G’day fans…
What can I say, I’m a busy man. I’m sorry it has taken this long but I have a ton of excuses for you on why I haven’t written a message sooner…Mostly it is because I don’t think my travels are exciting enough to write about so often but also because I have been doing a lot of entertaining recently. My sister was visiting us here from London and a few days after she left, my parents arrived from Australia and then a few days after they left, my wife’s mother flew in from America. Now although they all came only to see my children and a few baseball games, I still had to spend my free time entertaining them and making sure they were having a good time here. Ok.enough excuses, let me just talk about what’s been going on lately with the team…
We are playing great baseball and although our offense has slowed a little of late, it has been a true test of our character as a team to see what kind of fight we have when we aren’t in our best condition. We have some injury concerns at the moment and have really had to battle to give ourselves a chance to win. We have needed some very good pitching and some late comeback offense and I think we proved to everyone that this team can play good baseball and win even in the most difficult circumstances. We have certainly showed that we will never give up and continue to fight to the end of every game. I am really proud of my teammates and truly believe we will be champions this year. I have had my own ups and downs and it’s something that I haven’t had to deal with too much while here but nonetheless, I am human and need to learn quickly from the mistakes I have been making recently. Thankfully we have some really good coaches here and they have been able to get me back to feeling that I am very close to my best condition. And with Kyuji going to the Olympics soon, the timing couldn’t be better. I know August is going to be a very important time for me and I have focused on getting ready for that lately. I’m not sure who will be closing during that time but if I get the chance, I will be 100% ready for the challenge. I’ve always loved being the guy that people rely on at the most important times so this is something that I look forward to if I am chosen for that duty.
We have our most important series of the season so far starting tomorrow against the giants and if we can take care of business then we will have a magic number to start counting down and that is really important because it makes us feel like the title is very close to being ours.
Well it is getting late and while I write this, I am watching my childhood idol, Greg Norman, attempting to become the oldest major winner ever at the British Open. GAMBATTE shark….
Till next time…
Cheers
Jeff
20/07/2008
What a crazy day…..
I’m happy to report that I was finally able to get back into some game action for the first time in over a month. But it was quite an ordeal to make it all happen.
Lew Ford, our interpreter Kuriyama and I left our apartments for kita-Kobe at 9am and on the way up and around Mt Rokko, the taxi we were riding in started making some strange sounds, losing power and smelling like burning rubber. Right away we were trying to tell the driver that he should pull over and call for help but he insisted that everything was “ok”…..
Somehow we made it to the top of the rise and after going through a toll booth, we then coasted down the hill and into a tunnel. This is where the taxi finally lost all power and came to an ill-timed stop.
So there we were, now standing in the middle of a tunnel with cars backed up trying to get around the broken down taxi, when 2 cars going the opposite direction try to look and see what is going on and slam into each other just adding to the mayhem inside this confined roadway….
We were able to get out of there pretty quickly with the help of the highway patrol and after waiting for a new taxi, we made it to the stadium for the end of batting practice with a crazy story for our teammates.
I ended up pitching the 7th inning of the game with Surpass and felt great. No pain and feeling very strong after all the rehab I have done to recondition my shoulder. My trainer Ishihara, worked very hard to get me back in pitching form again and I couldn’t have done it without his help. Hopefully I won’t need him so much again this year.
Well, I am pitching again in a couple of days and then hopefully soon.
I’ll be back with the guys at ichi-gun.
Until then…..
see you at Naruohama…
Cheers,
Jeff
06/05/2008
G’day fans…
It’s been a while since I wrote a message but I usually don’t like to talk about negative things so while I’ve been injured, I have kind of avoided writing anything until I could give you some good news. So that means that I am finally feeling great and ready to get back to action.
I had been feeling ok for a little while but not quite 100%, so I got the opportunity to go to a hospital and rehabilitation clinic in Fukuoka where I was able to receive some extra attention and intense rehab. It was my first stay in a hospital here in Japan and although I have nothing but great things to say about the treatment I received, I really hope it was the last time.
