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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.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Mar 22, 2016
Gomes expands horizons with Japan move
Yomiuri Giants reliever Tetsuya Yamaguchi, for some reason, thought he could get away with a first-pitch, 128-kph slider over the outside of the plate against Jonny Gomes.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Mar 21, 2016
Fighters catcher Ono works to strengthen bond with pitchers
The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters' trip to Arizona for spring camp may have been for work, but it was also an exciting venture for many members of the team. Nippon Ham hadn't held camp abroad in 29 years, so it was a first for this generation of Fighters.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Mar 20, 2016
Carp newcomer Pridie getting acclimated to NPB life
By coming to Japan and signing with the Hiroshima Carp, Jason Pridie hopes to have found the one thing he's searched for throughout his career: an opportunity.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Mar 14, 2016
Marines' Standridge looks forward to new challenge
The beard adorning Jason Standridge's face gives the Trussville, Alabama, native the look of a grizzled veteran.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Mar 11, 2016
Fighters phenom Otani keeping calm in eye of storm
Shohei Otani might as well be stepping into the swirling winds of a tempest each time he takes the mound for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Mar 7, 2016
Omine could have large role to play for Marines in 2016
There were lotteries held for the rights to three high school pitchers during the 2006 NPB draft.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Mar 5, 2016
Romak adjusting to game in Japan
Surviving the first few days of spring training is the initial step for most first-year foreign players in their adjustment to life in NPB. Japanese clubs don't pull many punches during camp early on, and feature a much heavier workload than teams in MLB and other western leagues.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Feb 29, 2016
Healthy Balentien ready to make up for lost time
Wladimir Balentien laughed his familiar laugh as he held court in the visitor's dugout at Tokyo Dome, making rapid-fire transitions between a number of topics, from the yakiniku he ate in Okinawa, to teammate Tetsuto Yamada or whatever else popped into his head at the time.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Feb 28, 2016
Marines have infield options in Navarro's absence
It’s still uncertain how the situation involving Chiba Lotte Marines infielder Yamaico Navarro will be resolved. Navarro was arrested Feb. 21 after bullets were found in his bag at Naha Airport. He was released by prosecutors on Feb. 23, but that doesn’t necessarily spell the end of the story.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Feb 22, 2016
Marathon bullpen sessions remain question of culture
Nagekomi is a term familiar to most Japanese baseball fans. Even in the normally taxing Japanese baseball spring training menu, nagekomi, used in baseball to refer to marathon bullpen sessions, stands out as one of the most strenuous.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Feb 21, 2016
Swallows' veteran pitcher Ishikawa no automatic out in batter's box
Shohei Otani turned heads with his bat during the first portion of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters' spring camp in Peoria, Arizona. While Otani's pitching is what scouts turn up to see, he's pretty good with a bat and is a capable right fielder to boot.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Feb 17, 2016
Upcoming games give Kokubo chance to fine-tune Samurai Japan approach
In October 2013, Japanese baseball officials, stung by the country's failure to win the World Baseball Classic earlier that year, decided to make some changes and hired Hiroki Kokubo as the manager of the national team.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Feb 8, 2016
Disgraced Kiyohara's situation similar to that of former pitcher Enatsu
Last week, a bat used by Kazuhiro Kiyohara during his high school days was removed from an exhibition celebrating the long and rich history of high school baseball at Koshien Stadium.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / MLB
Feb 4, 2016
Lucchino says MLB not an easy move for Japanese players
Larry Lucchino is very comfortable in Japan and it's no wonder why. Lucchino presided over one of the most successful periods in the history of the Boston Red Sox franchise, as the team's president and CEO from 2002-2015, and many of the Japanese players he helped bring on board played a role during...
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Feb 3, 2016
Easton making foray into Japan
U.S.-based baseball equipment manufacturer Easton, one of the largest baseball brands in America, is making a foray into the Japanese market, the company announced earlier this week. Along with its products, Easton is bringing along some technology it hopes can help shape the future of youth baseball...
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Jan 31, 2016
Fighters head west for spring camp
While most Japanese teams headed south to begin "spring" camp and ride out the final few weeks of winter, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters took a distinctly different track and flew west instead.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Jan 28, 2016
Johnson, Mikolas looking for more success in second seasons in Japan
Kris Johnson and Miles Mikolas passed their first tests in Japan with flying colors. The two pitchers, Johnson, a southpaw who deals for the Hiroshima Carp, and Mikolas, a Yomiuri Giants right-hander, couldn't have made better first impressions during their first seasons in NPB.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jan 23, 2016
Giants hurler Sugano aims for winning season
Tomoyuki Sugano returned to Japan recently after spending several days training in Hawaii. He told reporters at Narita Airport that his workouts yielded great results and allowed that "my condition is the best it's been in three years."
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Jan 17, 2016
Time for fun and games about to end for new Giants skipper Takahashi
New Yomiuri Giants manager Yoshinobu Takahashi was all smiles at the Dome Kickoff party last week. He was introduced to a loud ovation, took part in a light-hearted talk show and got a kick out of seeing his batting form imitated by a couple of former NPB players. Current Giants star Shinnosuke Abe,...
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Jan 15, 2016
Iwaki FC owners aiming for the stars with new club
Dome Corporation president Shuichi Yasuda has the vision, Satoshi Okura the know-how and former Dutch international and Rangers player Pieter Huistra the experience. The goal now is to combine their respective talents as they embark on the task of building a professional soccer club from scratch.

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