okada

Toreba no Toraba: Hanging with Tigers Cast & Kei Igawa

Toreba no Toraba: Hanging with Tigers Cast & Kei Igawa

Based on the Daily Sports column / デイリースポーツオンラインの連載コラムから Hanshin Tigers English News (H-TEN) has put out over 160 podcast episodes in just over seven years. There have been four main co-hosts (WhizOh, Joe, JD, and Sanjay) and a few guests along the way, too. I have had a ton of fun talking Hanshin baseball with…

Episode 159: Annual H-TEN Awards!

Episode 159: Annual H-TEN Awards!

Hosts T-Ray and Sanjay discuss team news, including the hiring of manager Akinobu Okada and the possible posting of pitcher Shintaro Fujinami. They also recap the final three games of the Tigers’ season before diving into the annual H-TEN Awards, given to all sorts of players and team events. In the post-show show, they name…

2022 Post-Draft Report

2022 Post-Draft Report

Post-draft reports from 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 New manager, same excitement on Draft Day, which was October 20 this year. Freshly-minted (though retread and 64 years old) manager Akinobu Okada did not divulge which young man he would aim to acquire in the first round, though nine NPB teams did in…

Akinobu Okada Named New Manager

Akinobu Okada Named New Manager

Source: Nikkan Sports 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hanshin held a press conference for newly-hired manager Akinobu Okada (64) at a hotel in Osaka City on October 16. Next season will mark 15 seasons since he last wore a Tigers uniform. Here is a part of his press conference translated into English for your…

Toreba no Toraba: Give Us a GM!

Toreba no Toraba: Give Us a GM!

From our monthly Daily Sports column (Japanese) / デイリースポーツの連載コラムから So the Hanshin Tigers reached the playoffs despite an extremely poor start to the season. Congratulations! Let’s send off incumbent manager Akihiro Yano, who announced his resignation way back on January 31, with a miraculous playoff run! Meanwhile, the team appears to finally be ready to…

Kyuji Fujikawa: Fiery Fastball

Kyuji Fujikawa: Fiery Fastball

Before I share with you my thoughts on this book, allow me to explain my Kyuji Fujikawa fandom. I probably first heard about him when he signed a deal with the Chicago Cubs before the 2013 season, as I was not yet a Hanshin fan at the time and had zero knowledge of his career…

Ex-Tiger Arai Announces Retirement

Ex-Tiger Arai Announces Retirement

After twenty years of professional baseball, including seven (2008-14) with the Hanshin Tigers, Hiroshima Carp first baseman Takahiro Arai announced his retirement effective at season’s end. Despite a diminished role with the soon-to-be three-time CL champion Carp, Arai is a beloved teammate and player to all. Those who know him personally attest to his humility,…

Toritani – Hall of Famer? Retired Number?

Toritani – Hall of Famer? Retired Number?

Most of us are aware of the fact that Takashi Toritani reached the 2000 career hit mark last September. He became just the second homegrown talent in club history (after Taira Fujita) to  reach the mark while still a member of the club. Other guys have done it in a Tigers uniform, but they started their…