Wladimir Balentien is back in Japanese baseball. Not at the highest level yet. In today’s Ni-Gun (Minor League) game vs the Chunichi Dragons, he made his presence felt. After arriving in Japan in the end of March, Wladimir Balentien had to pass two weeks in quarintine. He joined the SoftBank Hawks on the thirteenth of…
Former Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka has signed a one-year deal with the Seibu Lions. The 40-year old returned to the old nest last season, the first time since he was posted back in 2006. Last season, Dice-K, how the former Red Sox ace was called by Red Sox nation, didn’t play an official game…
Don Newcombe, the legendary pitcher of the Brooklyn Dodgers, who recently passed away, had a “secret” I did not know about. In the final year of his baseball career, Newcomb played in Japan. Not as a pitcher but as a position player. In 1962, the year the New York Yankees won their last World Series…
On the first day of Spring Training in Japan, several Japanese relief pitchers defied the laws of nature as they threw ridiculously long bullpen sessions. Relief pitcher Yuma Ohshita of the Yakult Swallows threw a bullpen session of 106 pitches. He almost repeated that feat on the second day as he threw a hundred pitches….
In this week’s edition of Dutchies around the world, we pay attention to Jonathan Schoop, Juremi Profar, Sicnarf Loopstok, Ademar Rifaela, and Wladimir Balentien. Jonathan Schoop Jonathan had a rusty start of the season as he only went 2 for 19 in his first six starts. Since then he is slowly recovering. From that low…
Ever since Cuban players got permission by the Castro regime to leave the country to play abroad (except in the USA), quite a couple of players were signed by NPB clubs. The latest signees are RHP Raidel Martinez, Leonardo Urgelles and Alfredo Despaigne. Alfredo Despaigne was a familiar face in Japanese baseball already of course,…
According to m.appledaily.com.tw the CPBL, KBO and NPB want to organize a new post season tournament between the winners of each of those leagues. This tournament would replace the defunct Asia Series. The three leagues have planned a new tournament in November 2017 with four participants. Question is who will be the fourth particpant. Will…
According to YakyuDataBase.com, Wladimir Balentien’s future with the Yakult Swallows is uncertain. The website quotes Japanese sports newspapers Sport Hochi, Nikkan Sports and Daily Sports. The newspapers are writing that “the Yakult Swallows may have to part ways with Wladimir Balentien after the current season. There are concerns about his defense and erratic hitting, combined with…
