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 ...
Dragons closer Hitoki Iwase formally announces plan to retire after season
NPB career saves leader Hitoki Iwase, who also holds the all-time record for games pitched, announced his retirement at the end of theseason at Nagoya Dome on Tuesday. The 43-year-old, who has 407 saves in 1,001 game appearances, appeared in his blue and white jersey ...
Chunichi Dragons left-hander Hitoki Iwase, will retire at the end of the season along with veteran second baseman Masahiro Araki, an informed source said Wednesday. The news comes hours after Chunichi's 2011 Central League MVP Takuya Asao announced this season would also be his last. Iwase, ...
Kuramoto connects on sayonara double as BayStars beat Dragons
Toshihiko Kuramoto doubled home the game-ending run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Yokohama BayStars came from behind to edge the Chunichi Dragons 3-2 on Wednesday. BayStars starter Joe Wieland did not figure in the decision but held the Dragons to two ...
Durable, tough Iwase withstands test of time
It was a record that was bound to fall to the right man in the right circumstances, and on Sunday the mark for career games pitched in Nippon Professional Baseball was eclipsed by Chunichi Dragons lefty Hitoki Iwase, Japan's all-time saves leader. The previous mark ...
Dragons pitcher Iwase sets new record with 950th career game
Career saves leader Hitoki Iwase stepped into the record books on Sunday when he closed out the Chunichi Dragons' 5-4 come-from-behind win over the Yomiuri Giants. Pitching in his 950th career game, the lefty surpassed the Nippon Professional Baseball record held by former Hankyu Braves ...
The Central League Pitcher of the Month Award continued to be a surprise following Friday's announcement of the Chunichi Dragons' Hitoki Iwase as the winner for June. Selectors generally hand the honor to a starting pitcher with three or more wins, fewer than two losses ...
Yudai Ono tossed six scoreless innings and three relievers completed a four-hit shutout as the Chunichi Dragons swept the three-game series against the Hanshin Tigers with a 2-0 win on Thursday. Ono (2-5), who earned his belated first win of the year on June 7, ...
Dragons' Valdes rises to challenge against Giants' Sugano
Raul Valdes never blinked. Locked in a pitcher's duel against a player considered by many to be no worse than one of the best two or three pitchers in Japan, Valdes just methodically racked up outs. By the time it was over, he'd racked up a ...
Iwase, Dragons may be in tough spot
Every athlete in every sport eventually declines with age. It's just more noticeable in the greats. For the stars who have reached amazing heights, the fall from grace can be long and painful to watch — or as in the case of slugger Michihiro ...
Chunichi Dragons lefty Hitoki Iwase, who has saved more professional games than any other Japanese pitcher, gave up on his second bullpen session of the spring after just 16 pitches on Tuesday. "I didn't get a good feeling when I was throwing. If I keep ...
