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Marines get their due, and then some
By Jim Allen, Daily Yomiuri -- A year after the players and fans rebelled against NPB's old guard, it was entirely fitting that Japan's most fan-friendly organization, the Chiba Lotte Marines, won every title around.
December 30: Full Story
Also: Top 20 Japan sports stories of 2005
Jim Allen: Long road to the top for Hawks' Miyaji
Dave Wiggins: World Baseball Classic 'Much Ado About Nothing'
Related: Matsui picks club over country
Kiyohara ready to start anew with Orix
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Veteran slugger Kazuhiro Kiyohara said Monday he is ready to make a fresh start in his career with the Orix Buffaloes and determined to help his new team win a championship.
December 26: Full Story
PL: SoftBank offers Matsunaka multiyear deal
Also: Hawks lock in ace Saito for three years
Swallows to bid for southpaw Ishii
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- The Yakult Swallows will launch a bid to regain the services of lefthander Kazuhisa Ishii, who was cut by the New York Mets last month, club president Yoshikazu Tagiku said Monday.
December 19: Full Story
PL: Orix signs Grabowski
Former Kintetsu, Orix skipper Ogi passes away
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Former baseball manager and Hall of Famer Akira Ogi, who helped Seattle Mariners star outfielder Ichiro Suzuki spring to fame, died of respiratory failure at a Fukuoka hospital on Thursday. He was 70.
December 16: Full Story
Daily Yomiuri: Ex-Buffs' boss Ogi dead at 70
Giants sign Powell to two-year deal
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- The Yomiuri Giants said Thursday they have signed righthander Jeremy Powell, who played for the Orix Buffaloes in 2005 and has a 57-47 record in the past five seasons in Japan, to a two-year contract.
"The acquisition of Powell is very encouraging. First and foremost, he can be a key rotation starter for us," Giants manager Tatsunori Hara said.
December 15: Full Story
Related: Giants pick up pitching punch with Powell
PL: Matsuzaka re-signs with Seibu for 330 million
Also: Orix offers deal to Nakamura, in talks with Kiyohara
NPB: Yakult to add Tokyo to its official name
Eagles acquire former Lion Fernandez
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- The Rakuten Eagles said Tuesday they have acquired infielder Jose Fernandez, who left the Seibu Lions after the end of this past season, on a one-year deal.
December 13: Full Story
CL: Carp sign Douglass, extend Bale
PL: Seibu inks Nishiguchi to record deal
MLB: Tampa Bay obtains right to negotiate with Mori
Earlier: Hanshin acquires Australian pitcher Oxspring
Mori draws bid from major leagues
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Seibu Lions reliever Shinji Mori has drawn at least one bid under the so-called posting system, which would give him a chance to pursue a career in the major leagues, baseball sources said Tuesday.
December 6-8: Full Story
Update: Indians reportedly make bid on Mori
Valentine: Japan champs could have challenged White Sox
CL: Giants' Y. Takahashi to go under knife
Also: Museum dedicated to slugger Matsui opens doors to public
Wayne Graczyk: New Carp skipper Brown can't wait for spring training
Batista released with one year left on contract
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- The SoftBank Hawks have notified infielder Tony Batista that he has been left out of their plans for next season.
"Our team plans to give young talent more playing time," club representative Masashi Tsunoda said.
December 2: Full Story
Giants sign Toyoda to 2-year contract
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- The Yomiuri Giants signed free agent righthander Kiyoshi Toyoda to a two-year contract Sunday in an attempt to bolster their bullpen.
November 27: Full Story
Related: Toyoda joins Giants
Miyamoto to head players association
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Yakult Swallows infielder Shinya Miyamoto is set to take over from Atsuya Furuta as Japanese baseball players association president.
