#Nippon Professional Baseball

[racequeenparadise]

Sena Maeda of the Up Garage Honeys throws the first pitch at a Third Division Game between Kanagawa Future Dreams and the Yomiuri Giants, June 2024

[astroboyart]

Sources: Tezuka Productions (English Twitter / X), Guinness World Records Japan (Twitter / X)

On August 26, 2023 (as indicated in the original tweet that was quoted, not the date shown in this image), the Leo mascot for the Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Saitama Seibu Lions, broke the Guinness World Record for most backflips performed by a mascot in 30 seconds: 31 backflips.

Leo has been the mascot for the Saitama Seibu Lions since Osamu Tezuka's lifetime; since 1978. Tezuka stated that the mascot is actually based on Panja, Leo's father, but the mascot is named Leo.

The original video can be watched in the sourced links.

[laurastudarus]

It’s 8 a.m. on March 21, 2023, and I’m in a Tokyo-area izakaya along with 30 stressed out baseball fans. We wordlessly clutch our breakfast beers and try not to hyperventilate as Shohei Ohtani, playing for Samurai Japan, steps up the mound. As he strikes out the batter and wins the final game of the World Baseball Classic, the room erupts with a euphoria that borders on out-of-body bliss. After a moment of hesitation—after all, I don’t know any of these people—I run across the bar to high-five my fellow fans. Overwhelmed by the close contact with strangers, I spent the rest of the day cooling down at a baseball-themed Buddist shrine located in nearby Higashimatsuyama.

(via Baseball Games Are Better in Japan - Thrillist)

[offtheleashtravel]

The Joy of Japanese Baseball

Yokohama Stadium, home of the BayStars #basreball #Japan

[baseballsisco]

The evolution of Cecil Fielder from Toronto to the Hanshin Tigers to the Detroit Tigers.

[chernobog13]

Zatoichi throws out the first pitch for the Tokyo Orions.

Not sure when exactly this photo was taken, but the Tokyo Orions only existed between 1964 and 1969 before changing their name to the Lotte Orions. Today the team is named the Chiba Lotte Marines, based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture.

Ordinarily I would question the wisdom of having a blind man pitching in baseball. But this Zatoichi we're talking about, after all, so I'm sure he did great and didn't bean anyone.

[yokosuka-rainy-johnny]

#99 Fighter again

Oct.21st, 2024: The Nippon-Ham Fighters officially announced that they have agreed to a contract extension with outfielder Franmil Reyes for the upcoming season.https://npb.jp/bis/eng/players/73075159.htmlhttps://www.mlb.com/player/franmil-reyes-614177 https://www.instagram.com/franmilreyes34/

[baseballsisco]

Since I mention former Yankee second baseman Alfonso Soriano in MLB Immaculate Grid number 538, here is an article from the New York Post dated April 30, 2003 by Joel Sherman. The article highlights how the road to MLB for Soriano started in the Dominican and went through Hiroshima Japan before ending with the New York Yankees.

Its an interesting read if you didn't know that Soriano played in Japan. Here's Soriano from his playing days with the Hiroshima Carp

[eovaldi]

Brotherly Love.

Yoshida not only wore 34 in Japan for Harper, but named his French bulldog Harper and uses an Instagram handle (BH_Masataka34) with Harper’s initials and number. When Nippon Professional Baseball had a game where players wore nicknames on the backs of their jerseys, Yoshida, naturally, chose Harper as his nickname.

[baseballheritageposts]

baseball heritage post

Tokyo tilt-shift: Baseball

by Lee Chapman

(h/t @npbtracker)

[unfabulous-logo-art-tv-design]

Konami Corporation 4-3-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Officially approved by Nippon Professional Baseball Organization, IBM, BIS, uses official professional baseball records, Officially approved by Tokyo Dome, Officially approved by Japan Baseball Promotion Association

NTSC J

1999 ΚΟΝAMI COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT OSAKA

PlayStation" are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Printed in Japan

FOR JAPAN ONLY

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Saturn - Moero!! Pro Yakyuu 95 Double Header (Bases Loaded 96)

Title: Moero!! Pro Yakyuu 95 Double Header / 燃えろ!! プロ野球'９５ DOUBLE HEADER [ダブルヘッダー]

Developer/Publisher: Jaleco

Release date: 22 November 1995

Catalogue No.: T-5703G

Genre: Baseball

Complete turd baseball game. Moero!! Pro Yakyu '95 does offer loads of options and a nice (if you're into baseball) player data section however the main game is just too clunky and well, crap. Bases Loaded 96 is basically the American version of this, except it replaces all those Nippon Professional Baseball teams with Major League Baseball ones, and is also available on the Play Station.

