[NPB NOTEBOOK] Swallows Employee Who Took on the Role of Beloved Mascot Tsubakuro Dies

We start off this edition of NPB Notebook with some sad news. Japanese baseball has lost one of its most beloved mascots. On Wednesday, February 19, the Tokyo Yakult Swallows announced that the employee who played the team's hugely popular mascot Tsubakuro had died.

The team asked for privacy and the name of the staffer and cause of death were not revealed. 

An announcement was posted on the team's official website.

"The staff member who supported Tsubakuro has passed away," it read. "We would like to express our gratitude and respect for the achievement of raising him to this point as the team mascot."

Tsubakuro made his debut during a game against the Hanshin Tigers at Jingu Stadium on April 9, 1994. Since that time, he has become one of the most beloved mascots in Nippon Professional Baseball.

His signature move was the "kururinpa," which he performed after the fifth inning at Jingu Stadium.

What was the kururinpa?

Tsubakuro would toss his helmet up in the air, hoping it would land back on his head, which it rarely did. It was a comical, light-hearted routine that the fans loved.

Tsubakuro was popular with fans and players alike. He was there to celebrate with the players when they won and console them with a hug when they lost.

Baseball Community Pays Tribute to Swallows Mascot

Tributes to Tsubakuro poured in from around the baseball world on news of his passing.

"From 2001, Tsubakuro became my favorite character to work with, teaching me how to do the fans' favorite performance," former Swallows great Alex Ramirez wrote on X. "I will always remember you."

Even Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani took time out of his spring training routine to pay tribute.

"I've been watching him since I was little, and I think he was popular as a representative mascot," Ohtani said, according to Sports Nippon. "It's very sad, but I'm grateful." 

Ohtani recalled that he had interacted with Tsubakuro during interleague games when he was with the Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters and during practice sessions with Samurai Japan.

NHK reported on Thursday, February 20 that many fans visited a Tsubakuro shrine at the team's spring training site in Urasoe, Okinawa Prefecture, to pray and take photos.

Tsubakuro was a fixture at Jingu Stadium over the years. He marked his 2,000th appearance at a Swallows home game on August 5, 2022. 

He showed up at the team's spring training facility on February 1, but the team announced six days later that his planned appearances for the remainder of spring training through April had been canceled due to poor health.

Rest in peace, Tsubakuro.

Orix Pitcher Yamaoka in Hot Water

The Orix Buffaloes said on Friday, February 21 that pitcher Taisuke Yamaoka has been suspended over allegations that he gambled at an online casino.

The 29-year-old right-hander reportedly took part in an online poker tournament through a gambling site that was registered overseas.

The site does not permit gambling on baseball or other sports, NPB determined after interviewing Yamaoka.

Orix will make a further announcement once punishment is decided for Yamaoka, who reportedly spoke with police according to Kyodo News.

Yamaoka was the Buffaloes' first draft pick in 2017 and has been with Orix for eight seasons. He has a career 43-45 record with an ERA of 3.35 over 163 games.

His best season was 2019 when he went 13-4 with 154 strikeouts and a 3.71 ERA. He appeared in just six games in 2024 and had no wins or losses and just one hold.

Rakuten's Top Rookie Impresses in Spring Training

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles top draft pick Rui Muneyama has lived up to expectations in spring training.

In seven games (through February 23), Muneyama has had six hits in 18 at-bats with three RBIs.

"I learned a lot at our camp," Muneyama said, according to Sports Nippon. "I want to improve both at the plate and in the field."

The 21-year-old shortstop from Meiji University reached base in all three at-bats in a scrimmage game against the Nipponham Fighters on Tuesday, February 11 with two hits and a walk.

Muneyama stole a base and scored two runs, showing his potential as a leadoff hitter.

"He's the number one amateur player," Rakuten manager Hajime Miki said, according to Sports Nippon, "[and] he really thinks about a lot of things on his own." 

Added Miki, "I'm very impressed with him as a player with self-discipline and independence. That's a really important aspect of a baseball player, so I hope we can bring that out in him from now on." 

Morishita in the Cleanup Spot

It looks like the cleanup spot in the Hanshin Tigers batting order is Shota Morishita's for the time being.

Entering his third season, the 24-year-old has looked right at home in the fourth position as the team gets ready for its first season under new manager Kyuji Fujikawa.

Morishita hit a three-run homer in the first inning of a 9-6 win over the Chunichi Dragons on Sunday, February 23.

In his rookie season, Morishita hit 10 homers and had 41 RBIs in 2023 and followed that up with 16 homers and 73 RBIs in his sophomore campaign.

He's clearly ready for more responsibility and it appears that Fujikawa is willing to provide him with that.

Morishita also impressed in the WBSC's Premier12 tournament in November 2024 when he led Japan with nine RBIs in 28 at-bats. He also had 10 hits and 13 runs and was arguably Japan's best player.

Hanshin finished second in the Central League standings last season. The Tigers are eager to return to the top like they did in 2023 when they won the Japan Series.

A lot will depend on how Morishita performs in the upcoming season.

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Author: Jim Armstrong

The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles on SportsLook.