November 24: Full Story
CL: Yakult refuses to give Ishii MLB green light
PL: Slugger Cabrera to remain with Lions
Jim Allen: PL fails to address real playoff issue
Pacific League to revamp playoffs
Daily Yomiuri -- After two straight seasons of watching its top-seeded team get knocked out of the playoffs, the Pacific League will give its regular season leader a guaranteed one-game advantage next autumn.
November 21: Full Story
AP: Jojima agrees to contract with Seattle
Desperate Giants go for mound help in draft
By Jim Allen, Daily Yomiuri -- With their woeful 2005 season in the books, the Yomiuri Giants continued their search for more pitching on Friday, using their first three options to go for pitchers in the second phase of Nippon Professional Baseball's fall draft.
November 18: Full Story
Related: Rakuten picks southpaw Matsuzaki in amateur draft
Lotte holds off Samsung to win Asia Series title
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Benny Agbayani hit a two-run go-ahead single to play hero for the third night in a row Sunday as the Japan Series champion Lotte Marines beat the Samsung Lions of South Korea 5-3 to win the inaugural Asia Series.
"This was the final game of the year so we really wanted to end it with a victory," said Agbayani, the MVP of the series who went 4-for-12 with two homers and nine RBIs in the four-day meet.
November 13: Full Story
Daily Yomiuri: Marines conquer Asia
Japan Times: Marines sweep Asia Series
Related: Box || Log (Jp)
Wayne Graczyk: Decision by Giants to release reliever Sikorski a real mystery
Agbayani plays hero as M's beat China Stars
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Benny Agbayani turned the game around with a bases-clearing double in the fifth inning Saturday as the Japan Series champion Lotte Marines came from behind to beat the China Stars 3-1 in the Asia Series.
November 12: Full Story
Daily Yomiuri: Marines call up reserves
Related: Box || Log (Jp)
Marines secure spot in Asia Series final
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Benny Agbayani homered twice and drove in four runs and Naoyuki Shimizu pitched seven strong innings Friday to help the Lotte Marines earn a spot in the Asia Series final with a 12-1 rout of the Sinon Bulls of Taiwan.
November 11: Full Story
Daily Yomiuri: Marines march on Bulls overrun
Related: Box || Log (Jp)
Also: Lotte agrees with Valentine on 3-year deal
Kobayashi sets pace as Lotte downs Samsung
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Hiroyuki Kobayashi pitched six effective innings and Saburo Omura drove in a pair of runs as the Japan Series champion Lotte Marines defeated the Samsung Lions of South Korea 6-2 in the Asia Series on Thursday.
November 10: Full Story
Daily Yomiuri: Marines have the force
Related: Box || Log (Jp)
Also: Lotte says it is close to making new deal with Valentine
CL: Free agent Noguchi to join Yomiuri
Expect Marines to give Asia taste of what they dished out in Japan
By Jim Allen, Daily Yomiuri -- While fans around Asia welcome the long-overdue Asia Series and cross their fingers for some good competition, the Japan champion Chiba Lotte Marines will seek to assert control - at least of the strike zone.
November 9: Full Story
Daily Yomiuri: Sun revives Samsung Lions with defense
Related: Korean 'treasure' returns for Konami Cup
More: Sinon Bulls learn from owner's tough love
Also: China Stars just warming up
Valentine: Let champs play for charity
Lotte infielders sweep up Golden Gloves
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- November 9: Full Story
Related: M's grab club-record five Golden Glove awards
Jim Allen: Owners' squabbles a sideshow
Kanemoto, Sugiuchi named 2005 MVPs
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Hanshin Tigers outfielder Tomoaki Kanemoto and SoftBank Hawks lefty Toshiya Sugiuchi were named the Most Valuable Players in their respective leagues for the 2005 season on Friday.
November 4: Full Story
Related: Top of the class
Jim Allen: Baseball club owners agree to disagree
PL: Wada drives in two runs as PL West edges East in exhibition
Shoriki Award goes to Valentine
By Jim Allen, Daily Yomiuri -- For the first time in its history, the award for the greatest contribution to Japanese baseball went to a man born outside the country, when Chiba Lotte Marines manager Bobby Valentine was named the winner of the prestigious Shoriki Award.
