Angels at Dodgers Gamethread

I am sorry that I could not join you during the game. GrandpaBaseball would be proud of me in that I have returned to high school baseball umpiring. Today was my second scrimmage of the season, which started 4 pm west coast time. I knew Shohei was going to play against the Angels, so I recorded it, but I have not seen it. I perused Japanese paper and yes there is a Q&A session, so I will translate as I had done last season.

Q: You got 8 or 9 spring training games left. Are you satisfied with the way you are swinging the bat and the results?

A: It was a night game, so tracking the pitches will be somewhat different. I just have to make appropriate adjustments. I feel that the quality of my at bat is getting better each time I am in the batters’ box. The last at bat today, I thought I was close.

Q: How much did you think about the Angels after you signed with the Dodgers?

A: Before I signed, I thought about the Angels a lot, but I think that I have turned attention to the Dodgers as soon as I signed. I am certain that the Angels have also turned their attention to this year’s season without me.

Q: What did your former teammates tell you?

A: Mostly congratulations. Congratulations on signing a new contract.

Q: What impressed you about the Dodgers thus far?

A: I think each team has its own color. I am not saying which color is better, but it has been only a month, so Yoshinobu (Yamamoto) and I will eventually get used to Dodgers color.

Q: Did you feel strange playing against your old team?

A: I did not feel strange. The game was played with Dodgers being home team, so if it were at Angels place, it might have been different.

Q; Tonight was a night game, and tomorrow is day game. There is not much time in between.

A: I looked ahead toward the remainder of spring training, and I felt that I should have some at bats today. I feel it is important to have certain number of at bats during spring training.

Q: Are you done with rehabbing your right elbow.

A: Yes, I am done with rehabilitation. I am concentrating on getting my timing down as far as batting is concerned. The important things are not the results, but whether I am able to track pitches well and swinging the bat with good timing.

Q; You had a conversation with Mike Trout. What did you guys talk about?

A: He congratulated me on new contract. We also inquired about each other’s family.

Q: When you were an Angel, you used to watch Mike Trout in the next batter’s circle. Is it different when you are observing Mookie Betts?

A: Both players are great at bat. There are so many things that I have learned from them already.

Q: You have taping on your pinky finger for last few days.

A: It is swollen a little. I expect the taping to come off in 2 or 3 days.

Q: You seem to pay special attention to Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

A: I have not paid any attention to him (LOL). He is very much a professional baseball player, so I believe he will do whatever necessary to prepare for the upcoming season. He is also surrounded by many who would support in his endeavor. The only difference is that we can converse in Japanese when we are on the field.

Q: Where did you put emphasis on during off season?

A: I placed most emphasis on rehabilitation of the right elbow. I feel confident that I was able to finish what was prescribed by medical team. Now that I have been hitting during spring training games, I feel that the rehabilitation program was a success since I will be able to participate in the first regular season game.

Q: Were you thinking that it would best to have at bats during night game and additionally with day game the next day?

A: It so happened that I would have at bats in a night game followed by next day’s day game. It is more to do with how many at bats TOTALLY during spring training games.

Q: So, rehabilitation related to batting has been completed, but how about pitching?

A: I have not started throwing yet. There is a mutually agreed upon schedule on throwing baseball, but I feel that I need to concentrate on batting first. Once batting is going well, I would start by throwing short distance and build up strength from there.

Q: Then, that would occur after the Korea/Seoul series?

A: Most likely yes.