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☆ Ichiro Suzuki: Baseball great throws shutout against a high school girls’ team in Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Ben Church | Mayumi Maruyama | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —He may have retired from professional baseball four years ago, but Ichiro Suzuki certainly hasn’t lost his appetite for the game. A Japanese high school girls’ team found out just how well he can throw during Ichiro’s annual All-Star game on Tuesday. According to MLB.com, Ichiro threw a 116-pitch, complete game shutout and struck out nine in the 4-0 victory at the Tokyo Dome. When he made the move to the Seattle Mariners in 2001 – becoming the first Japanese position player to sign with an MLB team – Ichiro emphatically made his mark. In addition to the Mariners, Ichiro played for the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins in his MLB career.

Persons: Ichiro Suzuki, hasn’t, Ichiro, Japan –, Daisuke Matsuzaka –, New York Mets –, “, ” Ichiro, ” Domae, –, – Ichiro, Matsuzaka, ” Organizations: CNN, of Famer, Major League Baseball, MLB, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, NHK, Seattle Mariners, Kyodo, TBS, Japan’s Pacific League, American League, Mariners, New York Yankees, Miami Marlins Locations: Japan, Tokyo, Okayama Gakugeikan

☆ Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Japan’s pitching sensation is set to become MLB’s next star
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Watch out baseball fans; Japan’s next big star looks to be on the move. Pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto is set to make a high-profile switch to Major League Baseball (MLB) during the offseason, after he was posted as a free agent by Japan’s Orix Buffaloes on Monday. The 25-year-old is expected to attract the attention of the league’s biggest franchises and could receive a highly-lucrative contract worth around $200m, per Reuters. Yamamoto has certainly impressed during the early part of his career, being awarded the Eiji Sawamura Award – given to the top starting pitcher in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) – on three occasions. Yamamoto is set to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui and current star Shohei Ohtani who have made the switch from Japan to the MLB.

Persons: Japan’s, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Yamamoto, Eiji Sawamura, –, Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, Shohei Ohtani Organizations: CNN, Major League Baseball, Japan’s Orix Buffaloes, Reuters, Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, Triple Crown –, NPB’s Pacific League, Tokyo, The Athletic, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, LA Dodgers, MLB Locations: Japan

☆ Japanese pitching sensation Yamamoto posts for MLB free agency
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 20 (Reuters) - Yoshinobu Yamamoto is poised to become Major League Baseball's next big Japanese star after the 25-year-old pitching sensation posted as a free agent on Monday. Yamamoto was posted on Monday by the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) where he is a three-time winner of the Eiji Sawamura Award, which is equivalent to MLB's Cy Young Award. He won a gold medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and helped Japan to victory at the World Baseball Classic earlier this year. Per MLB rules, the window for teams to bid on Yamamoto opens on Tuesday and closes on Jan. 4. Reporting by Rory Carroll in San Francisco; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Yamamoto, Eiji Sawamura, MLB's Cy Young, Rory Carroll, Chizu Organizations: Major League Baseball's, Orix Buffaloes, Nippon Professional Baseball, Triple Crown, NPB's Pacific League, Tokyo Games, MLB, Thomson Locations: Japan, San Francisco

He was a unanimous MVP in 2021 and finished second to the Yankees' Aaron Judge in voting last year. This was just the 20th unanimous MVP vote since the award was established in 1931. Corey Seager was second with 24 second--place votes and 264 points, and Texas teammate Marcus Semien was third with five second-place votes and 216 points. Ohtani last spoke with reporters on Aug. 9, two weeks before he hurt the elbow while pitching against Cincinnati. Ohtani won AL Rookie of the Year in 2018 after leaving the Pacific League’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters to sign with the Angels.

Persons: Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Babe Ruth, Ruth batted, Atlanta's Ronald Acuña Jr, Tommy John, Nez Balelo, ___ Organizations: American League, Los Angeles Angels, Baseball Writers ’ Association of America, Yankees, Rangers, AL, Boston, Ohtani, Baseball, Cincinnati, Pacific, Ham Fighters, Angels, Pacific League's Locations: Texas, Hokkaido Nippon

☆ Shohei Ohtani: MLB two-way superstar entering ‘uncharted waters’ on brink of record-breaking contract
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Sahil Kurup | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“The figures you hear mentioned, whether that be $50 million, $60 million, he will set a new standard. This season, he’s currently in the top three in both categories — Ohtani is doing things previously thought to be inconceivable in the sport. Steph Chambers/Getty Images“[Ohtani] increases interest in Japanese baseball — who’s going to be the next Ohtani?” Fellenzer said. It increases interest in Japanese baseball here. Ohtani receives his 2021 American League MVP trophy alongside his teammate and three-time MVP outfielder Mike Trout.

Persons: Shohei Ohtani, –, he’s, Jeffrey Fellenzer, Ohtani, Tim Heitman, “ Sho, ”, He’s, Dusty Baker, Yu Darvish, Hideo Nomo, Scott Miller, “ Nobody, Babe Ruth, Ruth, Steph Chambers, ” Fellenzer, Tommy John, — Ohtani, “, ” Ohtani, Mike Trout, Phil Nevin, we’ve, ” Nevin Organizations: CNN, ” University of Southern, CNN Sport, ”, Pacific League, Major League Baseball, LA Times, Los Angeles Angels, New York, Texas Rangers, ” Houston Astros, peerless, Los Angeles Dodgers, The Dodgers, Hokkaido, Ham Fighters, Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Angels, MLB, American League, Kyodo, White Sox Locations: ” University of Southern California, America, Hokkaido Nippon, Japan

☆ Cubans signed with MLB teams will for first time play on national team at World Classic
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA — Cubans signed with Major League Baseball organizations and other foreign clubs will for the first time join domestic stars on the national team that will play in the World Baseball Classic, officials announced Wednesday evening. The Cuban Baseball Federation long defended the idea of amateurism and punished those who left the island to seek their fortunes in professional baseball. But that changed when a program on state television announced the roster of 30 players for Cuba’s national team that will play in the international tournament that begins March 8 in Taiwan. To arrange participation of the MLB players, Cuba had to get special permission from the United States because Washington maintains sanctions on Cuba. Under the agreement, those players are barred from coming to Cuba to work with the team.

☆ Maury Wills, Dodgers shortstop famous for base-stealing, dies at 89
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

LOS ANGELES — Maury Wills, who intimidated pitchers with his base-stealing prowess as a shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers on three World Series championship teams, has died. Wills played on World Series title teams in 1959, ’63 and ’65 during his first eight seasons with the Dodgers. Maury Wills of the Los Angeles Dodgers in Vero Beach, Fla., in 1964. After the game, Wills left with his MVP trophy and showed it to the guard. After retiring with the Dodgers in 1972, Wills worked an analyst at NBC for five years.

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