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Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
May 12, 2014

Eldred's bat on fire early for surprising CL-leading Carp

After years of futility and sub-.500 finishes, it's possible the Hiroshima Carp, still in first place despite Sunday's 9-5 loss to the Chunichi Dragons, are actually for real this season.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Apr 19, 2014

The media get ready for open season on Tanaka

"In the Spring," wrote Alfred, Lord Tennyson in his famous poem "Locksley Hall," "a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love."
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 5, 2014

Umeno has chance to make presence felt

One of the more interesting young players in Japanese baseball this season and in years to come should be Hanshin Tigers rookie catcher Ryutaro Umeno. The 24-year-old native of Fukuoka Prefecture was Hanshin's No. 4 choice in the autumn 2013 amateur draft but got some playing time during last month's...
Japan Times
BASEBALL
Dec 28, 2013

The Batting Stance Guy waxes poetic on Youkilis, NPB

Kevin Youkilis' batting stance is, shall we say, a little different than most.
Japan Times
BASEBALL
Dec 16, 2013

Oka looking to rein in knuckleball

The last few years have seen a small group of pitchers trying to master the knuckleball in an attempt to revive or extend their careers.
Japan Times
MORE SPORTS
Dec 11, 2013

Koshien Bowl enjoys long, rich history

Located on the outskirts of Osaka with a unique ambience, Koshien Stadium is the symbolic sports icon in Japan.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Nov 30, 2013

Expect greater influx of Latinos in NPB

Fan Dayan Viera was born in Cuba and currently lives in Miami, Florida. He emailed to say, "As a Cuban, I wonder if Japanese teams will be taking advantage of the new policy change where Cuban players are going to be allowed to play in foreign leagues without needing to defect from Cuba."
Japan Times
BASEBALL / HIT AND RUN
Oct 7, 2013

Time ripe for NPB to alter makeup game format

The Orix Buffaloes will be on the field when the Pacific League Climax Series begins on Oct. 12.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 14, 2013

Swallows snap losing streak in wild encounter with Tigers

A prized rookie pitcher went head-to-head with a slugger on a historical pace before a fight broke out and before and a player dove across home plate to successfully execute a suicide squeeze.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Aug 31, 2013

Injuries affecting competition for batting, homer titles

As the 2013 Japan pro baseball season enters its final month, recent injuries to the leading hitter in the Central League batting race and the Pacific League's top home run hitter have thrown wide open the competition for those titles.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Aug 24, 2013

A look back at when Tokyo was awarded 1964 Olympics

It's been more than 50 years since Tokyo was awarded the 1964 Summer Olympics, and it was done before several landmark events that shaped the second half of the 20th century.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Jul 22, 2013

Otani's presence hard to ignore during NPB All-Star Series

If this year's NPB All-Star Series was about anything, it was about Shohei Otani.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jun 16, 2013

Former Hiroshima star Hopkins now an orthopedic surgeon

Gail Hopkins, the first baseman on the 1975 Hiroshima Carp Central League championship team, returned to Japan last month for some business and reminiscing about his days with the team.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
May 16, 2013

Kawabuchi reflects on two decades of J. League action

Saburo Kawabuchi, the J. League's first chairman, looks back at the history of the league he helped create 20 years ago.
Japan Times
BASKETBALL / HOOP SCOOP
May 8, 2013

Cartwright gives parting thoughts on experience in Japan

Head coach Bill Cartwright returned the Osaka Evessa to respectability after a remarkable plunge in the season's first four months.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Apr 30, 2013

People's award: glittering honor or political tool?

The People's Honor Award, bestowed on those who have made tremendous achievements in their careers, has often drawn criticism for its vague nomination criteria and opaque selection process.
SPORTS / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Apr 24, 2013

Remembering Jackie and lessons learned

One cool thing about being an old coot like MAS is that when Hollywood cranks out a historic docudrama, you often remember experiencing the event portrayed first-hand.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Apr 9, 2013

Ramirez possibly top foreign-born player ever in NPB

Alex Ramirez thanked God before he reached first base. He continued along and touched the other bags as a light, constant rain fell on Jingu Stadium and the sparse crowd — 11,069 to be exact, though Ramirez would later say the place felt packed — that braved the promise of a Saturday downpour and...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Apr 7, 2013

Fate of Seibu Lions uncertain with talk of possible sale

Will the Saitama Seibu Lions be sold?
Japan Times
BASEBALL / WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
Mar 21, 2013

Dominicans overcome by emotion after WBC victory

Fernando Rodney bounded around on a hastily assembled stage with a fresh World Baseball Classic winner's medal and a plantain that was more than a few days past its expiration date both dangling around his neck.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Mar 17, 2013

Speeding up long, slow games should be a priority

The March 7 decision by Japanese baseball's executive committee to drop the 3½-hour time limit on extra-inning games came as welcome news. We have observed the second anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, the subsequent tsunami and nuclear power plant problems that led to...
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Feb 10, 2013

Murakami ideal man for new U.N. goodwill ambassador role

Kudos to Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese player in the major leagues, on his recent appointment as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. "Mashi" is highly qualified to take the leadership role in supporting charities and, having been acquainted with him for...
BASEBALL / MAN ABOUT SPORTS
Jan 16, 2013

Plenty to keep the hot stove cooking

Back when all the MLB teams could be found east of the Mississippi River and north of Virginia, baseball junkies used to get their offseason fixes by sitting around yakking about downtime big league happenings — recent trades, news items, gossip and the like.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Nov 18, 2012

Miyamoto dedicated 2,000th hit to late friend, mentor Higuchi

Three Japanese players joined the Meikyukai (Golden Players Club) during the 2012 season by reaching the career 2,000-hit mark. Tokyo Yakult Swallows infielder Shinya Miyamoto, Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters veteran Atsunori Inaba and Fukuoka Softbank Hawks retiring slugger Hiroki Kokubo are the newest...
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Nov 1, 2012

Former boxer Sugiya not interested in watching son, Fighters at ballpark

Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters youngster Kenshi Sugiya and his father, Mitsuru, are a unique father-son tandem. Both of them have been professional athletes.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 13, 2012

This ain't no cure for the summertime blues

How are you looking vacationwise? Do you have a chunk of time set aside for genuine relaxation and that most wonderful of Western concepts: Fun? Personally speaking, it's nearly impossible for me to enjoy summertime, as the season is fraught with traumatic memories. The reason for this boils down to...

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