[baseballheritageposts]

Baseball Heritage Posts

Run by @ppepohappy. Mariners fan, autistic, any pronouns

Posts must be at least 6 months old and have 1k+ notes (currently, may change). Posts are those that fit the criteria, without judgement. Submissions will open at some point. This blog runs on a queue. I will attempt to identify baseball games when possible.

Tagging notes: All active teams will be tagged with their current name. For example, if a post about the Montreal Expos gets reblogged, the tag would be the Washington Nationals. This makes it easier on me. Additionally, college and Little League teams won’t be tagged because there’s not enough posts for that.

Avatar is the famous photo of Yogi Berra leaping into Don Larsen’s arms after his world series perfect game. Header is my favorite baseball tweet of all time.

Tags under the read more

Teams = team: [x]

Examples:

              Team: Colorado Rockies (MLB)

              Team: Savannah Bananas (Exhibition)

              Team: Hanshin Tigers (NPB)

Leagues = league: [x]

Examples:

              League: major league baseball (mlb)

              League: nippon professional baseball (npb)

              League: minor league baseball (mnlb)

              League: college baseball (clb)

Post Types:

              Type: heritage post

              Type: not a heritage post

              Type: baseball meta

              Type: baseball clip

              Type: baseball art

              Type: baseball intimacy

              Type: baseball sillies

              Type: baseball hatred

Type: baseball players

[ao3feed-kiribaku]

Kaleidoscope

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/N0hGCvs by katsu_kiri Katsuki Bakugou has big dreams of baseball after high school. He loves the sport, and he desperately needs to get out of Yobu. Eijirou Kirishima has big dreams of living life to the fullest no matter what. He wants to learn how to love, and desperately needs more time. *・゜゜・*:.。..。.:*・゜・*:.。. .。.:*・゜゜・**・゜゜・*:.。..。.:*・゜・*:.。. . TL;DR — Two boys fall in love but one of them has a heart of stone. Words: 11840, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/M, M/M Characters: Bakugou Katsuki, Kirishima Eijirou, Ashido Mina, Kaminari Denki, Sero Hanta, Jirou Kyouka, Shinsou Hitoshi, Midoriya Izuku, Uraraka Ochako, Bakugou Mitsuki, Bakugou Masaru, Utsushimi Camie, Midoriya Inko, Kirishima Eijirou's Family, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead, Hakamata Tsunagu | Best Jeanist, Toyomitsu Taishirou | Fat Gum, Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, Kendou Itsuka, Todoroki Shouto, Amajiki Tamaki, Toogata Mirio, Usagiyama Rumi | Miruko, Background & Cameo Characters Relationships: Bakugou Katsuki/Kirishima Eijirou, Ashido Mina/Sero Hanta, Jirou Kyouka/Kaminari Denki/Shinsou Hitoshi, Midoriya Izuku/Uraraka Ochako, Bakugou Masaru/Bakugou Mitsuki, Minor or Background Relationship(s) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - No Quirks (My Hero Academia), Mineta Minoru is Expelled from U.A. High School, (I said what I said the perv sucks), kiribaku, Falling In Love, Slow Burn, Third Year Class 1-A (My Hero Academia), Medical Conditions, Hiding Medical Issues, Teenage Drama, Bakugou Katsuki is Bad at Feelings, Bakusquad (My Hero Academia), Jirou Kyouka is in the Bakusquad, Shinsou Hitoshi is in the Bakusquad, Baseball, Nippon Professional Baseball | 日本野球機構, Alternate Universe - Normal High School, Explicit Sexual Content, Heterosexual Sex, (only once and then never again I'm sorry it's for the plot!), Top Kirishima Eijirou, Bottom Bakugou Katsuki, First Kiss, First Time Blow Jobs, First Time, Angst, Anxiety, Medical Inaccuracies, (probably I'm trying to learn as much as I can about it), Day At The Beach, Picnics, Hiking, Butterflies, (that tag will make sense later), Good Parent Bakugou Mitsuki, Good Parent Bakugou Masaru, Kirishima Eijirou Has Two Moms, And two sisters, Dog - Freeform, Service Animals, (kinda), Hospitalization, Other Additional Tags to Be Added read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/N0hGCvs

[tokidokitokyo]

The Day of the First Pro Baseball Game

The first professional baseball game was played in Japan on 1936年2月9日 (昭和11年2月9日). There were 7 teams and it was played in Aichi Prefecture. The winning team went on a baseball tour in America five days after the game.

