Milwaukee Brewers’ Norichika Aoki Starting To Come Around
The Milwaukee Brewers signed Japanese outfielder Norichika Aoki to a two-year deal this past offseason and they could not be more thrilled to have him on the team.
“He’s a guy that’s had a lot of success in Japan,” said Melvin. “He’s won Gold Gloves, won batting titles, was an all-star. We think he can utilize those skills on our ball club and give us some depth in the outfield. He can play all three outfield positions, preferably in center field, left field. He’s a usable player. He’s going to get an opportunity to play with his first experience in the United States. Spring training will give us a much better read of how he fits into the ball club.”
The expectations have certainly been high this spring for Aoki and there is no question all that pressure got to him. He had struggled at the plate basically all of spring training until a recent game against former Japanese sensation Yu Darvish and the Texas Rangers. Aoki went 3 for 3 driving in three runs including the only hit and RBI Darvish surrendered all afternoon. That spark alone is what gets players ready for the regular season.
Aoki raised his .194 batting average to .256 against the Rangers as he has hit two triples, five RBI and one stolen base in 16 games this spring.
It is understandable why Aoki has struggled with so many different changes happening in such a short amount of time. The type of baseball that is played in the United States, a completely different ball that is played with, the new players, the pitchers he has never faced before, not to mention the language barrier that he will have to get used to.
The good news is the Milwaukee fans are excited to have him be a part of their team and the players have made him feel at home. There is no question he will play a big role as the Brewers defend their National League Central division title and attempt another run at a World Series berth.
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