Grand Slam * Stats & News
Updated: April 2, 2013
Scores & Statistics
Baseball Scores & Stats
Softball Women Scores & Stats
Softball Men Scores & Stats
Copyright © 1997-2013
Grand Slam/Marco Stoovelaar

Baseball
Headlines
Compiled and Copyright © 1997-2013 by Marco Stoovelaar


Andruw Jones opens season in Japan
Nederlands
SENDAI (Japan) - Andruw Jones has started the new chapter in his long baseball career. On Tuesday-evening, April 2, he played in his first home game of the season for Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Sendai. The home team won 8-2 vs. Orix Buffaloes, which was the third win in a row for the Golden Eagles. The team from Sendai began the new season last Friday in Fukuoka with a 7-1 loss vs. Softbank Hawks, then won the next two games on Saturday and Sunday, before travelling back to Sendai for the home opener on Tuesday.


...Andruw Jones during the World Baseball Classic...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen)
Andruw Jones, who turns 36 later this month, played in the Major League for 17 seasons (1996-2012). He made his debut on August 15, 1996 at age 19 with the Atlanta Braves. Jones played for Atlanta in 1996-2007, followed by Los Angeles Dodgers (2008), Texas Rangers (2009), Chicago White Sox (2010) and New York Yankees (2011-2012). In his 17 big league-seasons, Jones played in 2196 games, collecting 1933 basehits, including 434 homeruns. He scored 1204 runs and batted in 1289.

Jones played in the World Series with the Braves in 1996 and 1999 against the Yankees (which won both Series). He played in five All Star Games and won 10 Gold Gloves as an outfielder. On October 29 of last year, Jones became a Free Agent. On December 7, he agreed to play for the Golden Eagles in Japan. Last month, he played for the Dutch Baseball Team which reached the semi-final of the World Baseball Classic.

On Thursday, the day before the start of the new season in Japan, Andruw Jones and American player Casey McGehee announced that they will donate 50.000 Yen for each homerun they hit this season. The money will go to the orphans of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the east of Japan, and especially the Sendai-area, in 2011. The stadium of the Golden Eagles was damaged heavily. McGehee played five seasons in the Major League and last season was a teammate of Jones in 22 games with the Yankees. He also played for the Chicago Cubs (2008), Milwaukee Brewers (2009-2011) and Pittsburgh Pirates (2012).

On Friday, the Golden Eagles lost the season-opener in Fukuoka against Softbank Hawks. Rookie righthander Takahiro Norimoto started for the Eagles and became the first rookie in the Pacific League to start on an Opening Day since Tadashi Sugiura started for Nankai Hawks in 1958. Norimoto gave up four runs in 6 1/3 inning in the 7-1 loss. Andruw Jones went 1-for-3 in his first Japanese game.

On Saturday, the Eagles recovered and defeated the Hawks 3-1. The team initially trailed 1-0 in the first inning, but came alongside in the third at bat. In the fourth, Akihisa Makida hit a 2-run homerun to give the Eagles the lead. Andruw Jones went 1-for-3 and scored a run. American Brandon Duckworth threw seven strong innings. Duckworth has pitched in the Majors for Philadelphia Phillies (2001-2003), Houston Astros (2004-2005) and Kansas City Royals (2006-2008).

On Sunday, the Eagles handed the Hawks a big 9-1 loss on 13 basehits. Casey McGehee went 2-for-4 with a double, scored twice and had three RBI's. Andruw Jones batted 1-for-3, scored once and also contributed with one run batted in. Manaby Mima threw eight solid innings.

On Tuesday, the Eagles won their third game in a row and opened the season at home with an 8-2 win vs. Orix Buffaloes on 12 basehits at Kleenex Stadium. Winning pitcher Masahiro Tanaka threw seven innings and gave up one run. Catcher Motohiro Shima batted in the first run with a 2-out line drive, then broke an 1-1 tie with a 2-run triple in the fourth inning. Casey McGehee went 2-for-3, including a 2-run double. Andruw Jones scored twice for his new team and went 1-for-2.


...Kleenex Miyagi Baseball Stadium, the home of the Golden Eagles in Sendai...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

(April 2)


Thank you for visiting this site.
Mail your suggestions and questions to stoov@wxs.nl
Copyright © 1997-2013 Marco Stoovelaar / Grand Slam * Stats & News.