Former Hawks pitcher Matt Skrmetta influenced Carter Stewart's journey
When records are set in baseball, they so often occur at the confluence of favorable circumstances, the right player in the right place at the right time. Pitcher Carter Stewart may ...
Roki Sasaki's first bullpen session draws raves reviews from former major leaguers on Lotte staff
Thirteen days into spring training, 18-year-old Roki Sasaki threw 25 pitches on Thursday in his first bullpen session since turning pro this year with the Chiba Lotte Marines. Although the pitcher ...
Hawks' ambitious project with Carter Stewart could spark huge changes
When Carter Stewart and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks agreed to a six-year, $6 million contract in 2019, it made news as the historic first such deal between an elite American ...
Batterymates Katsuya Nomura, Joe Stanka shared special bond decades after playing for Hawks
The ball that brought an end to the 1964 Japan Series between the Nankai Hawks and Hanshin Tigers landed, as so many others had over those seven games, in Hawks catcher Katsuya Nomura's mitt. That final pitch (a swinging strike) was thrown by Nankai star ...
Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame catcher and renowned manager Katsuya Nomura died of ischemic heart failure early Tuesday morning, according to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, the last club he managed. He was 84. Nomura was one of NPB's greatest slugging catchers, amassing 657 home ...
Tigers newcomer Justin Bour bears burden of Randy Bass' legacy with club
We should all have people in our lives as loyal to us as some fans and media around the Hanshin Tigers are to the memory of Randy Bass. Much like NBA legend Michael Jordan never missing a game-winning shot, Bass never hit a ball that ...
The Yokohama BayStars on Saturday became the second NPB team to halt mass balloon launches at their games during spring training due to concerns about the current coronavirus outbreak. The BayStars banned the mass balloon launches, a custom fans of many of NPB's 12 clubs ...
Former major league star Ichiro Suzuki moved a step closer to achieving his goal of bridging the gap between Japan's professional and amateur baseball worlds on Friday. He was among 94 former professional baseball players and coaches who became qualified to train amateur ballplayers, according ...
Tigers fans asked to abort balloon launches due to coronavirus threat
The traditional jet balloon launches by fans of the Hanshin Tigers may fall victim to the current coronavirus outbreak after the team asked fans on Friday to refrain from the practice. For decades, fans of the popular NPB club have inflated the long cylindrical balloons ...
BayStars manager Alex Ramirez believes team has talent to contend
Alex Ramirez, the manager of the Yokohama BayStars, responded to the loss of his best player by declaring the dawning of a new generation. Ramirez expects his BayStars to be good this year, even without Yoshitomo Tsutsugo in the No. 4 spot. He misses the ...
BayStars unveil Keita Sano as team's new captain
Keita Sano modeled the Yokohama BayStars' new visitors' uniform on a slightly windy Saturday night at Osanbashi Pier in Yokohama. While all the BayStars will be wearing the new "Yokohama Blue" threads this year, Sano's will have an extra touch the others won't. A captain's ...
Dragons Hall of Fame infielder, manager Morimichi Takagi dies at 78
Morimichi Takagi, who held down second base for Nippon Professional Baseball's Chunichi Dragons for the better part of 21 years and twice managed the Central League club, died Friday of acute heart failure at the age of 78. The taciturn Takagi, one of the rare ...