My days were spent in a controlled environment of diet, treatment and exercise. I was able to learn a lot more about how pitching affects the shoulder and what I can do to prevent injury in the future. All in all it was definitely worth going. And the best part is that I now feel 100% and will get into games as soon as possible.
Well the ichi-gun team has certainly shown what they are capable of so far this season and I look forward to doing my part to help soon. I just hope they have room for me on the roster.
Until then though, I will keep doing my best to be ready to go when they call me.
Cheers
Jeff
30/04/2008
Gday fans…
The season is finally under way and we have gotten off to the perfect 3-0 start. I think we have already shown that our hard work in spring training was truly worth it. Obviously we have 141 games still to play but I think we can all see that the combination of our new players and healthy veterans will make us a team we can take to the pennant this year. Our line-up looks very strong and I expect that having Kanemoto healthy and adding Arai takes some pressure off and lets us relax and play our natural game a little more. I think we will manufacture a lot more runs this year as a result.Our starting pitching will definitely determine our fate for this season and we have some great depth coming out of camp. Three fantastic performances so far and with pitchers the caliber of Vogelsong, Kanemura, and Uezona just waiting in ni-gun for their opportunity to start, you know we are feeling good about our chances.It was great to be able to get out there and pitch in our season opener. It’s good to get the first one out of the way so you can calm your nerves and just pitch the rest of the year.I am hoping for my best season yet and promise I’ll do my best every day.
We are off to Hiroshima tomorrow for a week long road trip so I had better spend a little quality time with my family now. Sorry for the short message but here’s to hoping we come back to Osaka with 2 more series victories. I will write again soon.
Thanks for all your continued support. I’m honored to be a Hanshin Tiger.
Cheers
Jeff
31/03/2008
G’day fans.
Great to be back in Osaka. After a long month living out of hotels, we are finally back on the mainland and taking the next step of spring training. Open-sen has begun and it is now starting to feel like we can see what kind of shape the team is in.
Camp in Okinawa and Aki city was very tough due to the weather but I feel like we got plenty done and should see the results of our hard work very soon.Thanks to all of the fans and staff who were so good to us in both places. It is great to have that support and reminds us how much you are all counting on us to win the championship. I look forward to seeing you all at Koshien this year.
My first game this open-sen will be the tribute game for Shimano san and I will be honored to pitch in this emotional game. He always made me feel welcome and I’ll never forget him. He was such a great man and is truly missed.
Well it is great to be back in Osaka again and with this being my 6th year, it really is home now.
My family will come to Japan next week and then it’s back to being daddy. Time away from them is the hardest part of spring training but it really makes me appreciate my family more when I finally do see them again.
Well I had better get my rest before practice tomorrow.
Until next time.
Cheers
Jeff
02/03/2008
G’day fans.
Well our first phase of spring camp is now over and we are moving to Aki city tomorrow. Despite the rain and cool weather we had here in Okinawa, I feel we have made good strides in getting in shape for some real baseball games. It is always hard to gauge where we are in terms of performance for the coming season until we actually play games with our regular starters, but what is most important now is that every one is feeling healthy and getting their strength for the long haul ahead. I myself am feeling very good for this time of year as I have been able to move along at a good pace for a pitcher of my advancing age. That means I am taking it pretty easy so that I don’t fall over and hurt myself. Actually though I feel quite strong and have been spending most of my energy so far in the weight training room trying to improve my strength and power as I feel that this is the most important thing for a relief pitcher to achieve before having to get ready to pitch in every game.
I was able to throw batting practice on our last day here and I feel that it went very well. The first time you face hitters every year is a big test and lets you know how your well your pitches are moving and how your condition is. My slider is in good shape already and now I just need to improve my location and I’ll be ready for the season.
Tonight I am planning to meet up with some old teammates here on the island for dinner. Darwin Cubillan, Jamie Brown, and Chris Oxspring are all in Okinawa training with their new Korean league teams and so we are going to meet up for some reminiscing over good food and maybe a couple of beers. They are all nice guys and I’m glad to see them getting an opportunity to show their stuff in Korea.
