With a case of jet lag to boot, the E-List spent last week in the Japanese baseball infirmary, where the List shared a room with Koji Uehara, who is desperately needed as the Yomiuri Giants have officially squandered their massive early season lead.

Even Jeremy Powell, a favorite of the List, could not save the Giants from their current tailspin. Powell had the ball in the series opener against Chiba Lotte, and J.P. was quite fallible, taking his first loss of the season.

An unfortunate coincidence: Just two days before Powell gave up seven runs to Lotte, he fielded several questions on the List's behalf, many of which dealt with how J.P. perceived his dominance of the 2006 season, as Wayne Graczyk looked on. If Powell is a superstitious man, it could be curtains for his budding friendship with the List.

Yomiuri has lost four in a row and five of six, taking the middle game against the Fighters before Lotte broke out the brooms over the weekend. The hopes of a wire-to-wire season for Yomiuri were crushed, meanwhile, thanks in part to the Lotte series, which kept the Giants on the ropes long enough for the Hanshin Tigers to pull the old switcheroo with the half-game Central League which had seemed so out of reach a month into the season -- much to the delight of Hiroshi Ikezawa, for one.

Sure, the Giants have had injuries and other issues to handle. And keep in mind this is a very good team. At this point, however, I think the Giants may be slightly eager for the end of interleague play.

Here's one promise: No one will hear the list complain about the CL actually resembling something competitive. And as long as Tyrone Woods keeps hitting (and what the heck, Kosuke Fukudome too), Chunichi will be right there to make sure no one turns the heat off at Nagoya Dome.

HERE'S HOW THE obituary for Daisuke Matsuzaka's Japanese baseball career could begin: "Because Seibu really felt it should get something for the best free agent pitcher of the 2006 offseason instead of getting nothing out of the best free agent pitcher of the 2007 offseason..." Translation: Matsuzaka is in his eighth year, which means that when (not if) Seibu posts him after this season, it will make a ton of money when Matsuzaka heads to the majors. The other option is letting Matsuzaka play his ninth year in Japan only to watch him leave after that season as a free agent, which would be fine for everyone except his club.

Get out and see Dai-chan, who is burning up the opposition this season, because his days at Invoice Seibu Dome are numbered. By this time next year, he will be making a living in the United States, which leaves 29 clubs for his consideration (the List deleted the Toronto Blue Jays from consideration because the Jays are still trying to swallow the A.J. Burnett situation and may be choking on it still in 2008 and beyond if things don't improve).

Matsuzaka has been a star in Japan since high school, and he became an internationl phenom in March, leading Japan to World Baseball Classic glory.Scouts from two MLB teams were in Japan to see Matsuzaka last week, and they will not be the last. Not by a long shot.

AS WORLD CUP FEVER takes over Japan and much of the rest of the world, the List thought it would move on to some footy action for a little bit.

Sure, sure the Boys in Blue will have their day, but for now, the List wants to focus on the real Group of Death, the one that does not involve Argentina.

Ghana, the Czech Republic, Italy and the United States compose Group E, the nastiest of the eight groups in the finals. Here's what the List is banking on: the USA beats Italy and Ghana and either loses or draws the Czech Republic.

Japan Times soccer know-it-all James Mulligan bet a coworker that Italy would beat the United States before making another bet that the Americans would neither win nor draw the Czechs., At stake in each instance is a bottle of green tea, and the List is betting that Mulligan will be paying up when he gets back from Germany.

Asahi Shimbun soccer writer Andrew Mitchell -- without question the nicest guy in Japan -- picked the Czechs to go all the way in Germany (assuming the bandwagoners don't have their way with either the Germans, English or Brazilians steamrolling the competition), while Urawa Reds coach Guido Buchwald said the Czech Republic would not make it out of the Group of Death.

One of the List's unspoken rules of conduct is never to argue with a man who has won a World Cup, but in this instance, the List must make an exception. Sir Andrew is a little closer to the Czechs' final destination, but the List is not ready to pronounce them champions.

Buchwald also said he thought that national teams played in such a way that represented the actual character of the nation on the pitch, meaning that Japanese players would not stand out as individuals as easily as, say, Americans would (Alexei Lalas, anyone?). If what Guido says is true, all of Togo's first-round matches should be required viewing for anyone who cannot name more than one player for the side. Better living through soccer, ladies and gentlemen. The List knows all.

Meanwhile, Japan has a loaded group as well. Brazil is sure to advance, and Australia will be tough to keep out of the second round. But for a team that can claim (even facetiously) that Shinji Ono is not going to start for it must have a trick or two up its sleeve. Everything hinges on the opener with the Socceroos, though.

AND A FINAL NOTE: Keep up the good work, Andy Sheets.

SEND YOUR MOST EFFECTIVE George Best impression to [email protected]. George Brett also acceptable, if not preferred.