Latest news with #ChunichiDragons
The Mainichi
17-07-2025
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Baseball: Takahashi tames Tigers as Dragons win 6th straight game
NISHINOMIYA, Japan (Kyodo) -- Hiroto Takahashi threw a four-hit shutout as the Chunichi Dragons beat the Central League-leading Hanshin Tigers 6-0 on Wednesday, winning six straight games for the first time this season. Takahashi (3-8), who pitched for Japan during its 2023 World Baseball Classic final win over the United States, struck out seven without a walk to prevail in a pitching duel with Hiroto Saiki (7-5) at Koshien Stadium. The Tigers' right-hander was perfect until two outs in the fifth inning but allowed a two-run double to Seiji Uebayashi in the sixth. The Dragons added four runs off the home team's second reliever, Rito Kinoshita, in the ninth. In other action, the Hiroshima Carp edged the DeNA BayStars 4-3 to end their seven-game losing skid. The Pacific League-leading Nippon Ham Fighters routed the Seibu Lions 10-1 for their fourth straight win.
The Mainichi
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Baseball: Vosler's 11th-inning double lifts Dragons over Tigers
NISHINOMIYA (Kyodo) -- Jason Vosler hit a tiebreaking double in the top of the 11th inning as the Chunichi Dragons outlasted the Hanshin Tigers 3-2 on Tuesday to extend their winning streak to five games. Vosler followed Seiya Hosokawa's one-out double with a double of his own at Koshien Stadium as the Central League-leading Tigers lost for only the second time in 15 games. In other action, Katsuki Azuma (9-4) pitched eight dominant innings as the DeNA BayStars edged the Hiroshima Carp 1-0. Keita Yamamoto hit his first career home run in the SoftBank Hawks' 10-2 rout of the Lotte Marines.
Forbes
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Best Relief Pitcher Prospect On The Planet Is A Cuban Playing In Japan
Casual baseball fans likely are not aware that Raidel Martinez – by the numbers – is the best relief pitcher on Planet Earth. The 28-year-old Cuban pitches in Japan Baseball. Martinez was on every MLB team's radar last fall. Some were prepared to offer the right-hander up to $70 million to sign. He chose to stay in Japan for $32.5 million over four years, though he left the Chunichi Dragons for the Yomiuri Giants. TOKYO: Raidel Martinez of Team Cuba celebrates getting the last out to defeat Team Australia, 4-3, ... More in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinal at Tokyo Dome on March 15, 2023. (Photo by) Martinez has added to his legacy in 2025, getting 26 saves with a 0.29 earned run average, allowing one run over 30 2/3 innings. Since the start of the 2022 season. Martinez has: His contract set a record for Latino players in Japan, surpassing $26 million deals by Cuban Liván Moinelo and Mexican Roberto Osuna. His 192 saves over eight seasons in Japan are the most by a foreign pitcher. He has a 1.98 ERA over 335 relief outings overall. Why Not Sign With MLB? Martinez did not want to sever his affiliation with the Cuban Baseball Federation and has his sights set on the 2026 World Baseball Classic. His deal stipulates that the CBF gets 20% of his earnings Martinez helped his country win a silver medal at the 2019 Central American and Caribbean Games and pitched for Cuba in the 2017 and 2023 World Baseball Classic. The contract also put him in the so-called Group S, a selection of the most important players on the squad, who get to decide their own training regimen. That means Martinez skips the normally demanding practices and exercises in Japanese baseball. Scouting Raidel Martinez At 6-3, 189 pounds, Martinez has a near-perfect pitcher's body. He does not run into command issues that larger hurlers battle while trying to establish a consistent release point. He throws from an overhand high vertical slot that helps his fastball touch 100 mph. His large hands enable him to mix in a good splitter that induces ground balls as well as strikeouts. NEW YORK: Orlando Hernandez of the New York Yankees pitches against the Texas Rangers at Yankee ... More Stadium on Aug. 18, 1998. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images) Martinez is built like Orlando (El Duque) Hernandez, who took MLB by storm as a 32-year-old rookie with the New York Yankees in 1998. Hernandez went 12-4 in the regular season. He beat Cleveland by pitching seven shutout innings in the AL Championship Series and held the San Diego Padres to one run over seven innings S THE Yanks won the World Series. Hernandez had a 90-65 record and was 9-3 in the post-season until retiring in 2007. His younger brother Livan helped the Florida Marlins win the 1997 World Series when he was 21. He had a 7-3 post-season mark and won 178 MLB games through 2012. Other Cubans In MLB History It is generally considered that Charles (Chick) Pedroes was the first Cuban in the majors, playing two games for the Chicago Cubs in 1902. Steve Bellan played from 1871 to 1873 in the National Association. Its' status as a major league is generally disputed by baseball historians, however. Thirty Cubans have played in the majors in 2025 including 12 pitchers, most notably closers Aroldis Chapman of the Boston Red Sox and Raisel Iglesias of the Atlanta Braves. The top current Cuban hitters are the Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez, Tampa Bay Rays, Yandy Diaz, Los Angeles Dodgers' Andy Pages, Texas Rangers, Adolis Garcia, Seattle Mariners' Randy Arozarena and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Best Cubans In America Martin Dihigo, Jose Mendez, Cristobal Torriente, Tony Perez, Minnie Miñoso and Tony Oliva are in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The first three starred in the Negro Leagues. Dihigo is the only person immortalized in Hall of