Baseball from a Dutch point of view since 2014
Another championship for Tokyo. But not the Giants. No, this time the other team from the Japanese capital is the best of Japan. At a cold Hotto Motto Field in Kobe, the Yakult Swallows on game six of the Nippon Series, clinching their first championship since 2001. In another close game, both teams were kept …
Continue reading "2021 Nippon Series: Yakult Swallows Win First Japanese Title in Twenty Years"
In a surprising Nippon Series, in which the two ugly ducklings of Japanese baseball are facing each other, the Yakult Swallows are one win away from clinching their first title since 2001. The Yakult Swallows reached the finals by sweeping the Yomiuri Giants 3-0 in the Climax Series, the semi-finals of the NPB. The opponent …
Continue reading "Yakult Swallows One Win Away From Clinching Japanese Championship"
Today the Nippon Series takes off. The contestants are rather unexpected: The Yakult Swallows and the Orix Buffaloes. Both teams resided near the bottom of the standings at the half of the season. The Series will be played in a best-of-seven format in which the Buffaloes will play four home games (1, 2, 6, and …
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 …
Dutchie Rick van den Hurk was simply lights out today as he clinched his tenth victory of the season. Van den Hurk lasted seven innings and got just enough run support to earn the win as the Softbank Hawks defeated the Orix Buffaloes 1-0. In a real pitching matchup between Van den Hurk and Yushi …
Dutch pitcher of the Softbank Hawks, Rick van den Hurk, has clinched his ninth victory today with a 5-1 win over the lowly Orix Buffaloes. Rick lasted eight innings on the mound and threw 119 pitches to accomplish the feat. Rick gave up a run in the first inning when Yoshida Masanori scored on Masahiro …
Yesterday, the Softbank Hawks hosted the Orix Buffaloes. Rick van den Hurk was the starter for the Hawks and guided them to a win vs the lowly Buffaloes. Rick pitched six shutout innings and needed 110 pitches to do so. In those six innings, Rick gave up two hits, walked two and struck out three. He …
Wladimir Balentien, who has played for the Yakult Swallows in the past six years is trying to get a deal with his club for another year and perhaps more. But the Swallows are having their doubts. Not only are they worried about the fact that Balentien is injury prone, they also are not happy with …
Continue reading "Wladimir Balentien’s future in Japan may be secured"
In his first start since being activated from the disabled list, Rick van den Hurk was as sharp as usual. In six innings, the tall Dutchman threw ninety-one pitches, faced twenty-five hitters, walked one, struck out seven and allowed two runs on six hits. Even though the lowly Orix Buffaloes scored two runs with Rick …
Continue reading "Van den Hurk wins first start since coming off DL"
After a long period on the disabled list (since June), Rick van den Hurk recently threw a few Ni-Gun (minor league) starts. Especially his second start was very successful. In five innings he allowed three hits, walked none and struck out six. In the previous article about Rick van den Hurk, it was mentioned that …
Continue reading "Van den Hurk likely to rejoin Ichi-Gun team this week"
After his last start was pushed back due to concerns about his progress/condition, Rick van den Hurk finally pitched a Ni-Gun game for the Softbank Hawks again. Last Saturday he pitched three innings against the Ni-Gun team of the Yomiuri Giants. He struck out three and walked one. His pitches topped 94 mph. Rick gave …
Continue reading "Van den Hurk pitched in Ni-Gun game again"
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"
Dutch starting pitcher of the Softbank Hawks, Rick van den Hurk, won hit fourth game of the season and his thirteenth straight game since his debut in the NPB last year. In today's game vs the lowly Orix Buffaloes, Rick threw 87 pitches in six full innings. Rick gave up two runs on three hits …
Continue reading "Van den Hurk one win shy of record setting 14th win"
Today Rick van den Hurk had his third start of the season, when the Softbank Hawks took on the Orix Buffaloes, the team that has not homered yet in the 2016 season. Wladimir Balentien and his Yakult Swallows played in Yokohama vs the DeNA BayStars. Rick van den Hurk pitched a stellar game vs the Orix Buffaloes. …
After yesterday's news that Pablo Sandoval will be a bench jockey with the Red Sox, despite his big contract with the club, the Orix Buffaloes acted quick. The team from the Japanese professional baseball league NPB, has spent the last few seasons in the cellar of the Pacific League. The Osaka based team has been …
Continue reading "Orix Buffaloes acquire contract of Pablo Sandoval"
The website of the Mariners has not put on the message yet but according to a Twitter account, former Softbank Hawks slugger/DH/1B Dae Ho Lee has signed a one year deal worth a reportedly $4 million with the team from Seattle. The Japanese baseball website yakyubaka.com announced on January 30, that Lee extended his stay …
Continue reading "Mariners sign Korean DH/1B Lee to 1-year contract"
Korean first baseman Dae-Ho Lee, who won the inaugural Premier12 last week with the Korean national team, will visit the USA in December to see if he can sign a contract wtih an MLB club. According to his representative Montis Sports Management Group, several big league clubs are interested in the slugger. That Lee is eager …
After losing the homerun season record to Curacao native Wladimir Balentien iwho broke the record by five homeruns in 2013, which set the mark on 60, Sadaharu Oh was surpassed by Takeya Nakamura who hit his sixteenth grand slam of his career which put him in sole posession of the list of career grand slams. In …
Baseball from a Dutch point of view since 2014
Blog advocating bringing minor league ball to the Maritime Provinces!
Een kijk op de MLB met een vleugje Arizona Diamondbacks
Nejlepší český web o baseballu
Baseball from a Dutch point of view since 2014
Follow my trip in the USA during the 2016 summer!
Blog over bijzaken in Major League Baseball
Baseball caps and beyond
A blog about a century of African-American baseball history
Heroes, Villains, Oddities and Minutia--The Forgotten History of the National Pastime
Traveling & writing about the Midwest League, past & present, since 2011
The Greatest Minor League Baseball Blog of All Time
Your guide to all things prospect, courtesy of Jonathan Mayo
Hagamos del béisbol un deporte más universal.
Dutch Baseball Hangout 
You must be logged in to post a comment.