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Iwakuma signs 3-year, 1.1 billion yen deal with Rakuten
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SENDAI, Dec. 26 (17:32) Kyodo
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Rakuten Eagles right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma on Friday signed the
richest contract in club history, a three-year, 1.1 billion yen
contract through 2011.
Iwakuma picked up nearly one-third of the fifth-place team's
total wins in 2008, going 21-4 with a 1.87 ERA in 28 starts to earn
the Sawamura Award, the Japanese equivalent of the Cy Young Award,
and Pacific League MVP honors.
''The club gave me the best evaluation. I'm happy that I
signed,'' the 27-year-old said.
Iwakuma became the first 21-game winner in 23 years in Japanese
baseball. Yoshinori Sato posted the same number of wins with the 1985
Hankyu Braves.
In Fukuoka, Softbank Hawks slugger Nobuhiko Matsunaka re-signed
with the PL club for an unchanged 500 million yen plus performance
bonuses in 2009, the fourth year of his seven-year contract.
The 35-year-old first baseman-outfielder, the only Hawk who
played all 144 games last season, hit .290 with 25 home runs and 92
RBIs.
''I slowed down late in the season, so I feel responsible (for
the team's last-place finish),'' said Matsunaka, who homered only
twice in the last two months of the season.
Iwakuma and Matsunaka are among the 34 candidates announced Dec.
15 to represent Japan in the World Baseball Classic next March.
In Nagoya, 43-year-old Chunichi Dragons left-hander Masahiro
Yamamoto signed a two-year deal with the Central League club.
Yamamoto will make 150 million yen, unchanged from 2008, plus
performance bonuses in 2009 and his salary will vary in the second
year.
Yamamoto became the 24th pitcher in Japanese baseball history to
win 200 games in a 5-1 win over the Yomiuri Giants on Aug. 4 and
finished the season with an 11-7 record with a 3.16 ERA in 23 games. |
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