PHOENIX -- Several of Japan's center-stage stars haven't been the guys whose names were circled on programs heading into the World Baseball Classic, but after a weekend at Tokyo Dome, they are producing, no matter where they are in the order.
Ichiro Suzuki was 3-for-13
at the plate in three WBC
games, and he was outshone
by some of Team Japan's
less-likely stars.
Hitoshi Tamura, Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Munenori Kawasaki were not the likeliest heroes, but they emerged just the same, making a huge difference for a team that still is struggling to find an offensive identity more than two weeks since training camp convened in Fukuoka.