A final blog post about my Japan trip. On our way back to the Netherlands, I experienced something that made me realize once again how proud Japanese baseball fans are of their teams. On the final (travel) day of our trip to Japan, my wife needed assistance since she is chronically fatigued. An older gentleman…
For years I have been following Japanese baseball and except for 2022, my favorite team, the Orix Buffaloes, never could make a name for themselves. Nevertheless, it was always a dream to see them play. That dream came true yesterday. For a long time I tried to get tickets through the internet but through Japanese…
Today was a travel day from Kyoto to Hiroshima. After two-and-a-half-hours we arrived at Hiroshima Station. There I saw something amazing that put a big smile on my face. When we checked out at the Shinkansen gate, I saw one person with a Hiroshima Toyo Carp jersey. I thought: “Nice.” Little did I know what…
Currently, yours truly is spending his vacation in Japan. The first four days are spent in Tokyo. Today several visits were planned. One of them was the Tokyo Dome, in order to buy two caps (one for myself and one for a friend of mine) of the Yomiuri Giants. When my wife and I arrived…
The baseball season in Asia is about to start this weekend. At least, in the two biggest leagues of the continent: The NPB in Japan and the KBO in Korea. When you count Friday as part of the weekend, the season in Japan started today, March 27. The 2025 champions, Softbank Hawks beat the Nippon…
The Fukuoka SoftBank Haws clinched the Japanese title by beating the Hanshin Tigers 4-1 in games. In the championship clincher, the Hawks had to go deep as eleven innings were needed in a game in which the home field advantage did not help the Hanshin Tigers. The Hawks had the best record of Japanese baseball…
Great news for Czech baseball fans as Marek Chlup has been added to the NPB roster of the Yomiuri Giants. A first in Japanese baseball. In September, 2024, Marek Chlup signed a so-called developmental contract with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yomiuri Giants. It was the first for Japanese baseball that a player from the Czech Republic…
Since last Thursday, the 2023 MLB season is on its way. With a lot of fanfare, MLB and the American media shouted that baseball was back. But is that really the case? Not if you’d ask me. After the final out of the World Series, many fans go into hibernation because baseball is over. But…
Dutch right-handed pitcher Rick van den Hurk officially announced his professional retirement today. Through his Instagram account he announced to end his professional career after twenty years. The thirty-six year old righty, was born in Eindhoven and debuted in professional baseball in 2003 with the Rookie farm team of the Florida Marlins. After spending five…
Like previous years, Dutch hoofdklasse club Oosterhout Twins has added a pitcher from Japan. Just like last year, the hurler is coming from partner club Ibaraki Astro Planets. Almost a year ago, Oosterhout Twins and the Ibaraki Astro Planets signed an agreement on exchanging players. Last year, two pitchers of the club from the Baseball…
