It’s another precious day off for our heroes on the diamond, so let’s look back on the last few days of spring training action! First, the “news”: Newly acquired relief pitcher Diego Moreno looked good pitching in the bullpen and in live batting practice. Some have called him a “skinny Mateo” – he uses the…
Before we get to the highlights (yes, there were a couple of games!), here are the latest bits of news: – Manager Tomoaki Kanemoto has declared that Yusuke Ohyama will get a chance at third, which means moving ironman Takashi Toritani over to second base. I guess Hiroki Uemoto is out of a job! –…
It’s still just the beginning of spring training. And it’s still cold in mainland Japan. So because of the frozen nature of my fingers, and the lack of heaviness concerning any and all headlines, here’s what you missed, in short spurts: Minoru Iwata threw a 200-pitch bullpen… in case Kanemoto gets really, REALLY mad at…
In this series, we look back on our draft picks from the past six seasons and see how they are faring now. Were the guys all the cracked up to be? Overachievers? Underachievers? Non-achievers? You can look back at the original 2016 draft report here. Click here for: 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014…
Another season has come to an end, and a few more players have shed their uniforms for the last time. This month’s magazine primarily takes a look at the careers of three long-time players: a veteran pitcher who started, closed and set up, a charming slugger who came in mid-career and showed bursts of potential,…
Instead of risking a retirement game in the rain on October 6, the club elected to postpone the last game of the season until the 10th. The result could be that the anticipated starting rotation for the Climax Series against the BayStars could have to be shifted. But either way, ending the season on a…
Though the Tigers’ place in the standings is already set, this next-to-last game was still important. 1) The team had not scored at Koshien in 29 innings heading into this series; 2) It was riding a 7-game winless streak at home; 3) This was a great chance to give the young guys more playing time….
Original Article Can Be Seen Here 元の記事はこちら Fumihito Haraguchi and Fumiya Hojoh joined the farm squad as they played the Orix Buffaloes second team on the 15th. On the 16th, Shun Takayama got some playing time (and has since been farmed outright), and on the 17th, Haraguchi and Takayama were both in the starting lineup….
Original article can be read here 元の記事はこちら Hanshin formally introduced its 2016 draftees to the media on the 5th at a hotel in Osaka. All 8 players were present. Their uniform numbers were also announced: First round pick, infielder Yusuke Ohyama (Hakuoh U), is set to wear #3 (last worn by Kentaro Sekimoto in 2015)…
The obvious top choice for the draft appeared to be pitcher Seigi Tanaka (from Soka University). Five of the 12 clubs entered the draw: the Fighters, Hawks, Marines, Carp and Giants. In other words, the five teams that finished above .500 this season. Whether the other teams chickened out or had other obvious needs is…