Following our discussion, in podcast form, of how things are shaping up in the Pacific League this year, Dave and I have now posted some informal insight into how things are looking in the Central.
All six teams from NPB’s Central League are covered, and we do our best to rationalize each organization’s movements relative to [...]

March 29th, 2009

Tokyo Yakult Swallows 6

Saitama Seibu Lions 9

Streak: Lost 1       Last 5: WWWWL
(Seibu Dome)
Saitama scored six runs off of seven hits in the bottom of the third to build a lead that they would not relinquish. Tokyo starter Hye-cheon Lee would leave the game after that inning having given up seven runs (all [...]

Trans-Pacific Radio has just posted a short podcast previewing a few of the ins and outs, at least where personnel changes are concerned, of the off-season for the six teams in the Pacific League.
You can listen to the podcast on your computer by going here.

March 28th, 2009

Tokyo Yakult Swallows 8
Saitama Seibu Lions 1
Streak: Won 5       Last 5: WWWWW
(Seibu Dome)
The Swallows followed up their old-fashioned kicking of the Baystars on Thursday with a pretty stern smacking of the Saitama Lions this afternoon.
Aoki was in the lineup at 1pm, but was promptly yanked. I don’t know whether it was because Watanabe [...]

March 26th, 2009

Yokohama BayStars 1

Tokyo Yakult Swallows 10
Streak: Won 4    Last 5:LWWWW
(Jingu Stadium)
The birds stomped all over the Stars this afternoon. It wasn’t pretty, and they might as well have called the game after the fifth because nothing really happened after that, save a single in the top of the ninth.

March 24th, 2009

Yomiuri Giants 4

Tokyo Yakult Swallows 5

Streak: Won 3  Last 5: WLWWW
(Jingu Stadium)
Aaron Guiel came up with the late-inning heroics in this one by roping the game winning single to right field with the bases loaded.

Japan are the 2009 WBC Champions. But unlike 2006, there will be no disputing their right to call themselves such this time. A clutch two out two RBI single from Ichiro in the top of the 10th inning was enough to break a 3-3 tie and win the game for team Japan. Their thrilling victory [...]

The 2009 WBC final will be between Japan and Korea after Japan rolled over a lackluster USA team in the second semi-final at Dodger Stadium. A five run 4th inning did the bulk of the damage for the Japanese, damage from which the USA never recovered despite a late attempt at a comeback.
Daisuke Matsuzaka started [...]

March 22nd, 2009

Orix Buffaloes  2

Tokyo Swallows 5

Streak: Won 2   Last 5: WWLWW
(Jingu Stadium)
Ryo Kawashima pitched six decent innings of six hit, two run baseball to earn the win in this wind-blown spring training game. Both runs were surrendered in the fourth off of a blast by our good friend, Tuffy Rhodes. He’s done that [...]

Last week the Swallows put up a rather snazzy new site to coincide with their 40th Anniversary celebrations in 2009. It seems that the club will be using the new logo (see left) as their primary logo for the 2009 campaign, which is fine by me as the old one was terrible.
While the site is a [...]