Baseball / Japanese Baseball | NPB Preview Jun 18, 2020
NPB set to return in altered form amid pandemic
by Jason Coskrey
Stadiums will be devoid of fans initially and socially distant celebrations will be the norm as the league prepares to play ball.
Baseball / Japanese Baseball | NPB Preview Jun 17, 2020
BayStars closer Yasuaki Yamasaki hopes to convey positive message to fans when NPB season begins
by Jason Coskrey
The BayStars' Yasuaki Yamasaki is excited to finally get the 2020 season underway.
Baseball / Japanese Baseball | NPB NOTEBOOK Jan 5, 2020
Milestones in play for many in 2020 season
by Jason Coskrey
With the NPB season set to begin on March 21, it won't be long before players are back in uniform and training with their teams in preparation for 2020. In addition to getting ready for the new campaign, a handful of NPB stars will also ...
Baseball Nov 14, 2019
Japan closer Yasuaki Yamasaki fueled by memories of disappointment at inaugural Premier12
by Kaz Nagatsuka
There are no players as motivated as Yasuaki Yamasaki who are competing for Japan in the ongoing Premier12. The Yokohama BayStars star closer was part of Samurai Japan in the tournament's inaugural edition in 2015, when the team reluctantly settled for a bronze medal in ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Jul 17, 2019
Jose Lopez launched a two-run bomb in the fourth inning to lead the Yokohama BayStars to a 3-1 victory over the Hiroshima Carp in the Central League on Wednesday. With the BayStars trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the inning, Lopez sent Kris Johnson's 0-2 ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Jun 28, 2018
Hanshin capitalizes on Yokohama's miscues, wraps up three-game sweep
Minoru Iwata and three relievers combined on a five-hitter as the Hanshin Tigers beat the error-prone Yokohama BayStars 3-2 on Thursday to complete a three-game sweep. A packed house of 28,195 watched a well-pitched game that was eventually decided by mistakes. With no outs and ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Jan 23, 2018
Samurai Japan skipper Atsunori Inaba begins preparations for March series against Australia
by Jason Coskrey
Atsunori Inaba managed a team of young players in his first tournament in charge of Samurai Japan. In March, he'll get his first chance to step into the dugout with the top team. Inaba will lead Samurai Japan against Australia in the two-game Enos Samurai ...
Baseball Nov 19, 2017
Japan trounces South Korea in inaugural Asia Professional Baseball Championship final
by Jason Coskrey
Samurai Japan's young players grabbed their manager, Astunori Inaba, and threw him in the air once and then twice, before seemingly needing a few seconds to regroup before sending him up once more. It was about the only thing that didn't go smoothly for Japan ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball | HIT AND RUN Nov 6, 2017
BayStars beaten but unbowed after Japan Series experience
by Jason Coskrey
After the final out of the Japan Series, as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks celebrated while glittering, golden confetti rained down from the Yafuoku Dome ceiling and jet balloons were set loose from the stands, Yokohama BayStars pitcher Shota Imanaga soaked it all in from ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball Nov 5, 2017
Hawks finally prevail after epic Japan Series
by Kaz Nagatsuka
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks wrapped up the 2017 Japan Series at Yafuoku Dome on Saturday by capturing their eighth overall title — fourth in the last seven years — after defeating the Yokohama BayStars in a hard-fought Game 6. The matchup between the Pacific League ...
Baseball / Japanese Baseball | NPB NOTEBOOK Nov 3, 2017
BayStars closer Yasuaki Yamasaki embraces pressure of must-win games
by Kaz Nagatsuka
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 ...