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Mets to sign Japanese pitcher

Johnny Dickshot Jan 18 2006 06:47 AM

Yusaku Iriki (Don't Lose that Number), former Nippon Ham Fighter, who has his own website and raggae theme song! [url]http://www.yusaku-iriki.com/[/url] ] AMAZIN'S SIGN JAPANESE RIGHTY By MARK HALE The Mets have agreed in principle to a deal with pitcher Yusaku Iriki, according to a source familiar with the situation. Iriki, a 32-year-old righty who spent last year with the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan, will get a one-year deal which also includes a team option, the source said. The deal, which is pending a physical today, is worth slightly less than $1 million and also includes approximately $500,000 in potential incentives, according to the source. Iriki is likely to be used as an arm that can start a game or come out of the bullpen, which would provide insurance in both areas for the Mets.

MFS62 Jan 18 2006 07:07 AM

Are those Bruce Wilpon's footprints we see leaving the scene of this accident? Later

Johnny Dickshot Jan 18 2006 07:30 AM

Reading up on him: Posted in November but not claimed by any clubs, then released by the Ham Fighters. RHP, 33 years old, former top pickl of the Yomiuri Giants. Last year in Hokkaido: 6-7, 3.35, 122 K in 150 IP. Has started and relieved. His ERA was good for 9th in the Pacific League, and he played in front of a poor team on turf. One website sez: ]Not really sure how the journeyman righthander is going to help the Metroplitans. His 2005 left/right splits weren't good at .287/.235 with a below average WHIP of 1.41. If you project that to MLB, you are looking at better than .310/.260 or so. Not exactly a shutdown type hurler.

Edgy DC Jan 18 2006 08:20 AM

I'm glad we finally have nough players and enough data flying back and forth from the US to Japan in order to create an exchange rate. I'd like to see how reliable it is, though.

86-Dreamer Jan 18 2006 08:47 AM

Can he bring the funk?

Edgy DC Jan 18 2006 08:50 AM

Funny that you're Heath Bell, because Heath's spot looks like the one Iriki is going to take.

ScarletKnight41 Jan 18 2006 08:50 AM

86-Dreamer wrote: Can he bring the funk? Or at least the noise?

Frayed Knot Jan 18 2006 09:17 AM

And, if nothing else, we'll at least have someone who can help us in the event of an attack from hostile pork chops.

Edgy DC Jan 18 2006 09:29 AM

That looks like a western motion, with the Seaver leg drive. Dropping his forearm arm slack like that before muscling up actually puts me more in mind of David Cone. Things you find when looking for pictures fo David Cone:

Johnny Dickshot Jan 18 2006 10:06 AM

He has a raggae theme song. A. Raggae. Theme Song. sing along: I-rik-i I-ri-ki! I-rik-i! I-rik-i! mayay mayay hola molto mayay! He looks short.

Edgy DC Jan 18 2006 10:11 AM

Best Japanese toasting in Mets history. Does he get to wear " I R I K I " on the back of his uniform.

MFS62 Jan 18 2006 11:09 AM

Edgy DC wrote: Does he get to wear " I R I K I " on the back of his uniform. Didn't Rickey Henderson want to wear that? Later

Edgy DC Jan 18 2006 11:47 AM

Here's how The Yomiuri Shimbun had it. Offers in hand, Iriki off to America Saying he has already received some offers from major league clubs, right-hander Yusaku Iriki left for the United States on Tuesday. "I can't reveal the names of the teams yet, but I have heard that I have received some good offers," the 33-year-old said at Narita Airport. "I am going to America to meet with my agent and pursue negotiations." The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters made Iriki's negotiating rights available to major league teams through the posting system in December, but he drew no offers and was given his release by the Fighters. Iriki, had a 6-7 record with a 3.35 ERA in 150-2/3 innings in 2005, and he has a 35-35 record in a career spent mostly with the Yomiuri Giants. The Giants traded him in 2003 soon after he demanded to be posted to the majors. According to reports I've read for a while at JapaneseBaseball.com, the Mets are also trying to get a jump on the next wave, scouting Japanese amateurs. The majors have really been shy about signing these prospects and undercutting the Japan Leagues' talent base, while having no such compunctions regarding Korean and Taiwanese amateurs. But this goes back a while and the still haven't pulled the trigger with any Japanese schoollboys.

Edgy DC Jan 18 2006 12:34 PM

Translating the metric measurements at his site, I get him at a hair over 5'9 and 159 pounds. Me, in other words.

TheOldMole Jan 18 2006 01:12 PM

Is it the Fighters, sponsored by Nippon Ham, or the Ham Fighters, playing out of Nippon? I prefer to believe the latter. In any case, it's my favorite team name of all time.

Edgy DC Jan 18 2006 01:32 PM

It's the former, but I think most of us prefer the latter.

Willets Point Jan 18 2006 01:35 PM

All Japanese baseball teams play in Nippon.

sharpie Jan 18 2006 03:41 PM

All Japanese teams fight ham.

seawolf17 Jan 18 2006 03:51 PM

Therefore, all Japanese baseball teams fight ham. And apparently, all Japanese Ham Fighting baseball mascots feel up cheerleaders.

seawolf17 Jan 18 2006 03:51 PM

What an unimpressive logo.

Willets Point Jan 18 2006 04:09 PM

Do they fight ham or do they fight on behalf of ham?

seawolf17 Jan 18 2006 04:11 PM

I would say "fight ham." Otherwise, they'd be the Ham Defenders.

