Yomiuri Giants right-hander Hector Almonte provided drama to the Central League club's spring training Tuesday when he refused to continue running and abruptly returned to the team hotel.
Almonte, who joined Yomiuri from the Florida Marlins in June last year, openly expressed dissatisfaction with the team's training method for the pitching staff, engaging in what he described as "too much running."
"I'm not Ben Johnson. I know how it should be for pitchers in spring training," said the disgruntled Dominican after leaving Miyazaki municipal stadium.
Yomiuri cited an inflammatory thigh muscle for the official reason for Almonte's early departure. He later admitted to having stiffness in his left thigh.
Almonte pitched in only four games for the Yomiuri top team in the 2001 season with a 0-1 record and a 7.36 ERA.
In Kochi, Daiei Hawks rookie Hayato Terahara threw 65 pitches in the bullpen before manager Sadaharu Oh, who watched the hard-throwing 18-year-old test breaking pitches mixed with his vaunted fastball.
Daiei's new acquisition Morgan Burkhart impressed the coaching staff as the switch-hitting former Boston Red Sox infielder hit six pitches out of 26 swings over the outfield fence in batting practice.
In neighboring Haruno, right-hander Takashi Ishii got his gears rolling with a 90-pitch outing in steady rain at an outdoor bullpen as he tries to reestablish himself as a rotation pitcher after a disappointing 5-9 record last season.