November 2: Full Story
Related: Now comes hard part for Marines
Also: Korean slugger Lee hopes to stay with Lotte
Dave Wiggins: Bobby V's got a gift but please don't call it magic
Matsuzaka shelves big league plans
Japan Times -- Seibu Lions ace righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka has given up on his plan to pursue a career in the major leagues and will remain with Seibu next season.
October 31: Full Story
PL: Jojima declares free agency for major league switch
CL: Chunichi lefty Noguchi files for free agency
Asian championship next up for Lotte
By Jim Allen, Daily Yomiuri -- Before the beer even started flowing over their heads following a four-game sweep in the Japan Series, the Marines began talking about their next step - the Asian Series.
The Marines will represent Japan in the Konami Cup, which runs from Nov. 10-13 at Tokyo Dome and is the first club championship of Asian baseball.
October 27: Full Story
Related: Konami Cup
John E. Gibson: Marines make big splash
PL: Jojima undecided over major league switch
Also: Seibu shuns Matsuzaka's request
MLB: Dreams come true for Iguchi as White Sox win World Series
Valentine's Marines win Japan Series
Mainichi Daily News -- South Korean slugger Lee Seung-yeop drove in all three runs Wednesday, leading Bobby Valentine's Chiba Lotte Marines to a 3-2 win over the Hanshin Tigers and their first Japan Series title in 31 years.
"I feel wonderful," said Valentine, who became the first foreign manager to win a Japan Series. "We started in spring training with a dream to be here for the last game. We wanted to win the last game and we did."
October 26: Full Story More: Japan Series
Second Hara era begins
Daily Yomiuri -- Tatsunori Hara returned to the field as Yomiuri Giants manager on Tuesday as the club opened its autumn camp in Miyazaki.
October 25: Full Story
Mainichi Daily News: Giants chairman Watanabe blasts outsiders interference in pro baseball teams
Related: Giants' Watanabe urges Murakami Fund, Orix to give up baseball financial ties
Jack Gallagher: Eagles not showing progressive thinking in hiring Nomura as new manager
SoftBank's Sugiuchi wins Sawamura Award
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Japanese baseball officials unanimously selected SoftBank Hawks pitcher Toshiya Sugiuchi as the best starting pitcher in both the Central League and Pacific League, making him the first left-hander from the PL to receive the award.
October 24: Full Story
Related: Sugiuchi lives, learns, takes Sawamura
Nomura to manage Rakuten next season
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Katsuya Nomura has accepted a request to take over as new manager of the Rakuten Eagles next season.
October 20: Full Story
Jim Allen: Fukuoka fans take another hit
Related: Hawks sign Taiwanese pitcher Yang
Also: Osaka biggest supplier of high school baseball players to other prefectures
Furuta to manage, play for Swallows
Japan Times -- Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta came to agreement with his Central League club Tuesday on a two-year deal that will make him the first player-manager in 29 years in Japanese professional baseball.
October 18: Full Story
Jim Allen: Marines the ultimate combination of individuals
Valentine's Marines win PL pennant
Mainichi Daily News -- Bobby Valentine's Chiba Lotte Marines are going to the Japan Series for the first time in 31 years.
Tomoya Satozaki doubled in a pair of runs in the top of the eighth inning as the Marines defeated the SoftBank Hawks 3-2 in Game 5 of the PL's second stage playoffs on Monday.
October 17: Full Story More: PL Playoffs
Yakult's Aoki ends season with 202 hits
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Norichika Aoki went 1-for-4 to finish the season with a Central League record 202 hits and claimed the league batting title with a .344 average in the Yakult Swallows' 5-2 win over the Yokohama BayStars on Friday.