Although I’m not really looking forward to the cold weather in Aki, it feels good to know we are onto the next phase of training and that much closer to starting the season and really enjoying some victories. Really the toughest part of camp is missing my family but I know that time will go by fast and I’ll see them soon after we get back to Osaka.
Ok, I must say bye for now but I’ll write again soon….
Until then….cheers
Jeff
17/02/2008
Gday fans..
Well here we are in Okinawa and into our 3rd cool. It has rained every day of camp so far which has made it tough to really get a feel for how our practices are going as most everything is indoors.
The feeling here is that we are excited to see just how good we can be
this year what with the new additions of Arai and Kanemura and also a
healthy Imaoka, Fukuhara and Andoh.
We seem to have a great mix of veteran players who are still in their prime and talented youngsters who are coming into their own and will surely push for those ichi gun roster spots.
I have thrown a couple of bullpens so far and I’m feeling very good.
At this early stage of spring training I am trying to pace myself so that I will be in peak condition for the start of the season but it is hard not to go as hard as I can because that is my personality. I’m looking forward to facing hitters again though because that is when the adrenalin kicks in and I have the most fun.
We’ve been able to golf a couple of times on our off days also and that has been a good chance to get to know our two new foreigners Ford and Atchison. Both are very happy to be here and motivated to win a championship. I think they are finding things a bit strange so far but that is to be expected. It is fun for me to see new players come and try to adjust because it reminds me of my first experiences here. Although it also makes me feel old now too.
Well I’d to thank all you fans for your continued support and I appreciate all the kind messages and well wishes. I will do my best to bring you a Japan Series victory and we can all celebrate together…..
Until next time….
Cheers
Jeff
10/02/2008
G’day fans
Long time no write.
I have been so busy in my off-season that I have barely had time to sit at the computer for long enough to write a message. I can hardly believe that it is almost time for spring training to start again but I am excited to get back.
Well first I must mention the Mitchell report as I’m sure you are all wanting to know from me what this is all about. First let me say this - I do not take steroids - I was very shocked that I was included in the report and I am looking into how to clear my name. In the meantime, I hope that you will trust that I am a clean ballplayer. I have been tested many many times while playing in America, Australia and Japan. I have always passed. Although I am going to have to deal with this, I feel that it is very important to move forward and not let this distract from the most important thing which is for the tigers to win the central league and Japan series. I promise I will focus on what matters most and that is winning….
Well this certainly has been an off-season full of moves and trades of impact players and is sure to make for an exciting season. I am really happy to see that we acquired Arai from Hiroshima. He is a great player and will surely help to balance out our lineup and drive in those runs in the clutch. Mostly I am happy that I don’t have to face him anymore as he was a power threat in every situation. I look forward to having him on the team.
This certainly eases the pain of Andy Sheets retiring and leaving a big hole to fill. I know that both Arai and Kanemoto will be happy to be on the field together again also. The pickup of Kanemura is a good one also. He has a great talent and I think with some of the veteran pitchers to hang around, he will become the great pitcher everyone expects.
I am interested to see what kind of role Hirano will fill as I always loved the way he played. He goes as hard as he can all the time and that is very exciting to watch as a teammate.
I was sad to see Nakamura, Hamanaka, Yoshino, and Akamatsu go because they are all good players and very nice guys. Wish them the best of luck and I hope they get a better opportunity with their new clubs.
Of course as a foreigner it is hard to say goodbye to the other foreigners because we spend the most time together so I’m sure it will be tough to not have Andy and Darwin back this season but I speak to Andy often and he is enjoying retirement so far so I am
happy for that. Also I know Darwin will get a good shot with another team as he is a great pitcher. Still, I will miss them both. I’m very happy that Vogelsong will be back as we have become great friends and help each other a lot during the season. I don’t know much about the 2 new guys but I’ll do my best to keep them focused and be their big brother and help as much as I can.
Only 3 weeks until I return but I have done so much this off- season that I’m ready for the normal life of baseball again.
When the season ended last year, I took my wife and kids to Hawaii for 10 days for vacation. We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian village in Honolulu and it was fantastic. My mother and father and sister came from Australia to meet us there and we had a great time….very relaxing….
