Baseball

HOUSTON – The Houston Astros fired assistant general manager Brandon Taubman on Thursday for directing inappropriate comments at female reporters during a clubhouse celebration, announcing the decision in the middle of the World Series and putting a renewed spotlight on domestic violence in baseball. Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow apologized […]

HOUSTON – Commissioner Rob Manfred said Major League Baseball will look into a politicized tweet by umpire Rob Drake that referenced a rifle and critics of President Donald Trump. Drake posted this message to Twitter on Tuesday: “I will be buying an AR-15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT […]

The only thing left to do is marvel at the absolute playoff strength of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Simply calling them strong somehow feels inadequate. But the Hawks have rendered the extraordinary so mind-numbingly routine during the last several postseasons, purposeful simplicity is probably the only way to go when […]

HOUSTON – Stephen Strasburg’s time had come. Famously held out of the postseason seven years ago, Strasburg delivered on the biggest stage of all Wednesday night. The right-hander outpitched fellow ace Justin Verlander, overcoming a shaky start to help the Washington Nationals beat the Houston Astros 12-3 for a commanding […]

The end of the NPB season in 2019 looks a lot like it did last year… and in 2017, 2015 and 2014 too. They all finished with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks at the top of Japanese baseball. Yurisbel Gracial hit a three-run home run, veteran pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada was in […]

HOUSTON – Juan Soto and the Washington Nationals quickly derailed the Cole Express. A 20-year-old prodigy with a passion for the big moment, Soto homered onto the train tracks high above the left field wall and hit a two-run double as the Nationals tagged Gerrit Cole and the Houston Astros […]

The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks should be able to taste it now. They’ve dominated this Japan Series through three games and now the big payoff is just around the corner. Alfredo Despaigne drove in three runs, Yurisbel Gracial homered and Rick van den Hurk did his job on the mound as […]

Ever heard the one about the guy who had to walk 5 km, uphill, through a hailstorm just to get to school every day? That’s essentially the tale the Sawamura Award selection committee told everyone Monday by deciding not to give out the award for the first time in 19 […]

The Sawamura Award is an honor given to the top pitcher in Japanese baseball each season. Well, except when it isn’t. For the first time since 2000, and the fifth time since the award was established in 1947, no pitcher was deemed worthy of the honor this season. “This year, […]

FUKUOKA – Nobuhiro Matsuda, the lively and exuberant soul who plays third base for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, is often referred to as the team’s “mood-maker.” You can remember the game is supposed to be fun as Matsuda hops around on one leg in the batter’s box, engages the fans […]