* The Japanese use the word クール (from the French cours = course / installment / season) to divide the spring training sessions into parts. But since クール is usually used to mean “cool” I have turned it into a cool headline. Hope you’re クール with that! Happy National Foundation Day, everyone! Yesterday was a day off for…
* The Japanese use the word クール (from the French cours = course / installment / season) to divide the spring training sessions into parts. But since クール is usually used to mean “cool” I have turned it into a cool headline. Are you クール with my decision? Happy Super Bowl Sunday, Hanshin Tigers fans! May…
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)…
Hanshin Tigers 2015 Round 1 draft pick Shun Takayama (OF) has won the Central League Rookie of the Year Award. He received 220 out of a possible 269 points and becomes the first Tiger to win the prize since 2007, when pitcher Keiji Uezono took it home. He becomes the ninth Tiger in club history…
Original Article Can be Read Here 元の記事はこちら — First a question for manager Tomoaki Kanemoto. You landed the player you called your “first lover” during the negotiation process… “Next season will be my second since taking the job. Free agency acquisitions are very different than the draft, and he was the first guy I pursued,…
Veteran Outfielder Reportedly to Earn ¥1.8 Billion over 4 Years The headline can be anagrammed “F.A.I.L.” but this acquisition should, at least for the immediate future, be seen as a successful endeavor. The day teams were free to negotiate with new free agents, Tomoaki Kanemoto jumped at the opportunity to meet with former Orix Buffaloes…
While I enjoyed the first book I read by current Hanshin manager Tomoaki Kanemoto (Prepare and Proceed, 2008), I still questioned its timing. He was still mid-career and was not coming off any major event (championship, surgery, retirement, etc.). But this book is a different story. Written the offseason after he retired in 2012, this…
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…
Original article can be seen here 元の記事はこちら It was reported on the 14th that Hanshin infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka (32), who is working his way back from a torn Achilles tendon, has reached an agreement to remain with the club in 2017. He aims to make a return to top squad action by the end of…
Nothing is on the line anymore, with the exception of a few records and perhaps a leg up on the competition for playing time next season. Maybe for some, a strong performance in these final few games is a plea for one more contract, one more season. Either way, the 5-game winning streak the Tigers…