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

Oct 18, 2014

Cuban players experienced mixed success this season

The first season of the so-called "Cuban invasion" into Japanese baseball has ended with mixed results and the uncertainty as to whether it will continue in 2015 or was a one-time fad that will fade quickly. Eight Cuban-born players were signed to contracts in Japan in 2014, and their performances ranged from excellent to downright pathetic.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Oct 4, 2014

Issues with weight followed 'Dokaben' Kagawa

Sad news came last week with the death of Nobuyuki "Dokaben" Kagawa, the roly-poly rotund catcher of the 1980s Nankai Hawks. He died of an apparent heart attack on Sept. 26 in Fukuoka at the age of 52.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Sep 20, 2014

MVP awards up for grabs in both leagues

Who do you think should be selected as MVPs in the Central and Pacific Leagues this season? There does not appear to be any clear-cut favorite in either league. Ask any Japanese media person or beat writer at the bal park, and they think about it for a moment and answer with a puzzled expression, saying, "Muzukashii, ne?" (It is difficult, isn't it?)

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Sep 6, 2014

O'Malley, Ramirez are worth a look as skippers

Now in the final month of the 2014 Japanese baseball regular season, the "A-Class" teams in the Central and Pacific leagues look forward to October's Climax Series of playoffs, while the three also-rans in both divisions begin thinking about next year.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Aug 16, 2014

Skipper Nakahata building new identity with BayStars

Three years ago, it might have been difficult to identify Kiyoshi Nakahata with a Japanese professional baseball team other than the Yomiuri Giants. He played his entire career with the Kyojin, served as a coach with the team after his playing days were finished and stayed in the family as a commentator on telecasts of Giants games on the affiliated Nippon Television (NTV).

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Aug 2, 2014

Hair-raising trend sweeps across NPB diamonds

The year 2013 turned out to be the "Year of the Beard" for the Boston Red Sox. They won the World Series with most of the regular players sporting thick, full facial bushy growths that became somewhat of a team trademark.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Jul 19, 2014

DiMuro has witnessed umpire challenges, changes over the years

Back in 1972, in the early years of NFL's "Monday Night Football" on ABC, the broadcasting trio of Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell and "Dandy" Don Meredith were calling the gridiron action. A play occurred whereby, because of a rule change, the result was substantially different than what it would have been a year earlier.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Jul 5, 2014

Infield replacements making presence felt

Friday marked the 75th anniversary of Lou Gehrig's "Luckiest Man" speech delivered at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939. Strange that one so sick at the age of 37 is known as a baseball iron man who played while healthy in 2,130 consecutive games, and that streak began when Gehrig was inserted in the New York lineup on June 2, 1925, because the Yanks' regular first baseman was not feeling well.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Jun 14, 2014

Proposed NPB expansion appears unlikely

The office of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a suggestion on May 22 that Japanese professional baseball should expand from its current 12 teams to 16. Prospective locations for four new franchises were listed, and the idea would be to help further economic growth in some of the more rural areas of the country. However, can a 33.3 percent expansion be successful — or would it be a disaster?

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

May 31, 2014

Events of 10 years ago still reverberate today

Ten years ago this month, Japanese baseball went into its deepest and most memorable crisis. In case you were not in Japan then — or have forgotten — here is a brief review of what happened.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

May 17, 2014

Foreign fans revel in ballpark fun

A beat writer for one of the Japanese papers called the other day and said, "I am seeing a lot of foreign fans at Japanese baseball games recently. What's going on?"

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

May 3, 2014

'Reverse DH' adds intrigue to interleague play

The 10th season of interleague play in Japanese pro baseball begins in two weeks with a new twist. For the first time, a "reverse designated hitter" rule will be in place. Instead of the DH being used in games where the Pacific League club is the home team, it will be in effect in Central League parks.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Apr 19, 2014

Carp roster built to contend for title in 2014

There is excitement in Hiroshima where the Carp are off to a nice start in the Central League pennant race.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Apr 5, 2014

Umeno has chance to make presence felt

One of the more interesting young players in Japanese baseball this season and in years to come should be Hanshin Tigers rookie catcher Ryutaro Umeno. The 24-year-old native of Fukuoka Prefecture was Hanshin's No. 4 choice in the autumn 2013 amateur draft but got some playing time during last month's exhibition season and made the Tigers' Opening Day roster.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Mar 15, 2014

Bilingual skills useful tool for baseball players

The ever-increasing internationalism and players from many nations joining professional baseball ranks in whatever countries where the game is played has inspired sports news articles regarding the way teammates communicate.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Mar 1, 2014

Many have fallen victim to NPB's 'false spring'

As a high school student back in the early 1960s, I can recall reading a book titled, "A False Spring." It was authored by Pat Jordan, a Connecticut native and a superb teenage baseball pitcher who, according to Wikipedia, was pursued by more than 15 major league organizations in 1959. Interesting, as there were only 16 big league clubs at the time.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Feb 15, 2014

Tips for purchasing tickets at Japanese ballparks this season

It will cost a little more this season for tickets to Japanese professional baseball games, like everything else in Japan. Because of the rise in the consumption tax rate from 5 to 8 percent effective April 1, most teams are increasing ticket costs by¥100 or ¥200 across the board from 2013 prices.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Feb 1, 2014

Maru, Kajitani on verge of NPB stardom

As spring training camps for the 12 Japanese pro baseball teams opened on Saturday, let's take a look at a couple of young players on the verge of becoming two of the best in the Central League; Hiroshima Carp outfielder Yoshihiro Maru and Yokohama BayStars infielder Takayuki Kajitani.

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Jan 18, 2014

Giants' Terauchi shows importance of putting smile on fans' faces

Professional athletes have been known to have different attitudes when dealing with fans. Autograph-seekers have been told, "Take a hike, son" by players in a bad mood or on a bad day.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN

Jan 4, 2014

Looking ahead at what 2014 may hold

Happy New Year, and a reminder as we are in 2014, it was 10 years ago when Japanese baseball went into a crisis. There was a threat of contraction to 10 or even eight teams and a long hot summer of uncertainty as team owners and players negotiated and finally agreed to maintain the two-league, 12-team system.

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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