Fames in three countries, the U.S., Cuba and Mexico. He was a two-way player between 1922 until age 45 in 1950. Mendez was a great pitcher in Cuba, 1907-16. He then pitched in the Negro National League until 1926, primarily with the Kansas City Monarchs. Torriente was a great-hitting outfielder from 1912 until 1932 CHICAGO: Outfielder Minnie Minoso of the Chicago White Sox before a 1951 game at Comiskey Park. ... More (Photo by The Stanley) Miñoso, called the Latino Jackie Robinson as the first Afro-Latino player in MLB with Cleveland in 1949, had 195 homers, 216 steals, 1,089 RBI and 1,227 runs in parts of 20 MLB seasons. Oliva won three batting titles and hit 227 homers for the Minnesota Twins from 1962 to 1976 and was an eight-time All-Star. Perez had 379 homers, 1,652 RBI amd 1.272 runs from 1964 until 1986 and was a seven-time All-Star, primarily with the Cincinnati Reds. The only Cuban natives with more homers were Rafael Palmiero (569) and Jose Canseco (480). Palmeiro (1986-2005) also had 3,020 hits and 1,835 RBI. Shortstop Bert Campaneris (1964-83) had 2,249 hits and 649 stolen bases. Amon the best pitchers, Luis Tiant had a 229-172 record and 3.30 ERA from 1964 until 1982 and Mike Cuellar was 185-130, 3.14 ERA from 1959 until 1977. First Cuban In Japan Baseball Infielder Roberto Barbon played 42 games in the Brooklyn Dodgers' system in 1954 and became the first Latino in Japanese pro ball the next year. He played 10 seasons for the Hankyu Braves and one final year in 1965 for the Kintetsu Buffaloes as light-hitting (.241, 33 homers) slick-fielding, speedy (308 stolen bases) middle infielder. He was the first foreigner to record 1,000 hits, the last foreigner to steal 50 bases (55 in 1956) in a season. Raidel Martinez's Future For now, he's enjoying superstar status in Japan. Next year, he vows to help Cuba succeed in the World Baseball Classic. TOKYO: Raidel Martinez of Team Cuba pitches in the 2023 World Baseball Classic at Tokyo Dome. (Photo ... More by) His current contract ends in 2028, when he will be 32. That's still plenty young enough to get a rich free-agent deal in MLB. Here's the top-10 paid relievers and their ages in 2025: Raidel Martinez, should he continue posting incredible numbers in Japan Baseball, likely would command more than any of them.
Asahi Shimbun
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: Like a teddy bear, a stuffed toy often works to ease stress
Yumeto Kanemaru, a rookie pitcher for the Chunichi Dragons professional baseball club, brings stuffed toys to his dormitory in January. (Asahi Shimbun file photo) My name is Nui, which is short for 'nuigurumi,' meaning cuddle toy in Japanese. There are many of us, and we bring comfort to tired humans. Our function changed dramatically some years ago, broadening the scope of our activities. How did that happen? I'll try my best to explain. Did you always think stuffed toys are just for children to play with at home? Sorry, you've got that wrong. Nowadays, even grownups bring their nuigurumi toys when they eat out or go on a trip. This is collectively referred to in colloquial Japanese as 'nui-katsu,' which may translate loosely as 'doing things with plushies.' People of all ages--kids, adults and seniors--are into nui-katsu today. If you have your favorite nuigurumi, you'd call it 'oshi-nui' (my fave plushie). 'Nui-dori' means taking videos and pictures of nuigurumi and posting them on social media. That's become quite a fad. And more recently, there are even 'events' that let people send their nuigurumi toy to a museum for an overnight stay, so it can 'closely appreciate' works of art on the owner's behalf. If you watched professional baseball news on television in January, you will remember seeing many rookie ballplayers entering their dormitories, one after another, hugging big stuffed toys: bears, lions or even nuigurumi of the popular manga character Doraemon. In the tough world of professional baseball, the presence of these cuddly toys must be a source of comfort. The nuigurumi market couldn't be in better shape, ringing up 45 billion yen ($311.4 million) in annual sales. What's the secret of this incredible success? Humans are trying to figure it out, I know. One explanation is the lack of human contact during the COVID-19 pandemic. Another centers on nuigurumi helping to simplify interpersonal communication. But at the end of the day, let me say that our relationship with our human 'owners' is much more complex. Some people seek comfort and healing from us. Some say that we are their best buddies ever. And we are happy with you people. That's good enough, right? --The Asahi Shimbun, July 5 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
The Mainichi
12-06-2025
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Baseball: Veteran Kishi throws gem as Rakuten snaps losing streak
SENDAI (Kyodo) -- Takayuki Kishi and two relievers combined on a five-hit shutout as the Rakuten Eagles ended their losing streak at four games with a 4-0 win over the Chunichi Dragons on Thursday. Kishi (3-2) held the Dragons to three hits over seven innings of work in an interleague game at Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi. The 40-year-old right-hander struck out four and walked two. Yukiya Ito hit a solo home run in the sixth off Mizuki Miura (2-2) and added an RBI single an inning later. Former San Diego Padres outfielder Oscar Gonzalez hit his first home run in Japan, leading off the eighth. The Dragons saw their season-high winning streak snapped at five. In other interleague play, Koki Kitayama (4-2) struck out 14 in eight innings as the Pacific League-leading Nippon Ham Fighters beat the Yakult Swallows 6-1. The Seibu Lions completed a three-game sweep of the Central League-leading Hanshin Tigers with a 4-1 victory.
