NPB Tracker

• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-09-06:
  Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-08-30:
  Hanamaki tearfully exits Koshien;.. http://bit.ly/soHBQ #
• Uehara throws bullpen session, still hurting: http://bit.ly/2PqNPe #
• Draft to be Open to Public: Nippon Professional Baseball is taking another step to further engage its fans. NPB .. http://bit.ly/3AslZ #
• Tsuyoshi Wada set to return: http://bit.ly/j1XZ2 #
• Wei-Yin Chen threw a CG shutout at Koshien Stadium. (9.0IP, 2H, BB, 10K) #
• Kikuchi to Visit the States: When we last left our heroes,Yusei Kikuchi had strongly suggested that he was going.. http://bit.ly/bXeZW #
• Iwakuma earns his 12th win throwing 8.0 innings and allowing 9H, 3ER, 2BB with 7K for a total of 135 pitches. #
• USA-Japan High School Baseball Games: The USA-Japan High School Baseball Games recently took place at the Urban .. http://tinyurl.com/nolnjp #
• MLB Scouts Watch Chen: Sports Hochi is reporting that a number of MLB scouts were on hand to take in Chunichi Dr.. http://bit.ly/11ZD4o #
• Darvish throws 60 pitches in bullpen, closer to return: http://bit.ly/2xlCpB #
• Wada returns, bitter results: http://bit.ly/24Tavt #
• Matsuzaka will throw in Winston-Salem with a 90-100 pitch count limit: http://bit.ly/3VquFk #
• Ryota Igarashi activated: http://bit.ly/RdoOR #
• Yu Darvish will return to the mound and start on the 13th: http://bit.ly/4B2nlq #
• Masahiro Tanaka earns his 13th victory: 8.0IP, 10H, 3ER, 4K with no walks for a total of 123 pitches… Season ERA now at 1.97. #
• Daisuke Matsuzaka set to start on Tuesday against the Angels: http://bit.ly/1FJ3ko #
• Koji Uehara done for the season: http://bit.ly/23YzGc #
• Japan Advances to Second Round at World Cup: The 2009 Baseball World Cup completed its first round and Japan has.. http://bit.ly/5Ef4Z #
• Yu Darvish returns strong for his 15th win… 8.0IP, 6H, ER, 5K with no walks for a total of 104 pitches versus the Lotte Marines. #
• Hisanori Takahashi earns a win yielding 5.0 innings and allowing 6H, 2R, 2BB with 5K. Season ERA at 3.23 for a total of 120 innings pitched. #

• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-08-30:
  Hanamaki tearfully exits Koshien; Kikuchi surrenders big hit in relief.
  .. http://bit.ly/117UKi #
• World Cup Roster: The Japanese roster for the 38th IBAF World Cup has been announced. The schedule overlaps with.. http://bit.ly/1zx1jf #
• Following Twitter: Some of you might be following the NPB Tracker Twitter feed. I hope you’re enjoying it… http://bit.ly/y8atZ #
• New Lotte Marines manager decided: Current coach Norifumi Nishimura who has been with the Marines for 28 years. #
• Makoto Imaoka decides to retire after this season: http://bit.ly/yoQDx #
• Makoto Imaoka quotes the statement of retirement is not true. http://bit.ly/loFb1 #
• Iwakuma wins the pitching dual between Wakui and the Seibu Lions… Allowed 7H, 2ER with 11K for a total of 132 pitches. #
• Iwakuma struck out every Lions starter and he was the fourth Pacific League pitcher to accomplish that in history. #
• Tsuyoshi Wada will throw in a ni-gun game with the limit set around 100 pitches. If it all goes well he will be back with Softbank Hawks. #
• Pro vs. College All-Stars: Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Central and Pacific Leagues, the NPB young st.. http://bit.ly/bl1IX #
• NPB Bullet Points: Imaoka Released, Williams Too?: In Japanese:

  Amid rumors of his retirement, Hanshin has rele.. http://bit.ly/3PPw4 #

• Inside the Industrial Leagues: With current Boston Red Sox prospect Junichi Tazawa making the jump from the Japa.. http://bit.ly/qPr2H #
• Nikkan Sports: Tazawa to face White Sox again on Sept 6
  http://bit.ly/lOjL1 #
• Masahiro Tanaka defeated by the Lions allowing 8H, 4ER, 2BB with 9K for a total of 114 pitches. #
• Darvish to join the Fighters on 11th: http://bit.ly/mZtkn #
• Japanese Baseball Primers: Over the last several months, we’ve posted several introductory pieces to Japan.. http://bit.ly/2rdI4d #
• Lim joins Igarashi on the injured list… Swallows bullpen going down at once with a 4 game lead for the last playoff spot. #
• Yokohama Considering Japanese Major Leaguers: The Yokohama BayStars have routinely had the worst pitching staff .. http://bit.ly/Uh5R5 #
• Sanspo: Kuroda to return Sept 6 against San Diego. http://bit.ly/11Q6bA
  (Japanese) #
• Yomiuri vs Yakult, live on justin.tv: http://www.justin.tv/zombie20? #
• Matsuzaka Speaks:

