SAN DIEGO — Presumably, on the 28-man rosters of all 16 World Baseball Classic teams, some players are required to handle unaccustomed jobs while suiting up for their national team.

As far as Samurai Japan is concerned, it is Norichika Aoki, who has been put in left field defensively, because manager Tatsunori Hara and his coaches wanted this career .338 hitter's bat in lineup.

Aoki, a center fielder for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, has batted in the No. 3 spot and started in left field in each game of the 2009 WBC, and he's lived up to the team's expectations so far.