One of the happiest foreign players in Japan pro baseball these days is Hiroshima Carp first baseman Luis Lopez. The 1996 and 1997 Central League RBI leader is obviously back where he belongs; hitting .300 and driving in those runs like he did three-four years ago for the Red Helmets.
He was one of the most feared hitters in the Central League, posting stats of 25 home runs, 109 RBI's and a .312 average in his first season with the Carp, and 30, 112, .320 in 1997. But Hiroshima refused to give him a pay hike on a new contract deal, and Lopez transferred to the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks and the Pacific League.
Going from the smallest ballpark in Japan (Hiroshima Civic Stadium) to the most spacious (Fukuoka Dome), Lopez saw his 1998 numbers with the Hawks tumble to 17, 68, .294. Still, he thought he'd have another season in Fukuoka, until January of 1999 when the Hawks informed him they were buying out the second year of his two-year pact.