While I dream that the 2016 Tigers will win the pennant, I am also fully aware that playing with such a young lineup means there will be a lot of growing pains, mistakes, and losses. The previous series against the BayStars showed us several times that wins would not come easy. (We won the first…
After the embarrassment fed to them earlier in the week against the Giants, Hanshin had something to prove in this series. Could they make their week look respectable by taking their frustrations out on the last place BayStars? Game 29 – Friday, 4/29: K, I have to admit that I am not sure how many times…
Let me start off with my personal story. A friend of mine, who is a Tigers fan, said he wanted to take in a game before he left for the States at the end of the month. I found seats to Tuesday’s game despite it being a sellout. I’m pumped. Then I get word from…
Unable to get on a good roll and heading to a park that seldom helped them last year, the Tigers needed good pitching from their starters – something that has been their downfall most of the past week. Could the team use Thursday’s rainout to straighten out some of their problems? The tale of the tape…
It’s hard coming home after a bad day at work. Or maybe it’s comforting? The Hanshin Tigers got swept and humiliated in three games in Nagoya against the Chunichi Dragons. Could they right the ship at Koshien against the defending CL champion Yakult Swallows? Game 21 – Tuesday, 4/19: Surely young ace Shintaro Fujinami would…
At long last, the Hanshin Tigers would make their 2016 Koshien Stadium debut. The season was off to a decent start, all without having played on their true home turf yet. Could they take the momentum from their successful road trip – and dominant win against the Giants Thursday – back to their “Sacred Ground”? Game…
I was in Okinawa for the first week of spring training, but needed a day of recovery on February 4th. The players started on February 1st and are slated to bring things to a close on the 28th before returning to Kansai on February 29th. This session will look at the fielders, the next one at pitchers…
The Hanshin Tigers started their 2015 season with one goal: winning the Central League pennant in their memorial 80th year as a franchise. Despite finishing 7 games behind the champion Yomiuri Giants and just a half game ahead of the Hiroshima Carp in 2014, the team made no significant offseason moves. In fact, officials pointed…
So you thought the Hanshin Tigers’ baseball season was over? Think again. For some players, the break was short or even non-existent. Many have been practicing at Koshien the past week or so, and starting November 1, the team will have its annual Fall Camp in Aki City (Kochi Prefecture). This will be their first…
Despite a big win yesterday, the Tigers were still at a marked disadvantage in this one. First, they were still on the road, playing in a stadium where they had a 3-12 record this season including playoffs. Second, they needed a win, whereas the Giants could settle for a tie and advance. Third, they were…