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American Expatriate Baseball Players In Japan
American expatriate baseball players in Japan have been a feature of the Japanese professional leagues since 1934. American expatriate players began to steadily find spots on Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) rosters in the 1960s. More than 600 Americans have played NPB, although very few last more than a single season in Japan. Many of the most celebrated American expatriate players came to Japan after not finding success in the Major Leagues. Major League Baseball (MLB) players, scouts, and sabermetricians describe play in the NPB as "AAAA"; less competitive than in the MLB, but more competitive than in AAA minor league baseball, which may explain the American expatriate players' success overseas. (see: " Big in Japan") American players hold several NPB records, including highest career batting average (Leron Lee, .334), highest single season batting average (Randy Bass, .389), and the dubious record of most strikeouts in a season by a hitter (Ralph Bryant, 204). Americans r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Professional Baseball In Japan
Professional baseball in Japan first started in the 1920s, but it was not until the was established in 1934 that the modern professional game had continued success. History Baseball was introduced to Japan in 1872 by Horace Wilson, and its first formal team was established in 1878. For almost 30 years, until 1906, a game could be viewed free of charge, as it was considered shameful to take money for doing something the players liked. Early attempts In 1907, the first game was held that had a fee to watch. From 1908, several United States professional teams toured Japan and played against amateur teams made up mostly of university students, including both the Chicago White Sox and the New York Giants in 1913. Realizing that a professional league was necessary to improve, two professional teams were established in 1920. In the same year, teams held exhibition tours in Korea and Manchuria to spread baseball. This first professional league disintegrated in 1923 for financial reasons, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gaijin
is a Japanese word for foreigners and non-Japanese citizens in Japan, specifically being applied to foreigners of non-Japanese ethnicity and those from the Japanese diaspora who are not Japanese citizens. The word is composed of two kanji: and . Similarly composed words that refer to foreign things include and . The word is typically used to refer to foreigners of non-East Asian ethnicities. Some feel the word has come to have a negative or pejorative connotation, while other observers maintain it is neutral. is a more neutral and somewhat more formal term widely used in the Japanese government and in media. ''Gaijin'' does not specifically mean a foreigner that is also a white person; instead, the term ''hakujin'' (白人, "white person") can be considered as a type of foreigner, and ''kokujin'' (黒人, "black person") would be the black equivalent. Etymology and history The word ''gaijin'' can be traced in writing to the 13th-century ''Heike Monogatari'': Here, ''gaijin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dai Nippon Tokyo Yakyu Kurabu
The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They have played their home games in the Tokyo Dome since its opening in 1988. The team's owner is Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings, Japan's largest media conglomerate which also owns two newspapers (including the eponymous ''Yomiuri Shimbun'') and the Nippon Television Network (which includes flagship Nippon TV). The Giants are the oldest team among the current Japanese professional teams. They are also by far the most successful, having won 22 Japan Series titles and an additional nine in the era of NPB's forerunner, the Japanese Baseball League. Their main rivalry is with the Hanshin Tigers, a team especially popular in the Kansai region. The Yomiuri Giants are regarded as "The New York Yankees of Japan" due to their widespread popularity, past dom ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only state geographically located within the tropics. Hawaii comprises nearly the entire Hawaiian archipelago, 137 volcanic islands spanning that are physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania. The state's ocean coastline is consequently the fourth-longest in the U.S., at about . The eight main islands, from northwest to southeast, are Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lānai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii—the last of these, after which the state is named, is often called the "Big Island" or "Hawaii Island" to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago. The uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands make up most of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, the United States' largest protected ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jimmy Horio
Jimmy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy * ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melattoor Ravi Varma * ''Jimmy'' (2013 film), a 2013 drama directed by Mark Freiburger * "The Jimmy", a 1995 episode of the sitcom ''Seinfeld'' * "Jimmy", a 2002 episode of ''Static Shock'' Music * ''Jimmy'' (musical), a 1969 musical Songs * "Jimmy" (song), a song by M.I.A. from the 2007 album ''Kala'' * "Jimmy", a song by Irving Berlin, see also List of songs written by Irving Berlin * "Jimmy", a song by Tones and I from her EP ''The Kids Are Coming'' * "Jimmy", a song by Tool from their 1996 album ''Ænima'' * "Jimmy", a song by dutch artist Boudewijn de Groot * "Jimmy", a song by Jay Thompson for the 1967 film ''Thoroughly Modern Millie'' Theater * Jimmy Awards, annual awards given by the Broadway League to high school musical theater performers in the United States P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japanese-American
are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asian American group at around 1,469,637, including those of partial ancestry. According to the 2010 census, the largest Japanese American communities were found in California with 272,528, Hawaii with 185,502, New York with 37,780, Washington with 35,008, Illinois with 17,542 and Ohio with 16,995. Southern California has the largest Japanese American population in North America and the city of Gardena holds the densest Japanese American population in the 48 contiguous states. History Immigration People from Japan began migrating to the US in significant numbers following the political, cultural, and social changes stemming from the Meiji Restoration in 1868. These early Issei immigrants came primarily from small towns and rural areas in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lefty O'Doul