October 14: Full Story
Also: Commissioner eyeing rules on ballclub ownership
Aoki joins Ichiro in 200-hit club
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Norichika Aoki hit a leadoff single to right in the first inning of the Yakult Swallows' 5-0 win over the Yokohama BayStars on Tuesday, making him the second player in Japanese baseball history to reach 200 hits in a single season.
October 11: Full Story
Pitch-by-pitch: The 23-year-old rookie went 2-for-4 with a walk to become the first CL player and second overall to reach the milestone.
M's sweep Lions, move on to face Hawks
By Stephen Ellsesser, Japan Times -- Hiroyuki Kobayashi took a two-hitter into the eighth inning, striking out nine, as Lotte completed a first-stage Pacific League playoff series sweep with a 3-1 win over Seibu at Chiba Marine Stadium on Sunday.
October 9: Full Story More: PL Playoffs
Murata, Doi lead Yokohama over Yakult
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Shuichi Murata opened the scoring with a three-run homer and Yoshihiro Doi pitched 7-2/3 strong innings Saturday as the Yokohama BayStars beat the Yakult Swallows 8-1.
October 8: Full Story
CL: Hiroshima, Brown agree on terms for manager's job
Wayne Graczyk: Dark season for Giants comes to quiet end at Tokyo Dome
Shimoyanagi goes all out for 15th win
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Takashi Toritani hit his second home run of the night in the bottom of the 10th inning Wednesday, giving the Hanshin Tigers a 3-2 sayonara victory over the Yokohama BayStars.
Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi became the CL's first 15-game winner after holding Yokohama to two runs in 10 innings.
October 5: Full Story
CL: Horiuchi era fades to black as Giants lose to Carp
Also: Imaoka, Shimoyanagi win monthly MVP awards
Hara to manage Giants again
Mainichi Daily News -- Former Yomiuri Giants Manager Tatsunori Hara will skipper the team again, club officials said Wednesday.
Hara, 47, will replace outgoing manager Tsuneo Horiuchi, 57, who announced earlier Wednesday that he will step down to take responsibility for the club's poor performance this season.
October 5: Full Story
Kyodo: Hara confirmed as new Yomiuri manager
John E. Gibson: Hara back to rebuild Giants
Related: Giants now truly Yankees of Japan
CL: Yakult reluctant about major league switch by Iwamura
MLB: A tough year for Ichiro
BayStars outhomer Tigers at Koshien
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Tatsuhiko Kinjo turned the game around with a sixth-inning two-run homer as the Yokohama BayStars outslugged the CL champion Hanshin Tigers 6-4 Tuesday.
October 4: Full Story
CL: Yakult snaps Nakata's winning streak
Also: Iwamura eyeing switch to major leagues
Tsujiuchi picked by Yomiuri in draft
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- The Yomiuri Giants acquired the rights to negotiate a contract with fastballer Takanobu Tsujiuchi in the amateur baseball draft for high school players on Monday.
October 3: Full Story
Related: Giants get top H.S. hurler Tsujiuchi after draft mix-up
Swallows' Aoki ties CL hit mark
By John E. Gibson, Daily Yomiuri -- The Yakult Swallows are playing for third place in the Central League standings, but leadoff hitter Norichika Aoki is still shooting for the top.
The league's leading batter collected his 192nd hit of the season in the third inning of Sunday's 7-0 loss to the Hanshin Tigers to match the 1999 mark set by Bobby Rose of the Yokohama BayStars.
October 2: Full Story
Related: Aoki, Imaoka match records in CL
CL champion Tigers roar past Swallows
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Cleanup hitter Tomoaki Kanemoto homered and drove in four runs Saturday, helping the newly crowned Central League champion Hanshin Tigers overpower the Yakult Swallows 10-5.
