The story of Colby Lewis, well it could be a made for T.V. movie. A "can't miss" first round draft pick for the Texas Rangers speeds through their Minor League system and makes the opening day roster in 2002. Sent back to the minors for more seasoning he returns and spends the '03 season in the Rangers rotation. He sported a 10-9 win/loss total but he wasn't pitching very well. Lewis has rotator cuff surgery and then bounces around from Detroit-Washington-Oakland-K.C. and then he's out of MLB. Determined to continue playing baseball Lewis goes to Japan and in 2008-2009 is one of the league's dominating pitchers. The Rangers come calling in 2010 and he finishes 7th in the A.L. in strikeouts, 9th in the A.L. in WHIP and finishes the year with two playoff wins and a World Series victory. Colby Lewis is one great story!
It's fitting that Hisanori Takahashi should be linked on the same page with Colby Lewis. Like Lewis Takahashi pitched in the Japanese professional league in 2009 before appearing in MLB in 2010. Hisanori is an old school left hander who relies on mixing up his pitches to keep the hitters off balance. He pitched his entire career in the Nippon league with the Yomiuiri Giants and signed as a Free Agent in 2010 with the New York Mets. With the Mets Takahashi was Mr. Everything. He began the year in the Mets bullpen, then on May 21 he made his first Major League start....against the New York Yankees going 6 innings and not allowing a run. Later in the year the Mets needed a closer so Takahashi filled that role for them finishing with 8 saves on the year. Hisanori had a release clause when he signed with the Mets and in the off season Takahashi signed with the L.A. Angels.
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