 One of the funnest aspects of
Japanese Baseball is that it reflects the local culture
in so many ways. Sometimes that's good, sometimes bad,
but it's always mysterious and interesting. The following
essays comment on the Japanese game, it's biggest
personalities, and related topics.
 Comparing Japanese and
Major League Baseball: One past foreign player claimed the
Japanese game may look like baseball, but it isn't. The
rules are the same, but maybe that's where the similarity
ends.
Sportswriters
and Columnists covering Japanese Baseball: Though hundreds of scribes cover
pro Yakyu, only a handful do so for the English language
press. Here are the people you need to know.
Latham's
1998 Japanese Baseball Predictions: Find out who will go all the way
in 1998, using my own absolutely 100% foolproof
(sometimes) method. Also, my picks for individual awards.
Sadaharu
Oh and Small Ballparks: How many roundtrippers would the Japanese
home run king have hit in the Major Leagues?
Japanese
Players with Major League Dreams: Several local players have
already jumped to the big leagues. Find out who the next
ones to follow Hideo Nomo and Masato Yoshii [left]
will be.
Kazuhiro
Kiyohara, the Kyojin Crybaby: Unfortunately, the Yomiuri Giants
first baseman doesn't have the talent to match his big
league ego.
Ichiro: Probably the greatest Japanese
player of the last twenty years, Orix BlueWave superstar
outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is poised to shatter many
records.
Super
Rookie Yoshinobu Takahashi: If the former Keio University
star forgets the pressure, and doesn't let all the hype
go to his head, he has a chance of developing into one of
the Central League's top players.
1997
Pitcher of the Year, Kazuhisa Ishii: The sleepy-eyed lefty came back
from shoulder surgery, pitched a no hitter and compiled a
1.91 ERA before winning two Japan Series games for the
Yakult Swallows.
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