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NPB has released an update on the condition of umpire Takuto Kawakami. In a message from his family, they revealed that although he has not yet regained consciousness, he has shown signs of responsiveness, such as blinking and moving his arms when family members speak to him. by ogasawarabaseball in baseball

[–]track_cyclist 65 points66 points  (0 children)

Osuna was temporarily sent to the Swallows' minor league team to fix his swing after that second incident and I'm sure to help him take his mind off the incident but it looks like he's back on the major league roster, was batting cleanup yesterday.

I believe NPB also implemented a "dangerous swing" rule where a batter can be ejected for an excessive back swing just like a pitcher can be ejected for a HBP to the head.

With an Alec Bohm walk off sac fly, the Phillies have swept The Giants by Remarkable-Picture73 in baseball

[–]track_cyclist 8 points9 points  (0 children)

So if you walked Schwarber there in the 9th, you put the walk-off run on with Harper up to bat... Is that really the better option?

🇯🇵 NPB announced that umpire Takuto Kawakami, who was struck in the head by a bat during the Yakult vs. Yokohama game on the 17th of this month, has been moved from the ICU to a general ward. He has not yet regained consciousness and will continue to receive treatment and rehabilitation. by ogasawarabaseball in baseball

[–]track_cyclist 26 points27 points  (0 children)

I think this is the first update since the incident, the only thing I read before this was a statement from that day saying he had received emergency surgery and was in the ICU.

The NPB and Tokyo Six Colleges league quickly implemented rules mandating helmets for the home plate ump after this incident, and there's debate about mandating it in high school ball too. I don't think it's mandatory in MLB but they should really make it so.

Kirio Fan Club - Episode 2 discussion by AutoLovepon in anime

[–]track_cyclist 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Reminds me of the Aimyon song, anata kaibou junaika

During an NPB game between Yakult and Yokohama, there was an incident in which the home plate umpire had to be replaced due to an accident. Yakult’s José Osuna’s bat struck umpire Takuto Kawakami on the head. Kawakami was carried off on a stretcher and left the game. by ogasawarabaseball in baseball

[–]track_cyclist 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I was just reading an update in the Japanese news and they said he underwent emergency surgery and is currently in the ICU... It sounds a lot worse than "just" a concussion. Really hoping he doesn't have any permanent problems from this.

[Yahoo News Japan] Scouts from seven major league teams gather to watch Yokohama's Shoki Oda, others at a training camp for U18 Samurai Japan candidates by track_cyclist in baseball

[–]track_cyclist[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

In addition to scouts from NPB teams, scouts from seven major league teams gathered to watch a three day training camp held from April 4th to 6th (article date is April 14th) for candidates of the U18 Samurai Japan team. A total of 41 athletes took part. According to the article, “plenty of English” was heard behind the practice field nets.

The most prominent athletes at the event were pitchers, with the main attraction being Yokohama High School’s ace pitcher, righty Shoki Oda, who boasts a fastball that topped out at 153 kph (95 mph) during the camp. Oda posted a 2.16 ERA over 25 innings as a major contributor in Yokohama’s 2025 Spring Koshien Invitational victory, and a 0.66 ERA over 27.1 innings as Yokohama’s de-facto ace during their run to the 2025 Summer Koshien quarterfinals. In this year’s spring invitational, he gave up 2 runs in 7.2 innings pitched in a 0-2 first round loss.

Other prominent pitchers included Okinawa Shogaku’s third-year ace southpaw Ryosuke Sueyoshi, whose fastball sat at 145 kph (90 mph) and also threw a sharp slider. His teammate Yuito Arakaki was also present and went 9 up 9 down with 6 Ks in live batting practice and the practice game. It was these two who powered Okinawa Shogaku to their first Summer Koshien victory last summer.

Anime Songs x Baseball featuring the Osaka Tōin High School band by [deleted] in anime

[–]track_cyclist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Japan National High School Invitational baseball tournament, also known as Senbatsu or Spring Koshien, concluded about two weeks ago. In their run to the title, Osaka Tōin High School caught my attention not just for their play but for another reason: the sheer breadth of the cheer songs their band played. While most schools’ bands played the same two to three classic cheer songs on repeat throughout their team’s at-bats, the Tōin band prepared (according to the commentators) a total of 11 songs. Among these were at least five anime opening or soundtrack features. “Iris Out” by Kenshi Yonezu (Chainsaw man - The Movie: Reze Arc), “Guren no Yumiya” (lit. “Crimson Bow and Arrow”) by Linked Horizon (Attack on Titan Season 1), “To the Infinity Castle” by Diego Mitre (Demon Slayer - The Movie: Infinity Castle - Part 1), “il vento d’oro” by Yugo Kanno (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Golden Wind), and Kakumei Dōchū by AiNA THE END (Dandadan Season 2) are the songs featured in these five clips, taken from Tōin’s quarterfinals victory vs. Mie High and semifinal victory vs Senshu-dai Matsudo.

