Debate Heats Up Among Hanshin Tigers Alumni and Sportswriters if Manager Okada Can Handle It with Allenpa
The Tigers have not been able to add much to their strength. The team's defensive rating is No. 1, but the main gun can't hit, can't score, can't defend. ...... There's not a shred of the momentum from last season, but they're still in contention for the top spot in the Central League.
If Oyama starts hitting, the batting lineup will also improve.
“If the cleanup hitter doesn’t step up, it won’t be like last year!”
Injecting vigor into Oyama is Mr. Yoshiaki Oka, a former Tigers player and the current chief hitting coach.
“It’s clear that Chikamoto should be fixed in the leadoff spot. Chikamoto stirs things up, and Oyama responds. Alternatively, Seiya Kinami (29) at the 8th spot, followed by a sacrifice and Chikamoto’s turn. Chikamoto sets the stage, Chikamoto connects in the cleanup, and in the big inning. This is the ideal form of a strong Hanshin. Currently, because the cleanup hitter isn’t hitting, the 3rd and 5th hitters are putting too much pressure on themselves, thinking who will hit it if he doesn’t. Once Oyama starts hitting, both Sato and Morishita will mentally ease up. Then we can confidently entrust Chikamoto with the leadoff spot and see the lineup connect.”
Satoru Kanemura, who served as the pitching coach for the Tigers until 2022, was wondering why are the Hanshin Tigers struggling with poor hitting in the first place.
“The Tigers’ lineup this year consists of almost the same players as last year. After winning the championship, key players were pulled in various media interviews during the offseason, mainly in the Hanshin area. They experienced a different level of busyness than usual, and combined with the fatigue accumulated over the years, they seem to be struggling with adjusting their condition. Oyama also suffered a recurrence of an old injury during the preseason, complaining of stiffness in his lower body, leading to his absence. He was forced to make it to the opening game somehow. Hitters tend to struggle with slumps if they stumble at the start.”
Ryutaro Umeno (32, batting average .125) and Seishiro Sakamoto (30, batting average .220), both known for their defensive skills behind the plate, lack a significant presence at the plate.
Despite this, there’s a reason why the Hanshin Tigers are leading the league. The keywords are long-ball hitting and the for-ball.
“Last year, Manager Okada announced that he would give the same positive evaluation to the number of balls hit for a walk as to the number of balls hit for a single hit. This year, perhaps because of this, Chikamoto and Oyama (19), Morishita (16), and Nakano (14) are ranked third, sixth, and tenth, respectively, in the Central League’s top 10 list of four-ball hitters.
Furthermore, last year’s home run count, which was second worst in the league, has increased to 21, ranking second in the league just behind Yakult. While one could argue that aiming for power hits leads to a decrease in batting average. With the addition of power hitting, which wasn’t present last year, to the high on-base percentage, the total runs scored are 117, ranking second in the league. The efficiency is remarkable. However, the defense, which was last in errors last year, remains unchanged as the worst with 22 errors this season. Despite the difficulty of defending in Koshien due to its black soil, it’s a disappointing statistic.” (From Mr. B, a national newspaper sports reporter specializing in the Tigers)
