TODD LINDEN, the former AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees outfielder (60 ga, 7 HR 42 RBI, .312 avg) who could have quite possibly claimed a place on the International League’s AAA All-Star sqaud this season but chose to sign in Japan not so long ago, has gotten things going finally in Japan.
Linden, 29, was formally signed by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Pacific League in Nippon Professional Baseball on June 23. Nine days later, on July 2, the former San Francisco Giant was formally elevated to the active (ichi-gun) roster. The former Louisiana State University, a native of the state of Washington, played 270 Major League games (8 HR 36 RBI, .231 avg) over the course of five seasons for the Giants (185 ga) and Florida Marlins (85 ga).
Through his first 12 games with Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the Pacific League, Linden has hit for a .306 average with 1 HR and 6 RBI.
Linden is reported on a contract worth 3,800 man-yen for the remainder of the 2009 season. Roughly speaking, Linden’s contract with the Golden Eagles translates to the tune of $ 380,000, which would be twenty thousand dollars short of the minimum Major League contract for the 2009 season.
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Fomer Lehigh Valley IronPigs closer MATT CHILDERS was also (finally) been activated by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, on June 11, after spending the entire season theretofore in the minors. Childers’ results, however, were less than impressive.
3 ga, 0-0 w-l, 0 sv, 10.38 ERA, 4.1 ip, 8 h, 1 HR, 2 bb so
Childers was “dropped for readjustment”, as the Japanese prefer to say, on July 2, the same day the recent signee Linden was promoted to the active squad. Childers draws a paycheck worth 5,000 man-yen for this season (roughly $ 500,000).
DARRELL RASNER, the big-money off season signing of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles from the New York Yankees this past winter, was dropped for readjustment on June 19. Rasner failed to impress (3-4 w-l, 6.62 ERA, 51.2 ip, 62 h, 8 HR, 16 bb, 34 so) in his ten starts. Drawing particular notice would be the 8 HR allowed.
Rasner pulls in a salary of one-oku yen, which is roughly one million dollars.
MARCUS GWYN (32 ga, 0 st, 1-3 w-l, 3 sv, 3.27 ERA, 33.0 ip, 28, 2 HR, 16 bb, 20 so) has been able to give the Golden Eagles a measure of quality from the bullpen. Gwyn, who joined Tohoku Rakuten last season, has a 5,000 man-yen contract.
Last season’s Toledo Mud Hen, FERNANDO SEGUIGNOL (43 ga, 6 HR 47 RBI, .185 avg) has been able to retain his place despite his less than sparkling batting average for the Golden Eagles. Seguignol has a 5,000 man-yen agreement with Tohoku Rakuten for the 2009 season.
The highest paid foreign player on the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles is veteran infielder RICK SHORT (43 ga, 1 HR 37 RBI, .230 avg). Short, 36, earns 1.2 oku yen, which is roughly $ 1,200,000. Short, who first played in Japan in 2003 before spending a few more years back in America, has been with the Golden Eagles since 2006.
Short, who has never hit less than .303 in Japan (for the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2003) and .314 for Tohoku Rakuten, was dropped due to a shoulder injury on June 11.
