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Hanshin Tigers News |
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Aussie closer slides into Tigers scheme By Jim Allen July 3, 2003--Jeff Williams has a habit of popping up in the unlikeliest places. The Canberra native went against the flow by pursuing baseball, a sport off the beaten path in Australia, and now finds himself at home in the Koshien bullpen as the Hanshin Tigers' closer. "I love it here, the people are great," Williams told The Hot Corner. "Of course, it helps when you're doing well and when the team is winning." The lefty, who comes out of the bullpen in the late innings to prevent opposing rallies, and has a league-leading 20 saves to show for it, is just one of many reasons the Tigers are at the top of the Central League food chain this year. "I'm where I want to be," said Williams, who has handled the transition to Japanese ball with relative ease. "I probably had a bigger adjustment my first year in the States," said Williams. "I was in the deep South. You can't get much more different than that. "We looked at some different schools and Southeastern Louisiana seemed the best match for me. I didn't know anything. Louisiana was the same as California to me. It would have been harder to find two more different locals than Hammond, La., population 19,637 and his home in Australia's capital. "The way it turned out, it couldn't have been better," said Williams. "It was a great opportunity for me." As Japan has been. If your goal is to be the man on the mound with a ninth-inning lead to protect, the last thing you need is to be in an organization with a great closer. That's the situation Williams found himself in with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have bulldog right-hander Eric Gagne as their late man. "I never knew what the situation was," said Williams. "I'd pitch a little in the majors and then it's back down. Here was an opportunity for some stability. I know what's going on. I want the ball with the game on the line. Why would I want to be anywhere else?" The southpaw ran off 16 straight saves before hitting a patch in June when a lot of his deliveries began making big impressions--in the form of dents in outfield seats. Yet the gopher ball festival came and went, another reminder to Williams that the way to deal with both success and failure is to keep faith in what you know works. "Sometimes you think you're pitching really well and you're going to get hit," he said. "Other times you do well and you just shake your head and wonder how you got anybody out. "The important thing is to remain consistent." Which in baseball means making constant adjustments. "You are always working to make it better," said Williams of his bread and butter pitch, a sidewinding slider. It's a plan much easier carried out when one is surrounded by those who also believe in the value of hard work. "They have the same kind of attitude you find in Australia, a good day's work for a good day's pay," said Williams. "It's amazing how how many hours they put in. It's unbelievable what they put themselves through every single day, but on the other hand, it's inspiring, really." Japanese baseball has often been accused of emphasizing practice to a degree detrimental to game performance, so this should come as no surprise. The difference is that while Hanshin headman Senichi Hoshino is no slouch about his players' practice habits, he is as focused on in-game performance as any manager ever. "All the starters are doing a great job and the bench is as well. Everyday somebody different is coming off the bench and really producing. "It's a great lesson--you have to have to come to the park with it turned on everyday. If you are not ready to play, they will find someone who will. "You feel it, that no one in the dugout is going to settle for anything less than winning." The soft spoken Williams is no exception. When he gets a tough call on what he thinks is a called third strike, his head can look as if it's going to explode from the pressure. "That's when I'm at my best," Williams said with a laugh. Copyright 2003 The Yomiuri Shimbun
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