The 2009 season was not a good one for the Hanshin Tigers. They did not make the playoffs, finishing 4th in the Central League with a 67-73-4 record. For one magical night, though, fans rejoiced as though the team had won it all. At Koshien Stadium on April 30, 2009, the team was facing the…
Sanspo is reporting that Toritani has signed a monster contract (for Japan) with the Tigers: a 5-year deal worth ¥2-billion (around US$16.9 million). This means he will be with the organization at least through his 38th birthday, and likely for the remainder of his career. Management, among others, look forward to being able to retire…
It appears all the hubbub about Takashi Toritani heading to the major leagues was for naught. Yahoo News (among others) reports that Toritani contacted the club late last night saying he has given up on the long negotiations with the Blue Jays and has decided to come back to the Hanshin Tigers for 2015 and…
Fans voted on their top 10 news-making events of the year. Here they are. Video links have all been removed because the videos have been taken down from YouTube. #10 (tie): The Tiger Girls; Kubota of “JFK” Announces Retirement (22 votes) #9: Manager Yutaka Wada has his contract extended (33 votes) #8: Takahiro Arai leaves the club,…
The original article can be seen here 元の記事はこちら Hanshin Tigers international free agent Takashi Toritani (33) has received an official offer from the Toronto Blue Jays to be their second baseman on the 23rd. Sources revealed that Toritani’s agent, Scott Boras (62) has met and negotiated with the team several days in a row. It…
Original article can be seen here 元の記事はこちら I’ll be the first to admit it. I was one of the more cynical Hanshin Tigers fans when I heard that shortstop Takashi Toritani had his heart set on playing in the major leagues starting in 2015. I mean, who would want a soon-to-be 34 year old who…
There has not yet been much offseason action as far as roster moves, but here are some of the things going on with different players: Long-time Tiger Takahiro Arai has left the organization and returned to the Hiroshima Carp, where he began his career. He played 7 years with the Tigers, his best coming in 2010…
No one likes wallowing in the gloom of a postseason loss. For that reason, I will not dwell too much on the losses themselves, or the potential reality of losing Takashi Toritani to Major League Baseball. Instead, I will look at three striking numbers/factors that brought about Hanshin’s demise quickly in games 2-5. Setting Game…
The heartbreak continues for Hanshin Tigers fans. A strong showing against the Yomiuri Giants and a brilliantly played Game 1 had fans hoping for the team’s first Nippon Series title since 1985. Instead, the SoftBank Hawks (particularly their pitching) silenced the Tigers and their fans, winning four straight while only allowing 4 runs in 37…