Category Archives: International

Looking at the Team MLB roster for the Japan All-Star Series

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Above, you can see the roster for the Japan All-Star Series for Team MLB. As you can see, the term “All-Star” is sort of loose. Oh, yes, it’s a good team, and there are plenty of All-Stars on it. It’s definitely a team you’d be able to make the post-season with in a 162 game schedule. But on the other hand, the pitching staff isn’t exactly world-beating and the outfield is thin due to the pull-outs of Bryce Harper and Adam Jones, meaning a utility player like Ben Zobrist or Chris Carter will be playing a bit there. Another worry is that Evan Longoria might have to leave early because his fiancee is very pregnant, and, honestly, I’m surprised he’s going in the first place with something like that going on.

Anyway, here’s a bit of a run-down on the MLB roster… after the jump:

Continue reading →

Micro-Update on the MLB-Japan Series: Adam Jones not playing after all

Aside

Okay, micro-update to the previous story I did on the MLB-Japan All-Star Series: Adam Jones actually won’t be taking part, as another commitment came up. So if you go back to that old story, feel free to mentally erase Adam Jones’ name.

Neat Link: Chinese Baseball

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A new link in the Blogroll: Chinese Baseball. As the name suggests, it’s a look at the nascent baseball scene in the world’s most populated country. This year (2014), they had their first professional baseball in several years, with a very short 12-game season amongst 4 teams.

Check it out.

 

Will the MLB-Japan All-Star Series be on MLB Network? Yes! And I have a schedule

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Good news everyone! It appears that, in the darkness of November, we will be seeing some MLB baseball after all. MLB is sending a team of players over to Japan to play some games against the Japanese National Team, “Samurai Japan” (in essence a NPB all-star team), and, guess what? We’ll be able to see it on television here in the states! Now, they haven’t released any sort of news release yet, but I did some of my own research, in that I looked at MLB Network’s website and looked at their schedule.

MLB’s team is going to be good, at least at the plate, with players like Robinson Cano, Adam Jones, Bryce Harper, Yasiel Puig, Jose Altuve and Justin Morneau having confirmed they are going (Albert Pujols was going to go too, but pulled out). Hisashi Iwakuma is the most notable pitcher going that we know of so far, and it should be fun seeing him pitch in front of (and against) his fellow countrymen.

As far as the Japanese team, it’s going to be very interesting to see how they do, as this will provide a WBC-esque look at Japanese players against MLB competition. Names to keep a close eye on include Kenta Maeda (a pitcher who might be be headed to MLB next year), Shohei Otani (who can both pitch AND play as a position player, and who considered heading to the USA out of high school but later changed his mind and stayed in Japan), Pacific League batting champ Yoshio Itoi, and 2014 Japanese hit champ Tetsuo Yamada.

Here’s the schedule in East Coast time, all games below will be on MLB Network and many of them will be shown again on tape delay at a more reasonable hour for Americans:

November 11, 4 AM: MLB vs. combined team of Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants (at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, not far from Osaka)

November 12, 4 AM: MLB vs. Samurai Japan (at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka)

November 14, 4 AM: MLB vs. Samurai Japan (at the Tokyo Dome)

November 15, 4 AM: MLB vs. Samurai Japan (at the Tokyo Dome)

November 16, 4 AM: MLB vs. Samurai Japan (at the Tokyo Dome)

November 18, 5 AM: MLB vs. Samurai Japan (at the Sapporo Dome)

November 20, 4 AM: MLB vs. Samurai Japan (in Okinawa)

I’m particularly looking forward to the game at Koshien, as it’s the most historic of all Japanese ballparks and I think it’ll be neat to see MLB players play on the all-dirt infield there.

So, rest well knowing that we aren’t too far away from some more baseball.

Headlines From Around The Continuum (October 30, 2014)

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A sampling of baseball-related headlines from the Newseum, as well as some websites, with the occasional note from me on what they are talking about:

(Note that I try to copy the style of the paper as well, hence why some are in ALL CAPS while others aren’t. Also, I ignored extremely basic-and extremely common- headlines like “Giants Win” or “Bumgarner MVP”. I’ll occasionally make an exception for the team’s “home” newspapers)

Headline: Giants win Game 7 and Series, Bumgarner MVP after 5-inning save

San Francisco Chronicle: DYNASTY (also used in Stockton and probably some other papers)

San Francisco Examiner: YES! YES! YES!  (Also used in Marin, Santa Cruz, etc)

Kansas City Star: ALMOST HOME

Foxsports.com: MAD MAN

CBS Sports: Giants on top of the world

SI.com: FIVE SEASONS. THREE TITLES. ONE INCREDIBLE FRANCHISE.

