Baseball from a Dutch point of view since 2014
Turn back the clock jerseys... Something that happens quite a lot in MLB. In Japan, it is not that common. But during the coming season, the Hanshin Tigers and the Yomiuri Giants will wear jerseys based on those from 1936 in six games. Three of those games will be played at the famed Koshien Stadium …
Continue reading "Hanshin Tigers And Yomiuri Giants go Back in Time"
Today, Orix Buffaloes catcher Torai Fushimi hit a home run in the sixth inning of the 5-4 victory over the SoftBank Hawks. His home run proved to be a very special one. Torai Fushimi Fushimi, hammered an 0-2 pitch over the right center field wall to give the Buffaloes a 4-0 lead. His home run …
In Boston they had their Curse of the Bambino. In Chicago they had their Curse of the Goat. But also in Japan, baseball fans believe in curses. In Osaka, they have the curse of the Colonel. Colonel Sanders that is. Yes the one of Kentucky Fried Chicken. When in 1985, the Hanshin Tigers won their …
Continue reading "Baseball Shorts: Why the Hanshin Tigers haven’t won a championship in 35 years"
Recently you could read here about three players of the Hanshin Tigers that were contaminated with the coronavirus, which caused the cancellation of all practice games. There is some good news to tell as one of those players was released from the hospital. Today, the Hanshin Tigers announced that their 25-year old catcher Kenya Nagasaka …
After three players of the Hanshin Tigers have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball) has decided to cancel all practice games of the Japanese major league clubs. At least, according to a Tweet by Dutch pitcher Rick van den Hurk, all practice games are cancelled but the Ni-Gun (minor league) games …
Today, the Hanshin Tigers of the NPB presented their new 2020 uniforms. The home uniforms aren't that much different of the ones they had in previous years but the road uniform is refreshingly new. Next to the black pinstripes, the home uniform has this black piping up along the buttonholes. Instead of the regular tiger …
In this episode of Ballparks around the world, we pay attention to Koshien Stadium which is located in Osaka. It is the oldest baseball stadium in Japan and home of the annual Koshien high school tournament and the Hanshin Tigers. Koshien Stadium opened its doors in 1924 to host the National High School Baseball Invitational …
Continue reading "Ballparks around the world: Koshien Stadium"
A few days ago, pitcher Rick van den Hurk of the Softbank Hawks pitched another game for the Ni-gun (minor league) team of the Hawks. The 34-year old Dutchman lasted five innings in a game vs the farm team of the Hanshin Tigers. In a Western League matchup, Rick gave up two runs and struck …
Continue reading "Van den Hurk extends number of pitches in rehab start"
In today's 12-6 loss, Rick van den Hurk had an enormous off day. The tall Dutch pitcher was responsible for a big chunk of the runs the Seibu Lions scored. After Rick worked his way through the first two innings without giving up a run, things went wrong in the third frame as he gave …
With the NBA allowing teams to place advertisements on their jerseys it may be a matter of time before MLB will open the doors for it. Especially now commissioner Rob Manfred does not rule out ads on jerseys. In April 2016, the NBA announced that it will allow teams to sell 2.5-inch-by-2.5-inch space to companies. For …
The Softbank Haws and Rick van den Hurk took on the lowly Orix Buffaloes. Van den Hurk lasted six innings in which he gave up five earned runs on five hits and three walks. Rick struck out six. Things clearly didn't go easy for Rick. His biggest tormentor was Tony Blanco, who hit two homeruns …
Continue reading "Van den Hurk wins thanks to magnificent run support, Balentien goes 1 for 3"
The newest team in the Dutch Hoofdklasse, De Glaskoning Twins, has struck a deal with former Rakuten Golden Eagles and Hanshin Tigers pitcher Keiji Uezono in a very surprising move. The 32-year old relief pitcher pitched for the Hanshin Tigers from 2007 through 2011. In 2007 he won the Central League's rookie of the year …
Continue reading "De Glaskoning Twins hire Japanese pitcher"
Curcacaoan slugger, Wladimir Balentien has returned to the Yakult Swallows after a long injury that he sustained since the start of the season. Earlier this week, Balentien played his only rehab game with the Swallows' Ni-Gun (minor league) team in which he went 0 for 2 with two walks. Since the Swallows are in the midst of …
Continue reading "Wladimir Balentien returns to Yakult Swallows after one rehab game"
The MLB All-Stars already lost the series, but they wanted to put something straight today. They did, and especially Justin Morneau did. In the first inning, Morneau hit a double of Samurai Japan's starter Shintaro Fujinami (NPB sophomore for the Hanshin Tigers) and drove in Yasiel Puig who got on base on a double …
Continue reading "Japan All-Star Series, game four: J Morneau – Samurai Japan 6-1"
The first matchup between the MLB All Stars and the Samurai Japan team was a pure pitching duel. Both starters lasted five innings. The difference between the two was two runs. Kenta Maeda, the ace of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, was masterful and cruised through the five innings that he pitched. Matt Shoemaker pitched …
In my "How to get through the baseball off season?" post, I wrote about a things you could do during the baseball off season to avoid baseball hibernation. One of them was watching/following the Australian Baseball League. I found a new option. I know that there are only a few games played, but what about …
Continue reading "How to get through the baseball off season? Japan All-Star Series 2014"
vs Today the Hanshin Tigers hosted the Softbank Hawks in game one of the Nippon Series. For three innings both teams did not score but in the bottom of the fourth the Tigers took a 1-0 lead when Mauro Gomez hit an RBI double. This game was the first in the history of …
Last Saturday the Hanshin Tigers beat the Yomiuri Giants 8-4 in the Tokyo Dome (home of the Giants). With this win the Tigers clinched a spot in the Japan Series, their first since 2005. The Giants, who are the reigning champion in Japan were swept 4-1. It sounds strange that the Giants were swept four …
Continue reading "NPB: Tigers sweep Giants to clinch Japan Series spot"
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