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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.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
May 21, 2016
Late translator Ushigome served with pride, distinction during long career
The Baseball Bullet-In this week would like to remember Tadahiro Ushigome, long-time baseball personality who died in Tokyo last month of a blood disorder at age 79. Although the date of his death was April 9, it was not announced until May 4.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
May 7, 2016
Gomes left Eagles before opportunity to turn season around
"Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye." The title of a 19th century anti-war song.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 23, 2016
Will Swallows become a 'gypsy' team in 2020?
A recent news item indicates Tokyo's Jingu Stadium may be closed from May to October in 2020 because of the Olympic Games. I am not certain why it has to be closed for five months but can understand.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 9, 2016
Appreciating unforgettable career of broadcaster Scully
One sidelight for those living in Japan this season is we will get to see more Los Angeles Dodgers games on TV. NHK and J-Sports will no doubt be televising live the Dodgers games when Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda is the L.A. starter. When the team is at home, and we choose the sub-channel audio for...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Mar 26, 2016
Maeda inquiry illustrates challenge of translating baseball's nuances
Something might have gotten lost in translation after Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda was asked by his manager Dave Roberts to demonstrate his warm-up routine in the team clubhouse. Newspaper articles described Maeda's arm-waving motions as a "dance" but, unless he has added some choreography...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Mar 12, 2016
Gambling, drugs, bullets provide cautionary tales for NPB's foreign players
Gambling, drugs, bullets in luggage, gambling again. More current and former players in Japanese baseball are being tagged with the yogisha (crime suspect) label following their names, and team officials are making the deep bows of apology and "There's nothing we can say" speeches. Some have stepped...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Feb 27, 2016
Exploring quirky history of season schedules
Is a 162-game professional baseball season too long?
Japan Times
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Feb 13, 2016
Kiyohara's troubles concern, sadden former teammates
Much has been written and reported since the Feb. 2 arrest of former Seibu Lions, Yomiuri Giants and Orix Buffaloes superstar slugger Kazuhiro Kiyohara for possession and use of illegal drugs. "It's a shame," "What a waste" and "I can't believe it" are typical words of reaction expressed by ex-teammates...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jan 23, 2016
Interpreters continue to play important role in NPB
If I had known then what I know now, I would have taken Spanish in high school instead of French. It is not that I remember any of the French (I failed the course), but there are very few — if any — professional ballplayers whose native language is Francais. Even a little Español would come in handy...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jan 9, 2016
Several questions loom as spring camp approaches
We are three weeks from the Feb. 1 opening of the Central and Pacific League ballclubs spring training camps in Shikoku, Okinawa and southern Kyushu—and for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Arizona with the San Diego Padres. Following are some questions to be answered during the 2016 season in Japanese...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Dec 26, 2015
Protecting fans from batted balls presents an ongoing challenge
The recent recommendation by Major League Baseball that its teams expand protective netting between the playing field and stands at the ball parks is a good one. Too many fans have been injured by foul balls and bats flung into the stands, and the wise move is to follow the standard in Japanese stadiums....
Japan Times
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Dec 12, 2015
Can upgraded home stadiums give boost to BayStars, Eagles?
Going from worst to first — last place to a pennant — is difficult for any professional baseball team. The Tokyo Yakult Swallows managed to do it this past season in the Central League, and the two clubs that finished at the bottom of the league standings in 2015 are hoping to rise to the top during...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Nov 21, 2015
Keys to success as a foreign ballplayer in Japan
The Hanshin Tigers are apparently going to sign a new foreign player who will be facing one of the most difficult adjustments in the pro baseball world. Japanese sports newspaper reports have indicated the Tigers are talking to Matt Hague, a third baseman with the Toronto Blue Jays organization.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Nov 7, 2015
New Giants skipper Takahashi faces major challenge replacing Hara
Not sure what to think about the Yomiuri Giants choosing Yoshinobu Takahashi as the team's new manager. He is just 40 and did not even get a chance to retire as an active player before being selected to lead the club as its field boss in 2016.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Oct 24, 2015
Taking stock of this season's overachievers, underachievers
Every year when the regular Japanese baseball season is over, it is my task to compile final batting and pitching statistics for two annual publications. While it is often easy to pick out overachievers and underachievers each year as the season moves along, there are always some surprises in the final...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Oct 17, 2015
Pondering managerial replacements for 2016 season
The tenure of most major league managers comes to an end when they are fired. More recently, for example, the transactions column included notice the Washington Nationals fired manager Matt Williams and the Seattle Mariners dismissed manager Lloyd McClendon.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Oct 10, 2015
Fukuda gambling incident not on par with 'Black Mist Scandal'
The Yomiuri Giants did not need a gambling scandal hovering over the team's preparation for the Central League Climax Series, which began Saturday against the Hanshin Tigers. But early this past week that is what they got.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Oct 3, 2015
Robbs reflects on connection to Japan
A recent visitor to Tokyo was old Japan hand and long-time Honolulu sportscaster Don Robbs. The 78-year-old radio voice of the University of Hawaii baseball games and other sports in the islands has been a frequent traveler to this country since he first came here in 1960 as a member of the U.S. Army....
Japan Times
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Sep 19, 2015
Swallows' Yamada conjurs up memories of former BayStars second baseman Rose
Second basemen in professional baseball are not normally known as cleanup and power hitters, and their names are seldom seen among league leaders in the home run and RBI categories.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Sep 5, 2015
Time for NPB to scrap automatic pitcher ejection rule
It is time for Japanese baseball to revoke — or at least amend — the rule on automatic ejection of the pitcher when a batter is hit in the head by a pitch. According to the in-Japan-only regulation, an umpire must toss out of the game any pitcher who throws one into a batter's helmet, intentionally...
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.
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.
Ruling coalition and DPP strike last-minute deal over economic policy
DPP policy chief Makoto Mahaguchi speaks at the party's policy gathering in Tokyo on Wednesday.
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.
Japanese expats in Asia find community through rugby
The Taiwan Fivewoods celebrate their victory at the 2023 Asian Japanese Rugby Cup in December of last year.
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.

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