Former Hanshin Tigers manager Senichi Hoshino, who led the team to its first pennant in 18 years in 2003, passed away on January 4th of pancreatic cancer. He was 70 years old. As a young man, Hoshino wanted nothing more than to take down the Yomiuri Giants. He was chosen by the Chunichi Dragons in…
Hanshin’s momentum heading back home was at an all-time low. A frustrating loss on Saturday was followed by an embarrassing one on Sunday, and the team needed to win quickly and often if they were to keep their fan base excited for the season to come. This series was not without its moments. Fortunately, many…
“Balentien and Coach Yano have been ejected from the game.” What??? How do a big Dutchman and a little Japanese middle-aged man get tangled up, when it was lanky Shintaro Fujinami who threw one a little too close to Kazuhiro Hatakeyama’s head? It was the top of the fifth inning, no outs and a man…
Happy Birthday, Haraguchi!!! (March 3) Original article can be seen here 元の記事はこちら Catcher Fumihito Haraguchi (25) took fielding practice at first base on March 2 as Hanshin resumed team workouts at Koshien. Manager Tomoaki Kanemoto and the coaching staff made the decision based on the condition of Haraguchi’s right shoulder, which he hurt last season,…
* 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 the クール factor isn’t lost on you! Happy Valentine’s Day, my western world friends! Today…
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…
“Relationships deepen by repeatedly paying attention to not just the big things, but the small details as well. It was my job as ‘housewife’ to elevate the status of the ‘men of the house,’ the pitchers. I think I was able to do this because I always made it priority to think not of myself,…
The original article can be found here 元の記事はこちら Former Tigers catcher and current sports analyst Akihiro Yano caught up with Korean closer Seung-hwan Oh, winner of last year’s Most Saves title. Yano: So this is your second year in Japan. Is camp going well for you? Oh: Compared with last year, much better. I’m in better…
Tuesday’s “Sports Nippon” paper featured part 1 of 4 interviews that will be conducted with the Tigers’ foreign players. In this one, former catcher great Akihiro Yano interviews ace pitcher Randy Messenger. Yano: This is your sixth year in Japan. I guess you know what to expect out of spring camp by now? Messenger: Yeah,…