Tag Archives: mlb

MLB Teams Becoming Very Interested in Yu Darvish 10.21.11

Following up on a piece we did back in August, Japanese baseball star Yu Darvish is starting to attract interest from some specific Major League Baseball teams, namely the New York Yankees (no surprise there), Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays … READ MORE
Seattle Mariners, Oakland A’s to Open 2012 MLB Season in Japan 09.29.11

Yesterday, Major League Baseball announced that next season will open with two games in Japan on March 28th and 29th, 2012, pitting the Seattle Mariners (who are owned by Nintendo of America) against the Oakland Athletics. Of course, Japanese baseball … READ MORE
Nomo, Hasegawa bring Japanese youth baseball team to USA 08.25.11

Former Major League Baseball players Hideo Nomo and Shigetoshi Hasegawa, pitchers who rose to prominence in Japan before making the switch to the USA, recently took part in bringing a Japanese youth baseball team to the USA for a tournament … READ MORE
Is Yu Darvish Going to Come to the United States? 08.16.11

Yu Darvish, widely considered one of the best Japanese pitchers currently playing, has hired agent Arn Tellem and Don Nomura to represent him. This had led many baseball people to assume that Darvish is considering signing with an American baseball … READ MORE
Check out this amazing & dangerous baseball catch 08.10.11

This attempt alone is pretty remarkable, but what makes it truly stand out is the fact that the second baseman actually ends up holding onto the ball, even after smashing face-first into the wall. Talk about giving your all…note the … READ MORE
A Look Back on the Troubled Life of Hideki Irabu 08.03.11

Hideki Irabu was a promising young Japanese pitcher who never had a enjoyable time in Major League Baseball. His life spiraled downwards after his short-lived MLB career ended, culminating in his tragic death last week. Police found him in his … READ MORE
The saga of Kei Igawa – the forgotten Japanese baseball star 07.27.11

Much has been written here about Major League Baseball and the various Japanese stars who moved over to the United States from Japan to continue their careers and hopefully break new ground. Hideki Matsui, Hideo Nomo, and Ichiro Suzuki are … READ MORE
Hideki Matsui finally hits career home run #500 07.22.11

Two days ago, in a game between his Oakland Athletics and the Detroit Tigers, Japanese baseball star Hideki Matsui finally hit his 500th career home run. He did not hit all 500 home runs while playing for a MLB team, … READ MORE
New book: biography of Kenichi Zenimura, Japanese baseball legend 07.15.11

I’ve written a lot over the past few months about the relationship between Japan and the United States when it comes to Major League Baseball. The past twenty or so years have found many very talented Japanese players coming over … READ MORE
Should Major League Baseball have a USA vs. Japan All-Star Game? 07.12.11

With this week’s Major League Baseball All Star Game set to take place tonight from Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, all eyes in the pro sports world are tuning into the game…or not. Fan interest seems to be waning about … READ MORE
The Importance of Being Ichiro Suzuki – a retrospective by Jay Kang 06.15.11

Jay Caspian Kang wrote a very long but incredibly interesting piece about “The Importance of Ichiro” for Grantland, a sports and pop culture website. In the lengthy piece, Kang touches on many aspects of Ichiro Suzuki, arguably Japan’s biggest baseball … READ MORE
Japan and Major League Baseball – a complicated relationship 06.08.11

The cultural differences between Japan and the United States are substantial. When considering baseball players who either go from the US to a career in Japan or vice-versa, these differences are on display prominently. Of particular note is the story … READ MORE
Hisashi Iwakuma the next great Japanese import star to MLB? 11.08.10

Time for some sports talk! Hisashi Iwakuma, currently considered the 2nd best pitcher in Japan, appears to be on his way to the United States, as long as the Oakland Athletics are able to sign him. The A’s won the … READ MORE