[新聞] A Nemesis of Matsuzaka May Intrigue the Yanks (NYTimes)

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A Nemesis of Matsuzaka May Intrigue the Yanks
By TYLER KEPNER
Published: December 1, 2006

When the Yankees attend the winter meetings next week in Orlando, Fla.,
there will be an intriguing first baseman for them to meet at the Walt Disney
World Dolphin hotel.

His name is Julio Zuleta, and he played 79 games for the Chicago Cubs
in 2000-1. What makes Zuleta interesting, though, is his production in
Japan the past three seasons.

Zuleta, 31, hit 109 home runs to tie for the most in the Pacific League.
According to his agent, Gene Casaleggio, he has hit seven home runs and
batted .273 against Daisuke Matsuzaka, the star pitcher who is negotiating
with the Boston Red Sox.

“He’s a guy who’s seen Matsuzaka and had success off him in very big
playoff games,” Casaleggio said. “He’s seen him more than anybody.”

The Red Sox, who have until Dec. 14 to sign Matsuzaka, reached a two-year
deal yesterday with Hideki Okajima, a left-handed reliever who was 2-2 with
a 2.14 earned run average last season for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.
The Yankees, with a lineup filled with left-handed hitters, may see a lot
of Okajima in 2007.

“He’s going be a valuable member of our bullpen,” Red Sox General
Manager Theo Epstein said. “But, if we do end up with two Japanese
pitchers, that certainly would help the assimilation process, not only
on the field, but also off the field.”

The Yankees will begin negotiating next week with another left-handed
Japanese pitcher, starter Kei Igawa, according to his agent, Arn Tellem.
The Yankees won Igawa’s rights Tuesday with a $26 million bid through
the posting process.

Zuleta became an unrestricted free agent last night after spending the
last three and a half seasons with a team now known as the Softbank Hawks.
Zuleta is hoping to become the rare position player to leave the majors
for Japan and return to a prominent role, as Cecil Fielder did in 1990.

“How many non-Japanese positional players have come back here?”
Casaleggio said. “For some reason, guys are looked at as having failed
here. But he did a great job for the Cubs.”

Zuleta, who is from Panama, batted .247 with nine home runs in 174 at-bats
for the Cubs. He was 28 when he left for Japan. “We’re going to pursue
it,” Casaleggio said. “We’re going to the winter meetings and making
ourselves available.”

The Yankees have Andy Phillips at first base but are considering the
veterans Shea Hillenbrand and Eduardo Perez.

The team has decided that Jason Giambi, the primary first baseman since
2002, should be a full-time designated hitter.

BRADFORD DEAL FINALIZED Chad Bradford was eager for a quick agreement,
and the Baltimore Orioles complied. “This was such a good fit that the
choice was easy,” Bradford said yesterday after completing a three-year,
$10.5 million contract.

Bradford, a 32-year-old right-hander, was 4-2 with a 2.90 earned run
average last season with the Mets.

Baltimore has been trying to strengthen a bullpen that went 19-25 with a
5.25 E.R.A. and 35 saves in 56 opportunities last season.(AP)

CLAYTON’S ROLE TO BE DETERMINED Royce Clayton could be seeing time at
shortstop and second base for the Toronto Blue Jays.

“It’s not defined right now that he’s our everyday shortstop,”
General Manager J. P. Ricciardi said yesterday, when Clayton agreed to
a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

Clayton hit .258 with 2 home runs, 30 doubles, 40 runs batted in and
14 stolen bases for Washington and Cincinnati last season.

Toronto focused on Clayton after the free-agent second baseman
Adam Kennedy agreed to a deal with St. Louis.

The Blue Jays were also interested in the free-agent shortstop
Julio Lugo, but it would have taken up to $10 million annually to
get him. Toronto would rather spend the money on pitching.(AP)

EATON BACK WHERE HE STARTED Adam Eaton and the Philadelphia Phillies
completed a three-year, $24.5 million deal yesterday. A first-round
pick by the Phillies in 1996, Eaton is 54-45 with a 4.40 E.R.A. in
seven major league seasons.

Eaton, 29, was 7-4 with a 5.12 E.R.A. in 13 starts in his only season
with the Texas Rangers. He won 11 games in consecutive seasons with
San Diego before he was traded to the Rangers last December.

The Phillies selected Eaton with the 11th pick in the 1996 amateur draft,
then sent him to the Padres in a four-player deal for the former All-Star
Andy Ashby in 1999.(AP)


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/01/sports/baseball/01base.html?ref=baseball

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◆ From: 140.109.23.211
推 eilgreen:想找一個在大榮鷹的1B大砲Julio Zuleta 3年109轟
→ eilgreen:右打者 http://bis.npb.or.jp/players/13515117.html
推 eilgreen:還對S.Hillenbrand,E.Perez有興趣 三選一吧我猜~~~
→ eilgreen:A.Phillips還是主要替補 還提到希望吉昂比打全職DH
→ eilgreen:這樣...小卡布只能當四號OF 還是真的要交易阿!?
推 richertkk:小卡布還是4號OF..畢竟有個替補的比較保險...
→ LuIsAnDrUw:組雷塔..... 組雷塔回來MLB的話SBH就更水槍了
→ greengreen42:Zuleta不會比Wilson好，不如用Wilson更多用途
推 w1379:問題是Wilson想去別隊當先發阿.....
→ w1379:而且Zuleta在變化球攻擊上，表現更好