Highly coveted Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto has already met with the New York Yankees, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants, and per multiple media reports, he’s slated to talk with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and a few other teams soon. Despite recently shelling out $700 million to Shohei … Read more
Osaka – A total of about one million spectators attended multiple parades as the Hanshin Tigers and Orix Buffaloes each celebrated their championships in the streets of both Kobe and Osaka on Thursday. Earlier this month, the Central League champion Tigers defeated the Pacific League champion Buffaloes to win the first Japan Series between teams … Read more
Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto can begin negotiating with Major League Baseball teams on Tuesday after officially posting as a free agent. The right-hander is projected to sign a long-term deal worth more than $200 million, and his current team in Japan will receive a percentage of the contract value on top of that, likely more … Read more
Nishinomiya, Hyogo Pref. – Hanshin Tigers fans had not seen star reliever Atsuki Yuasa in over four months before his return created a stirring scene during Game 4 of the Japan Series. Yuasa received an immense hero’s welcome from the Tigers fans who made up most of the sellout crowd of 41,050 in attendance at … Read more
Osaka – There was a simple reason Orix Buffaloes manager Satoshi Nakajima put his complete faith in Yoshinobu Yamamoto with the season on the line and the ace pitcher coming off the worst start of his career. “He lost the last time out, but I thought there was no way Yoshinobu Yamamoto was going to … Read more
Osaka – The Hanshin Tigers finally did it. After suffering through a 38-year drought that felt much, much longer thanks to losing seasons, near misses and even a curse linked to Kentucky Fried Chicken, the Tigers and their fans can finally rejoice. The wait is over. The Tigers are Japan Series champions. Sheldon Neuse hit … Read more
Osaka – Contrary to what many believe, the Curse of the Colonel, Japanese baseball’s most famous and enduring urban legend, was sparked when the Hanshin Tigers won the Central League pennant in 1985 — not the Japan Series. As the story goes, after Hanshin clinched that season’s pennant on Oct. 16, a group of Tigers … Read more
KITAHIROSHIMA, Hokkaido – Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto went head to head with World Baseball Classic teammate Hiromi Ito and just barely scraped out a 1-0 victory over the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters on Saturday. Ito (7-8) was in top for at Es Con Field Hokkaido, allowing a run on two first-inning hits while striking … Read more