives have scouted him.
''He pitches aggressively with his fastball, which comes in at 90 and sometimes gets up to 94,'' said scouting director John Mirabelli, who has watched Kobayashi throw. ''His out pitch is a wipeout slider, and he throws a split, which is more of a forkball.''
One thing that Shapiro emphasized is that Kobayashi throws strikes, unlike many pitchers who have come from Japan and prefer to nibble at the corners of the plate as if they were afraid to throw a strike.
The Indians' financial commitment and two-year deal indicate that club officials like Kobayashi's chances of ''adding to our back-of-the-bullpen depth,'' as Shapiro put it.
It's likely that Kobayashi will be worked into the bullpen pecking order slowly, behind Borowski, the closer, and Rafael Betancourt, the setup man.
For the Lions, who were managed by Bobby Valentine, the former big-league skipper, Kobayashi was 2-7 with 27 saves and a 3.61 ERA in 49 appearances last season, when he walked only 12 and struck out 35 in 471/3 innings. Kobayashi is accustomed to closing out games. He began to pile up saves in his second season with Chiba Lotte and amassed a total of 227 along with a career ERA of 2.79.
Injuries are not an integral part of Kobayashi's history.
''I don't remember going to a doctor or a hospital the last 10 years,'' he said, a neck injury last season being the exception.
Kobayashi declared for free agency on Nov. 2, the first day allowed under Japanese rules, and the Indians were among a group of teams that expressed interest. Kobayashi said other teams were in the hunt but would not reveal which ones.
''Several teams made offers, but I couldn't say which,'' he said. ''The Indians showed me the most interest. I know the Indians are one of the best teams in the major leagues, and I was impressed that they had interest in me.''
Asked if his offseason search for relievers is at an end, Shapiro said: ''I don't think we'll ever be satisfied with our bullpen, because of the volatility of relievers. So we'll continue to try and reinforce things there.''
Despite the limitations imposed by Kobayashi's lack of familiarity with English, he gave the language a gallant effort to get one important message across: ''My name is Masahide, but call me Masa,'' he said without the help of the interpreter.
