Jason Coskrey - The Japan Times

October 12, 2025

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Jason Coskrey

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Jason Coskrey

Jason Coskrey is a sports writer for The Japan Times. His primary focus is Japanese baseball, but he has also covered soccer, American football, boxing and basketball. He previously worked for the Marietta Daily Journal in Marietta, Ga. A native of Detroit, he is a graduate of the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball

Apr 13, 2017

Carp rally past Giants in ninth, stretch unbeaten streak to 11 games

You may get the Hiroshima Carp down, but never, ever count them out.

BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball

Apr 11, 2017

Carp's Kikuchi bangs out five hits to help sink Giants

The Hiroshima Carp were held without a run for five innings. Once the reigning Central League champions finally got going in the sixth, there was no stopping them, especially not Ryosuke Kikuchi.

BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN

Apr 10, 2017

Soaring Eagles are early surprise of 2017 campaign

The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles have won seven of their first eight games of the season. That's made the Eagles the early surprise of 2017, especially as they, and not the reigning champion Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters or the powerhouse Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, currently sit atop the Pacific League standings....

BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball

Apr 6, 2017

Marines rookie Sasaki triumphs in first start

Chihaya Sasaki said he was nervous before the first pro start of his career. It was hard to tell in the fifth inning, when nursing a one-run lead with a runner on base, the Chiba Lotte Marines rookie struck out Shohei Otani with a sinker that left the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters star flailing at air....

BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN

Apr 3, 2017

First NPB weekend provides excitement but few real answers

Nippon Professional Baseball finally made its return over the weekend, as fans streamed into ballparks around Japan to support their favorite teams. The camaraderie forged by the common goal of the World Baseball Classic was replaced by loyalty to different teams and players as the pennant races officially...

BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball

Apr 1, 2017

Abe smacks game-ending homer as Giants overcome Dragons

The Yomiuri Giants trailed the Chunichi Dragons for 8 2/3 innings on Saturday afternoon. When Shinnosuke Abe finally gave them the lead, it was for keeps.

BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball

Mar 31, 2017

Giants usher in new season with victory over rival Dragons

There's a stuffed Giabbit doll headed Lillianne Mikolas' way. If things go her father's way, there'll be whole lot more coming.

BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / 2017 NPB PREVIEW

Mar 30, 2017

Carp set sights on repeat performance in Central League

The following is the second of a two-part NPB preview beginning with the 2016 Central League champions.

BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / 2017 NPB PREVIEW

Mar 29, 2017

Hawks looking to redress balance of Pacific League power

The following is the first of a two-part NPB preview beginning with the 2016 Pacific League.

Japan Times

BASEBALL

Mar 24, 2017

Leyland motivated Team USA on way to WBC victory

This, Jim Leyland insisted, was it.

Japan Times

BASEBALL

Mar 23, 2017

U.S. trounces Puerto Rico to capture first WBC crown

It will take time to determine whether the United States' first World Baseball Classic title was the spark needed to ignite greater interest in the tournament in the nation from which baseball originated, and, most importantly, from its biggest stars.

Japan Times

BASEBALL

Mar 22, 2017

Japan falls to U.S. in World Baseball Classic semifinal

For six games, Samurai Japan came up with the big hit or made the important play. But in the crucial stanza of their seventh game at this World Baseball Classic, on a rainy Tuesday night in Southern California, the game-changing moment slipped out of the their grasp.

Japan Times

BASEBALL

Mar 21, 2017

Puerto Rico tops Netherlands in 11th, reaches WBC final

The Puerto Rican players swarmed Eddie Rosario, pushing and pulling, grabbing at his jersey and patting the top his head and the hair he'd dyed blond, like the rest of the team. Behind home plate, Francisco Lindor was off on his own, stripping off his jersey and holding it high, so everyone could see...

Japan Times

BASEBALL

Mar 21, 2017

Players encouraged by growing interest in WBC

Adam Jones on Saturday night in San Diego made the catch heard 'round the World Baseball Classic when he leapt against the wall to rob Manny Machado of a home run.

Japan Times

BASEBALL

Mar 20, 2017

Puerto Rico, Netherlands ready for WBC semifinal

Jonathan Schoop let the ball bounce off his glove on purpose before catching it. Later, he kicked it to Andrelton Simmons, who tried, unsuccessfully, to dribble it like a soccer ball. When Simmons lost it, another player kicked it back to him.

Japan Times

BASEBALL

Mar 20, 2017

Sir Didi keeps Netherlands smiling at World Baseball Classic

Mariekson Julius Gregorius is a knight. For real.

Japan Times

BASEBALL

Mar 20, 2017

Jansen excited to join Dutch team at WBC

Kenley Jansen was back in the stadium he's called home for his entire MLB career and preparing to go practice with players he's known for most of his life.

Japan Times

BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN

Mar 18, 2017

Backstop Kobayashi plays big role for Japan

There's a thanklessness to catching in baseball. Catchers do a lot of the dirty work, and their efforts end up being both extremely challenging and easy for the casual observer to accidentally overlook.

Japan Times

BASEBALL

Mar 16, 2017

Japan beats Israel to head to WBC semifinals with perfect record

Japan didn't need to beat Israel to qualify for the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic, but it probably felt good to head to the U.S. in style.

Japan Times

BASEBALL

Mar 15, 2017

Dutch move closer to WBC semifinals with win over Cuba

Netherlands manager Hensley "Bam-Bam" Meulens and Andruw Jones, who is serving as one of the team's coaches, staged an impromptu home run derby during practice on Tuesday, prompting one of the team's staffers to remark that the Dutch had the best-hitting coaching staff in the World Baseball Classic....

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Growing families are being priced out of Tokyo’s condo market, forced to choose between downtown convenience and suburban space.

Is living in central Tokyo still affordable?

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Maruhachi never sleeps in quest for better futons

Maruhachi never sleeps in quest for better futons

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