October 1: Full Story
CL: Iwase becomes record-setting saviour
Kyodo: Kiyohara given unconditional release
Daily Yomiuri: Giants ax slugger Kiyohara
PL: Rakuten owner Mikitani makes formal push for Nomura
Wayne Graczyk: Sheets a key player for Tigers in pennant-winning season
Tigers' fans suffer no more
By Jim Allen, Daily Yomiuri -- For years, being a Hanshin Tigers fan meant enduring little but suffering. But not anymore.
Only two seasons after sweeping to their last Central League title, the Hanshin Tigers are once more CL champions.
September 30: Full Story
Tigers beat Giants, clinch CL title
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Tomoaki Kanemoto drove in his 120th run of the season and veteran lefty Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi pitched six scoreless innings Thursday, helping lift the Hanshin Tigers to a 5-1 victory to claim their first Central League title in two years.
September 29: Full Story
Related: Tigers head to Japan Series
PL: Seibu slugger Cabrera sidelined with broken wrist
Kyodo: Ogi to step down as Orix manager
Daily Yomiuri: Orix skipper Ogi calls it quits at 70
Tigers a step away from CL title
By Jim Allen, Daily Yomiuri -- The Hanshin Tigers advanced to the brink of their fifth CL championship on Wednesday with a 7-5 victory over the Yomiuri Giants in front of 48,551 fans gripped with pennant fever.
September 28: Full Story
PL: Matsunaka finishes with two titles as PL ends season
Jim Allen: PL playoff race shows format flaws
Also: Oh set to manage Hawks for 12th year in 2006
Rookie Nakata wins sixth straight start
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Kosuke Fukudome and Alex Ochoa homered and combined for four RBIs to help the Chunichi Dragons extend their winning streak to four games with a 5-2 win over the Yokohama BayStars in Tuesday's only CL game.
Kenichi Nakata (8-2) held Yokohama to a run and five hits in 7 2/3 innings of work.
September 27: Full Story
PL: Nomura willing to take over as Rakuten manager
CL: Sheets swings as Tigers approach clincher
Wayne Graczyk: Carp may bring in ex-player Brown to try and revive club
Hawks victory sets up PL playoff seeds
By John E. Gibson, Daily Yomiuri -- The Seibu Lions had nothing to gain with a win. The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks had something to lose with a loss.
In the end, both teams came out winners as SoftBank claimed the PL's best regular-season record with a 4-2 victory on Sunday to lock up the top playoff seed.
September 25: Full Story
Related: It's cool to lose
PL: Fallen Eagles shove manager Tao from nest
CL: Imaoka lifts Tigers with 3-run homer in 9th
Dave Wiggins: It's just no fun hating the sad sack Giants these days
Lions secure 24th straight top-three finish
By John E. Gibson, Daily Yomiuri -- For the second consecutive game, the SoftBank Hawks had trouble sealing the deal in the ninth inning, and the Seibu Lions staged a dramatic 6-5 come-from-behind win that will likely give them the third and final spot in the PL playoffs.
"I don't know why we always get knocked around in the ninth inning," an agitated SoftBank skipper Sadaharu Oh said.
September 24: Full Story
Photo: Pinch-hitter Taketoshi Goto hits a sayonara two-run double as Seibu rallies past visiting SoftBank to secure third place in the Pacific League standings
CL: Fujimoto drives in key runs in Tigers victory
Related: Osaka erects bridge fences to stop Hanshin fans jumping off
Jojima-less Hawks hold on to edge Lions
By John E. Gibson, Daily Yomiuri -- Without their all-star catcher Kenji Jojima, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks can expect some tough times down the stretch.
Their 5-4 win over the Seibu Lions on Friday afternoon at Seibu Dome was one example.
September 23: Full Story
CL: Tigers beat Carp, lower magic number to 5
Source: Furuta to take helm
Hawks avoid sweep, lose Jojima for season
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Katsuhiko Miyaji, Tony Batista and Julio Zuleta homered and Nobuhiko Matsunaka drove in three runs as the PL-leading SoftBank Hawks avoided a four-game sweep with a 7-1 win over the Chiba Lotte Marines.
