Ryo Akiyoshi
is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Professional career Tokyo Yakult Swallows On October 24, 2013, Akiyoshi was drafted by the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the 2013 Nippon Professional Baseball draft. On April 1, 2014, Akiyoshi debuted in the Central League against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp as a starting pitcher. On Mayl 13, he pitched against the Yomiuri Giants and recorded his first win. During the 2014-2018 season with the Swallows, he contributed to the team as a setup man. In all, he pitched in 283 games with a 19–17 Win–loss record, a 2.68 ERA, a 67 Holds, a 34 Saves, and a and a 274 strikeouts in 298.2 innings. On July 16, 2016, Akiyoshi was named an All-Star and pitched in the 2016 Mazda All-Star Game 2016. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters December 11, 2018, Akiyoshi and Ryota Yachi were transferred ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is assigned the number 1. The pitcher is often considered the most important player on the defensive side of the game, and as such is situated at the right end of the defensive spectrum. There are many different types of pitchers, such as the starting pitcher, relief pitcher, middle reliever, lefty specialist, setup man, and the closer. Traditionally, the pitcher also bats. Starting in 1973 with the American League(and later the National League) and spreading to further leagues throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the hitting duties of the pitcher have generally been given over to the position of designated hitter, a cause of some controversy. The Japanese Central Le ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
2013 Nippon Professional Baseball Draft
The 2013 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Draft was held on October 24, , for the 49th time at the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa to assign amateur baseball players to the NPB. It was arranged with the special cooperation of Taisho Pharmaceutical with official naming rights. The draft was officially called "The Professional Baseball Draft Meeting supported by Lipovitan D ". Summary Only the first round picks will be done by bid lottery. After the second round, waver selections were made in order from the lowest-ranked team of the 2013 season in both the Central and Pacific League, the third round was reversed and selections were made from the top team, and the fourth round was reversed again, alternating with selections from the lowest-ranked team until all teams had finished selecting players. Since the season, the winner of the NPB All-Star Game has determined whether the Central League or the Pacific League gets waiver preference after the second round. However, the 2013 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer (abbreviated CL), is a relief pitcher who specializes in getting the final outs in a close game when his team is leading. The role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. Before the 1990s, pitchers in similar roles were referred to as a fireman, short reliever, and stopper. A small number of closers have won the Cy Young Award. Eight closers have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame: Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage, Trevor Hoffman, Mariano Rivera, Lee Smith, Bruce Sutter and Hoyt Wilhelm. Usage A closer is generally a team's best reliever and designated to pitch the last few outs of games when his team is leading by a margin of three runs or fewer. Rarely does a closer enter with his team losing or in a tie game. A closer's effectiveness has traditionally been measured by the save, an official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1969. Over time, closers have become on ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Sankei Sports
is a Japanese-language daily sports newspaper published by Sankei Shimbun. In 2014, it had a circulation of 1,270,000. The newspaper is known by its nickname . Relating sports teams * Kanto area - Tokyo Yakult Swallows (Nippon Professional Baseball) * Kansai area - Hanshin Tigers & Orix Buffaloes (Nippon Professional Baseball). Gamba Osaka & Cerezo Osaka ( J.League) * Tohoku area - Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (Nippon Professional Baseball). Vegalta Sendai ( J.League) See also * Tokyo Marathon * Osaka Women's Marathon (Osaka International Ladies Marathon) * Kagawa Marugame Half Marathon * Fujisankei Communications Group * Japanese media The mass media in Japan include numerous television and radio networks as well as newspapers and magazines in Japan. For the most part, television networks were established based on capital investments by existing radio networks. Variety shows, ... External links *Sanspo.com*Sanspo denshi ban (Electronic newspaper delivery edition ( ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Kengo Ohta
is a professional Japanese baseball player. He plays infielder for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the .... References 1997 births Living people Baseball people from Saitama Prefecture Japanese baseball players Nippon Professional Baseball infielders Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters players Tokyo Yakult Swallows players {{Japan-baseball-infielder-stub ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Hirotoshi Takanashi
is a professional Japanese baseball player. He plays pitcher for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the .... External links NPB.com 1991 births Living people People from Mobara Baseball people from Chiba Prefecture Japanese baseball players Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters players Tokyo Yakult Swallows players {{Japan-baseball-pitcher-stub ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Ryota Yachi
is a former professional Japanese baseball player. He plays infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ... for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. External links NPB.com 1991 births Living people Baseball people from Ishikawa Prefecture Japanese baseball players Nippon Professional Baseball infielders Tokyo Yakult Swallows players Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters players Japanese baseball coaches Nippon Professional Baseball coaches Sportspeople from Kanazawa, Ishikawa {{Japan-baseball-infielder-stub ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Series
The Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Game is an annual baseball series of All-Star Games (in most years, two games are played, but three such games can and have been played as well) between players from the Central League and the Pacific League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers. The All-Star Game usually occurs in early to mid-July and marks the symbolic halfway point in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) season (though not the mathematical halfway point; in most seasons, that takes place one week earlier). History The first NPB All-Star game was played in 1951. For many years, mimicking the ''gaijin waku'' rule of the NPB, each All-Star team was limited to two foreign players.Whiting, Robert. ''You Gotta Have Wa'' (Vintage Departures, 1989), p. 275. Game results See also *Major League Baseball All-Star Game The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional base ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Setup Man
In baseball, a setup man (or set-up man, also sometimes referred to as a setup pitcher or setup reliever) is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the eighth inning, with the closer pitching the ninth. As closers were reduced to one-inning specialists, setup men became more prominent. Setup pitchers often come into the game with the team losing or the game tied. They are usually the second best relief pitcher on a team, behind the closer. After closers became one-inning pitchers, primarily in the ninth inning, setup pitchers became more highly valued. A pitcher who succeeds in this role is often promoted to a closer. Setup men are paid less than closers and mostly make less than the average Major League salary. The most common statistic used to evaluate relievers is the save. Due to the definition of the statistic, setup men are rarely in position to record a save even if they pitch well, but they can be charged with a blown save if they ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Sports Nippon
, also known as , is the first Japanese daily sports newspaper, having been founded in 1948. In a 1997 report it was called one of the "Big Three" sports papers in Japan, out of a field of 17 sports dailies. It is an affiliate newspaper of the ''Mainichi Shimbun''. See also *Masters GC Ladies *Miss Nippon *Mizuno Classic The Toto Japan Classic is an annual women's professional golf tournament in Japan, jointly sanctioned by the two richest women's professional tours: the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the LPGA of Japan Tour. It was an unofficial money event on the LPGA ... References External links * Daily newspapers published in Japan Sports newspapers published in Japan Publications established in 1948 1948 establishments in Japan {{Japan-sport-stub ... [...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]   |
|
Starting Pitcher
In baseball (hardball or softball), a starting pitcher or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent's first batter of a game. Starting pitchers are expected to pitch for a significant portion of the game, although their ability to do this depends on many factors, including effectiveness, stamina, health, and strategy. A starting pitcher in professional baseball usually rests three, four, or five days after pitching a game before pitching in another. Therefore, most professional baseball teams have four, five or six starting pitchers on their rosters. These pitchers, and the sequence in which they pitch, is known as the ''rotation''. A team's best starter is known as the ace, and is almost always the first man to pitch in the rotation. In modern baseball, a five-man rotation is most common. In contrast, a pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a re ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |