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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...
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...
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...
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Jan 10, 2016

New Hall of Famers Griffey Jr., Piazza familiar to Japanese fans

Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza were elected to the United States' National Baseball Hall of Fame last week to much fanfare. While both players spent the entirety of their Hall of Fame careers in North America, neither star is a stranger to Japanese baseball fans.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Dec 30, 2015

Fortuitous move to bullpen led Barnette to majors

The last game pitcher Tony Barnette ever started for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows came against the Chunichi Dragons on March 8, 2011, during spring training. Barnette had already had one life-altering moment that spring — he'd proposed to now-wife Hillary before leaving Arizona for Japan — and, though...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Dec 25, 2015

What happens when professional baseballers get fired; CM of the week: Reebok

For every professional athlete who makes a long career out of his or her pastime, there are probably another 10 whose moment in the spotlight is painfully brief. That is the concept behind the occasional documentary series "Puro Yakyu Senryokugai Tsukoku Kubi wo Senkoku Sareta Otokotachi" ("Men Given...
Japan Times
BASEBALL
Nov 18, 2015

South Korea ready to face Japan in semifinals of Premier 12

The South Korean national team was completely overpowered by Japanese fireballer Shohei Otani in the opening game of the Premier 12 in Sapporo on Nov. 8.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Oct 15, 2015

Time for NPB to rethink senseless playoff format

Where else but Japanese baseball can a team lose Game 1 of a playoff series and show up at the ballpark the next day down 0-2?
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.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jul 16, 2015

Samurai Japan announces provisional roster for Premier 12

Skipper Hiroki Kokubo announced the Samurai Japan national baseball team's first provisional roster for November's inaugural WBSC Premier 12 on Thursday afternoon.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / MLB
Jun 9, 2015

Time for hitters to do the shifting against defenses

It took teams close to 100 years to make the drastic defensive shifts we see now. And it's evident every day the effect they're having on offensive performance.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / MLB / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
May 5, 2015

Ichiro stays ready as he learns National League game

It is pregame batting practice and new Miami Marlin Ichiro Suzuki is frolicking about the outfield pasture like a frisky colt.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
May 2, 2015

Nippon Ham's Yoshikawa off to resurgent start

When Yu Darvish left for the major leagues after the 2011 season, the prevailing thought was the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters' pitching staff would be a rudderless ship.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 4, 2015

Trio of homers lauched Hanshin to title

As part of the celebration commemorating the 80 years of the Hanshin Tigers franchise, the ballclub will later this month remember the 30th anniversary of one of the most exciting moments in Japanese baseball home run history.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Feb 28, 2015

Flood of retired numbers can lessen significance

You probably saw the article last week with the news the New York Yankees will retire the uniform numbers of former players Andy Pettitte (46), Jorge Posada (20) and Bernie Williams (51). That brings to 20 the total of retired numbers by the Yanks, and Derek Jeter's No. 2 will follow and that means no...
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Feb 14, 2015

Carp catcher Aizawa expected to have bigger role this season

Keep your eye this coming season in Japanese baseball on catcher Tsubasa Aizawa of the Hiroshima Carp. The 27-year-old, eight-year veteran appears ready to take over as the first-string catcher on a team poised to challenge for the Central League pennant under new manager Koichi Ogata.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Jan 31, 2015

Ichiro's move to Marlins can generate results for both

Ichiro Suzuki's introductory news conference with the Miami Marlins was held at a Tokyo hotel on Thursday, in a large room filled with media members — no fewer than 20 television crews, dozens more photographers and even more writers. There was an MC on hand to push the proceedings forward, and the...
Japan Times
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jan 17, 2015

Five key questions as 2015 NPB season approaches

With just two weeks to go until spring training camps open for the 12 Japanese pro baseball teams, here are five things to look for during the 2015 season:
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Dec 20, 2014

Little sizzle found during NPB winter

Where will Chihiro Kaneko and Takashi Toritani be playing next season?
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Dec 3, 2014

Kick out the touts who rule Roppongi

if you are touted in Roppongi, do not waste your time reporting it to the police. You will be in for a very humiliating experience, as I discovered recently.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / MLB
Nov 15, 2014

MLB, Under Armour announce tie-up

It remains to be seen if MLB leaves Japan with a victory on the field, but the league feels like it's hit a home run on the business side of things.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
May 13, 2014

Macmanaman step up to bat for the live show

"Instrumental post-rock" is probably the worst way to introduce a band, and by this point 90 percent of this article's readers will have probably fled to the sports section.

Longform

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