June 1st, 2010 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 1 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 6 Streak: Lost 1   Last 5: DWLWL (Yahoo Dome) With the DH rule in effect, you’d be forgiven for believing that the sacrifice bunt would be a bit scarcer than normal. But then you’d have revealed yourself as being a supporter of a baseball [...]

June 1st, 2010 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 4 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 3 Streak: Won 1   Last 5: LDWLW (Yahoo Dome) With the dismal and eventful month of May finally behind them, the Tokyo Swallows headed south to Fukuoka for a run-in with the Pacific League’s wins (8) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.84) leader, Sugiuchi. [...]

May 15th, 2010 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 2 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 0 Streak: Lost 3   Last 5: LWLLL (Meiji Jingu Stadium) The offensive impotence continues. Starting lineup: 1. Tanaka 2B 2. Miyamoto SS 3. Aoki CF 4. D’Antona 1B 5. Guiel RF 6. Iihara LF 7. Yoshimoto 3B 8. Aikawa C 9. Nakazawa P Yoshimoto, [...]

Tomorrow, weather permitting, the 6 Central League teams will play host to the 6 Pacific League teams, kicking off 5 weeks of Interleague play. This post will hopefully give you some information you will find useful.

October 17th, 2009 Fukuoka Softbank Hawks 1 Tohoku Rakuten Eagles 4 Best of 3 Series: Fukoka 0 – 2 Tohoku (Kleenex Stadium) The Eagles rode a solid performance from starting pitcher, Masahiro Tanaka, to sweep the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks and earn a trip to Hokkaido to face the Pacific League champions.

October 16th, 2009 Fukuoka Softbank Hawks 4 Tohoku Rakuten Eagles 11 Best of 3 Series: Fukoka 0 – 1 Tohoku (Kleenex Stadium) The Eagles absolutely destroyed the visiting Hawks in the first game of what could be an abbreviated series up in Sendai.

June 11th, 2009 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 6 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 3 Streak: Won 1     Last 5: WLWLW (Yahoo Dome) In 2009 a Shohei Tateyama start is becoming shorthand for almost certain victory. And tonight it proved no different, as he got good run support to go with his decent seven innings to put [...]

June 10th, 2009 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 4 Streak: Lost 1     Last 5: WWLWL (Yahoo Dome) Yoshinori made his first start in two weeks, and it looked for a while he might mark his comeback with a win, but the Hawks prevailed in the end as the SoftBank Interleague machine [...]

May 25th, 2009 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 3 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2 Streak: Lost 3     Last 5: LWLLL (Jingu Stadium) Tokyo continued their series of matchups against Japan’s finest starting pitchers (AKA the Interleague schedule) as they faced SoftBank’s Sugiuchi looking to avoid their third consecutive loss. Yakult countered with Ishikawa taking the mound [...]

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.