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Japan pinning Olympic baseball hopes on baby-faced ace
== TOKYO, Sept 6 (AFP) - Japan, unable to agree on sending a baseball "Dream Team" to the Sydney Olympics, will be pinning its medal hopes on baby-faced fastballer Daisuke Matsuzaka. The 1999 Rookie of the Year in the Pacific League, one of Japan's two major professional divisions, Matsuzaka is expected to start the opening game against the United States on September 17. But Japan's superstar catcher Atsuya Furuta won't be there to guide the righthander as his Yakult Swallows are in the rival Central League, which has refused to release its top players for Olympic duty. The absence of the reputed field marshal is expected to hurt Japan's hopes of earning a medal in Sydney. Japan won the bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Games, when baseball became a full Olympic sport, and the silver in Atlanta in 1996. In Sydney, professional players will be admitted to the Olympics for the first time. The United States will field a team of "Triple-A" minor leaguers, many with major-league experience, while South Korea shut down its professional league and is sending a team of all stars. Although Japan will be putting only eight pros on the field, Matsuzaka is confident going into the Games. "Once I am in, I want to aim for the highest honour," said the Seibu Lions ace, who will celebrate his 20th birthday during the Olympics. "I want to pitch against Cuba," Matsuzaka said, particularly Omar Linares, the 32-year-old veteran slugger of the two-time Olympic champions. "I will definitely produce the desired results against any team." During the Asian qualifying round in Seoul last year, Matsuzaka combined with Furuta, now 35, to help Japan win one of the two Olympic berths for the region. He struck out 13 batters during a 2-1 win over Taiwan in the final-league match. Japan lost 5-3 in the final against South Korea's major-league all stars with Matsuzaka sitting in the bench. "We will avenge the loss in Sydney," he said at the time. Matsuzaka was the winningest pitcher in the Pacific League in his rookie year last year with 16 victories. A native of Tokyo, he became a hero in this baseball-crazy nation when his 94 mile-per-hour (150kph) fastball led Yokohama High School to the national high school title in 1998. The six-foot (180cm), 172-pound (78kg) Matsuzaka sprained his right ankle early this season but has come back strong, clocking a pitch of 97.5mph (156kph) on the speed gun in July. He chalked up 12 wins by the end of August to put his club in front in the Pacific League, which will cut back on its schedule during the Games. Chunichi Dragon Fumihiro Suzuki, who has replaced Furuta as the only pro catcher on the Japanese squad, caught Matsuzaka in mid-August and says the hurler is ready. "Matsuzaka's ball is fast and feels heavy," he said.
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