3 Cards (Vol 44)

So after my trip to Japan I brought back a big stack of cards. There were so many cards in that stack that I had no idea where to start when blogging about them. So instead of condensing them all into a big post (which most of you will only read a quarter of), I decided to blog about them at a rate of three cards at a time. Maybe some of them will make for interesting material, maybe they won't. Let's find out.

Card #1

Back to BBM again, ugh.

At least we're going with the good players route though.
Tyrone Woods was originally drafted by the Montreal Expos in the fifth round of the 1988 MLB Player Draft. He was noted for having power but not much else in his career. His power only got exemplified when he went to go play in the KBO and the NPB. In Japan he played with the Yokohama BayStars for a bit before signing with the Chunichi Dragons. During that NPB stint he was a three time All Star, a three time Best Nine Award recipient, a Central League HR leader, and won a ring with the Dragons in 2007 when they won the Nippon Series.
After the 2008 season ended his career came to an end and he's returned stateside. I don't have any legit sources for this but apparently he work(ed) as a volunteer fire fighter.

Card #2

In the NPB there are very few "short-term stops" as my friend Nick calls them, unless it's a veteran going to the Giants just to say they were on the Giants. But one of the few I can remember in recent times that actually happened to the Dragons is Michihiro Ogasawara there.
Ogasawara was originally drafted by the Nippon-Ham Fighters in the third round of the 1997 NPB Player Draft. Prior to turning into a Fighter he'd spent some time as an amateur playing for NTT (a telecommunications company) in the industrial league. Originally he was a bit of a utility guy as he manned both the outfield and catcher positions. He actually made it NPB ichigun/big league debut in 1997 too and would later go on to be a mainstay for the Fighters. In 1998 the Fighters were starting to realize they had a legitimate bat on their hands and at a premium position (catcher). In 1999 they converted him into an infielder to keep him healthy (preserving the bat in the process). The move worked out because in 2000 he'd go on to lead the league in several offensive categories. He was noted for his speed early on and eventually for his power. In 2001 he became the second player in NPB history (the first being Ichiro Suzuki) to record over 180 hits in multiple seasons. With the Fighters he'd accomplish a lot, a Nippon Series championship ring in 2006 being the icing on top at that.

I usually don't comment on appearances but I dig the distinguished samurai beard look Ogasawara's got going on. Even with a baseball cap the vibe just comes through.

Anyway following the 2006 season Ogasawara signed on for a four year deal with the Yomiuri Giants. Typical Giants stealing the good players away from other teams using their money. He and Alex Ramirez would form a powerful core that made the Giants downright unbeatable at times. Also in 2009 he was a key member of the Team Japan squad that won the 2009 WBC Championship. Then the 2010's started and after 2011 he'd see reduced playing time due to injuries. He signed on with the Dragons for the 2014 and 2015 seasons but he was used primarily like Jim Thome was in the tail-end of his career, a powerbat off the bench to provide some pinch hitting. He did pretty well in 2014 FWIW but the writing was on the wall.

He retired following the 2015 season and immediately became a coach for the Dragons' minor league team.

Card #3

My track record with notable Dragons rookies I've pulled myself is pretty dismal, which is why this rookie card of Dragons mainstay Ryosuke Hirata is something I appreciate more and more.

Hirata was drafted by the Chunichi Dragons in the first round of the 2005 NPB Player Draft. He made his ichigun NPB debut in 2006 as a rookie and later earned a starting role in 2007. In the 2007 playoffs he had some big moments and was a part of the Nippon Series Championship team. Despite that it wasn't until around 2011 that he became a mainstay for the Dragons. Mainly due to injuries. But after he did become an everyday outfielder for the Dragons, he made the most of it. Turning into a solid player who could (at worst) be considered a player on the Dragons that an actual contending team would play. This was especially true in 2018 when he earned a trip to his first NPB All Star Game even as the Dragons continue to turn into ass around him. Though that said, injuries took away a big chunk of his first half this year so the Dragons' terribleness is starting to infect him. Which is why the SoftBank Hawks should trade for him by giving the Dragons two-to-three big name prospects.

And that was another edition of three cards.

As always thanks for stopping by and take care :).