What in the world are they thinking? That's the question many Japanese baseball observers were asking when the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks announced the signing of left-handed American pitcher Chris Haney in mid-April.

The rules here limit the number of foreign players on any Japanese pro team's varsity roster to two pitchers and two position players, and the defending Pacific League champions already had right-handed starter Brady Raggio and ace reliever Rod Pedraza on the mound staff.

Raggio was one of the top pitchers in the Pa League last season, posting an 8-6 record and a sixth-best 4.20 earned run average. This year, he's been even better, having compiled a 4-0 mark with a 3.27 ERA when Haney was brought in. Pedraza is the team's closer, the PL Fireman of the Year for 2000 who's having another fine season in 2001. So, why would Daiei need a third foreign hurler?

Despite his great start, Raggio was sent to the Hawks farm team on April 20, as Haney was registered on the first team. The southpaw threw five shutout innings that night and won his first game at the Fukuoka Dome as the home-team Hawks beat the Seibu Lions. He appeared on the post-game TV hero interview and told Hawks interpreter Hiroaki "Rocky" Hirano: "I had a blast out there before these fantastic (Fukuoka) fans in this beautiful ballpark."

Six days later, he went six innings and won No. 2 over the Nippon Ham Fighters at the Tokyo Dome, while Raggio worked on the farm.

Then they were flip-flopped, with Raggio coming back up and Haney being sent to the Hawks' Western League team, and it appears this is what Fukuoka has in mind for the remainder of the year, a Brady-Haney shuttle that will run every 10 days or so. By rule, any player deregistered from a team's varsity roster may not be listed again for 10 days.

Hirano says team manager Sadaharu Oh knows exactly what he is doing.

"Oh-san has it all figured out. He thought we needed an extra left-hander to pitch against certain teams, such as the Lions and Fighters, who have a lot of strong lefty hitters."

The plan is to give each guy two varsity starts, while the other can throw on the fifth day and maintain game sharpness in the minor leagues, then switch them. It sounds like a great idea, and Daiei hopes to get as many as 25 wins between the pair, who are so far 6-0 with a combined ERA of 3.13.

Haney doesn't mind.

"I've been trying to come to Japan for a few years and am happy I finally got the opportunity," he said prior to that win at the Big Egg on April 26.

A 10-year big-league veteran with four teams, he obviously did not come to Japan to play in the minors but will pay his dues in the bushes and, hopefully, share the dividends with Raggio as each gets his 10 days at a time in the varsity spotlight.

If it goes right, maybe each will get one start in the 2001 Japan Series if the Hawks make a third straight post-season appearance in October. In the meantime, other Japanese teams might be thinking about copying the new gaikokujin pitching shuttle innovation.

The Pacific League's Nippon Ham Fighters will hold their annual American Ballpark Weekend series on Saturday and Sunday, May 26-27, at the Tokyo Dome. The Fighters will host the Chiba Lotte Marines in a 6 p.m. start on Saturday, while Sunday's game will begin at 1:30 p.m. This is not to be confused with Yankees Day, another Nippon Ham promotion, to be held this year on Sunday, Sept. 16.

Northwest Airlines will be the ABW title sponsor both days, and sub-sponsorship will be provided by Kirin-Tropicana and one other U.S. company. The idea is to make the atmosphere at the Tokyo Dome similar to that of an American major-league stadium for the two days, and the national anthems of the United States and Japan will be performed prior to the games. Public address announcements will also be made in English and Japanese.

Officials from Northwest will throw the ceremonial first pitch at each game, and representatives of the airline and the other sponsor companies will participate in pre-game activities, presenting gifts to players of the Fighters and Marines. Sponsors' door prizes will also be given to lucky fans by lottery drawing.

In addition, the Fighters are planning to honor five North American fans at each game, selected at random from among those who apply by mail. The honorees will be introduced to the crowd and appear on the field prior to the game. Those who wish to apply must be American or Canadian citizens, be prepared to bring and wear the cap and T-shirt or jersey of their favorite major-league team and arrive at the stadium one hour prior to the start of the opening ceremony.

Fans selected will be given 10 tickets to the game for themselves, their friends and family members, cards worth 1,500 yen for food and drinks at the Tokyo Dome, a free copy of the English-language Japan Pro Baseball Fan Handbook & Media Guide and a gift from the Fighters.

If you would like to apply, please send a note with your name, address, telephone number, age, occupation, home town and the major-league team whose cap and T-shirt or jersey you will wear, to the event coordinator, yours truly: Wayne Graczyk, 1-12-18 Kichijoji Higashi-cho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo-to 180-0002. Please also specify the date you wish to attend, May 26 or 27.

Those selected will be notified by telephone, but you must also include a stamped (80 yen), self-addressed envelope in which your 10 tickets will be sent. Those not selected but who include the SSAE will be sent two free tickets to the game on the date specified. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, May 16.