Despite a poor record in the preseason, the defending Central League and Japan Series champion Hanshin Tigers have the balance and youth to make a strong title defense once Nippon Professional Baseball’s season gets under way Friday. The Tigers brought a huge surprise to the table last year, when Shoki Murakami won his first CL ERA title. The right-hander earned CL Rookie of the Year and MVP honors, the latter unexpected considering the huge contributions of center fielder Koji Chikamoto and first baseman Yusuke Oyama. NPB’s oldest manager last year, Akinobu Okada is a low-stress leader and a …