From there, we came back to Arizona and settled back into our home and American lifestyle again. Which for me means lots of golf and eating out at restaurants. Very unhealthy but very tasty. My favorite is Mexican food this off-season.
There are so many holidays at this time of year that you feel like you are going straight from one celebration to another - it is very crazy….
First there is Halloween. Dressing up and lots of candy for the kids.
Then there is thanksgiving. A great big meal of turkey and trimmings. Then of course is Christmas. with a 2 year old and 3 year old, it is lots of fun at Christmas time.
And finally new years. Which used to be a big party for me but now with young kids is kind of laid back but still celebrating with good friends.
And on top of that, we took a family trip to the snow fields for a few days last week so that our kids could ride on sleds and make snowmen….a very crazy time of year…….
I started my off- season training in the middle of November so am in great shape now and feel ready to pitch off the mound very soon. I have a great trainer and have been really happy with my progression this year. I train with Jeremy Powell, Bryan Corey and Yabu Keiｉchi as well. It is good to have a group of guys who play/played in Japan as we can talk about all the NPB news and our experiences there.
Well I guess I have rambled on enough for now so I should go and get to bed. Tomorrow is another big training day.
I look forward to seeing you at Koshien or wherever you can catch a Tiger game this year.
Until then……
Jeff
15/01/2008
Well the regular season is now over and I have to say that we are pretty disappointed with our 3rd place finish. I know we all had high expectations to win the central league this year as I’m sure you fans did also. so I’m sorry for us letting you all down but what I can say now is that we are focused on making up for it by winning the climax series and showing our true fighting spirit. But of course I should mention the giants winning the pennant. They were the strongest and most consistent team this year and earned back some respect for their performance this season. I’m sure that having a leader like Ogasawara finally brought them together and kept them focused. Congratulations!!
Well we definitely have our backs against the wall going into the 1st stage against the Chunichi dragons but we seem to have played at a much higher level this year when we are the underdog. Baseball is a strange game that way in that some years your team chemistry works best in different environments and ours this year is one of last chance heroics being needed to get the best out of us.Maybe with all the injuries we have suffered through this year, our guys are saving their energy for just the right time and the playoffs is most definitely that time so I am expecting good games from us no matter the outcomewhat an amazing job by my two bullpen mates, Fujikawa and Kubota this year. Kyuji tied the saves record and seems to strikeout every batter he faces and Kubota blew away the appearance record while staying as strong from game 1 to game 90. These are two very special pitchers. I am enjoying watching them as much as youSo now it is time for me to get back to my training. I will do my best to bring the Japan series title to the Tigers….
Till next time,
Cheers,
Jeff
08/10/2007
G’day everyone.
It’s been too long and for that I am sorry. I have had some family
visiting recently and entertaining them keeps me from writing new
messages. Besides, I was injured and too frustrated to be positive with
what I wrote. It is very difficult to watch my teammates play when I
cannot do my job and help us win. I feel useless. But I am much stronger
now and doing my best to remain healthy and not miss any more games. As I
get older I am starting to realize that I can’t do as much as I used to and
I need to be more careful while I train. Makes me wish I was 25 again.
Well, the great news is that we are finally playing to our potential giving
you all something to cheer about. Now tied for 3rd and closing in on
1st. Winning is what it’s all about and I feel that we have some great
momentum to carry us during the august road trip. Being away from Koshien
so long makes it very difficult to maintain our best condition but I hope
that we can ride this wave of positive play into the final 2 months of the
season. We’ll do our best I promise.
I definitely feel well rested and ready for the home stretch after my time
recovering and the all-star break. During the time off, I took my wife and
kids to Awaji island for a little vacation. We stayed at the Westin hotel
and it was fantastic. The room was very comfortable and the staffs were
friendly and helpful. We had a great time relaxing in the pool and playing
at some parks nearby. It was a much needed break for us all. We will
definitely go back again soon. It’s all business now though and I’ll do
my best bring home the championship…
Till next time,
see you at the ballpark…
Jeff
2/8/2007
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