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Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jan 29, 2017

Kawasaki Stadium stirs fond recollection of legendary games

Former Lotte Orions outfielder Hideaki Takazawa recalled that he and his teammates would joke that there were more officials than fans at the stadium for their games back in the day.
Japan Times
SPORTS
Jan 22, 2017

Tomooka says young athletes should play different sports

The term "strength and conditioning" in sports is relatively unknown in Japan, and specialty coaches are often confused with athletic trainers, who are skilled in prevention, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of athletic injuries.
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Oct 8, 2016

Out-of-town scoreboards would enrich experience at all ballparks

Why don't the Japanese pro baseball stadiums have out-of-town scoreboards, and why do many of the main ballparks not display the home-run distances on the fences?
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Sep 25, 2016

Marines icon Omura bows out in final game

Retiring Chiba Lotte Marines star Saburo Omura had only one season in which he hit above .300 and just one 20-homer campaign, with both marks coming in 2009.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / BASEBALL BULLET-IN
Jul 23, 2016

Long-lost basketball card sparks memories of Ichiro's early fame

Miami Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is about to reach the 3,000-hit mark in Major League Baseball. The 42-year-old Japanese icon is expected to conquer the milestone this week during Miami's 10-game homestand.
Japan Times
BASEBALL / MLB
Jul 4, 2016

'Ichimeter Lady' still counting as Ichiro nears 3,000

It's been over two years, and Amy Franz still has no idea how Ichiro Suzuki knew it was her birthday. That particular June 11, in 2014, Franz, a longtime Mariners fan, was sitting in right field, as usual, at Seattle's Safeco Field. She was watching for foul balls during batting practice while her husband,...
BASEBALL
May 13, 2016

Jingu Stadium users, operator close to deal over 2020 eviction

Historic Jingu Stadium will be vacated for nearly three months for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics after the ballpark's operator and its other regular users agreed in principle to a modified proposal from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic organizing committee on Friday.
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
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...
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Feb 3, 2016

Easton making foray into Japan

U.S.-based baseball equipment manufacturer Easton, one of the largest baseball brands in America, is making a foray into the Japanese market, the company announced earlier this week. Along with its products, Easton is bringing along some technology it hopes can help shape the future of youth 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...
Japan Times
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / NPB NOTEBOOK
Jan 10, 2016

New Hall of Famers Griffey Jr., Piazza familiar to Japanese fans

Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza were elected to the United States' National Baseball Hall of Fame last week to much fanfare. While both players spent the entirety of their Hall of Fame careers in North America, neither star is a stranger to Japanese baseball fans.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Dec 30, 2015

Fortuitous move to bullpen led Barnette to majors

The last game pitcher Tony Barnette ever started for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows came against the Chunichi Dragons on March 8, 2011, during spring training. Barnette had already had one life-altering moment that spring — he'd proposed to now-wife Hillary before leaving Arizona for Japan — and, though...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Dec 25, 2015

What happens when professional baseballers get fired; CM of the week: Reebok

For every professional athlete who makes a long career out of his or her pastime, there are probably another 10 whose moment in the spotlight is painfully brief. That is the concept behind the occasional documentary series "Puro Yakyu Senryokugai Tsukoku Kubi wo Senkoku Sareta Otokotachi" ("Men Given...
Japan Times
BASEBALL
Nov 18, 2015

South Korea ready to face Japan in semifinals of Premier 12

The South Korean national team was completely overpowered by Japanese fireballer Shohei Otani in the opening game of the Premier 12 in Sapporo on Nov. 8.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball / HIT AND RUN
Oct 15, 2015

Time for NPB to rethink senseless playoff format

Where else but Japanese baseball can a team lose Game 1 of a playoff series and show up at the ballpark the next day down 0-2?
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.

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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?