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November 3rd, 2009 
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In recent years, the arrival in the United States of players like Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui has enlightened Americans about the popularity of the sport in Japan. But most Americans don’t know that Japan has almost as long a baseball history as the United States.
The exact date that baseball was introduced in Japan is not known, but it is attributed to American professor Horace Wilson sometime between 1867 and 1912. The Japanese people were immediately intrigued by western baseball, seeing psychological similarities between baseball and their native sports of sumo and martial arts.
In the 1930s, a team of famous American baseball players including Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig toured Japan and played games against Japanese college players. Even though the Americans won every game they played, the series helped build interest in baseball throughout Japan. The first Japanese professional team was formed in 1934.
During the years of World War II, as more men joined the military, baseball fell into disfavor and many baseball fields were turned into ammunition dumps or used to grow food crops. However, after Japan was defeated, Allied commanders assisting in the rebuilding of Japan turned to baseball to boost morale and build stronger ties with the west.
In 1950, the Japanese league took on the form it still holds today; two leagues of six teams each. The introduction of television in 1955 brought baseball to a wider audience in Japan as it did in the United States.
There are a few differences in the style and rules of play between modern American and Japanese baseball. The ball used in Japanese baseball is smaller and lighter than the ball used in American baseball. Also, unlike American teams, Japanese teams are only allowed four foreign players per team, two position players and two pitchers.
Stylistically, Japanese coaches focus more on the fundamentals of bunting, base running and fielding whereas American baseball has come to rely heavily on pitching talent and long ball hitting. Because of these differences, Japanese baseball games typically have closer and lower final scores than American baseball games.
In recent years, Japanese baseball teams have been hit hard by players defecting to American teams. The Japanese league and Major League Baseball have an agreement requiring the payment of fees by American teams wanting to recruit Japanese players, but the rules do not apply to free agents. Japanese people today are far more likely to watch an American team on television than they are a Japanese team. Players like Ichiro Suzuki are wildly popular in Japan and are considered national heroes.
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Can anyone point a fantasy baseball fan to a fun and affordable baseball simulation website?I have long been interested in fantasy baseball, but have recently heard that there are some fun baseball simulation games where you can do the same types of things you can in fantasy baseball but with even more control. If anyone knows of any websites where I can check this out, I would appreciate it!
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Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles on many topics including Baseball, Golf, and Recreation
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dude, you own! this looks identical to a photograph
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It is the second most popular and sucessful professional baseball league in the world, behind the MLB in america of course. the league is so good that the MLB takes it's best players and brings them here. (ichiro, dice-k, fukudome, etc.)
they do not do that from any other league because this is the only one that can compare the the MLB. that is why teams scrimage in japan, because the talent levels are so high. and sumo isnt as big anymore. many japaneze love baseball and consider it to be their own sport, not foreign.
tune into the World Baseball Classic to see see how Americans hold up to teams around the world…… it won't be pretty
wich program he is for doing this ? beside a tablet ofc
i use photoshop
HOLY CRAP! Comparing this to the original picture, they’re identical!
Awesome work Williamsshamir
Great video.
Much love Kat
awesome, keep up the good work!
I got to some games on leave and TDY while I was stationed on Guam for three years and from my viewpoint …How do I put this…It's basically the same but with some huge differences. The biggest thing is no extra innings. Teams can play for the 9 inning tie. That happened my first game and freaked me right out. The heaviest emphasis is on pitching and pitchers are more so the control style guys than power pitchers. It's not unusual to see a starter throw 140+ pitches/game as their conditioning programs are tailored for stamina and the concept of the extended bridge bullpen hasn't really hit there yet. They do use closers however it's common for them to go 2 or more innings in some situations not unlike 70's era guys here like Gossage, Fingers, and Sutter. The long ball is not a focal point of most offenses unless a guy like Hideki matsui or Randy Bass is on the roster. Believe it or not Bass was a huge power guy there. Defense and smart baserunning are cornerstones as well. Rarely do you see guys making overly agressive moves either way. In that aspect the game is more conservative. Hitting is more the slash line drive style with major emphasis on fundementals like hitting behind/advancing runners, bunting, and pitch selection. Also there are certain traditions of sort that are differnet from the MLB. Tipping the cap to a hitter as an apology after hitting him with a pitch, arguments with umpires are rarely "heated" and generally only carried out by the manager. Spitting on the field is viewed as disrespectful. The cuisine is different as expected, fans are just as loud and excited as here, but there is less jeering or loudmouthing as such shows are frowned upon as disrespectful. The games are fun to watch and the differences don't detract from the game in any way, they just make it a unique experience to someone not used to the manner in which games are played there.
Let me start off by saying, your wrong. Baseball is an integrated sport. I think it's great how baseball can be such a multi-cultural sport. As for the American Cars… Why would I pay 50 grand for an escalade when I can pay 20 grand for a car that gets better mileage?
I'm sorry, but I don't believe in your little KKK beliefs.
EDIT: Thumbing all of us down is real mature. Face it, you're wrong and you're an embodiment of what America used to be, not what it is now. This IS America and you better get used to it.
A-W-E-S-O-M-E your works is very awesome! cool!!!! very good
Americans, Cubans, not sure about Canadians, Puerto Ricans, Dominican Republic, and Venezuela people can hit hard, They have power that we South Koreans and Japanese dont have.
What makes us better is that we use our heads more than our power. Asian pitchers think about the batting batter and how to get them out while MOST not ALL but most Western teams just simply throw fast balls. Asians took advantage of that and thats how the finals ended up being South Korea and Japan. and not to brag or anything but thats how South Korea defeated Venezuela so badly.
Respect to both Japan and South Korea. They both did so well.
If you want to buy Seibu Lions goods, just go to Seibu Dome.
http://www.seibu-group.co.jp/rec/dome/
If you want to buy Hanshin Tigers goods, just go to Koshien which is near Osaka, though.
Anyway, the easiest way is to go to its home stadium.
awesome stuff man,….ama practice hard to get to yo level!
Hey sweetheart. That player was Don Newcombe, SP Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers
He was the only player that won the Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and Cy Young awards.
Baseball is the most popular sport in Japan. High School ball is like American Football anywhere in the States.
I think there is girl's ball but it isn't as popular as it is with the boys.
The professional baseball association is called Nippon Professional Baseball. Japan has two leagues, as in the United States. The Central and Pacific Leagues each consisting of six teams. The Pacific League uses the designated hitter style of play. The pro baseball season is eight months long with games beginning in April, and a Championship held in October. Teams play 144 games, as compared to the 162 games of the American major league teams.
Corporations with interests outside baseball own the teams, and teams are identified with their owners, not where the team is based (with the exception of the Yokohama BayStars). Nippon Professional Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in Japan.
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