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	<title>jballallen.com</title>
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	<description>writing &#38; research on Japanese baseball</description>
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		<title>A quiet revolution in Japan</title>
		<link>https://jballallen.com/a-quiet-revolution-in-japan/</link>
					<comments>https://jballallen.com/a-quiet-revolution-in-japan/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Allen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 2026 17:20:34 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[History]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paid Content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hirokazu Ibata]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Masataka Yoshida]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Seiya Suzuki]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Taiesei Makihara]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ukyo Shuto]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WBC]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://jballallen.com/?p=17502</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[A slick fielder during his playing career, Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata is the mastermind behind a revolution in national-team thinking.]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">17502</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>March is my time, too</title>
		<link>https://jballallen.com/march-is-my-time-too/</link>
					<comments>https://jballallen.com/march-is-my-time-too/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Allen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:26:54 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paid Content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tokyo Dome]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WBC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yomiuri]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://jballallen.com/?p=17499</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[As Japan&#8217;s players this past week began their quest to win the World Baseball Classic for the fourth time in six tries, many of them have been sporting T-shirts that read &#8220;March is our time.&#8221; I ought to get one of those. Because of the WBC, I got on the field in Japan this past &#8230; <a href="https://jballallen.com/march-is-my-time-too/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">March is my time, too</span> <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">17499</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>The WBC challenge</title>
		<link>https://jballallen.com/the-wbc-challenge/</link>
					<comments>https://jballallen.com/the-wbc-challenge/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Allen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 2026 05:09:47 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paid Content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jim Small]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Samurai Japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shohei Ohtani]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WBC]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://jballallen.com/?p=17495</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The WBC is a wonderful eye-opening challenge to baseball fans' expectations, and so there are going to be haters.]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">17495</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Yoshida homer lifts Japan past Australia</title>
		<link>https://jballallen.com/yoshida-homer-lifts-japan-past-australia/</link>
					<comments>https://jballallen.com/yoshida-homer-lifts-japan-past-australia/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Allen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 13:52:50 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Free]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Masataka Yoshida]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shohei Ohtani]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tokyo Dome]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://jballallen.com/?p=17493</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[2013 WBC RBI leader Masataka Yoshida is back in his element as he leads Japan past Australia.]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">17493</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Win over S. Korea keeps Taiwan alive in WBC</title>
		<link>https://jballallen.com/win-over-s-korea-keeps-taiwan-alive-in-wbc/</link>
					<comments>https://jballallen.com/win-over-s-korea-keeps-taiwan-alive-in-wbc/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Allen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 07:34:51 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paid Content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tokyo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tokyo Dome]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WBC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Baseball Classic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wu Nien-ting]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://jballallen.com/?p=17488</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Former Seibu Lion Wu Nien-ting kept Taiwan&#8217;s World Baseball Classic dream alive by throwing out the potential tying run from first base in the 10th inning in their 5-4 Pool C victory Sunday over South Korea at Tokyo Dome in front of a large supportive crowd. In a game with drama writ large, Taiwan captain &#8230; <a href="https://jballallen.com/win-over-s-korea-keeps-taiwan-alive-in-wbc/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Win over S. Korea keeps Taiwan alive in WBC</span> <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">17488</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Japan brings down S. Korea</title>
		<link>https://jballallen.com/japan-brings-down-s-korea/</link>
					<comments>https://jballallen.com/japan-brings-down-s-korea/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Allen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Mar 2026 14:12:40 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Free]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://jballallen.com/?p=17483</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Japan held off South Korea 8-6 as the Asian giants resumed their great rivalry in a furious see-saw clash Saturday in World Baseball Classic Pool C at Tokyo Dome. The victory left Samurai Japan tied for the Pool lead at 2-0 with the team&#8217;s Sunday night opponent, Australia, while Korea will play Taiwan in an &#8230; <a href="https://jballallen.com/japan-brings-down-s-korea/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Japan brings down S. Korea</span> <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">17483</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Oh: WBC comes of age</title>
		<link>https://jballallen.com/oh-wbc-comes-of-age/</link>
					<comments>https://jballallen.com/oh-wbc-comes-of-age/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Allen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Mar 2026 12:48:22 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[History]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paid Content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sadaharu Oh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shohei Ohtani]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tokyo Dome]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Baseball Classic]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://jballallen.com/?p=17479</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Sadaharu Oh, who 20 years ago managed Japan to the first World Baseball Classic championship, said Saturday the tournament has matured to match the dreams he had for it at its birth in 2006. Although starting as a blank canvas, the opening Tokyo round that year contained a game that has been an all-time favorite, &#8230; <a href="https://jballallen.com/oh-wbc-comes-of-age/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Oh: WBC comes of age</span> <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">17479</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>No stopping Shohei Ohtani</title>
		<link>https://jballallen.com/no-stopping-shohei-ohtani/</link>
					<comments>https://jballallen.com/no-stopping-shohei-ohtani/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Allen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:28:34 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WBC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Baseball Classic]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://jballallen.com/?p=17474</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Some day, Shohei Ohtani will slow down. Friday was not that day.]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">17474</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Japan&#8217;s Journey to the 2026 World Baseball Classic</title>
		<link>https://jballallen.com/japans-journey-to-the-2026-world-baseball-classic/</link>
					<comments>https://jballallen.com/japans-journey-to-the-2026-world-baseball-classic/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Allen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Mar 2026 14:12:56 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[History]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paid Content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japanese history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NPB]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sadaharu Oh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WBC]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://jballallen.com/?p=17461</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The 2026 World Baseball Classic kicks off Thursday at Tokyo Dome, where it started in 2006 after a gestation period that was prolonged, painful, and acrimonious, simply because Nippon Professional Baseball was involved in all its incompetent splendor, and unable to see the big picture of potential prosperity. The heart of dumbness While incompetence and &#8230; <a href="https://jballallen.com/japans-journey-to-the-2026-world-baseball-classic/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Japan&#8217;s Journey to the 2026 World Baseball Classic</span> <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">17461</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Weird Japanese records</title>
		<link>https://jballallen.com/weird-japanese-records/</link>
					<comments>https://jballallen.com/weird-japanese-records/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jim Allen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2025 14:13:42 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Baseball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[History]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paid Content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alex Cabrera]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Craig Calcaterra]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tuffy Rhodes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wladimir Balentien]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://jballallen.com/?p=17353</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[On Monday, in Craig Calcaterra&#8217;s wonderful irreverent newsletter, &#8220;Cup of Coffee,&#8221; I found notice of Munetaka Murakami&#8217;s posting, and Craig&#8217;s bewilderment that the left-handed slugger is called the holder of the single-season home run record among Japan-born players. Aside from the fact that it&#8217;s not an official record, the answer has a little to do &#8230; <a href="https://jballallen.com/weird-japanese-records/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Weird Japanese records</span> <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
		
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">17353</post-id>	</item>
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