Baseball

The biggest question stemming from the Yomiuri Giants’ decision to post pitcher Shun Yamaguchi to MLB is not how Yamaguchi might fare in the majors. It’s when will Tomoyuki Sugano get there? After years ago solidifying their resistance to the posting system on the back of denials to pitcher Koji […]

NEW YORK – Derek Jeter is among 18 newcomers on the 2020 Hall of Fame ballot. He is likely to be an overwhelming choice to join former New York Yankees teammate Mariano Rivera in Cooperstown after the reliever last year became the first unanimous pick by the Baseball Writers’ Association […]

Samurai Japan finished its Premier12 campaign in successful fashion on Sunday night with a 5-3 victory over South Korea in the gold medal game at Tokyo Dome. While it was an accomplishment by itself, the feat was an appetizer en route to the ultimate goal of winning it all at […]

Yomiuri Giants right-hander Shun Yamaguchi, who won 15 games this season, intends to move to the major leagues, a source with knowledge of the matter said Sunday night. To do so, the 32-year-old pitcher will need the Giants to either release or post him. If the Giants post him, it […]

Shun Yamaguchi, who led the Central League in wins, strikeouts and winning percentage this season, intends to move to the major leagues through the posting system, the Yomiuri Giants right-hander said Monday. By receiving the nod of approval from the Tokyo-based CL club, the 32-year-old pitcher becomes the first Giants […]

Four years ago, the Samurai Japan bullpen fell apart in a loss against South Korea in the Premier12 semifinals at Tokyo Dome. This time, with the title hanging in the balance, Japan’s relievers got to taste both sweet revenge and the championship. Tetsuto Yamada gave Japan the lead with a […]

Mexico made history on Sunday, punching its first-ever Olympic ticket with a 3-2 win over the United States in the bronze-medal game of the Premier12. The win could not have occurred without the late-game heroics of Matt Clark and Efren Navarro, who have previously competed for NPB teams. “I still […]

If one day Efren Navarro’s bat from the bronze medal game of the 2019 Premier12 ends up in a hall of fame somewhere, it won’t get there in one piece. Not that it’ll matter in the least to Mexican baseball fans. Navarro and his shattered bat are going down in […]

Samurai Japan did just enough against rival South Korea during what amounted to an entertaining dress rehearsal for the Premier12 final. Now the Japanese will head into the gold-medal game hoping practice makes perfect. Japan scored six runs in the third inning then had to overcome several rallies by the […]

South Korea didn’t just book a spot in the Premier12 final with its win over Mexico on Friday night. The South Koreans also booked a return trip to Japan for next year’s Tokyo Olympics. South Korea responded to a sudden two-run deficit by exploding for seven runs in the fifth […]