Side-arm closer Shingo Takatsu and seemingly ageless lefty Masahiro Yamamoto were announced as the newest members of the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame on Friday. Takatsu was named on 311 ballots cast by 10-year veterans of Japan’s baseball media voting on candidates in the hall’s players division. Yamamoto was named […]
Shohei Ohtani picks up another honor after magazine names him ‘Athlete of the Year’
LOS ANGELES – Tributes continued to pour in for Shohei Ohtani on Thursday, when American website Sporting News named the Los Angeles Angels two-way star its “Athlete of the Year.” Ohtani hit 46 home runs while being one of Major League Baseball’s better pitchers. The honor comes after the Associated […]
Mariners’ hot corner staple Kyle Seager retires after 11 seasons
Free agent third baseman Kyle Seager announced his retirement Wednesday after 11 seasons with the Seattle Mariners. Seager, who turned 34 in November, set career highs with 35 home runs and 101 RBIs during the Mariners’ 90-win season in 2021. “Today I’m announcing my retirement from Major League Baseball. Thank […]
Hawks’ Yuki Yanagita becomes highest-paid position player in NPB history
Fukuoka – Fukuoka Softbank Hawks outfielder Yuki Yanagita agreed to a ¥620 million ($5.46 million) annual salary for the 2022 season on Friday, which will make him the highest-paid position player in NPB history. Yanagita, who banked ¥610 million last season to equal the record held by outfielder Hideki Matsui, […]
Rising stars Munetaka Murakami and Yoshinobu Yamamoto named MVPs of 2021 NPB season
Munetaka Murakami and Yoshinobu Yamamoto already had a few things in common before the NPB Awards. Both are rising stars who helped Japan win a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in the summer and led their teams — the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and Orix Buffaloes — to their respective […]
Ohtani and ‘Field of Dreams’ game a hit for MLB, but lockout sours 2021
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani delivered a season for the ages, while the ‘Field of Dreams’ game staged in the middle of a cornfield reaped huge ratings, but Major League Baseball ended the year on a sour note with a work stoppage that could alienate fans. In Ohtani’s first full MLB season […]
Ichiro Suzuki surprises at Daisuke Matsuzaka’s retirement ceremony
Tokorozawa, Saitama Pref. – Recently retired pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka bid farewell in a speech Saturday at the Seibu Lions’ fan appreciation day event, where Ichiro Suzuki surprised him and presented his former opponent and Japan teammate with a bouquet of flowers. A household name in Japan since high school thanks […]
MLB trades barbs with union amid prospect lockout could endanger start of 2022 season
New York – Major League Baseball’s first work stoppage since a strike wiped out the 1994 World Series could drag on long enough to jeopardize the start of the 2022 season. On the day team owners locked out players upon the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement, no talks were […]
Seiya Suzuki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto highlight Golden Glove winners
MLB hopeful Seiya Suzuki was honored for his defensive skills once again in the Central League, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Yuma Mune ended the Orix Buffaloes’ drought in the Pacific League as this year’s Mitsui Golden Glove Award winners were announced on Thursday afternoon. This is the 50th edition of […]
Padres sign former Hanshin closer Suarez to one-year deal
Los Angeles – The San Diego Padres have signed two-time Central League saves leader Robert Suarez to a one-year contract with a player option for the 2023 season, the club said Wednesday. The 30-year-old right-handed pitcher spent 2021 with the Hanshin Tigers in NPB. He led the CL in saves […]