September 22: Full Story
Related: Jojima suffers broken shin
CL: Yomiuri to offer Hara manager's job
Also: Furuta to consider Yakult offer after season ends
Veterans put Tigers back on track
Daily Yomiuri -- A pair of 37-year-olds turned around the Hanshin Tigers' fortunes and restarted their push for the Central League pennant.
Veteran lefty Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi (13-3) worked six innings and Tomoaki Kanemoto gave the Tigers the lead with a second inning homer in a 4-0 win over the Chunichi Dragons on Wednesday.
September 21: Full Story
Jim Allen: For Hanshin it's tough being on top
CL: Yakult manager Wakamatsu to resign at season's end
Related: Furuta given offer for Yakult manager job
Pitch-by-pitch: When able to put the ball into play with less than two strikes against Dragons ace Kawakami, Kanemoto went 6-for-8 with five extra-base hits this season, while going 2-for-6 with a homer with two strikes in count. He also struck out once.
Marines bust out to wallop Hawks
By Andrew Mitchell, Asahi Shimbun -- Having gone hitless in their first four frames at the plate, the Marines erupted for nine hits in the bottom of the fifth, scoring eight runs en route to a 13-3 win.
September 21: Full Story
Kyodo: Marines harpoon Hawks with yet another come-from-behind win
Photo: Fireworks at the Chiba Marine Stadium following the hosts' eight-run 5th inning.
Related: Hawks' Batista says bring it on
Pitch-by-pitch: Tony Batista versus the Marines
Lotte rallies past SoftBank
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Matt Franco had a pair of key RBI hits and Kazuya Fukuura drove home the go-ahead run as the Chiba Lotte Marines came from five runs down to beat the front-running SoftBank Hawks 9-5 on Monday.
September 19: Full Story
CL: Fukudome, Woods lead 12-2 rout of Tigers
Related: Sato, Dragons on fire
Dave Wiggins: Dragons' hopes slip sliding away
Kyodo: Baseball circles mourn death of Daiei founder Nakauchi
Also: Hawks's Wada pitches in to help world's children
Hawks' Arakaki corrals Buffaloes
Daily Yomiuri -- Nagisa Arakaki threw a three-hitter and struck out 11 to win a nail-biting pitchers' duel and increase the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks' Pacific League lead to five games.
September 18: Full Story
Photo: Lions rookie Minoru Yamagishi threw 5 1/3 perfect innings in emergency relief for his first victory.
Wayne Graczyk: Valentine, Marines take lead in hurricane, typhoon relief
Kubo throws 5-hit shutout vs Lions
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Rookie Yasutomo Kubo (10-2) pitched his third shutout and Toshiaki Imae drove in three runs as the Chiba Lotte Marines defeated the Seibu Lions 6-0 on Saturday.
September 17: Full Story
Photo: Kubo is the fifth 10-game winner this season for Bobby Valentine's crew.
CL: Iwamura helps Yakult snap Hanshin's winning streak
Doi, Taneda lead BayStars over Giants
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Yoshihiro Doi pitched his fourth complete game of the season and Hitoshi Taneda went 4-for-4 to lead a 14-hit attack as the Yokohama BayStars beat the Yomiuri Giants 7-3 on Friday.
September 16: Full Story
CL: Furuta tapped as candidate for Yakult manager job, but wants to continue playing
Related: Furuta's future with Swallows takes spotlight
Press conference: Career Carp Nomura announces retirement
Also: Hiroshima to give Carp new stadium in 2009
WBC: NPB, players agree on Japan's participation
Imaoka's fourth slam powers Tigers
By Jim Allen, Daily Yomiuri -- With league RBI leader Makoto Imaoka supplying the power and veteran lefty Tsuyoshi Shimoyangi providing the control, the Tigers rumbled over the Yomiuri Giants 7-1, recording their sixth straight victory and opening up a 7-1/2 lead over the Chunichi Dragons.
