from the Japanese baseball scenes...
1. Yuki Saito (freshman at Waseda University - born in 1988)
"Handkerchief Prince" as he's known in Japan for the blue handkerchief he used throughout the phenomenal stretch of pitching wizardry during the Koshien (national high school championship), he's been already anointed as the next Dice-K. His college team recently won the All Japan University Championship.
2. Sho Nakata (Rookie with the Nippon Ham Fighters, born in 1989)
"The 87-HR Man" - a pup who shattered the all-time high-school HR record recently signed with the Nippon Ham Fighters (KC skipper Trey Hillman's old team in Japan)...Economic impact of Sho's presence at the Fighters' spring camp site is believed to be $50 Million!! His record-breaking performance at the Koshien drew comparison to Kiyohara of the Seibu Lions (now with Orix) and Hideki Matsui of the Yankees.
3. Darvish Yu (Ace for the Nippon Ham Fighters - born in 1986)
An Iranian-Japanese guy who threw a no-hitter at the Koshien while in high school. Has become a household-name, a poster-child of the Japanese Baseball since the departure of Dice-K. Long and lanky build but has filthy stuff and a filthier fiancee :-) Fastball in low 90's, forkball, slider, and Gyro-ball, of course. The 2007 Pacific-League MVP as well as the ERA and K titles. Was heavily recruited by the LA Angels and other MLB teams before he signed with the Fighters...he might be the next one to come to America...
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