Most everyone (including this writer) picked the Hanshin Tigers to finish last in the Central League standings in 2001 for the third straight season. However, nine games into the schedule, the team does not look so bad. There are some good looking young players (rookie shortstop Yoshinori Okihara, for one), some hot hitters (second baseman Makoto Imaoka, for one) and a huge improvement in the foreign player situation.

First baseman Ivan Cruz and third sacker Eduardo Perez have brought power, poise and a positive attitude to the club and, most importantly, manager Katsuya Nomura seems to like them. Add pitchers Greg Hansell and Buddy Carlyle, and you've got a stable, four-man gaikokujin roster, rather than the revolving-door, musical-chairs foreigner system Hanshin had in 1999 and 2000.

Two years ago, when Nomura took over the Tigers' helm, there were position players Mark Johnson and Mike Blowers and pitchers Darrell May, Ben Rivera and Kurt Miller. Blowers was let go at midseason after Nomura ran out of patience when his cleanup hitter consistently failed to clean up. May, currently with the Yomiuri Giants, was suspended during the year, then released after the season for criticizing the controversial manager. Johnson and Rivera were also canned after so-so performances, while Miller was the only one of five invited to return for 2000.