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November 22, 2024
 

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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
Jul 8, 2004
2004 season is a honeymoon for Carp second baseman LaRocca
You might call Greg LaRocca's first year in Japanese baseball a "honeymoon season" for two reasons, and the first is obvious.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jun 23, 2004
Many questions remain over merger of Buffaloes, BlueWave
July 7 is the date for the big meeting in Japanese baseball. Owners of the 12 Central and Pacific League teams are to get together to decide what will happen with regard to the proposed merger of two PL clubs, the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes and the Orix BlueWave.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jun 9, 2004
'Sugoi' Seguignol showing his stuff in rare second chance
Rarely does a foreign player get a second chance at Japanese baseball. If a gaikokujin does not do well and is let go by a Central or Pacific League team, it is not likely he will be picked up by another club in Japan.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
May 19, 2004
Hanshin's relief trio has Tigers in hunt for repeat in CL
The Hanshin Tigers have a reputation of winning the Central League pennant once every other decade. Their last three titles came in 1964, 1985 and 2003, and their fans surely do not want to wait until 22-something for the next championship.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
May 12, 2004
Lions no lock for Pacific League pennant with playoff system
Letters from Kyushu
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 28, 2004
Young stars filling shoes of those who left for major leagues
Proof positive Japanese baseball is not "doomed," as some critics have suggested with regard to star players leaving for the major leagues, is the emergence of young phenoms coming seemingly out of nowhere to take the places of Ichiro (Suzuki), Hideki and Kazuo Matsui, Hideo Nomo, Kazuhisa Ishii, Shingo...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 14, 2004
Tale of two trips: 1955 Yankees here weeks, 2004 team days
It has been two weeks since the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays cleared out of Japan following that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Japanese fans to see the Bronx Bombers play official games right here in Tokyo.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Mar 31, 2004
Diamondbacks Day still a feature at Tokyo Dome
The Pacific League Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters will hold their third annual Arizona Diamondbacks Day promotion on Sunday, April 18, at the Tokyo Dome. Diamondbacks Day is held so the Nippon Ham team can honor the National League club (its working partner), and the Fighters ball club is inviting 3,000...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Mar 17, 2004
Fans should decide if Japan pro ball has interleague play
A couple of interesting articles appeared in The Japan Times during the first week of this month, both mentioning interleague play, and it would appear Japanese baseball may finally be moving toward the scheduling of regular-season games between Central and Pacific League teams.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Mar 3, 2004
Giants' Latham aiming for big season after 'nice camp'
Every baseball fan knows the term "nice catch." But in Japanese sports, the use of the word "nice" to praise just about any fine play has become common.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Feb 18, 2004
Yankees-Devil Rays tickets sold out; try 'Kids Day'
On Sunday, Feb. 15, at 2 p.m., I telephoned the number to call for information about getting tickets to the six professional baseball games involving the American League's New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Tokyo Dome from March 28-31.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Feb 4, 2004
It's now or never for new Giants catcher
The story made headlines on the front page of several Japanese sports newspapers Jan. 25: The Yomiuri Giants in a money trade bought the contract of catcher Katsunori Nomura from the Hanshin Tigers, and just why would the transfer of a back-up backstop who, in fact, did not play a game at the varsity...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jan 21, 2004
A 'who's who' of foreign players for the 2004 season
With only 11 days now until the 12 Japanese pro baseball teams begin spring training for the 2004 season and, by my unofficial count, the Central and Pacific League clubs have so far, through Jan. 19, signed up 62 non-Japanese personnel, including 54 players, two managers and six coaches.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jan 7, 2004
Yankees tickets and the foreign player 'scrap heap'
Happy New Year, and expect announcement real soon of details concerning the New York Yankees-Tampa Bay Devil Rays American League openers at Tokyo Dome on March 30-31. You know, who will be the sponsor? How much will the ticket prices be? Stuff like that.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Dec 24, 2003
Kazuo Matsui dropped the Big Egg for the Big Apple
Kazuo "Little" Matsui is set to be the next Japanese star to make a huge splash in the major leagues and become the latest toast of the town in New York.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Dec 10, 2003
Pacific League holds much promise for 2004 season
The Pacific League has lost 10-year veteran Seibu Lions all-star Kazuo Matsui, one of its best performers, to the major leagues and the New York Mets. Tuffy Rhodes, having been released by the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes, will probably be gone as well, moving to the Yomiuri Giants or another Central League...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Nov 26, 2003
Matsui, the Yankees and the PL's new free-agent trend
Hot stove league time, fans. Or should that be the hot hibachi league here in Japan? Lots going on during the off-season, so let's take a look at a few interesting happenings from last week.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Nov 12, 2003
Gift-giving season came early for the Hawks and Giants
"Kokubo dealt to Giants" read our headline above the story reporting the transfer of infielder Hiroki Kokubo from the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks to the Yomiuri Giants on Nov. 4. But how would this appear in the sports transactions columns listed in many newspapers in North America and around the world?
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Oct 29, 2003
Japan Series: Should have known better with those Tigers fans
I should have known better than to predict the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks would win the 2003 Japan Series in five games over the Hanshin Tigers.
BASEBALL / MLB
Oct 28, 2003
This year's Japan Series best since 1989
FUKUOKA -- It doesn't get any better than this. Seventh game of the Japan Series with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks and the Hanshin Tigers.
Two of America’s biggest debt holders are dumping Treasurys
The U.S. Treasury building in Washington. Investors in Japan and China sold a pile of U.S. debt in the last quarter, just before the U.S. presidential election.
Russia fired experimental ballistic missile at Ukraine, Putin says
Ukrainian firefighters work on a spot following an airstrike in Dnipro on Thursday.
Ishiba aggravates his own political failures with diplomatic faux pas
Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba is greeted at the APEC summit in Lima by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. The Japanese leader was criticized for remaining seated while meeting several world leaders at the event.
Japan's 3.31 million visitors in October set monthly record
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in December 2023. Famous autumn leaf colors contributed to increased tourism demand last month from many markets across Asia, Europe and North America, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
Japan ranks last in romance satisfaction for second straight year
In a survey of 31 countries, Japan ranked last in terms of those who felt loved, with just 51% of respondents saying so.
The slow-burn success of ‘A Samurai in Time’
A 19th-century warrior gets struck by lightning and wakes to find himself in 21st-century Kyoto in Junichi Yasuda’s surprise hit “A Samurai in Time.”
Around a quarter of Japan married couples in their 20s met through dating apps
A survey released by an organization promoting “Good Couples Day” shows that 24% of couples in their 20s met their marriage partner through a dating app.
'Tokyo Swindlers': Get deep into the minds of real estate con artists
In Ko Shinjo's "Tokyo Swindlers," a group of con artists manipulates real estate giants into falsified deals within the highly competitive, quick market.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.
Haruki Murakami's 'The City and Its Uncertain Walls' gives deep deja vu
For “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” translated into English by Philip Gabriel, Haruki Murakami confronts the ghosts who won't leave him alone.

Podcast

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