September 15: Full Story
Related: Sheets may have suffered broken finger
Also: Tigers' fans roar as Hanshin's magic number lights up
CL: Ishikawa outduels Kuroda in 1-0 victory
PL: Rakuten to release six veteran pitchers
Buffaloes a good bet for playoffs
By Jim Allen, Daily Yomiuri -- Does anyone remember the days before baseball had playoffs, when the only thing that mattered was finishing first? Now, as the Pacific League season winds down, five clubs have something to gain in the final weeks thanks to the complicated nature of the PL playoff system.
September 14: Full Story
Zuleta, Wada lift Hawks over Fighters
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Julio Zuleta homered and Tsuyoshi Wada took a no-hitter into the seventh inning Wednesday, lifting the front-running SoftBank Hawks to a 1-0 shutout of the Nippon Ham Fighters.
September 14: Full Story
Related: Wada silences Fighters
CL: Dragons lose, idle Tigers open magic number
Also: Osaka Toin's Hirata, Tsujiuchi to be available at high school draft
Tigers hammer Giants, win 5th straight
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Tomoaki Kanemoto drove in six runs and Makoto Imaoka and Andy Sheets had four RBIs apiece Tuesday as the Hanshin Tigers demolished the Yomiuri Giants 16-1.
September 13: Full Story
CL: Carp manager Yamamoto to resign
PL: Matsuzaka throws seven shutout innings in Seibu victory
Also: Batista's blast knocks out Fighters
Tabloids lean toward reluctant Hara taking Giants manager job
Mainichi Daily News -- Ailing Yomiuri Giants frantic search for a new manager hit another snag with favorite Tatsunori Hara not too keen on the job.
September 12: Full Story
Related: Tigers fans relieved by Hoshino's decision to stay with club
Dave Wiggins: PL playoff format brings more thrills to Japan baseball
Wayne Graczyk: CL may hold playoffs sooner than you think
Tigers score club-record 21 runs
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- The Hanshin Tigers pounded out 17 hits and capitalized on nine walks and five errors to demolish the Hiroshima Carp 21-2 on Saturday and move five games ahead of the second-place Chunichi Dragons.
September 10: Full Story
CL: Kokubo reaches 300 HRs, Giants foil Dragons
Related: Kokubo gives a high 1-2 fastball a ride the opposite way in the first
Pitch-by-pitch: Kokubo goes 3-for-4 with 5 RBIs
PL: Matsunaka hits 41st homer as Hawks beat Eagles
Photo: Toshiya Sugiuchi becomes the first Hawk to amass 200 Ks since 1960
Kyodo: Hoshino turnes down Yomiuri offer
Daily Yomiuri: Hoshino to stay with Tigers
Tokyo Big Six League: Tokyo University sinkerballer Yuusuke Matsuoka blanks spring champion Waseda 1-0 on five hits in the autumn season opener (Sports Hochi photo)
Kudo puts brakes on Dragons' pursuit
By John E. Gibson, Daily Yomiuri -- The Chunichi Dragons' catch phrase is "Road to Victory," but the players appear to be asleep at the wheel.
Southpaw Kimiyasu Kudo was the defending Central League champions' latest bump in the road, firing three-hit ball over six innings in the Yomiuri Giants' 3-0 win Friday at Tokyo Dome.
September 9: Full Story
Related: Chunichi had their best scoring chance in the 7th, loading the bases against Brian Sikorski with one out, but Motonobu Tanishige popped out and pinch-hitter Mitsunobu Takahashi struck out looking on the 11th pitch of the at-bat (Sports Hochi photo).
Also: Kanemoto lifts Hanshin, joins 1,000 RBI club
Pitch-by-pitch: With one out in the sixth, Kanemoto drove an 0-1 fastball from Hiroki Kuroda over the center-field wall for his 34th homer, becoming the 26th player to reach 1,000 career RBIs.
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