Lions at Swallows, Meiji Jingu March 9, 2008


Mikinori Katoh

Mikinori Katoh

Mikinori Katoh

Mikinori Katoh (with pitching coach Daisuke Araki in the background)

Mikinori Katoh

Mikinori Katoh

Mikinori Katoh

Mikinori Katoh

Aaron Guiel harrasses the bullpen catchers.

Starting lineups for the game.

Former Fighter Keizo Kawashima leads off (and goes 4-for-5).

Kazuhisa Ishii ALWAYS starts games I attend at Jingu, regardless of whether he's still on Yakult.

If you are a second baseman and your last name is Tanaka, your sole job is to bunt. Even Hiroyasu knows that.

Adam Riggs in high socks! Wheee!

Aaron Guiel

Craig Brazell touches home after hitting a home run,

"I have this brilliant idea. Let's see if we can pick Nakamura off second... he's pretty slow."

Kenta Matsusaka, who is kicking butt this pre-season.

"I got it.. I got it... NO REALLY, I GOT IT..."

Ryuuji Miyade is so tall!

Miyade gets a hit! Yay!

I am not sure if Miyade missed a signal or what, but tall slow dudes do NOT steal bases, yo.

Aoki swings and misses.

Aoki swings and misses again. Hashire, Norichika!

Hiroyuki Nakajima comes home after hitting a home run.

Akira Etoh high-fives Brazell after a 2-run homer.

Takumi Kuriyama.

Former Fighter Jun Hagiwara (still doesn't know where he's throwing the ball).

I think these people are living in the past just a bit (but I envy the Yakult Inaba jersey).

Shingo Kawabata.

Look! It's former Mariner Masao Kida!

Miyade says, "Hello, can you take me off the big screen so I can sneeze?"

Minoru Yamagishi meets with Toru Hosokawa on the mound and talks into his walkie-talkie glove.

Yamagishi.

The Swallows fans proudly wave the Miyade flag.

Bespectacled crazy lefty sidearmer Masaru Satoh.

This is just what it's like at Meiji Jingu on a sunny day.

Former Fighters reliever Takahiko Oshimoto.

Former Fighters reliever Takahiko Oshimoto.

"Hit it Here!" signs, essentially, for Kenta Matsusaka.

Fireballer Ryota Igarashi.

Lovely late-afternoon at Meiji Jingu Stadium.

Former Dragon Shinya Okamoto.

Final score of the game -- Seibu wins 8-3 on a bunch of homeruns, mostly.