球団　きゅうだん　baseball team

開幕する　かいまくする　to open an event

球場　きゅうじょう　baseball park

対戦　たいせん　taking on an opponent

加入する　かにゅうする　joining (a club, organization, etc.)

団体　だんたい　team

日本職業野球連盟　にほんしょくぎょうやきゅうれんめい　Nippon Professional Baseball Organization

遠征　えんせい　tour (e.g. sports team)

果たす　はたす　to accomplish

名投手　めいとうしゅ　star pitcher

観戦　かんせん　watching (a sports game)

[chicagocubsreactions]

How Shota Imanaga wound up all over Chicago before the Cubs landed the free agent

[original article]

Shota Imanaga listened to the roar of the crowd during the national anthem, taking in the scene before one of Connor Bedard’s first home games with the Chicago Blackhawks. Imanaga later returned to the United Center to buy a Michael Jordan jersey and take a picture next to the iconic statue.

This was early November, a few weeks before Imanaga entered the posting system created by Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball. Imanaga, a fixture with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars and the winning pitcher in Japan’s victory over Team USA in last year’s World Baseball Classic championship game, wanted a new challenge.

With a 45-day negotiating window beginning to close, Imanaga returned to Illinois at Christmastime to make himself available for meetings and reassess his options as a free agent. Octagon, the agency that represents him, has an office on Michigan Avenue and a network throughout the Chicago area. The central location made sense for possible travel ahead of Thursday’s deadline to sign a contract with a major-league club.

Imanaga and his associates posted up at a suburban hotel, getting comfort food at Mitsuwa Marketplace, a Japanese grocery store in Arlington Heights. Imanaga worked out at Bo Jackson’s indoor facility near O’Hare International Airport. Imanaga’s group now has a collection of tourist photos around Chicago that could best be described as “Where’s Shota?”

Imanaga felt so comfortable that he wanted to stay. He just wasn’t sure that the interest was mutual.

“Each team is different and it’s a long process,” Imanaga told The Athletic on Thursday through an interpreter. “One time I mentioned, ‘I hope the Cubs offer me.’ I was kind of joking just because at that time the Cubs were out of the picture.”

Cubs executives Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins are patient, logical and calculating. All throughout December and into the middle of January, the Cubs did not sign a free agent to a major-league contract or make a trade to improve an 83-win roster that subtracted Cody Bellinger and Marcus Stroman. Hoyer personally scouted Imanaga during a trip to Japan in September and remained in contact with his representatives, though the Cubs did not jump out as a frontrunner until the late stages of the negotiations.

The rest of the offseason will be shaped by that ability to pounce. The Cubs have the financial resources and the prospects to make a deal at any moment. That reality became harder to grasp during the two months of inactivity between Hoyer hiring Craig Counsell as the sport’s highest-paid manager and Imanaga signing a four-year, $53 million contract with options to take the deal to five years and $80 million. But the Cubs are very good at recruiting when they concentrate on certain free agents, making personalized pitches that previously resonated with Japanese players such as Yu Darvish and Seiya Suzuki.

The Cubs demonstrated some more creativity in Thursday’s trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving up two prospects who are talented but far way (Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope) for a reliever who will immediately slot into Counsell’s bullpen (Yency Almonte) and a left-handed hitter who crushed Triple-A pitching (Michael Busch) but was blocked by all the stars at Dodger Stadium.

Suddenly, the talk at this weekend’s Cubs Convention will shift toward the action and away from the moves that aren’t being made. Imanaga will be introduced Friday afternoon at the Loews Chicago Hotel. When Imanaga went to a Schaumburg shopping center on Wednesday — to buy a new tie in the right shade of Cubbie blue for the press conference — the clerk recognized him and double-checked by looking at the name on the credit card. The anonymity is already fading.

“The Cubs stepped in,” Imanaga said. “Their intensity level made me feel like they really wanted me.”