ESPN.com: ANOTHER GIANT MOMENT

Arizona Republic (Phoenix): ANOTHER GIANT OCTOBER

Enterprise-Record (Chico, CA): GIANTS TRIUMPH!

Eureka (CA) Times-Standard: ‘MAD’ ABOUT YOU

Fresno Bee: TRI-UMPHANT (emphasis on the Tri)

Lodi (CA) News-Sentinel: GIANT HERO (Bumgarner)

Appeal-Democrat (Marysville, CA): TROPHY TRILOGY

Merced (CA) Sun-Star: A 3-RING CIRCUS FOR GIANTS

Modesto Bee: 3-RING CIRCUS

The Herald (Monterey, CA): BACK ON TOP OF THE WORLD

Oakland Tribune: MAD-NIFICENT! (also used in San Jose, etc.)

The Desert Sun (Palm Springs): A GIANT VICTORY

Daily News (Palo Alto): THE NEW MR. OCTOBER

Sacramento Bee: A NEW DYNASTY

Salinas Californian: MADNIFICENT (no dash)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Giant performance

The Reporter (Vacaville, CA): THRICE AS NICE (also used in Vallejo)

Pueblo (CO) Chieftain: THE BOYS OF ‘BUMMER’

Bradenton (FL) Herald: Total MADness

Augusta (GA) Chronicle: TO THE END

Des Moines (IA) Register: BUM(GARNER) FINISH FOR ROYALS

(Nampa) Idaho Press-Tribune: PUSHED TO THE LIMIT

Chicago Tribune: SAN FRANCISCO FEAT

Journal Star (Peoria, IL): GIANT STEP

Hutchinson (KS) News: Royalty to the end

Junction City (KS) Daily Union: Oh so close

Lawrence (KS) Journal-World: ‘It was a great run’

Wichita (KS) Eagle: No fireworks, no joy

Times-Picayune (New Orleans): GIANT WIN

The Times (Shreveport, LA): GIANT EFFORT

Herald News (Fall River, MA): CEMENTING A LEGACY

Missourian (Columbia, MO): Heartbreak

New Tribune (Jefferson City, MO): ROYALS BUMMED

Joplin (MO) Globe: ROYAL BLUES (also used in Springfield, MO)

St. Joseph (MO) News-Press: Royals’ dream season falls short

News-Topic (Lenoir, NC): A GIANT MOMENT (This paper devoted a large amount of above-the-fold space to the Series due to Bumgarner being from nearby Hudson, NC)

Lincoln (NE) Journal Star: Kansas City bummer

Omaha World-Herald: HEARTBROKEN IN K.C.

Las Vegas Review-Journal: GIANTS TRIUMPH AGAIN

Reno Gazette-Journal: BEST AFTER 7

Times-Union (Albany, NY): Giants stand tall again

New York Times: A Pitcher Rises To The Moment, And Jaws Drop

Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, NY): DYNASTY BY THE BAY

Sandusky (OH) Register: It’s a Giants world

Register-Guard (Eugene, OR): A GIANTS DYNASTY

Morning Call (Allentown, PA): BASEBALL’S DYNASTY

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: EMBRACING VICTORY (with image of Buster Posey hugging Bumgarner after game)

Times-Tribune (Scranton, PA): A SAN FRANCISCO TREAT

Dallas Morning News: Another Giant conquest

Salt Lake Tribune: BUMGARNER RULES

USA TODAY: GIANTS STAND TALL AGAIN

Kitsap Sun (Bremerton, WA): BUMMED OUT

Wisconsin State Journal (Madison): GIANT MOMENT

Starphoenix (Saskatoon, Canada): GIANT VICTORY

Metro Vancouver: GIANTS REIGN AGAIN

El Heraldo (Baranquilla, Colombia): Los Gigantes se dieron el baño de gloria (Can roughly be translated into something like “The Giants bath in glory”)

Novedades de Quintana Roo (Cancun, Mexico): El gigante de las Grandes Ligas se consagra tricampeón (roughly can be translated as “The Giants are enshrined as three-time MLB champions)

Milenio (Guadalajara, Mexico): Enormes. (“Huge”)

El Norte (Monterrey, Mexico): SI SON GIGANTES! (“Yes there [they?] are Giants!”)

