Wayne Graczyk - The Japan Times

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Wayne Graczyk

Wayne Graczyk has written the "Baseball Bullet-In" column in The Japan Times since 1976. A native of New Jersey, he came to Japan in 1969 with the U.S. Air Force and is a 1977 graduate of Tokyo's Sophia University. Wayne was the long-time (1977-2004) sports editor of the Tokyo Weekender newspaper, he covers Yomiuri Giants baseball games for Nippon TV and, since 1976, he has compiled the Japan Pro Baseball Fan Handbook & Media Guide. He is a member of the Tokyo Sportswriters Club and the Foreign Sportswriters Association of Japan. Notice Wayne Graczyk, the baseball columnist for The Japan Times for the past 40 years, passed away at the age of 68 on April 19. His final column was posted on April 8. Readers can continue to access his coverage of Japanese baseball through the online archives.

For Wayne Graczyk's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

May 21, 2016

Late translator Ushigome served with pride, distinction during long career

The Baseball Bullet-In this week would like to remember Tadahiro Ushigome, long-time baseball personality who died in Tokyo last month of a blood disorder at age 79. Although the date of his death was April 9, it was not announced until May 4.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

May 7, 2016

Gomes left Eagles before opportunity to turn season around

"Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye." The title of a 19th century anti-war song.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Apr 23, 2016

Will Swallows become a 'gypsy' team in 2020?

A recent news item indicates Tokyo's Jingu Stadium may be closed from May to October in 2020 because of the Olympic Games. I am not certain why it has to be closed for five months but can understand.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Apr 9, 2016

Appreciating unforgettable career of broadcaster Scully

One sidelight for those living in Japan this season is we will get to see more Los Angeles Dodgers games on TV. NHK and J-Sports will no doubt be televising live the Dodgers games when Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda is the L.A. starter. When the team is at home, and we choose the sub-channel audio for the English play-by-play, we should get to hear Vin Scully in his 67th and final season at the microphone.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Mar 26, 2016

Maeda inquiry illustrates challenge of translating baseball's nuances

Something might have gotten lost in translation after Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda was asked by his manager Dave Roberts to demonstrate his warm-up routine in the team clubhouse. Newspaper articles described Maeda's arm-waving motions as a "dance" but, unless he has added some choreography since leaving the Hiroshima Carp last year, I would not call it that.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Mar 12, 2016

Gambling, drugs, bullets provide cautionary tales for NPB's foreign players

Gambling, drugs, bullets in luggage, gambling again. More current and former players in Japanese baseball are being tagged with the yogisha (crime suspect) label following their names, and team officials are making the deep bows of apology and "There's nothing we can say" speeches. Some have stepped down "to take responsibility" for the actions of their players.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Feb 27, 2016

Exploring quirky history of season schedules

Is a 162-game professional baseball season too long?

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Feb 13, 2016

Kiyohara's troubles concern, sadden former teammates

Much has been written and reported since the Feb. 2 arrest of former Seibu Lions, Yomiuri Giants and Orix Buffaloes superstar slugger Kazuhiro Kiyohara for possession and use of illegal drugs. "It's a shame," "What a waste" and "I can't believe it" are typical words of reaction expressed by ex-teammates of Kiyohara and others from the world of Japanese baseball.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Jan 23, 2016

Interpreters continue to play important role in NPB

If I had known then what I know now, I would have taken Spanish in high school instead of French. It is not that I remember any of the French (I failed the course), but there are very few — if any — professional ballplayers whose native language is Francais. Even a little Español would come in handy today in covering Major League Baseball or foreign players in Nihongo-land.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Jan 9, 2016

Several questions loom as spring camp approaches

We are three weeks from the Feb. 1 opening of the Central and Pacific League ballclubs spring training camps in Shikoku, Okinawa and southern Kyushu—and for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Arizona with the San Diego Padres. Following are some questions to be answered during the 2016 season in Japanese baseball.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Dec 26, 2015

Protecting fans from batted balls presents an ongoing challenge

The recent recommendation by Major League Baseball that its teams expand protective netting between the playing field and stands at the ball parks is a good one. Too many fans have been injured by foul balls and bats flung into the stands, and the wise move is to follow the standard in Japanese stadiums.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Dec 12, 2015

Can upgraded home stadiums give boost to BayStars, Eagles?

Going from worst to first — last place to a pennant — is difficult for any professional baseball team. The Tokyo Yakult Swallows managed to do it this past season in the Central League, and the two clubs that finished at the bottom of the league standings in 2015 are hoping to rise to the top during the coming year.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Nov 21, 2015

Keys to success as a foreign ballplayer in Japan

The Hanshin Tigers are apparently going to sign a new foreign player who will be facing one of the most difficult adjustments in the pro baseball world. Japanese sports newspaper reports have indicated the Tigers are talking to Matt Hague, a third baseman with the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Nov 7, 2015

New Giants skipper Takahashi faces major challenge replacing Hara

Not sure what to think about the Yomiuri Giants choosing Yoshinobu Takahashi as the team's new manager. He is just 40 and did not even get a chance to retire as an active player before being selected to lead the club as its field boss in 2016.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Oct 24, 2015

Taking stock of this season's overachievers, underachievers

Every year when the regular Japanese baseball season is over, it is my task to compile final batting and pitching statistics for two annual publications. While it is often easy to pick out overachievers and underachievers each year as the season moves along, there are always some surprises in the final stats indicating certain players did far better or worse than expected.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Oct 17, 2015

Pondering managerial replacements for 2016 season

The tenure of most major league managers comes to an end when they are fired. More recently, for example, the transactions column included notice the Washington Nationals fired manager Matt Williams and the Seattle Mariners dismissed manager Lloyd McClendon.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Oct 10, 2015

Fukuda gambling incident not on par with 'Black Mist Scandal'

The Yomiuri Giants did not need a gambling scandal hovering over the team's preparation for the Central League Climax Series, which began Saturday against the Hanshin Tigers. But early this past week that is what they got.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Oct 3, 2015

Robbs reflects on connection to Japan

A recent visitor to Tokyo was old Japan hand and long-time Honolulu sportscaster Don Robbs. The 78-year-old radio voice of the University of Hawaii baseball games and other sports in the islands has been a frequent traveler to this country since he first came here in 1960 as a member of the U.S. Army.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Sep 19, 2015

Swallows' Yamada conjurs up memories of former BayStars second baseman Rose

Second basemen in professional baseball are not normally known as cleanup and power hitters, and their names are seldom seen among league leaders in the home run and RBI categories.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Sep 5, 2015

Time for NPB to scrap automatic pitcher ejection rule

It is time for Japanese baseball to revoke — or at least amend — the rule on automatic ejection of the pitcher when a batter is hit in the head by a pitch. According to the in-Japan-only regulation, an umpire must toss out of the game any pitcher who throws one into a batter's helmet, intentionally or not, and regardless of the situation and type of pitch.

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.

Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Students ‘study abroad’ on island of Suo Oshima

Students ‘study abroad’ on island of Suo Oshima

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