An in-depth look at the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Jingu Stadium, the Central League, and Japanese Pro Baseball
May 10th, 2012 Tokyo Swallows 3 Chunichi Dragons 1 Streak: Won 1 Last 5: WLLLW (Nagoya Dome) The Swallows’ bats finally come alive in the eighth to snap the team’s losing streak. The lineup got a bit of a tweak after Kawbata’s hip injury, and his subsequent removal from the active roster earlier today left [...]
April 6th, 2012 Tokyo Swallows 0 Chunichi Dragons 1 Streak: Lost 2 Last 5: WLDLL (Nagoya Dome) Tonight was the regular season debut for Roman. After a tough opening inning, he settled down and pitched six strong innings. The Swallows opened the game by going down in order. In the home half of the first, [...]
‘M’ gets back to his traveloguing ways for the final installment of this story. Pre-game. I feel the same as I did on Monday. Nervous and expectant. This walk up Dragons Road isn’t helping. Tonight our season will end or we will set up one of the most exciting games in Swallows living memory tomorrow. [...]
The latest installment from Tsubamegun friend, ‘M’. These are his observations from game three of the series against Chunichi. To read the first two installments, choose one of the links below: Game 1 Game 2 Pre-game. Pre-game time was spent in Yoro, at the “Site of Reversible Destiny”. This place is insane. Designed by Arakawa-Ginz, [...]
November 4th, 2011 Tokyo Swallows 2 Chunichi Dragons 1 Series: Chunichi 2-2 Tokyo (Nagoya Dome) Tonight the Swallows looked to even the series. Getting the start for the Birds was Mr. long-relief, Muranaka. While the Aichi faithful saw Yamai on the bump for them. After a 1-2-3 inning for both sides in the first, the [...]
Our good friend, ‘M’, was in Nagoya again last night for game two of the current playoff series against Chunichi. Here’s what he had to say: Pre-game. Pre-game time was ‘killed’ with a visit to Inuyama. Highly recommended. Nice castle, national treasure tea house and great monkey park. Now I’m on my way to a different [...]
November 2nd, 2011 Tokyo Swallows 1 Chunichi Dragons 2 Series: Chunichi 2-0 Tokyo (Nagoya Dome) So this is what it’s come down to. The Swallows are back in Nagoya Dome trying to make up for everything they lost there during the home stretch of the 2011 Central League pennant race. The last time that Tokyo [...]
It’s now time to decide who will move on to the 2011 Japan Series. The schedule for the final stage of the Climax Series is set to go a little something like this (scroll down for the Pacific League schedule): Central League 2nd place Tokyo Yakult Swallows vs 1st place Chunichi Dragons All games will [...]
October 19th, 2011 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 1 Chunichi Dragons 4 Streak: Lost 1 Last 5: LLWWL (Nagoya Dome) “It’s over folks,” was how Kozo opened his post after Tokyo’s last loss to Chunichi, six days ago. He was very right. Let us hope that whatever kept the Swallows in the lead for so much of [...]
October 12th, 2011 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 3 Chunichi Dragons 4 Streak: Lost 3 Last 5: LWLLL (Nagoya Dome) This was an uneventful, low-hitting game for five and a half innings. Masubuchi and Nelson were even pretty evenly matched in pitch count. Then, in the bottom of the sixth, starting at the top of the [...]