  Daisuke Matsuzaka spoke to the press after his latest rehab appearance. These comments are a.. http://bit.ly/1UQmMQ #

• Mets to Sign Teenager: This one is about is about as under-the-radar as it gets — according to ChuSpo, the.. http://bit.ly/33cVcC #
• Looking Ahead to the Draft: One of my favorite sites, Draft Reports, has published a rundown of what’s kno.. http://bit.ly/184nab #
• Sho Nakata will be suspended 10 games for being late to practice: http://bit.ly/1ZFvxg #
• Darvish's return considered beyond the 15th: http://bit.ly/3Q59PZ #
• Colonel Sanders is Back: The Colonel Sanders will finally make an appearance back at the Koshien Stadium in fron.. http://bit.ly/Vhbu1 #
• Live coverage between the Lotte Marines vs. Orix Buffaloes : http://www.justin.tv/eiping #
• Hisanori Takahashi earns 6th win throwing 5.2 innings and allowing 5H, 2ER, BB with 3K. #
• Toshiya Sugiuchi striking out double-digit for three stright games to earn his 14th win (8IP, 3H, ER, 2BB, 11K) #

Over the last several months, we’ve posted several introductory pieces to Japanese baseball. I’ve aggregated them under one tag, Japanese Baseball Primer.

Here’s what we have so far:

• Inside the Industrial Leagues
• Ni-gun baseball
• The Meikyukai
• The Hall of Fame and Museum
• Inside the NPB Draft
• Agents in Japanese Baseball
• Independent Leagues in Japan
• The Ikusei System

These posts cover topics beyond the professional league and beyond the game on the field and are great for anyone who wants to learn more about the culture of baseball in Japan.

• Hanamaki tearfully exits Koshien; Kikuchi surrenders big hit in relief.
  http://bit.ly/1Whctf #
• Hideki Irabu makes his first start for Kouchi… Threw 117 pitches going 7.0 innings allowing seven hits on three earned runs. #
• Hideki Irabu makes his first start for Kouchi… Threw 117 pitches going 7.0 innings allowing three earned runs on seven hits. #
• Koshien final live on Justin.tv: http://www.justin.tv/eiping #
• Wild end to Koshien final. If you missed it, check the game out here: http://www.justin.tv/eiping#from-21.00,August-23-2009 #
• Wild end to Koshien final. If you missed it, check the game out here: http://bit.ly/19MIxq (fixed link) #
• NPB Bullet Points: Koshien Wraps Up, Dragons Get Sick Too: Koshien wrapped up yesterday with a wild finale. If y.. http://bit.ly/10kmzN #
• Lim showing recent struggles… Walks two with bases loaded to suffer second loss and that is his second straight outing with 2ER. #
• Kikuchi’s Future: Koshien is over, and inevitably the media has turned the spotlight back to the injured Y.. http://bit.ly/Bc7ar #
• No support for Iwakuma as he throws 10 innings allowing 9H, 2ER (HR), 2BB with 10K for 149 pitches and receives a no-decision. #
• Ni-Gun Baseball: We mentioned on twitter that Yu Darvish will have his turn in the rotation skipped to work on h.. http://bit.ly/1rKRIJ #
• Kikuchi Decides on Japan?: Daily Sports has comments from Yusei Kikuchi suggesting that he’s decided on be.. http://bit.ly/2RcMx #
• Homerun leader Nakamura (Seibu) taken off the roster due to soreness in left thigh. #
• NPB Bullet Points: Brazell Becomes a Dad, KBO Offers for Bobby: Japanese Stories:

  Craig Brazell commemorated th.. http://bit.ly/XRcER #

• Masahiro Tanaka threw eight shutout innings with 12K to earn his career-high 12th win of the season. #
• Tsuyoshi Wada throws in a ni-gun game at Naruohama for the first time in a month and a half… (5.0IP, 3H, 2ER) #
• 10 Foreign Player Stories: There are a couple of editions of Shukan Baseball that I look forward to each year: t.. http://bit.ly/3mfJ0U #
• Pitch Counts at Koshien: The response we received to my recent article about pitch counts reaffirmed to me that .. http://bit.ly/1IgBvs #
• Yoshinobu Takahashi will have hip surgery as soon as early September and will hope to return fully by the 2010 season. #
• Yu Darvish now heading to Kamagaya… http://bit.ly/3LeWzY #
• Tazawa demoted; should be back when rosters expand. http://bit.ly/1wcGn2
  (Japanese) #
• Attendance Rising: Although attendance is taking a hit in the States due to the economy, attendance is actually .. http://bit.ly/KUVXS #
• Ryota Igarashi taken off the roster due to injuring his hip while pitching in his 500th relief appearance. #