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 Jason Coskrey

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Jason Coskrey
Jason Coskrey is a sports writer for The Japan Times. His primary focus is Japanese baseball, but he has also covered soccer, American football, boxing and basketball. He previously worked for the Marietta Daily Journal in Marietta, Ga. A native of Detroit, he is a graduate of the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Aug 19, 2018
Tokyo Yakult Swallows slugger Wladimir Balentien stays ahead of curve at plate
Every time Wladimir Balentien hits a home run, and he's hit quite a few since joining the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in 2011, he has to go back to the drawing board and recalibrate his approach.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Aug 13, 2018
Nakamura's vintage run just what Lions need
For Takeya Nakamura and the Seibu Lions, the past week and half was just like old times, with the Lions' lineup doing damage and the burly slugger's bat roaring the loudest.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Aug 9, 2018
Eagles' Japhet Amador banned six months for doping
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles infielder Japhet Amador has been suspended for six months after testing positive for banned substances, Nippon Professional Baseball announced Thursday afternoon.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Aug 6, 2018
Koshien officials need to be mindful of heat
The temperature in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, got as high as 34 degrees Celsius (93 Fahrenheit) on Sunday, the opening day of this year's edition of Summer Koshien. According to AccuWeather RealFeel, which measures in things such as humidity, cloud cover, intensity of the sun and other factors, it...
BASEBALL
Aug 3, 2018
'Handkerchief Prince' is a quintessential Koshien tale
Yuki Saito, as a high school senior pitching for Waseda Jitsugyo, may have become the most famous athlete in Japan during Summer Koshien in 2006.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Jul 30, 2018
All-around talents Tetsuto Yamada, Yuki Yangita deserving of spotlight
Three seasons ago, a Triple 3 campaign was treated as something of a phenomenon. The feat — finishing a season with at least a .300 average, 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases — had been accomplished before Tetsuto Yamada and Yuki Yanagita both did it in 2015, but that last time had been in 2002, by...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jul 27, 2018
Giants hurler Shun Yamaguchi notches no-hitter against Dragons
Shun Yamaguchi grabbed the brim of his cap and looked downward as if caught up in the moment and trying to fight back tears on the hero interview stage. Then, just as the crowd began to react, the jig was up. He ripped off his cap and exclaimed "I'm not crying!"
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Jul 23, 2018
Slugger Guerrero remains in limbo on Yomiuri's farm team
Sometimes the fake grass isn't always greener in the other dome.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Jul 19, 2018
NPB getting on board with boom in esports
Nippon Professional Baseball is ready to take a swing at esports.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Jul 16, 2018
Bringing back Daisuke Matsuzaka could make sense for Dragons
If there's anything to be learned from the first half of the 2018 baseball season it's that a lot of people still can't get enough of Daisuke Matsuzaka.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jul 13, 2018
Regular routine keeps Carp reliever Jay Jackson in groove
Jay Jackson likes being a relief pitcher. He also likes being a relief pitcher in Japan, which is convenient, since the 30-year-old is in the middle of his third season with the Hiroshima Carp.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jul 10, 2018
Naoyuki Uwasawa, Fighters maintain mastery over Hawks
When Naoyuki Uwasawa wasn't on the mound doing his part to hold down the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters starter was busy standing up to celebrate another big hit by one of teammates.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jul 10, 2018
Fighters outfielder Taishi Ota receives fan vote for All-Star Series, but out with hand injury
Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters outfielder Taishi Ota was announced as the Pacific League winner of the All-Star Series' plus one fan vote a little after 4 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, making him a first-time All-Star.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Jul 9, 2018
Tigers should consider trading pitcher Shintaro Fujinami
The Hanshin Tigers should trade pitcher Shintaro Fujinami.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jul 6, 2018
Giants' Tomoyuki Sugano makes complete turnaround against Carp
Tomoyuki Sugano had a week to stew over his poor performance in his last game against the Hiroshima Carp.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Jul 6, 2018
Warren Cromartie featured in new series on YouTube
Warren Cromartie was a star for the Montreal Expos and a league MVP and Japan Series champion (both in 1989) with the Yomiuri Giants.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jul 5, 2018
BayStars' Shota Imanaga works out of first-inning jam, earns first victory since June 10
Yokohama BayStars manager Alex Ramirez has been asking to see pitcher Shota Imanaga's fighting spirit all season. Once he saw the left-hander escape an early bases-loaded jam against the Yomiuri Giants on Thursday night, he felt like he was going to get his wish.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jun 22, 2018
Giants sluggers provide big spark in series-opening victory over Swallows
Hisayoshi Chono and Casey McGehee put the Yomiuri Giants in position for a win over their crosstown rivals.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / Sac Bunts
Jun 18, 2018
Marines pitcher Mike Bolsinger gets NPB career off to roaring start
Early on during Mike Bolsinger's latest start for the Chiba Lotte Marines, catcher Tatsuhiro Tamura noticed his pitcher shaking his head a little every now and then and didn't quite know what to make of it.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jun 16, 2018
Marines' Mike Bolsinger earns complete-game victory over Giants
Takashi Ogino legged out the double and Shogo Nakamura drove in the run.

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.