Hanshin’s slogan for the 2016 season was 超変革 (chohenkaku) – ultra reform. The idea was that the team’s attitude and atmosphere under manager Tomoaki Kanemoto would change. Gone would be the old way of thinking, of practicing, of reflecting on games won and lost. In would be a new work ethic. Practice extremely hard but…
Here’s a basic rundown of the free agency situation in NPB. For players to acquire the right to become domestic free agents, they must have served on a team’s top squad for at least seven years (if involved in a trade, the years from the previous team count). Then they must apply to the commissioners’ office…
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…
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…
The Hanshin Tigers have found too many weird ways to lose too many games this season. Even against these Yakult Swallows, success has been fleeting and hard losses have become the norm. Heading into this, the third-to-last game of the season, the Tigers were 11-12-1 against the defending Central League pennant winners. This one would…
Recently, one of the measures of a player’s value to a team has been a statistic called WAR – Wins Above Replacement. The idea is to take a fielder’s offensive contributions (batting, base running, etc.) and defensive ability (ultimate zone rating, runs prevented, etc.) to give them a value that tells nerds how many more wins…
This team simply can’t beat the Carp. But even more than that, they can’t seem to figure out the 2016 CL champ’s ace, Kris Johnson. In his two seasons in NPB, the Tigers have never hung him with a loss. The fate of both teams has already been decided but still, a win against the…
Who cares about the Hanshin Tigers’ season anymore? Screw this team and their summer of pathetic play. They couldn’t have won the high school tournament at Koshien Stadium this year. Bad defense that makes high schoolers look good, a pathetic 21-33-2 record in their home building, and just a game separating them from the last…
The Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants have a long, bitter rivalry, and every year the two clubs try to pump up the season’s matchups with colorful ads on which the words 伝統の一戦 (Legendary/Classic Series) appear. But last year the Tigers won just 2 of 13 at Tokyo Dome, and this year so far, they brought…
Five straight losses. Against teams that are beatable. Three at home, and two on the road with your best pitchers starting. Could it get any worse for the Tigers? The only good news was that they would host the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, who had a rough August and who have struggled against our Tigers. But…