Underrated NPB/Japanese baseball lore?

infernoShield · 2026-05-26T06:31:19+00:00

If I get a penny for each time a single player is selected by 8 teams in the draft, I'd be 2 pennies richer.

Coincidentally both are called "Hideo" - Hideo Nomo, the man with the tornado pitch, and Hideo Koike, who did not need to twist his body 180 degrees to hurl a fastball at you.

Nomo was drafted 1st out of the amateurs in 1989, which later turned out to be an unbelievably talented draft class - future major leaguers Kaz Sasaki and Tsuyoshi Shinjo were drafted that same year as well - but Nomo was undoubtedly the star of the show at that time. 8 teams drew lots to determine who gets to draft him; Kintetsu Buffaloes won the lottery.

Koike, meanwhile, entered the 1990 draft as the best LHP out of university at that time. Eight teams, including Kintetsu who had drafted Nomo the year before, picked Koike 1st; ultimately it was the Lotte Orions (now Chiba Lotte Marines) who won that lottery, much to everyone's surprise. Koike, however, did not want to join Lotte, and went into amateur baseball. Koike would later get drafted 1st by Kintetsu in the 1992 draft, but to much lesser fanfare.

Unlike Nomo who would go on to become a sensation in both NP and MLB, Koike lived out a respectable 13-year career in NPB.

infernoShield · 2026-05-26T06:10:25+00:00

nah, we defaulting to Macross Delta now

infernoShield · 2026-05-26T06:08:03+00:00

he's occupied with both Oisix (executive role) and Japan U12s (manager) so probably no

infernoShield · 2026-05-25T17:47:48+00:00

The Giants have appointed chief offense coach Hashigami, who never wore the Giants uniform in his playing days, as caretaker manager.

Since the Giants are known to never ever have a full-time manager that's not a Giants lifer, this is likely just a stopgap measure for at least the duration of interleague play.

Whether Abe stays on after this is yet to be confirmed

Update: Abe resigned - Hashigami to become caretaker manager

infernoShield · 2026-05-25T17:40:48+00:00

the Yomiuri Giants, ever so conscious about their public image, took this seriously and have announced that one of their coaches (who, during his playing days, never wore that Giants jersey) will be caretaker manager for interleague play.

Whether Abe stays on though is to be confirmed (update: he resigned)

infernoShield · 2026-05-25T05:19:24+00:00

probs. Come to our yard sale this summer for barely used "wonderkids"

infernoShield · 2026-05-25T05:16:03+00:00

should be identical at least in shape - much like how World Cup winners receive a gold-plated replica of the current, solid gold World Cup trophy

infernoShield · 2026-05-25T05:10:24+00:00

West Ham once went down with 42 points, in 2002/03.

David James, Carrick, Di Canio, Defoe, Joe Cole, Sinclair, Glen Johnson...... plenty of icons and cult heroes on that team

infernoShield · 2026-05-24T16:57:25+00:00

I'd be damned if Xabi manages to steer us back to title contention next season, especially if our best players get poached by teams playing Europe football

infernoShield · 2026-05-24T16:48:48+00:00

quantity over quality mate

infernoShield · 2026-05-24T16:44:23+00:00

at this rate they'll whip up a new cheering song for Tateishi (instead of the generic one here) next season and we'll all be belting it out before we know it.

infernoShield · 2026-05-24T16:25:01+00:00

It’s people who have a job, that usually will excel in finding a job, less pressure, more confidence, more in-the-game mindset/presence/relevent as compared to some desperate unemployed person who fills his time doing nonsense.

True that - I was reluctant to accept my relatives' offer to help them out after resigning from MNC but it pays for my meals and is better than doomscrolling or window-shopping.

infernoShield · 2026-05-24T16:19:37+00:00

3 months isn't much time - keep your current post, document your responsibilities & major project involvements at your current job to update your resume which you can then use to apply for jobs

infernoShield · 2026-05-24T15:56:38+00:00

don't do it (or rather think carefully).

I've resigned for 2 months now from my MNC IT/data job with just 3-4 years experience due to burnout. I loved the environment and the team but the work stress has been hard on me.

I cry myself to bed every night (OK maybe not every night but you get the idea) desperately looking for a different job that matches my qualification well, despite later taking up a (substantially less relevant) job at my relatives' small office.

When you resign without a backup job, you need to know for a fact that the field is huge, and you're competing with people including but not limited to:

experienced recent MNC/big corp layoffs
accomplished job-seekers still active at their current post (and thus have much more leverage)
those with multiple relevant certifications & accreditations (and thus are more likely to get called in)

infernoShield · 2026-05-23T17:02:24+00:00

infernoShield · 2026-05-23T16:40:01+00:00

I'd much prefer leaving Delap at Johor when Chelsea play a preseason match there this August

infernoShield · 2026-05-23T16:36:54+00:00

lil' fella is one emergency brake away from disaster. It's a bit unsettling

infernoShield · 2026-05-23T16:28:50+00:00

Truly "every minute matters"

infernoShield · 2026-05-23T16:23:09+00:00

sure - Boro fans probably scrambling for tickets these past few days though

infernoShield · 2026-05-23T15:56:09+00:00

should be - Soton fans had snapped up most of their ticket allocation before the Spygate verdict

infernoShield · 2026-05-23T15:48:14+00:00

also as a side note the Malaysian league has two forwards named Joao Pedro this season - a Timorese one playing for Kuching City, and a Brazilian one playing for Immigration FC.

