Sunday, February 19, 2017

Samurai Japan World Baseball Classic Roster

I'm a bit late on this but ten days ago the final roster for Samurai Japan's World Baseball Classic team was announced.  After seeing George's post showing off the Korean team and a post on Not Another Baseball Card Blog for the Canadian team, I thought I should do one for the Japanese team.

First up, the "active" pitching staff:

#10 Yuki Matsui, Eagles

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-02
 #11 Tomoyuki Sugano, Giants

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-03
 #12 Ryo Akiyoshi, Swallows

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-04
 #14 Takahiro Norimoto, Eagles

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-05
 #15 Naoki Miyanishi, Fighters

2016 BBM Fighters #F12

#17 Shintaro Fujinami, Tigers

2016 BBM 1st Version #221
 #19 Hirotoshi Masui, Fighters

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-08
 #20 Ayumu Ishikawa, Marines

2016 BBM 1st Version #057
 #30 Shota Takeda, Hawks

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-14
 #34 Toshiya Okada, Dragons

2016 BBM Dragons #D11
 #35 Kazuhisa Makita, Lions

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-15
#41 Kodai Senga, Hawks

2016 BBM 2nd Version #337
 #66 Yoshihisa Hirano, Buffaloes

2016 BBM 1st Version #111

Next up the "designated" pitchers pool (no uniform numbers):

Kenta Ishida, Baystars

2016 BBM 1st Version #300
 Yuta Iwasada, Tigers

2016 BBM 2nd Version #361
 Tatsushi Masuda, Lions

2016 BBM 1st Version #084
 Masahiko Morifuku, Giants

2016 BBM 2nd Version #374
 Yusuke Nomura, Carp

2016 BBM 1st Version #248
 Daichi Ohsera, Carp

2016 BBM 1st Version #246
 Hirokazu Sawamura, Giants

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-06
Yasuaki Yamasaki, Baystars

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-11
The catchers:

#22 Seiji Kobayashi, Giants

2016 BBM 1st Version #200
 #27 Shota Ohno, Fighters

2016 BBM 1st Version #038
 #37 Motohiro Shima, Eagles

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-19
The infielders:

#3 Nobuhiro Matsuda, Hawks

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-22
#4 Ryosuke Kikuchi, Carp

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-23
 #6 Hayato Sakamoto, Giants

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-25
 #13 Sho Nakata, Fighters

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-27
 #23 Tetsuto Yamada, Swallows

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-28
The outfielders:

#1 Seiichi Uchikawa, Hawks

2009 Konami WBC Heroes #W09R110
 #7 Norichika Aoki, Astros

2009 Konami WBC Heroes #109
 #8 Ryosuke Hirata, Dragons

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-33
 #25 Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, Baystars

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-35
#51 Seiya Suzuki, Carp

2016 BBM 1st Version #263
 #55 Shogo Akiyama, Lions

2016 Calbee Samurai Japan #SJ-36
I wanted to show the players in their Samurai Japan uniforms if possible.  Just over half the players (18 of 35) appeared in the 2016 Calbee Samurai Japan set so that worked out well.  Only two of the other players had ever played for Team Japan so I used a 2016 card for the rest of them.

The Giants have the most players on the team with 5.  The Carp, Fighters and Hawks each have 4 while the Baystars, Eagles and Lions each have 3 and the Dragons, Swallows and Tigers each have 2.  The Marines and Buffaloes each have only one player on the team and there is only one MLB player on the roster.

3 comments:

Fuji said...

I'll definitely be cheering for Japan again... but was bummed to find out that Shohei Ohtani was injured. That left Norichika Aoki as the only familiar name on the team. Who else should I be looking out for? Any guys eventually headed to the MLB?

NPB Card Guy said...

Tetsuto Yamada and Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh are probably the best hitters on the team. Seiya Suzuki and Shogo Akiyama are personal favorites of mine - Suzuki hit game winning home runs in three consecutive games against the Buffaloes last summer and Akiyama set the single season hit record in NPB in 2015. Sugano, Norimoto, Ishikawa and Takeda will most likely be the main starters - Takeda took Ohtani's place on the roster. I think Nakata, Sakamoto, Uchikawa, Morifuku and Matsuda are the only players who were on the 2013 WBC team and Aoki and Uchikawa are the only ones from the 2009 team.

Matsuda tried to come to the US a couple winters ago as a free agent but got no takers. There's been a lot of speculation on Yamada coming in the near future and I think i've heard some rumblings on Norimoto.

Fuji said...

Thanks for the heads up. I'll use this information as my scouting report when I watch the games. Go Samurai Japan!