Wayne Graczyk - The Japan Times

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Wayne Graczyk

Wayne Graczyk has written the "Baseball Bullet-In" column in The Japan Times since 1976. A native of New Jersey, he came to Japan in 1969 with the U.S. Air Force and is a 1977 graduate of Tokyo's Sophia University. Wayne was the long-time (1977-2004) sports editor of the Tokyo Weekender newspaper, he covers Yomiuri Giants baseball games for Nippon TV and, since 1976, he has compiled the Japan Pro Baseball Fan Handbook & Media Guide. He is a member of the Tokyo Sportswriters Club and the Foreign Sportswriters Association of Japan. Notice Wayne Graczyk, the baseball columnist for The Japan Times for the past 40 years, passed away at the age of 68 on April 19. His final column was posted on April 8. Readers can continue to access his coverage of Japanese baseball through the online archives.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Dec 27, 2009

Wendy's decision triggers memories of a unique pre-game tradition

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Dec 20, 2009

Foreign players likely to be in Meikyukai, Japanese Hall of Fame

How soon will it be before foreigners in Japanese baseball become members of the Meikyukai (Golden Players Club for batters accumulating 2,000 hits and pitchers racking up 200 career victories)?

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Dec 13, 2009

Tuffy hopes to extend career in Japan another year

It remains to be seen if Tuffy Rhodes will return to play a 14th season in Japanese baseball in 2010. The all-time leader among foreign players in home runs and RBIs says he's ready for another year — or two — but, if he is unable to attract an offer from a Pacific or Central League club,...

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Dec 6, 2009

Turney breaks ground as first foreign coach in history of Giants

Cheers to the Yomiuri Giants for hiring strength and conditioning coach John Turney, recently let go by the Yokohama BayStars after leading the players on that team through stretching and calisthenics during pre-game drills for nine seasons.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Nov 22, 2009

Hot Hibachi League prepares to heat up as season draws to a close

The final game of the 2009 baseball season in Japan takes place on Sunday at Tokyo Dome. Billed as the "U-26" it features a select team of college players against a group of professionals, most of whom are under the age of 26.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Nov 15, 2009

Matsui could extend career in field with a move to first base

Japan is justifiably proud that native son Hideki Matsui was named the MVP of the 2009 World Series, and Japanese fans of Matsui and the New York Yankees are eagerly watching to see what happens now.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Nov 8, 2009

Brown confident of success in new role as manager of Golden Eagles

Japanese baseball will have at least one American manager for the eighth consecutive year in 2010, as Marty Brown takes over as field boss of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles after four years managing the Hiroshima Carp.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Nov 1, 2009

Giants-Fighters Japan Series matchup a world away from 1981 clash

The ongoing Japan Series between the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters and the Yomiuri Giants marks the second time these two clubs have met to decide the championship of Japanese baseball. They also faced each other in 1981, and there have been a lot of changes since that first meeting 28 years ago.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Oct 25, 2009

Managerial wheels spinning as NPB teams change bench bosses

Three Japanese teams have already filled managerial vacancies while two others are expected to name their choices sometime soon as the Climax and Japan Series draw to a close, in time for fall camp, the Oct. 29 amateur draft and the printing of the 2010 team calendars.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Oct 18, 2009

Time for NPB to get its act together on regular-season schedule

As we are into the Central and Pacific League Climax Series, with the Japan Series coming up later this month, a reader has a complaint we've heard many times before about the way Japanese baseball ends its the regular season.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Oct 11, 2009

Doi was integral part of V-9 Giants

Shozo Doi's decades in baseball left a lasting impression.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Oct 4, 2009

Tracy working miracles for playoff-bound Rockies

"Mile High Miracle, Mile High Magic, Rocky Mountain High, whatever you want to call it, but baseball in Colorado is spectacular again this year." So says Ken Shimada, a Japanese fan living in Denver who dumped the team but is now back at Coors Field as an avid supporter.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Sep 27, 2009

Atchison helping Tigers make late run at Central League playoffs

During the Hanshin Tigers batting practice prior to a recent game at Tokyo Dome, I asked Tigers first baseman Craig Brazell if Scott was in the outfield getting loose with the other Hanshin pitchers.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Sep 20, 2009

Put a hold on earlier explanation of the 'hold' rule

You may recall in the column of July 19 I explained what is a "hold" and how a relief pitcher gets credit for one. I quoted Boston Red Sox play-by-play announcer Don Orsillo, who on a Red Sox telecast had coincidentally defined the conditions under which a middle reliever or setup man qualifies for the...

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Sep 13, 2009

Golden Week 2 set to be windfall at gate for NPB

Golden Week has always been a golden time for Japanese baseball. That series of consecutive holidays between April 29 and May 5 usually sees capacity or near-sellout crowds at all games scheduled during the period.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Sep 6, 2009

Slugger Ramirez tells life story in new book

"Rami Ryu," a book written by Yomiuri Giants star Alex Ramirez, hits bookstores in Japan on Thursday. Its English title is "Rami's Way," with the subtitle "How to Succeed and Be Positive."

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Aug 23, 2009

Fighters in command of PL with just over month to go

Last week we took a look at the six Central League teams and where they stand at this point in the season as compared to what had been expected at the beginning of the year. Now let's check the status of the Pacific League clubs and see who is up and who is down.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Aug 16, 2009

CL looks like a two-horse race as stretch drive nears

With roughly six weeks and 40 games remaining in the 2009 Japan pro baseball season, we are taking a look this week at the Central League clubs, where they stand and their chances of qualifying for the Climax Series, with mention of some key players and their ups and downs.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Aug 2, 2009

Forgotten Igawa continues to toil for Yanks in minors

Last week we examined the situations of pitchers Masahide Kobayashi (recently released by the Cleveland Indians) and Yasuhiko Yabuta (still treading water on the Kansas City Royals farm team at Omaha) and suggested they give up the major league dream, return home and pitch for a Central or Pacific League...

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Jul 26, 2009

Kobayashi, Yabuta might have better luck pitching back home

It is obvious 2009 has not been a great year for Japanese pitchers in the major leagues. Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Boston Red Sox and Koji Uehara of the Baltimore Orioles have spent a lot of time on the disabled list, while Kenshin Kawakami of the Atlanta Braves has posted a losing record of 5-6 through...

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.

Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.

The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'

By Tomoko Otake

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