Features [JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] Veteran Hurler Chihiro Kaneko Announces Retirement Chihiro Kaneko, who led the Pacific League in wins in 2010 and 2014, is set to begin his coaching career with the Texas Rangers... Ed OdevenDecember 25, 2022
Features [NOTES on a SCORECARD] Skipping Rural Games, Annual Trip to Tokyo a Mistake by Nipponham Fighters The Nipponham Fighters will play all of their 2023 home games at the new ES CON Field Hokkaido instead of at several venues, breaking... Jack GallagherNovember 27, 2022
Baseball Fighters Hurler Cody Ponce Twirls NPB’s Fifth No-Hitter This Season Ponce, a former Pittsburgh Pirates player, became the Pacific League franchise’s first pitcher to throw a no-no since Yukihiro Nishizaki in 1995. Ed OdevenAugust 28, 2022
Baseball #10 Sports Talk ― Baseball Banter with Jim Armstrong as NPB’s Interleague Play Dominates the Headlines Insights on Roki Sasaki’s rising fame, other young stars to keep an eye on, Yoshihisa Hirano’s brilliant career as a closer, and much more. Ed OdevenJune 8, 2022
Baseball [NPB NOTEBOOK] Junya Nishi Showing Potential of Becoming a Two-Way Star The Hanshin Tigers pitcher excelled on the mound and at the plate in a recent big win over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. Jim ArmstrongMay 21, 2022
Baseball [NPB NOTEBOOK] Highlighting Some of the Year’s Best Performers So Far Tigers slugger Teruaki Sato, Giants rookie closer Taisei Ota and Marines catcher Ko Matsukawa are shining for their respective teams. Jim ArmstrongApril 23, 2022
Baseball Marines’ Roki Sasaki Pulled After Eight Perfect Innings in Start After His Perfect Game Manager Tadahito Iguchi decided to limit the young right-hander to eight innings, citing the desire to rest the 20-year-old’s arm. Jim ArmstrongApril 17, 2022
Baseball Fighters Hoping Kotaro Kiyomiya Can Get Into the Swing of Things The high school standout has yet to replicate his prodigious power numbers at the pro level. Jim ArmstrongApril 16, 2022
Baseball #7 Sports Talk ― Jim Armstrong Discusses New Fighters Manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo’s Leadership Style Easygoing, quirky and a hands-on skipper, Shinjo is a breath of fresh air in Nippon Professional Baseball, which often appears set in its ways,... Ed OdevenApril 13, 2022
Baseball Big Boss Determined to Do Things His Way The season may have started off slowly but flamboyant manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo is living the dream in Hokkaido. Jim ArmstrongApril 12, 2022
Baseball [NPB NOTEBOOK] Big Boss Has Big Plans Tsuyoshi Shinjo made a grand entrance at the Fighters spring camp, and since then, he’s raised a few eyebrows with his unorthodox training methods,... Jim ArmstrongMarch 5, 2022