The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters have spent a first-round draft pick on the top pitching prospect in Japan in each of the last two years, and in both instances that player has initially said thanks, but no thanks.
For Tomoyuki Sugano the allure of pitching in Tokyo Dome for the Yomiuri Giants and his uncle, Kyojin manager Tatsunori Hara, was too great. Sugano was drafted by the Fighters in 2011, but wasn't swayed by the team's pitch and sat out the 2012 season with hopes of later being drafted by the Giants.
The Fighters, nothing if not persistent, drafted high-school phenom Shohei Otani, who by his own word was bound for the majors, the very next season. This time Nippon Ham got its man, convincing Otani to put a U.S. move on hold for a few more years and hone his skills in Sapporo.
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