Anyone wondering if Tsuyoshi Shinjo would tone down his incandescent personality at the start of the NPB season had the question answered before the first pitch. The new Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters manager made an entrance on opening day that was more WrestleMania than pro baseball. Whether or not NPB […]
Temps de lecture : 2 Minutes
Eagles use reinstated extra innings to beat Marines
Sendai – The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles won Japan’s first extra-inning regular-season game in two years Sunday when Kazuki Tanaka’s routine fly fell for an 11th-inning RBI double to clinch a 6-5 Pacific League win over the Chiba Lotte Marines. For the first time since the start of the coronavirus […]
Temps de lecture : 3 Minutes
Shohei Ohtani to pitch for Angels on Opening Day
Tempe, Arizona – The Los Angeles Angels named two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani as their Opening Day starting pitcher on Friday, adding another accolade to the reigning American League MVP’s resume. The 27-year-old became the seventh Japanese pitcher to be appointed Opening Day starter by a major league team, following in […]
Temps de lecture : 3 Minutes
Central League pitchers get into swing of things at plate
While baseball fans may have seen the last of pitchers not named Shohei Ohtani batting in MLB, Central League hurlers are still stepping into the batter’s box in Japan — and they looked pretty good on Saturday. The CL became one of the last pro leagues where pitchers still bat […]
Temps de lecture : 6 Minutes
Giants get off to winning start with victory over Dragons
There is nothing like a good first impression. Just ask new Yomiuri Giants Gregory Polanco and Taisei Ota, who both stood on the hero interview podium soaking up the adulation of over 38,000 fans after kicking off the new NPB season in style. Polanco had three hits, including a tiebreaking […]
Temps de lecture : 6 Minutes
Six players to watch in the 2022 Pacific League
The pennant races are set to begin anew as NPB prepares to kick off another season. As Japan’s 12 clubs prepare to chase the pennant, here are six players from the Pacific League to keep an eye on. Daiki Tajima (Orix Buffaloes) Tajima did not garner as much attention as […]
Temps de lecture : 12 Minutes
Pacific League set for wide-open pennant race in 2022
The Orix BlueWave finished ahead of the Chiba Lotte Marines in the Pacific League in 1995 before losing to the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the Japan Series. The BlueWave won the PL again in 1996 and then finished the job against the Yomiuri Giants in the Japan Series. The Orix […]
Temps de lecture : 2 Minutes
Angels skipper Joe Maddon thrilled by reports of new ‘Ohtani Rule’
Tempe, Arizona – Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon welcomed reports Tuesday that Major League Baseball has agreed to let two-way stars like Shohei Ohtani stay in the batting order as the designated hitter after they leave the mound. “I think it’s probably true. It’s wonderful news for us,” Maddon […]
Temps de lecture : 8 Minutes
Six players to watch in the 2022 Central League
The pennant races are set to begin anew as NPB prepares to kick off another season. As Japan’s 12 clubs prepare to chase the pennant, here are six players from the Central League to keep an eye on. Yasutaka Shiomi (Tokyo Yakult Swallows) Shiomi is one of NPB’s most exciting […]
Temps de lecture : 13 Minutes
Central League clubs enter 2022 in race to catch Swallows
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows not only made a surprise run to the Central League pennant last season, the team capped off the year by beating the Orix Buffaloes in a wildly entertaining Japan Series to become the first CL team since 2012 to take the crown. Yakult’s long climb from […]