We finished interleague play on an upbeat by beating the Central League leader Tokyo Giants. We finally got one of our best players, Nishioka, back in the lineup and he had a good day. We now have four days without a game and will practice 2 of the days.
The team in second place in the Central League is the Yakult Swallows. They are having a really fine season and one of the reasons is because of the play of Connecticut’s own Jamie D’Antona. Jamie is playing first base and providing the right-handed power his team needs. He looks like a fine hitter who can really help a team win. We played 4 times and I had a chance to watch Jamie in practice and in the games and he seems to be adjusting very well to his new surroundings. His manager does not like his players visiting with the opposition so we had only short talks before 2 of the games. I was impressed with his attitude and his play. As a young man in a foreign country his world seems to still be spinning a bit fast but he is working hard and could have one of the greatest experiences of his life if he stays healthy and continues to improve. Jamie plays in one of the oldest stadiums in Japan and it is located in Tokyo. Babe Ruth played in Jingu Stadium back in 1934 the year before professional baseball began in Japan. We will not play the Swallows again this year, unless we meet in the Japan Series, but you can rest assured that I will be pulling for them and Jamie to get there. Jamie’s family and all of Connecticut should be very proud of what Jamie is doing.
