An in-depth look at the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Jingu Stadium, the Central League, and Japanese Pro Baseball
May 23rd, 2013 Tokyo Swallows 3 Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 3 Streak: Tied 1 Last 5: WLLLT (Sapporo Dome) A lot of eyes were on this game as 18 year-old rookie Shohei Otani made his pitching debut against the Swallows. Although Otani looked pretty impressive, the Swallows got the better of him and it looked [...]
May 22nd, 2013 Tokyo Swallows 1 Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 6 Streak: Lost 3 Last 5: WWLLL (Sapporo Dome) After a lackluster first start, Takeaki Tokuyama found himself pitching a no-hitter in his next start. Unfortunately Tokuyama’s counterpart was pitching an even better game. Ultimately, the Swallows’ bullpen wasn’t able to keep the momentum generated [...]
June 16th, 2012 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2 Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 3 Streak: Lost 1 Last 5: LLWWL (Sapporo Dome) The last time I wrote about these two teams playing, the Swallows had finally ended their 10-game losing streak. The Birds were heading into this game on a two-game win streak and winning five [...]
May 31st, 2012 Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 5 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 10 Streak: Won 1 Last 5: LLLLW (Meiji Jingu Stadium) Alleluia!! Alleluia!! ALLLLEEEEELLLLLUUUUIIIIAAAAAA!!!! After one of the worst stretches of baseball that I witnessed in Japan, the Swallows bats came alive this fine evening. I suppose a special thanks goes out to Hokkaido’s [...]
Tokyo Swallows Wladimir Balentien is having some right elbow issues and hasn’t been able to practice at 100%. It seems like Ogawa is starting to get a little impatient (link in Japanese). Balentien didn’t play in Tokyo’s pre-season game against Hanshin on Saturday. Tokyo beat Hokkaido 3-0 in a practice game on Thursday February 23rd. [...]
Yokohama has been bleeding talent like it’s their job. Uchikawa fled to Fukuoka after the 2010 season (and subsequently won a Japan Series Championship), and Murata departed for Yomiuri following another sixth place finish in 2011. DeNA now owns the team, so maybe rosier times are on the horizon. One possible plus is the fact [...]
Just a quick roundup of three recent news tidbits: 1. Rob Smaal, staff writer for the Asahi, recently wrote about the unlikely connection between former Swallows shortstop, Dave Hilton, and one of Japan’s best living authors, Haruki Murakami. Apparently Murakami, a Swallows fan, was at Jingu on Opening Day of the 1978 season, and Hilton’s [...]
June 3rd, 2011 Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 9 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 0 Streak: Lost 1 Last 5: LLWWL (Meiji Jingu Stadium) The Fighters are terrible house guests. They come into your house and beat all hell out of you. Be warned. The Swallows: 1. Aoki (CF) 2. Tanaka (2B) 3. Whitesell (1B) 4. [...]
May 18th, 2011 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 0 Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 3 Streak: Lost 1 Last 5: WWWWL (Sapporo Dome) Tonight’s match-up saw media-darling and Hokkaido ace Yu Darvish take on our boys from Tokyo. The Swallows put the relatively untested youngster Hitoshi Yamamoto, in his third start, up against him. Rangy Swallow-turned-Eagle-turned-Swallow Ryuji [...]
May 17th, 2011 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2 Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 0 Streak: Won 4 Last 5: DWWWW (Sapporo Dome) Tonight’s opening games of the 2011 Inter-League campaign saw all of the Pacific League teams hosting their Central League counterparts. For the CL-topping Swallows, that meant a trip to Hokkaido to face off against the [...]