Elster88 Jan 18 2006 04:11 PM

Wow that mascot really is squeezing her breast, isn't he? Filthy little beast.

Elster88 Jan 18 2006 04:12 PM

seawolf17 wrote: I would say "fight ham." Otherwise, they'd be the Ham Defenders. I always thought they were made of Ham and were fighting. Hence, Ham Fighters. Like a street fighter doesn't fight a street. He fights in a street. _______________________ This post had the designation 80) Doug Sisk

Nymr83 Jan 18 2006 04:26 PM

seawolf17 wrote: What an unimpressive logo. agreed, i'd have used a cartoon of a zero where the baseball is.

Bret Sabermetric Jan 18 2006 05:13 PM

What's the ham's winning percentage?

Farmer Ted Jan 18 2006 05:19 PM

That cheerleader has cankles.

martin Jan 18 2006 06:30 PM

i thought they were sponsored by a company that sells ham, "nippon ham". isnt that what it is? sll those teams are named after companies, yomiuri i think is a newspaper company, seibu is maybe a railroad company. i think that is how it works. edit: i am a dumb son of a bitch who hadnt read the thread where my question was answered. i will return to my "read more post less" strategy now.

Yancy Street Gang Jan 18 2006 08:11 PM

I always thought it would be cool, if Virginia ever got a big league team, if they were called the Virginia Ham Fighters.

Edgy DC Jan 18 2006 08:14 PM

Everybody is carrying this signing, except mets.com. I imagine they have a roster move to make.

Bret Sabermetric Jan 18 2006 08:32 PM

When I was a six-year old reading "Batman" comics, I asked my dad what does "Got-ham" mean? He told me that it means you had ham. I accepted his answer. And ever since, I've accepted the importance of pork products in forming our sensibilities.

Zvon Jan 18 2006 11:27 PM

Farmer Ted wrote: That cheerleader has cankles. she should see a doctor for that.

Johnny Dickshot Jan 18 2006 11:42 PM

Times sez: ]Iriki throws five pitches, including a shuto, a sort of cut fastball that Masato Yoshii used to throw, and his fastball reaches 93 miles an hour.

G-Fafif Jan 19 2006 07:38 PM

Iriki has a history of bringing the 'tude: http://www.gothambaseball.com/bigmedium/moxie/baseballnews/mets/iriki-not-your-garden-var.shtml

Edgy DC Jan 19 2006 07:44 PM

Greg, any connection between the end of Healy's tenure and Wilson Pickett's passing? That's an interesting piece. I'd like to read more specifics, quotes and such.

Johnny Dickshot Jan 19 2006 07:50 PM

Nice. Does the lack of attributed facts in the article indicate the deeply placed source was noted Japan insider Shingo Searchengine?

metirish Jan 19 2006 10:25 PM

Cool piece, this guy could be a fan fave quickly, and his reggae song is a classic....lol

Frayed Knot Jan 19 2006 11:22 PM

]Iriki throws five pitches, including a shuto It's not a pitch he had as an amateur, so it's essentially a pro-shuto, most likely something he picked up while fighting hams.

G-Fafif Jan 20 2006 02:04 AM

="Edgy DC"]Greg, any connection between the end of Healy's tenure and Wilson Pickett's passing? I understand "Mustang Sally" was electric.

PatchyFogg Jan 20 2006 10:11 AM

We must scour this website for Wifey Watch: http://www.yusaku-iriki.com/ Also, we can send him an e-mail there, too.

metirish Jan 20 2006 10:17 AM

It looks like #49 is special to him, on his site he has a 'club 49' link...checking the 40 man roster that # should be available, if not I think we can expect Iriki to fight for it down by the chop shops.

Edgy DC Jan 20 2006 10:18 AM

The scouring has been done and I've come up empty. If you'd like to do me a favor, feel free to write him and ask if he has any photos of his wife to share.

metirish Jan 20 2006 10:20 AM

Iriki I think is a rocker, check out his link from his site... http://www.j-rock.jp/pc/

Johnny Dickshot Jan 20 2006 10:26 AM

Google reveals Iriki wore No. 20 with the Giants.

PatchyFogg Jan 20 2006 11:01 AM

Edgy DC wrote: The scouring has been done and I've come up empty. If you'd like to do me a favor, feel free to write him and ask if he has any photos of his wife to share. And, then I can follow up with "Wanna buy some?" An oldie but a goodie, I know. By the way, I made a "pig" of myself with a spit take on Frayed's Pro-shuto/Ham line.

Edgy DC Jan 20 2006 11:35 AM

Happy to be your straight man. Damn happy. Iriki in the blue room, wondering what to do with his hands:

old original jb Jan 21 2006 03:19 PM Info on Ham Fighting

The Nippon Ham Fighters really do fight on behalf of ham. Nippon Ham, the company that owns the team, is a Japanese meat packing company. The Fighters are apparently one of the least successful teams in Japanese baseball. I guess there really is more synergy between media companies (Yomiuri Shimbum--Giants) and baseball temas than there is between meat packers and baseball teams. Bet the Fighters have a good training table, though. http://www.nipponham.co.jp/en/

Rockin' Doc Jan 22 2006 12:27 AM

I guess it could have been worse. At least they're not known as the Nippon Meat Packers. What the hell is Green Bay packing anyway?

Edgy DC Feb 15 2006 08:04 PM

Iriki at the US embassy in Japan, suit by Bill Bass. Hair by Rankin & Bass.

Yancy Street Gang Feb 15 2006 08:07 PM

Or David Lynch: