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	<title>The Japan Times &#187; Wayne Graczyk</title>
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	<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp</link>
	<description>News on Japan, Business News, Opinion, Sports, Entertainment and More</description>
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		<title>Many stories behind names for foreign players in Japan</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/03/03/general/many-stories-behind-names-for-foreign-players-in-japan/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=many-stories-behind-names-for-foreign-players-in-japan</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/03/03/general/many-stories-behind-names-for-foreign-players-in-japan/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 02 Mar 2013 15:40:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wayne Graczyk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Foreign Players]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[names]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[While Japan and the rest of the baseball universe are deep in the World Baseball Classic fever, the conventional major league and Japanese teams are going about their business getting ready for their respective April 1 and March 29 opening days. In the U.S., &#8220;QJ&#8221; is getting in shape for his first year with the [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Power-hitting catchers still in short supply in Japan</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/02/24/baseball/power-hitting-catchers-still-in-short-supply-in-japan/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=power-hitting-catchers-still-in-short-supply-in-japan</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/02/24/baseball/power-hitting-catchers-still-in-short-supply-in-japan/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 23 Feb 2013 15:10:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wayne Graczyk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[catchers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japanese baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kevin Moscatel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=sports&#038;p=171846</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Recall our column from last summer pointing out how there are very few catchers in Japanese baseball who can hit? One of the suggestions I made to hopefully improve the situation was for the Japanese teams to see if they can find a halfway decent foreign catcher somewhere in the North American minor leagues who [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Upcoming WBC sparks excitment for Japanese baseball enthusiasts</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/02/17/baseball/upcoming-wbc-sparks-excitment-for-japanese-baseball-enthusiasts/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=upcoming-wbc-sparks-excitment-for-japanese-baseball-enthusiasts</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/02/17/baseball/upcoming-wbc-sparks-excitment-for-japanese-baseball-enthusiasts/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 16 Feb 2013 15:08:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wayne Graczyk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Samurai Japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Baseball Classic]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=sports&#038;p=159233</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s time once again to gear up for the World Baseball Classic. The Samurai Japan team was to play its first WBC tuneup game on Sunday against the Hiroshima Carp at Sun Marine Stadium in Miyazaki. This will be followed by another warmup against the Seibu Lions on Feb. 18, also at Sun Marine. Then [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Murakami ideal man for new U.N. goodwill ambassador role</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/02/10/baseball/japanese-baseball/murakami-ideal-man-for-new-u-n-goodwill-ambassador-role/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=murakami-ideal-man-for-new-u-n-goodwill-ambassador-role</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/02/10/baseball/japanese-baseball/murakami-ideal-man-for-new-u-n-goodwill-ambassador-role/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Feb 2013 15:04:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wayne Graczyk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Masanori Murakami]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NPB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[San Francisco Giants]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=sports&#038;p=138999</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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. &#8220;Mashi&#8221; is highly qualified to take the leadership role in supporting charities and, having been acquainted with him for a quarter of a century, I know he [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Eagles facing big challenges in bid to make playoffs</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/02/03/baseball/japanese-baseball/eagles-facing-big-challenges-in-bid-to-make-playoffs/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=eagles-facing-big-challenges-in-bid-to-make-playoffs</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/02/03/baseball/japanese-baseball/eagles-facing-big-challenges-in-bid-to-make-playoffs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 02 Feb 2013 15:41:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wayne Graczyk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rakuten eagles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=sports&#038;p=123743</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Will this be the season the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles make it to the Pacific League Climax Series for the second time in their nine years of existence? Hardline disciplinarian manager Senichi Hoshino got the team bumped up a notch in 2012, moving from fifth place to fourth and missing the playoff qualification line by [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/02/03/baseball/japanese-baseball/eagles-facing-big-challenges-in-bid-to-make-playoffs/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Farewell games in Japan usually teary