Kanemoto lifts Tigers to first victory

Japanese Pro Yakyu 2006

New Yakult helmsman Atsuya Furuta is the first player-manager since his former skipper Katsuya Nomura both caught and managed with Nankai back in 1978 (Photo Source: SportsNavi)

JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Tomoaki Kanemoto homered and went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and Hirotaka Egusa pitched eight shutout innings Sunday as the Hanshin Tigers defeated the Yakult Swallows 9-1 for its first win of the season in the Central League.
April 2: Full Story
PL: Seibu wins third straight game vs Lotte

Murata goes yard twice as BayStars stomp Giants
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Shuichi Murata homered twice and drove in six runs and Yoshihiro Doi held a power-laden lineup to one run over seven sharp innings, leading the Yokohama BayStars to a 9-1 rout of the Yomiuri Giants on Saturday.
April 1: Full Story
Related: Doi keeps Giants at Bay
PL: Lions rally past Lotte on Kataoka's double
Daily Yomiuri: Hawks pull out late win

Central League teams ready to go
John E. Gibson, Daily Yomiuri -- The defending Central League champion Hanshin Tigers were content to stand pat in the off-season, while a couple of clubs made moves to improve their chances of being the last team standing.
March 30: Full Story
Kyodo: Wada outduels Matsuzaka to lift Hawks over Lions
Daily Yomiuri: Marines complete three-game sweep of Fighters
Rob Smaal: Baseball truly global game for Marines' Pascucci

Gin-chan blasts two HRs in rout of Hawks
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Rookie catcher Ginjiro Sumitani homered twice and drove in six runs to power the Seibu Lions to a 13-4 romp, handing the SoftBank Hawks their first defeat of the regular season Wednesday.
March 29: Full Story
Daily Yomiuri: SubMarine sinks Fighters
Jim Allen: Japan takes its game to new heights

Arakaki goes nine as Hawks edge Lions
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Pinch-hitter Hiroshi Shibahara drove in the decisive run with an RBI single in the ninth inning, lifting SoftBank to a sayonara victory for its third straight win since opening day.
Lefty Kazuyuki Hoashi pitched a three-hitter over eight strong innings before giving way to a shaky Seibu bullpen. Nagisa Arakaki (1-0) went the distance, allowing four hits, one walk with a hit batsman to earn the win.
March 28: Full Story
Marines back in step: Defending champs shut out Fighters to pick up first victory
The Art of Hitting: Twins greats Carew, Molitor and Oliva discuss their favorite subject

Oh's 'small-ball' Hawks go deep on Marines
John E. Gibson, Daily Yomiuri -- His players might have bought in to the idea, but after this performance Softbank skipper Sadaharu Oh will have a hard time selling this "small ball" idea to the rest of the Pacific League.
The Hawks belted three long balls in the first two innings, and held on to beat the defending Japan Series champion Chiba Lotte Marines 9-7 on Sunday with 33,388 spectators on hand at Fukuoka Yahoo! Japan Dome.
March 26: Full Story
Kyodo: SoftBank deals Lotte another blow
Seibu 8, Orix 2: Asahi Shimbun recap
Rob Smaal: Best and worst WBC moments
Opensen: Uehara, Powell solid in final tune-up

Saito shuts down Marines in PL opener
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Kazumi Saito pitched eight strong innings and Naoyuki Omura delivered a two-run single in a four-run second inning as the SoftBank Hawks beat the Lotte Marines 7-2 on opening day of the Pacific League regular season Saturday.
March 25: Full Story
John E. Gibson: Hawks off to flying start
Jim Allen: Nori-Kiyo combo powers Buffs over Lions
Opensen: Sasaoka wins second spring start

Opening Day: WBC heroes return to action
Daily Yomiuri -- The Pacific League opens play on Saturday with a marquee matchup as the defending Japan Series champion Chiba Lotte Marines take on the SoftBank Hawks, the team they edged in last year's second stage of the playoffs.
March 24-25: Full Story
Asahi Shimbun 2006 team-by-team capsules:
Pacific League
• Lotte Marines
• SoftBank Hawks
• Seibu Lions
• Orix Buffaloes
• Nippon Ham Fighters
• Rakuten Eagles
Central League
• Hanshin Tigers
• Chunichi Dragons
• Yokohama BayStars
• Yakult Swallows
• Yomiuri Giants
• Hiroshima Carp
Wayne Graczyk: Furuta's Swallows have all the right stuff
Dave Wiggins: LaRocca provides even more punch to lineup of Swallows

Oh now setting sights on PL pennant
Mainichi -- Fukuoka Softbank Hawks manager Sadaharu Oh returned to his club after leading Japan to victory in the World Baseball Classic.
"I received an e-mail saying that the Hawks players were uniting well, and I could concentrate on the WBC games."
March 24: Full Story
Asahi Shimbun: WBC victory wasn't easy but it sure was sweet
Rob Smaal: Japanese baseball examining the WBC effect
Daily Yomiuri 2006 season special:
• Pacific League preview
• Central League preview
• Rookie pitchers add depth
• Popping the clutch
• Minor league gold mine
• Managing the revolution
• Brown left his heart in Hiroshima
• Hara determined to lead Giants back
• Serafini more than skin deep

High school invitational gets under way
Mainichi -- The 78th National Invitational High School Baseball Tournament began at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya on Thursday, with 32 teams from across Japan competing over 12 days.
March 23: Full Story
Photo: Opening ceremony
Senbatsu: Yahoo! Sports live pitch-by-pitch coverage
Opensen: WBC team members Miyamoto, Aoki help Yakult beat Hanshin

World champion baseball team returns home to hero's welcome
Mainichi Daily News -- March 22: Full Story
Yomiuri Shimbun: Fans greet WBC champs
Earlier: World champions still on a high
Photo: Team Japan players give manager Sadaharu Oh the traditional victory toss
WBC: Baseball hits a homer with Classic
AP: Cubans receive warm welcome back home
Tom Verducci: WBC winners and losers
MLB: Mori to undergo shoulder surgery
Opensen: Lee goes 2-for-3 for Yomiuri in return from WBC

Past headlines

March 14 - March 21
February 1 - March 14