Tag Archives: Koji Uehara

Ichiro on ballot for Japan’s Hall of Fame

Ichiro Suzuki, whose 4,367 career hits are the most in major league baseball (lower case, was among the four new candidates named Tuesday to the players division ballot for the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame’s class of 2025.

Unlike America’s National Hall of Fame, Japan’s vote is open to all journalists who have covered NPB for accredited media for 15 years or more, and because of that large number, it seems unlikely that even Suzuki will be a unanimous selection.

Japan’s voters favor players with exceptional careers, of course, but they have also shown a soft spot for the less than stellar provided they are extremely popular with the press, while denying worthy candidates if they ever had issues with the media.

That, and a shortage of outstanding fielders at demanding defensive positions, explains the popularity of former Giants shortstop Masahiro Kawai, who 221 of last year’s 354 voters believe is a hall of famer.

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WBC Jeopardy

Today I’m going to run you through a simulated game of “Jeopardy,” although you’ll have to forgive me if I get parts of it wrong. It used to be one of my favorite American TV shows, but I have only seen a handful of episodes since moving to Japan in 1984, including those in which a friend and former Daily Yomiuri coworker played and won a considerable sum of cash.

I suspect some of this will be new to some of you. I hope you enjoy it, although there’s no cash involved and no home version as a consolation prize.

Clues

WBC controversies

  • An umpire who cost Japan a chance to bring in MLB closer Akira Otsuka with a late lead in the first game of the 2006 Anaheim quarterfinal round by overturning the correct safe call on an appeal play in favor of the USA.
  • An umpire who cost Mexico a home run in the final game of the 2006 Anaheim quarterfinal round against the USA, when he ruled a ball hit off the foul pole to be a ground rule double.
  • A country that was eliminated from a playoff to advance to the quarterfinals in 2017 after MLB announced it would play in the tie-breaker playoff.
  • A country whose players union threatened to boycott the first three WBCs.
Continue reading WBC Jeopardy