affairs</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/01/27/baseball/farewell-games-in-japan-usually-teary-affairs/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=farewell-games-in-japan-usually-teary-affairs</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/01/27/baseball/farewell-games-in-japan-usually-teary-affairs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 26 Jan 2013 15:43:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wayne Graczyk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Hideki Matsui]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New York Yankees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yomiuri Giants]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=sports&#038;p=101501</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There was a news item saying the New York Yankees were considering signing Hideki Matsui to a one-day contract so he can officially retire as a major leaguer with that club. The Jan. 10 Kyodo report quoted Yankees team co-owner Hal Steinbrenner as saying the team might also invite Matsui &#8220;to throw out the first [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/01/27/baseball/farewell-games-in-japan-usually-teary-affairs/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tigers aim for return to respectability after two woeful seasons</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/01/20/baseball/tigers-aim-for-return-to-respectability-after-two-woeful-seasons/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=tigers-aim-for-return-to-respectability-after-two-woeful-seasons</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/01/20/baseball/tigers-aim-for-return-to-respectability-after-two-woeful-seasons/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Jan 2013 16:13:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wayne Graczyk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Hanshin Tigers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aws.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=sports&#038;p=62263</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The 2013 season will surely be a pivotal one for the Hanshin Tigers and their fans as the team attempts to halt a downward slide that has seen the club finish in the Central League&#8217;s second division the past two seasons. Hanshin dropped from fourth place in 2011 to fifth last year. A series of [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/01/20/baseball/tigers-aim-for-return-to-respectability-after-two-woeful-seasons/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Anniversaries abound around NPB</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/01/13/baseball/anniversaries-abound-around-npb/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=anniversaries-abound-around-npb</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/01/13/baseball/anniversaries-abound-around-npb/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 13 Jan 2013 00:01:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wayne Graczyk</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://aws.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/01/13/%sports_category%/anniversaries-abound-around-npb/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The year 2013 will mark a season of notable anniversaries for Japanese baseball franchises and ballparks. It is Japanese year Heisei 25, the 25th anniversary for Tokyo Dome, Japan&#8217;s first indoor stadium, and the 20th for Fukuoka Yahoo Japan Dome, the country&#8217;s first-and still the only-retractable roof facility for baseball. I can recall a time [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/01/13/baseball/anniversaries-abound-around-npb/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Matsui&#8217;s stellar career, easy charm won admirers on, off baseball diamond</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/01/06/baseball/matsuis-stellar-career-easy-charm-won-admirers-on-off-baseball-diamond/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=matsuis-stellar-career-easy-charm-won-admirers-on-off-baseball-diamond</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/01/06/baseball/matsuis-stellar-career-easy-charm-won-admirers-on-off-baseball-diamond/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 Jan 2013 00:00:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wayne Graczyk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Hideki Matsui]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New York Yankees]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/01/06/%sports_category%/matsuis-stellar-career-easy-charm-won-admirers-on-off-baseball-diamond/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Happy New Year and welcome to 2013. One of the bigger stories to close out the 2012 baseball news year was the retirement of former Yomiuri Giants and New York Yankees slugger Hideki Matsui at the age of 38. The Dec. 28 announcement ended the career of one of the more memorable players in Japanese [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/01/06/baseball/matsuis-stellar-career-easy-charm-won-admirers-on-off-baseball-diamond/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Popular slugger Ramirez, family opening Latin-style cafe in Tokyo</title>
		<link>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2012/12/23/baseball/popular-slugger-ramirez-family-opening-latin-style-cafe-in-tokyo/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=popular-slugger-ramirez-family-opening-latin-style-cafe-in-tokyo</link>
		<comments>http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2012/12/23/baseball/popular-slugger-ramirez-family-opening-latin-style-cafe-in-tokyo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Dec 2012 00:00:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Wayne Graczyk</dc:creator>
		
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://awsadmin.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2012/12/23/%sports_category%/popular-slugger-ramirez-family-opening-latin-style-cafe-in-tokyo/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Most foreigners who come to Japan to play baseball do just that &#8212; and only that. Whether a career lasts a few games or several years, the guys go back to their home country to continue playing ball, stay in the game as coaches or managers or find another job outside the game. A few, [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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