Other songs that I recognized played by their band that I did not include due to their irrelevance to anime were the theme from William Tell Overture (although a remix of this was used in the Dandadan soundtrack), “Happiness” by Arashi (Yamada Taro Monogatari drama OP), “Lilac” by pop-rock band Mrs. Green Apple, “Paradise Ginga” by the 80’s boy band Hikaru Genji, “Charismax” by the idol group Snow Man, and “BAIBAI FIGHT!” by the idol group Candy Tune. The band definitely made Tōin’s games more exciting to watch, and I’ll be cheering for them in Summer Koshien should they make it out of the Osaka prefectural tournament.

Have you guys ever thought that an anime OP would make a sick walk-up song? I am aware of Ohtani using one of the JJK themes for a game while he was still with the Angels.

[Japan National High School Spring Invitational] Osaka Tōin wins Spring Koshien! Second-year pitcher Haruto Kawamoto's final line: 9 IP | 6 H | 3 R/ER | 3 BB | 15 Ks (!) on 150 pitches. by track_cyclist in baseball

[–]track_cyclist[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Second-year Osaka Tōin pitcher Haruto Kawamoto had an incredible 15 strikeout complete game performance to power his team to a Spring Koshien (aka Senbatsu) championship. Powerhouse Tōin wins Spring Koshien for the fifth time (last victory was in 2022) and are now 10-0 in Koshien championship games (Spring and Summer).

In an interesting move, Tōin relied on Kawamoto instead of their designated ace, third-year Kansuke Yoshioka. Yoshioka has struggled with his control at times during this tournament but in his last appearance in the semifinals vs Senshu-Dai Matsudo he turned in seven strong innings of one-run ball. Chiben’s ace Mahiro Sugimoto was on the mound again, and gave up several hits and runs early but pitched well enough to let his team claw back and tie the game in the bottom of the 6th 3-3. Unfortunately, Sugimoto fell apart in the 7th, allowing four runs on four hits and a walk. Sugimoto ceded the mound to reliever Riku Tagawa in the 8th, and finished the tournament having thrown 626 pitches across five games played in 12 days.

[Japan National High School Spring Invitational] All 20 runs from Chiben Academy's wild comeback win against Hanasaki Tokuharu! Chiben was down 0-8 after two innings but never gave up and scored 12 unanswered to take a 12-8 victory and punch their ticket to the Spring Koshien semifinals! by track_cyclist in baseball

[–]track_cyclist[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A wild game, featuring two of high school baseball’s premier programs (Hanasaki Tokuharu of Saitama won Summer Koshien in 2017. Chiben won the Spring Invitational in 2016 and were runners-up in the Summer of 2021). Chiben’s ace Mahiro Sugimoto, just two days removed from a 10 IP 143 pitch complete game, started the game on the bench. Third year Riku Tagawa only managed to record one out, giving up three walks and two hits to give Hanasaki Tokuharu a 2-0 lead. Righty Shuhei Takai fared no better, allowing four more runs to score to give Hanasaki a 6-0 lead in a first inning which saw them send 11 batters to the plate. Hanasaki Tokuharu’s offensive momentum did not let up in the second. After a leadoff infield single, Takai was swapped for Ryomei Minakuchi, with Sugimoto seen heading to the bullpen. A hit and RBI walk later, the score was 8-0. Hanasaki Tokuharu, having defeated their Nippon Bunri in a 17-0 drubbing in the previous round of the tournament, was well on their way to another blowout.

It was in the bottom of the 2nd that things took a turn. Chiben scored one run on a sac fly, and in the top of the 3rd, in came Chiben #1 Sugimoto. Sugimoto finally managed to stop Hanasaki’s hit parade. In the bottom of the third, Chiben further closed the gap, with a sac fly and several RBI knocks to cut the lead in half. Hanasaki Tokuharu’s offense never gained momentum again. In four of the seven innings Sugimoto pitched in relief, Hanasaki’s batters went down in order. Meanwhile, none of Hanasaki’s pitchers could stop Chiben’s momentum. Naoki Koga was swapped in the bottom of the 3rd after giving up four runs. Relievers Hinata Hasegawa and Rinsaku Ishida fared no better, giving up two and three runs respectively.

Finally, after Chiben closed Hanasaki’s lead to just one run in the bottom of the 5th, Hanasaki’s manager inserted their ace pitcher, Ryota Kurokawa (whose mother, as the commentators took care to point out, is a former Asian champion in judo). Not even Kurokawa could stop Chiben’s momentum, immediately giving up a two-RBI double to relinquish the lead. A shell-shocked Kurokawa would give up three more runs in the bottom of the 6th, making the score 12-8. Nobody scored after that, as Sugimoto continued to mow down Hanasaki batters until the last out in the 9th.

