To follow everything that's happening in the world of sports in, say, the course of a year, you need to be available 24/7 to monitor the news.
For this column, though, let's focus on a handful of big stories from the past week or so ― soccer, baseball, basketball and tennis.
Maeda Honored for Having an Excellent Season
Celtic FC forward Daizen Maeda was named the Scottish Players' Player of the Year award winner on Monday, May 5.
It was hardly a surprise that Maeda got the nod for the award. He's had a spectacular season for Celtic, which recently sealed its fourth consecutive Scottish Premiership title.
Maeda, has been a dynamic scorer and playmaker for his club in the 2024-25 campaign. In 48 appearances across all competitions, the 27-year-old has notched 33 goals and provided 11 assists. And he's No 1 in the Scottish Premiership with 16 goals and 10 assists while playing 32 matches.
Celtic (27 wins, four draws, four defeats) is wrapping up its 38-game league campaign this month.
For Maeda, being voted the league's top player by players in all of Scotland's pro soccer divisions, came as a delightful surprise.
"I didn't imagine this, but I just carried on what I've been doing before and I'm glad it led to a positive outcome," Maeda was quoted as saying by Kyodo News.
Want to impress your Japanese friends with soccer trivia?
Remember this: Maeda is the third Japanese player to win the Scottish Players' Player of the Year accolade. The others: Shunsuke Nakamura (2006-07) and Kyogo Furuhashi (2022-23), both of whom starred for Celtic when they were honored.
Ohtani Making an Impact for the Dodgers
In his past seven games (through Thursday, May 8), Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani hit .333 (9-for-27) with four home runs and six RBIs. He's also walked six times in that span, which started on May 2. Also this month, the reigning National League MVP has a jaw-dropping .926 slugging percentage.
Since Opening Day on March 18 in Tokyo, Ohtani has 11 homers and 10 stolen bases with a .296 batting in 36 games for the NL West-leading Dodgers (25-13).
The pride of Iwate Prefecture whacked his 11th homer with two outs and the bases empty in the top of the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix on Thursday. It accounted for the final run in the Dodgers' 5-3 loss.
Can Ohtani attain back-to-back 50-50 (homers, stolen bases) seasons?
That certainly appears to be a possibility.
After hammering a career-high 54 homers in 2024, Ohtani's longest stretch without a round-tripper this season is five games. In other words, he's consistently hitting the ball over the fence.
Indeed, it's good news for Dodgers fans.
By the way, Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber entered the weekend of May 9-11 leading the NL in homers (12).
Imanaga Lands on Injured List with Hamstring Strain
For the first time in his pro baseball career, Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga is sidelined with a leg injury.
Imanaga was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain on Monday. He sustained the injury while on the move to cover first base in the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers the previous day.
The popular starter, who is 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA in eight starts this season, is coping with his injury with a positive attitude, recognizing that the team's medical staff is there to help him. And his comments to the press also underscore the fact that he views a teammate who has also had the same injury as a resource.
Cubs southpaw Justin Steele dealt with a left hamstring injury early in the 2024 season.
"If something does come up in the rehab process that I have questions about, I can ask him about it," Imanaga said through an interpreter, according to MLB.com. "It's reassuring knowing that there's somebody else who went through it, and if they have any advice about it, I can talk to them about it."
Diligent in his mental and physical preparations for each start, Imanaga recognizes he can probably learn something during his injury rehabilitation process.
"I try to prepare myself 100 percent for each start," Imanaga was quoted as saying by MLB's official website. "There's probably so many different factors going on [that lead to an injury]. For me, it's good to take time and kind of reflect on what I need to work on, if it's preparation before the game, and what kind of adjustments I need to make."
A Memorable Farewell for B.League's Gibbs
In the final game of his pro basketball career, Jeff Gibbs of the B.League's Koshigaya Alphas had 26 points, eight rebounds, five assists (without a turnover) and three steals in 36-plus minutes against the Utsunomiya Brex on Sunday, May 4.
The Brex, for whom Gibbs played from 2016-21, won the teams' season finale, 83-69, in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture.
Gibbs, 44, was an undersized but muscular forward at 188 cm. And he always played big, using his strength and basketball IQ. Throughout his career, the former Otterbein (Ohio) University alum was a premier rebounder despite his stature in a tall man's game, reminiscent of NBA great Charles Barkley.
He was a fierce competitor but also maintained a cheerful demeanor on and off the court. And I don't think I've ever met somebody who loved their job more than Jeff.
Gibbs played the majority of his pro career in Japan, starting in 2010 with the Toyota Motors Alvark (now known as the Alvark Tokyo). He also suited up for the Nagasaki Velca and the Sunrockers Shibuya.
"I've been here 15 years in Japan playing basketball, watching this league grow from when I came in to what it is now, it's great," Gibbs told reporters after the season finale.
"[During] my time here, I've had a lot of memories [on] all of the teams I've been on. It really hasn't hit me yet that today's my last game, but I've had a great time."
Gibbs' Impressions of His Send-Off Game
As his own critic, Gibbs delivered an astute breakdown of his performance in the final game of his career as a pro athlete.
"I just tried to go out there today and play hard," he said. "[And] I had a good game today. My goal today was to put up 21 shots for the 21 years I've played as a professional basketball player. I see I got 16 shots up, so I didn't get that, but no, I mean, I had a great time today."
A Notable Sports Achievement for Osaka
On Sunday, May 4, Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam singles champion, won her first tennis tournament since launching a comeback following the birth of her daughter Shai in July 2023. The 27-year-old Osaka beat Slovenia's Kaja Juvan 6-1, 7-5 in the L'Open 35 de Saint-Malo title match in Saint-Malo, France.
It was Osaka's first title in a tournament on clay and her first title since the 2021 Australian Open.
"Kinda ironic to win my first trophy back on the surface that I thought was my worst," Osaka wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
She added, "That's one of my favorite things about life though, there's always room to grow and evolve.
"Thanks to everyone accompanying me on this journey, I know it's turbulent but it's also really fun and I'm grateful."
Osaka climbed from 55th to 48th in the WTA Tour's singles rankings the next day.
It's my view that Osaka's triumph in France at a tourney that no one would consider a major event is an important development in her career. First and foremost, it should boost her confidence.
RELATED:
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- [ODDS and EVENS] Highs and Lows and Other Observations from the World of Sports
Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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