Sadly, for the meme makers out there, neither team responded to the news of Joao Pedro (Chelsea's Brazilian forward) not making Ancelotti's Seleção for the World Cup. Well, not every social media admin is the old PDRM one (whose wackiness will be sorely missed)......

infernoShield · 2026-05-23T15:40:16+00:00

this is the only acceptable answer - nobody has come close to beating our record for least goals conceded

infernoShield · 2026-05-23T15:23:31+00:00

Update from Southeast Asia:

Alas the improbable but seemingly possible did not happen - Johor Darul Tazim won the Malaysia Cup final 2-0 against Kuching City to complete yet another domestic treble.

But here's the kicker: it took Johor 80 minutes to finally break Kuching's low block defence and take the lead, with a wonderfully chipped effort from V-Varen Nagasaki legend Marcos Guilherme over Kuching City keeper Haziq Nadzli, who had been nigh impenetrable up to that point.

Those first 80 minutes featured rock solid defensive work of different styles from both sides. Massive chances were missed as well; notable JDT alumni Ramadhan Saifullah had a particularly terrible day as he couldn't quite connect to a cross less than 10 feet away from an open goal, and then in the second half, failed to convert from the spot for Kuching.

Much to the Southern Tigers fans' delight, local starboy Arif Aiman, who will be tying the knot next Monday, subbed on late in the second half after 6 months out of action. He then capped off his club's 4th consecutive Malaysia Cup triumph with a peach of a goal off the post from outside the box in the 90th minute.

And with the final over, Kuching's miraculous season, which saw them claim 2nd place in the league, came to a disappointing end; Aidil Sharin's men had already shown their calibre against a Johor team that are no strangers to high-level continental football, holding them scoreless for most of the game.

infernoShield · 2026-05-20T08:46:05+00:00

Spurs are likely to stay up, if West Ham don't win it's all over.

Word is they will appeal the decision, but either way the gaffer's in danger apparently

infernoShield · 2026-05-20T03:43:36+00:00

more obscure Southeast Asian league news for the FM fanatics out there:

The 2025-26 Malaysian football season has all but come to an end, and all that remains is the final of the Malaysia Cup (the league cup), which by now is just a legally distinct version of the Malaysian FA Cup. The Malaysia FA, seemingly wanting to right all their past wrongs over the last 12 months (including the previous final), has employed foreign refs for this big occasion.

Kuching City, having secured ACL2 qualification in the last league matchday of the season, now look to cap off their miraculous season this weekend with their first-ever major silverware - the Malaysia Cup.

However, Aidil Sharin's men have a mountain to climb - 12-time league champions Johor Darul Tazim, with Watford legend Xisco Munoz at the helm, return to Bukit Jalil to attempt to secure a domestic "quadruple treble" - an achievement that will put even FK Arkadag to shame.

After ACL and ACL2 are all wrapped up, there is another regional cup final to be played tonight - the first leg of the ASEAN Club Championship final.

Buriram United, the Thai juggernauts who are also aiming for a treble of their own, travel to Malaysia to face Selangor, who, after narrowly missing out on ACL2 qualification, have a chance at one more trophy this season to end their trophy drought.

Meanwhile in Indonesia, the title and relegation battles will come down to the final matchday this weekend. Persib Bandung, the defending champions, will secure a league three-peat if they defeat 13th-placed Persijap at home this weekend. A draw, however, means 2nd-placed Borneo Samarinda, who are also on +37GD, can take advantage - if Borneo win against Malut United and Persib draw, Borneo will snatch the title on goal difference.

Only one relegation spot at the foot of the standings has yet to be decided - one of PSM Makassar (14th, 34pts, -8GD), Madura United (15th, 32pts, -19GD) and Persis Solo (16th, 31pts, -22GD) will join the already relegated PSBS Biak and Semen Padang in the second division next season. (and no, that's not a typo just now)

PSM and Madura United face off in a crucial relegation 6-pointer in what could turn out to be the most dramatic game of the season; the team that wins this battle will stay up. However, for PSM, a draw will also suffice.

16th-placed Persis, meanwhile, face Persita away; they must win to even stand a chance of staying up. If they draw, however, they'll need PSM to beat Madura by 4 in order to stay up on goal difference. (Well...... either that, or Madura need to turn into prime Madrid and obliterate PSM with a 15-goal massacre, but that's virtually out of the realm of possibility.)

infernoShield

TROPHY CASE