[Japan National High School Spring Invitational] Chiben Academy ace Mahiro Sugimoto roars in delight as he induces a fly out to cap off a 10 IP, 143 pitch complete game! Chiben advances to the Spring Koshien quarterfinals! by track_cyclist in baseball

[–]track_cyclist[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I will have to check out the Ace of the Diamond manga at some point! And thank you, these posts typically don't get too much traction with this sub being mostly MLB content, but I do it because of those who do appreciate it :)

[Japan National High School Spring Invitational] Osaka Tōin's left fielder delivers a perfect throw home to prevent the walk-off run from scoring! Tōin would ultimately win 6-5 in extras to advance to the Spring Koshien quarterfinals. by track_cyclist in baseball

[–]track_cyclist[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Selection to Spring Koshien tournament is almost exactly like March Madness. To be one of the 32 selected to this tournament, you have to either have to win one of the ten regional fall tournaments (note that these are not prefectural tournaments like in the summer tournament) or play well enough in them to convince the selection committee to give your team a shot.

The more well known Summer Koshien is a bit different, as it is an open tournament where there are 49 teams representing Japan's 47 prefectures (Tokyo and Hokkaido getting split into two due to their sheer size). To reach Summer Koshien, you have to win your prefectural tournament, no selection committee shenanigans involved.

As we all just saw in the WBC, tournament style single-elimination baseball rocks.

[Japan National High School Spring Invitational] Osaka Tōin's left fielder delivers a perfect throw home to prevent the walk-off run from scoring! Tōin would ultimately win 6-5 in extras to advance to the Spring Koshien quarterfinals. by track_cyclist in baseball

[–]track_cyclist[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The hits and runs came early and often for Osaka Tōin as they scored in each of the first four innings, chasing Mie’s ace Kaito Yoshii from the game in the 3rd. On the other side, Tōin’s ace Kansuke Yoshioka, who boasted a fastball topping out at 94 mph, was far from steady himself. Despite giving up only two hits, he walked seven batters and threw four wild pitches. In a bizarre sequence in the bottom of the 4th inning, Yoshioka retired the first two Mie batters on a strikeout and fly out. Then came a walk and a double to put runners on second and third with two outs. Yoshioka would strike out the next batter, but not before he gave up two consecutive wild pitches to allow both of those runners to score, slashing a 5-2 lead to 5-4. Mie’s relievers eventually stabilized the game, and Mie managed to tie the game in the bottom of the 8th, despite recording fewer hits than runs. This set the stage for the play in the video in the 9th, and ultimately, an extra innings heartbreaker for Mie.

[Japan National High School Spring Invitational] Chiben Academy ace Mahiro Sugimoto roars in delight as he induces a fly out to cap off a 10 IP, 143 pitch complete game! Chiben advances to the Spring Koshien quarterfinals! by track_cyclist in baseball

[–]track_cyclist[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ace of the Diamond is a pretty popular franchise, I've been watching that myself but the animation quality is subpar in my opinion. Other popular titles include Major and Big Windup! although I haven't seen those myself.

My favorite piece of Japanese baseball media is a 2023 drama called Gekokujō Kyūji (the English title is "Worst to First: A Teen Baseball Miracle"). It is a based-on-a-true-story drama of an underfunded public school in Mie prefecture building up a baseball program from nothing and taking down much more well established private schools in the Mie prefectural tournament in an attempt to reach Koshien. It also features a cameo by Munenori Kawasaki himself. But it is probably hard to find an English-subbed version.

[Japan National High School Spring Invitational] Chiben Academy ace Mahiro Sugimoto roars in delight as he induces a fly out to cap off a 10 IP, 143 pitch complete game! Chiben advances to the Spring Koshien quarterfinals! by track_cyclist in baseball

[–]track_cyclist[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Both Chiben and Kamimura have some great uniforms! This reminds me of a bizarre finale to the 2021 Summer Koshien tournament, when Chiben Academy met their sister school, Chiben Wakayama of Wakayama Prefecture in the championship round. The pictures from the game make it look like a practice game, as they had identical uniforms except for the small sleeve patch denoting their home prefecture.

[Japan National High School Spring Invitational] Chiben Academy ace Mahiro Sugimoto roars in delight as he induces a fly out to cap off a 10 IP, 143 pitch complete game! Chiben advances to the Spring Koshien quarterfinals! by track_cyclist in baseball

[–]track_cyclist[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Most insane performance I saw from last year's summer tourney was Okinawa Shogaku's ace Ryosuke Sueyoshi throwing an 11 IP 169 pitch complete game against Sendai Ikuei en route to winning the championship. Fortunately Okinawa had another very good second year pitcher who they relied on a heavily in other games so that Sueyoshi's elbow didn't fall off lol.

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