Japanese baseball fans may still be masked, but their voices are now being heard, bringing back an important part of the pre-pandemic vibe. Meanwhile, we’ve got a Samurai Japan update and something new from Tsuyoshi Shinjo.
So let’s get to it, shall we?
Continue reading NPB news: Feb. 23, 2023Samurai Japan manager Hideki Kuriyama announced the first 12 players for his preliminary 30-man World Baseball Classic roster on Friday, a list that included the first three of Japan’s MLB players to commit, Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish and Seiya Suzuki.
They were joined by some obvious choices, Japan’s back-to-back MVPS, the Central League’s triple crown-winning Yakult Swallows third baseman Munetaka Murakami, and Pacific League pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who also grabbed his second straight Sawamura Award last autumn.
Roki Sasaki, too, made the first list of what will in the end include 30 names for the March tourney.
Continue reading NPB news: Jan. 6, 2023
