Chihiro Kaneko draws attention from Yu Darvish, others, because of change-up
Chihiro Kaneko, as a 35-year-old veteran of 13 seasons, probably possesses a fair amount of wisdom he can impart on the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters pitchers younger than him. Even those who have already moved on. Former Fighters ace and current Chicago Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish ...
Eagles announce plans to make Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi world's first cashless stadium
The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles want you to leave your cash at home. The Pacific League club late last week unveiled a plan to make its home stadium, Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi, completely cashless in 2019. The Eagles say it will be the world's first ...
Slugger Guerrero remains in limbo on Yomiuri's farm team
Sometimes the fake grass isn't always greener in the other dome. The Yomiuri Giants' Alex Guerrero can probably attest to that. It's been over a month since the Kyojin sent him to the farm team and just over a week since reports surfaced saying he ...
Warren Cromartie featured in new series on YouTube
Warren Cromartie was a star for the Montreal Expos and a league MVP and Japan Series champion (both in 1989) with the Yomiuri Giants. Now the NPB great is adding something else to his resume: YouTuber for the History Channel. The History Channel Japan earlier this ...
Kiyomiya shows off power on farm
After a slow start to his first season as a professional, Kotaro Kiyomiya provided fans with a small glimpse of what made him the most sought-after player in last fall's NPB draft. The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters rookie hit his first two pro home runs ...
NPB stars look to build momentum in spring
While most baseball fans know spring numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, some players make it hard to remember at times. Because however meaningless the actual numbers are during this time of year, the process is still fun to watch. One of ...
Now or never for Dragons hurler Daisuke Matsuzaka
Daisuke Matsuzaka stepped into the bullpen for the first time during camp on Friday and threw 32 pitches in his still unfamiliar white No. 99 Chunichi Dragons uniform. "I'm getting better, I was able to throw more than planned," Matsuzaka was quoted as saying to ...
Japan's Hall of Fame players deserve own moment in sun
For all the ideas Japanese baseball has lifted from its MLB counterpart in North America, it's surprising a proper Hall of Fame ceremony hasn't been one of them. This year's Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame class was a doozy, including among others, former Hanshin Tigers ...
Lions no strangers to posting system
While some NPB teams, such as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, may scoff at the posting system, don't count the Seibu Lions among them. The Lions have used the posting system more than any other NPB team so far, and put pitcher Kazuhisa Makita up for ...
Hawks catch break with Yanagita
On one hand, Yuki Yanagita will be one of the most well-paid players in Japan next season. On the other, he'll be kind of a steal. While Shohei Ohtani didn't go to the majors for money, Yanagita's new NPB deal with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks ...
Japanese players stay in swing of things even during winter
While it might be the time of year when temperatures are a little cooler and the regular season for almost every major baseball league is weeks in the rearview mirror, that doesn't mean there aren't a host of players still darting around a diamond ...
BayStars closer Yasuaki Yamasaki embraces pressure of must-win games
The BayStars fans at Yokohama Stadium know what to expect when the team enters the bottom of the ninth inning with a small lead. It's Yasuaki time. When Yokohama closer Yasuaki Yamasaki comes out of the bullpen and heads to the mound, it is one of ...
