Tetsuto Yamada, the subject of today’s photo, has been one of the best and most consistent players in Japan over the past six years. Today’s photo is from seven years ago when he was merely mediocre. Since then, he has averaged over 30 home runs a season (and the season is shorter in Japan–just 140ish games instead of 160ish in MLB) and a batting average over .300. In 2015 he was the league MVP when he hit .329, with 38 home runs, and 34 stolen bases.

Posted on April 2nd, 2020 under Japan. Tags: baseball, Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED Telephoto Lens, Nikon D600, yakult swallows. Comments Off on Yakult Swallows would be opening up at home today

@cocobalentien

I never really finished my post from nearly seven years ago about Wladimir Balentien. Coco did go on to break the record, hitting 60 home runs in just 130 games. He ended that year with an .OPS of 1.234. How good is that? Only a handful of MLB players have ever had an .OPS that high in a season. They include Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams.

What’s happened to Coco since? He has continued to play for Yakult, but has never had nearly as good a season. He has hit between 31 and 38 home runs every season since 2013 for the Swallows. This year (2020) he was supposed to play for the Hawks, but the season has been delayed due to the Covid-19 virus.

Posted on March 27th, 2020 under Japan. Tags: baseball, meiji jingu stadium, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, yakult swallows. Comments Off on Wladimir Balentien’s 2013 season

Nori Aoki bag in Jingu Stadium (2013)

#NoriAoki #baseball

Today’s photo was taken more than a year after Aoki split Japan for the Major League Baseball in the USA. He’s back in Japan now, playing once again for the Swallows. He played for Waseda University, a few years before I taught there.

Posted on March 29th, 2019 under Japan. Tags: baseball, meiji jingu stadium, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, yakult swallows. Comments Off on Opening day … in Japan

I took today’s photo after watching a Swallows game in Tokyo at Meiji Jingu Stadium (明治神宮野球場). I think I was in the Gaienmae Station. Is anyone familiar with that station? Am I correct in that guess?

Posted on May 11th, 2018 under Japan. Tags: baseball, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, signs, Tokyo, trains, yakult swallows. Comments Off on Train platform to enter car #6

Posted on February 27th, 2018 under Japan. Tags: baseball, meiji jingu stadium, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, Tokyo, yakult swallows. Comments Off on Preseason has begun, opening day about a month away