Francis Joseph "Lefty" O'Doul (March 4, 1897 – December 7, 1969) was an American Major League Baseball player who went on to become an extraordinarily successful manager in the minor leagues. He was also a vital figure in the establishment of professional baseball in Japan. Career Player Born in San Francisco, California, in the Bayview neighborhood, O'Doul began his professional career as a left-handed pitcher with the minor-league San Francisco Seals of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. He had some major-league success with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox from to as a reliever. He pitched for the Red Sox in one notable game at Cleveland on July 7, 1923, that would go down in the record books. Relieving for starter Curt Fullerton, O'Doul gave up 16 runs over 3 innings of relief, with 14 of those runs coming in the 6th inning alone. Although errors committed by Red Sox fielders meant that only 3 of the 16 runs were earned, O'Doul set the major league record f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yomiuri Giants
The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They have played their home games in the Tokyo Dome since its opening in 1988. The team's owner is Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings, Japan's largest media conglomerate which also owns two newspapers (including the eponymous ''Yomiuri Shimbun'') and the Nippon Television Network (which includes flagship Nippon TV). The Giants are the oldest team among the current Japanese professional teams. They are also by far the most successful, having won 22 Japan Series titles and an additional nine in the era of NPB's forerunner, the Japanese Baseball League. Their main rivalry is with the Hanshin Tigers, a team especially popular in the Kansai region. The Yomiuri Giants are regarded as "The New York Yankees of Japan" due to their widespread popularity, past do ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Power Hitter
Power hitter is a term used in baseball for a skilled player that has a higher than average ability in terms of his batting, featuring a combination of dexterity and personal strength that likely leads to a high number of home-runs as well as doubles and triples. In baseball, a power hitter typically bats fourth or "Cleanup" in a Major League lineup, which consists of 9 hitters in a rotating order. In terms of detailed analysis, looking at a player's ability as a power hitter often involves using statistics such as someone's 'slugging percentage' (a function that's calculated by evaluating someone's number of moments at bat in relation to the nature of their hits and strikes). ' Isolated Power' (ISO), a measure showing the number of extra bases earned per time at bat that's calculated by subtracting someone's batting average from his slugging percentage, is another statistic used. The concept generally is analogous to that of a power pitcher, a player who relies on the veloc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greg Wells (baseball)
Gregory De Wayne "Boomer" Wells (born April 25, 1954) is an American former professional baseball player. Wells played Major League Baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays in and for the Minnesota Twins in . Wells also played Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Orix Buffaloes, Hankyu Braves/Orix Braves/Orix BlueWave and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Fukuoka Daiei Hawks between and . He played 47 career Major League games in two seasons, batting .228, with 28 hits in 127 at-bats. In more than ten NPB seasons he compiled a .317 batting average and a .555 slugging percentage, with 277 home runs and 901 RBI. In 1984, while playing for the Hankyu Braves, Wells won the NPB Triple Crown (baseball), Triple Crown, with a batting average (baseball), batting average of .355, 37 home runs, and 130 runs batted in, also winning the Nippon Professional Baseball Most Valuable Player Award, Most Valuable Player award in the process. He was the first non-Japanese winner of the Triple Crown. However ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leon Lee
Leon Lee (born December 4, 1952, in Sacramento, California) is a former professional baseball player and manager, primarily known for his career in Japan. He played first base, third base, and catcher during his career, batting and throwing right-handed. Lee had a ten-year career in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). At the conclusion of his playing career, he was considered one of the greatest foreign players to have played in the NPB. Later, he became the first African-American manager in Japanese baseball history. He is the father of former MLB player Derrek Lee and the brother of former MLB player Leron Lee. Career American baseball career Leon Lee was selected in the ninth round (198th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1971 draft. He spent seven years in the Cardinals' minor league system without playing in a Major League Baseball (MLB) game. Japanese baseball career With the support of his older brother, former American Major League player Leron Lee, who was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wally Yonamine
, was a Japanese American multi-sport athlete who played in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. Early life Kaname Yonamine, a Nisei Japanese American, was born in Olowalu, Maui, Hawaii to parents Matsusai (September 1, 1890 – July 31, 1988) and Kikue (February 14, 1901 – February 26, 1999). Matsusai was an '' uchinānchu'' immigrant and Kikue came from Hiroshima. Yonamine attended Lahainaluna and Wallace Rider Farrington High School. The name of his high school was the origin of his nickname, originally Wallace, but quickly changed to Wally, which would later become his legal name. Professional football career Yonamine signed a $14,000 contract, playing running back for the San Francisco 49ers in their second season (1947). Doing so, he became the first football player of Japanese American ancestry to play professional football (Walter Achiu was the first Asian-American). In his one season with the team, he had 19 carries for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
