An in-depth look at the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Jingu Stadium, the Central League, and Japanese Pro Baseball
30 year old RHP and 2004 Central League Rookie-of-the-Year Ryo Kawashima has been traded to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles for an undisclosed amount according to the team’s Japanese-language website. After an outstanding rookie season in 2004 in which Kawashima tallied an impressive 10-4 record and 3.17 ERA, Kawashima put together another strong year in [...]
After taking a bit of a hiatus because of the All Star break and subsequent personal vacation, the Monday Review is back! A lot has happened since the last Monday Review, the team has come back down to earth despite seeing many key players return from injury. The team is 5-10-3 since the All Star [...]
August 14th, 2011 Tokyo Swallows 7 Hanshin Tigers 8 Streak: Lost 1 Last 5: WLLWL (Jingu) This game was a disaster, and then suddenly at the end it became a farce. One thousand yen for a ticket to this very important game. Several thousand yen for drinks. 700 yen for pizza and about 900 [...]
How We Got There The Swallows came into June fresh off the Takada firing, and were only 4 games into the Ogawa regime. The Birds were looking to build on the 1-2-1 record they had compiled under Ogawa, by exacting revenge on the Pacific League teams that had swept them in May. How We Did [...]
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. [...]
June 27th, 2010 Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles 3 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 3 Streak: Tied 1 Last 5: LLLLD (Meiji Jingu Stadium) Welcome to the first game of the post-Takada era. Glass is half-full version: Tokyo didn’t lose. Starting lineup: 1. Tanaka 2B 2. Ueda LF 3. Aoki CF 4. D’Antona 1B 5. Guiel RF [...]
May 7th, 2010 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 1 Chunichi Dragons 2 Streak: Lost 5 Last 5: LLLLL (Nagoya Dome) The Swallows went into their last series before entering the 2010 Interleague schedule hoping to find some way to but the brakes on their horrible slide into the CL basement before facing the Pacific League’s best. [...]
May 3rd, 2010 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2 Yomiuri Giants 7 Streak: Lost 2 Last 5: LLWLL (Tokyo Dome) Yoshinori was very hittable once again, and the Swallows were dominated in rather simple fashion by cross-town neighbors, Yomiuri. Tonight’s lineup: 1. Fukuchi LF 2. Miyamoto 3B 3. Aoki CF 4. Iihara RF 5. D’Antona 1B [...]
Semi-official injury count for the month of February at the Tokyo Swallows spring camp: 11 players missed all or part of at least one day of practice. In detail, that works out to six pitchers, four catchers, and one infielder. Go, go Swallows! While the six injured pitchers may set off the loudest alarm for [...]
After looking at the big earners in part one, and the upwardly mobile in part two, in this final part of our annual monetary review, we’ll be looking at those whose salary will be a little more petite this coming season. The Losers Ryo Kawashima - The first of quite a number of pitchers who will see their salary fall this [...]
