Sato: It was really huge that a staff ace emerged for us. With Sun on the mound, we really believed that we could win. He is clearly much more talented than the other pitchers on our staff.

- What are Sun Guo Qiang’s strengths?

Sato: He's a sidearmer and throws very fast. He can reach the 140 km per hour range. Along with that kind of velocity, he also mixes in his breaking balls effectively, so he is difficult to hit. In terms of his throwing, I think that he is good enough to play in Japan. I don’t know if he would be successful at the top level, though.

- In looking at some other categories, your team led the league in errors with 51. Can you talk about that?

Sato: There were some problems with the playing fields, but that is still a lot of errors. Since we always tend to allow runners that reached base on an error to score, I had my players work on their defense for over an hour immediately after each game. The only way to improve your defense is to get your body used to making the plays.

- Are there any fielders that you are hopeful about?

Sato: There is a player named Zhang Xiao Tian (No. 25, age 19). Since he does not have a strong throwing arm, I normally play him at DH, but he has an excellent batting form. He's very serious about the game and is competitive, too. I also think that Shortstop Lu Xi (NO. 15) has great potential. He is also 19. He’s a fast runner and has a strong throwing arm. He’s movements are still somewhat awkward but I think that he has the potential to be a good player in the future.

- From what you’ve said so far, it sounds like you'll be relying on your pitching in the second half as well. Is this correct?

Sato: Yes, I would say so. I think that what we’ll have to do is to rely on our pitching to reduce losses and keep the games close. Our test in the second half will be the first series which will be the three-game set against Guangdong. My aim is to somehow win that series 2 games to 1. If we can do that, we could potentially go to the playoffs by holding off Guangdong.

- So far we’ve only talked about Jiangsu. What are your impressions of the players in the CBL as a whole?

Sato: I can’t tell the names but there are some players that could be successful in the Japanese professional league.

- Do you think they could be successful at the top level (not the minor leagues)?

Sato: Yes, there are players that I believe could succeed at the top level.

- Do you have any advice for the league as a whole?

Sato: I think that the quality of the umpiring needs to be improved. The umpires need to have a better understanding of the rules. Also, there are players on every team that refrain from sliding on steals. This is not a good habit to have. I sometimes get angry at my players about this, but I think that coaches need to be stricter about this. However, it is true that all of the Managers study Japanese and American baseball very thoroughly. They are really trying to adopt the good aspects of (baseball from overseas). I would actually like them to share their knowledge with me (laughter).

【Manager Sato, when he was a coach for the Chiba Lotte Marines (2007) 】

【Kenichi Sato’s Profile】

He was selected in the 1977 NPB draft by the Lotte Orions (now Chiba Lotte Marines). He was an infielder and was known for his good defense and clutch hitting. He retired at the end of the 1992 season. Since his retirement, he has been involved with the development of young players as a coach for the Chiba Lotte Marines. In 2007, he was the head coach and Infield/Base running coach for the Marines’ minor league club. Beginning this season (2008), he has served as the Manager of the Jiangsu Hopestarts, the affiliate of the Chiba Lotte Marines.
(Chiba Lotte Marines, Business Headquarters, Department of Development, Baseball Promotion Group, Technical Coach)

【Post-interview remarks】
Manager Sato calmly spoke about his Jiangsu Hopestars in a very composed manner from start to finish. He is taking his 30 years of experience in Japanese professional baseball, including his time as a coach, and is using that experience to improve the overall skill level of the Jiangsu Hopestars. He says that he had some trouble adjusting to life in China at first, but, by living with the players, he has been able to find out about the personalities of each of the players which has helped him when coaching his players or determining what players to use in games. Although he recognizes the fact the other teams in the league are a lot better than the Hopestars right now, he has already drawn plans for how he is going to lead his team in the second half. The last series of the regular season will be the three-game set at home (Wuxi) against Tianjin that won the league title last year (September 12th -15th). Although his words are quite reserved, I got the feeling that he is aiming to “surprise some people”. While Beijing buzzes with excitement for the Olympic Games this summer, in Wuxi, Manager Sato will likely be hitting grounders to his fielders every day under the hot sun.