Mystery Photo #13
2006-10-12 13:37
Here we have Mystery Photo Number Thirteen. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to help figure out the who/when/where of the photo. Plus, in this case, the photographer, who tells me, “Make ’em work for it!”
No larger view this time.
Thanks to all who have sent in photos. Feel free to send in more, by emailing them to mystery At humbug .com. (Your own photos only, please.)
1. My guess is that Bob Timmermann took the photo.
It appears to be in Japan somewhere. :)
2. It also looks to be a bunt play (or at least an anticipated bunt), given the positions of the pitcher and first baseman, so #3 is the second baseman (who seems to be wearing a sleeveless jersey.
3. It would be too easy if it was from the game Bob just described over at the Griddle. Right?
4. 3 It's the same ballpark, and taken from the same angle.
5. So the team in white are the Nippon Ham Fighters, and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks are the visitors.
6. The team names are correct.
There is a former Cub in the photo. I may not be near a computer for a while to check on further guesses.
7. The boxscore of the game in the photo is available online.
8. Two outs in the bottom of the third Shinjo singles to right to score Ogasawara with Seguignol taking third. It gave the Fighters a 2-1 lead they would not surrender taking the game 3-1.
Bob's recap on the Griddle:
http://griddle.baseballtoaster.com/archives/541458.html
9. 8 Of course! The dude running to first has to be Shinjo - I can't believe I missed the arm bands.
10. There's a box score at the end of the article here:
http://tinyurl.com/y2dmtt
I assume the ex-Cub is Julio Zuleta, playing first base.
11. Here's an English-language roster for the Fighters:
http://tinyurl.com/yx4uhc
And for the Hawks:
http://tinyurl.com/yyrag9
#3 for the Hawks is Nobuhiko Matsunaka. Did he switch to 1st mid-game?
12. That's not Shinjo. The Nippon Ham Fighters are the guys wearing the white uniforms. So #3 is Tanaka, the 2nd baseman covering on the bunt. The ex-Cub is Jose Macias, who's over at third.
If it's this play that Bob mentioned in his write up (which as it turns out includes this photo, d'oh!):
"Shortstop Munenori Kawasaki slapped the first pitch of the game down the left field line for a single. Omura followed with another single. After a sacrifice (there would be five of them in the game) moved the runners over..."
then the runner at third is Kawasaki, and the batter out at first is Shibahara. If it's the other Hawks sacrifice, then it's Omura, and I Don't Know's on third.
The pitcher is Yu Darvish, and the first baseman is Ogasawara.
The title of the Daily Yomiuri recap is the Worst. Pun. Ever. (Yu the Man?)
13. 12 is correct. It is the first sacrifice play of the game.