News [EN]

Ever heard the one about the guy who had to walk 5 km, uphill, through a hailstorm just to get to school every day? That’s essentially the tale the Sawamura Award selection committee told everyone Monday by deciding not to give out the award for the first time in 19 […]

The Sawamura Award is an honor given to the top pitcher in Japanese baseball each season. Well, except when it isn’t. For the first time since 2000, and the fifth time since the award was established in 1947, no pitcher was deemed worthy of the honor this season. “This year, […]

FUKUOKA – Nobuhiro Matsuda, the lively and exuberant soul who plays third base for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, is often referred to as the team’s “mood-maker.” You can remember the game is supposed to be fun as Matsuda hops around on one leg in the batter’s box, engages the fans […]

FUKUOKA – Nobuhiro Matsuda raised his fist in triumph in front of the dugout as he and over 30,000 fans shook Yafuoku Dome with a spirited yell of “atsuo,” the custom in Fukuoka whenever Matsuda goes deep. Matsuda spun around while hopping on one leg as six innings of simmering […]

FUKUOKA – Even the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, who ultimately ended up with him, passed on the right-hander a few times during the 2010 draft before taking him as a fourth-choice developmental player. Oh how he has developed. Fast-forward almost a decade later and Senga is one of Japan’s top pitchers. […]

HOUSTON – Jose Altuve, the diminutive driving force of Houston, delivered a swing that will play in Astros’ highlights forever. Altuve homered off Aroldis Chapman with two outs in the ninth inning and Houston outlasted the New York Yankees 6-4 Saturday night to advance to the World Series for the […]

FUKUOKA – Kodai Senga gave the Yomiuri Giants chances early on as he worked his way into Game 1 of this year’s Japan Series. Once the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks ace finally got going, however, the Giants’ hopes faded with each retired batter. Senga outdueled Shun Yamaguchi in a matchup of […]

NEW YORK – Justin Verlander watched and waited, hoping Aaron Hicks’ drive deep down the right-field line would hook foul at the last instant. When it bonked hard off the bright yellow foul pole for a three-run homer, Verlander crouched beside the mound and simply held up his glove, waiting […]

NEW YORK – CC Sabathia walked into Yankee Stadium’s interview room with his left arm in a sling Friday, 16 hours after shuffling off the mound in pain following the 58,692nd and final pitch of his major league career. That powerful left shoulder — which earned six All-Star appearances, the […]

FUKUOKA – Shortly before the end of the Japan Series managers’ meeting the skippers of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and Yomiuri Giants were asked to name their starters for Game 1. Hawks manager Kimiyasu Kudo spoke first, grabbing a mic and stating simply with no hesitation, “For the Hawks it’s […]