Milenio Novedades (Yucatan, Mexico): Gigantes vuelvan al trono (Giants return to the throne)

El Nacional (Caracas, Venzuela): Gigantes se coronaron en la casa de los Reales (“The Giants were crowned in the house of the Royals”)

Virgin Islands Daily News: San Francisco nets a Giant victory

 

…Woo, that’s a lot.

Headlines From Around The Continuum (October 29, 2014)

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A sampling of baseball-related headlines from the Newseum, with the occasional note from me on what they are talking about:

(Note that I try to copy the style of the paper as well, hence why some are in ALL CAPS while others aren’t. Also, I ignored extremely basic-and extremely common- headlines like “Royals Win” or “Game 7 Tonight”. I’ll occasionally make an exception for the team’s “home” newspapers)

Headline: Royals rout Giants, Force Game 7

San Francisco Chronicle: Blowout delivers fitting end: Game 7

San Francisco Examiner: Party on hold

Kansas City Star: HEAVENLY (as in… “Seventh Heaven”… get it?)

Arizona Republic (Phoenix): Up against the wall, Royals force Game 7

Daily Courier (Prescott, AZ): Yep, we’re having a World Series Game 7

Eureka (CA) Times Standard: A ROYAL CRUSH

Appeal-Democrat (Marysville, CA): ROYALS FLIP THE SCRIPT

Merced (CA) Sun-Star: ROYAL RALLY FORCES GAME 7 SHOWDOWN

The Herald (Monterey, CA): GOING TO GAME 7 (This was also in other papers throughout the country)

Sacramento Bee: S.F. FACES SERIES SHOWDOWN; Giants must overcome history

The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, CA): IT’S ALL ON THE LINE TONIGHT

Marin Independent Journal (San Rafael, CA): NO BUM A BUMMER

The Record (Stockton, CA): One more game for everything

Times-Herald (Vallejo, CA): A ROYAL ROUT (This was also in other papers throughout the country)

Ventura County (CA) Star: SERIES TO SEE GAME 7

Sarasota (FL) Herald-Tribune: ONE LAST GAME

Des Moines (IA) Register: SEVENTH HEAVEN

Telegraph Herald (Dubuque, IA): Royals spank Giants to force Game 7 (“Spank” isn’t a word you see in newspaper headlines that much)

Decatur (IL) Herald & Review: Safe at home (this was also used in Syracuse)

Lawrence (KS) Journal-World: HOME SWEET HOME. (with the period)

American Press (Lake Charles, LA): GET READY FOR A GAME 7

Herald News (Fall River, MA): ROYALLY ROUTED

Joplin (MO) Globe: ALL EVEN

News-Leader (Springfield, MO): KANSAS CITY CULMINATION

St. Joseph (MO) News-Press: THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 1

Bozeman (MT) Daily Chronicle: GAME 7

Santa Fe New Mexican: Royals make statement in forcing Series Game 7

Reno Gazette-Journal: IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS

New York Times: One Game to Go

The Repository (Canton, OH): KANSAS CITY FELLS GIANTS TO TIE SERIES

Times-Tribune (Scranton, PA): ROYAL SHUTOUT

Times Record News (Wichita Falls, TX): ONE MORE GAME

El Universal (Cartagena, Colombia): Reales aplastan a San Francisco (Royals crush San Francisco)

El Informador (Guadalajara, Mexico): Joven Maravilla empata la Serie Mundial (“Young Marvel ties the World Series”- referring to Yordano Ventura)

Reforma (Mexico City): HABRÁ REY ESTA NOCHE (Roughly “There will be a king tonight”- this headline was also used in El Norte)

Lider Informativo (Nuevo Laredo, Mexico): REALES CONTRAATACAN; HOY SE DEFINE (Roughly “Royals Strike Back; Today it will be defined.”)

El Siglo de Torreon (Mexico): HABRÁ SÉPTIMO JUEGO (“There will be a seventh game”)

 

Note that some papers seemingly didn’t have their front pages up (yet) on Newseum, so I might update later if they go up.

Headlines from around the Continuum (October 27, 2014)

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A sampling of baseball-related headlines from the Newseum, with the occasional note from me on what they are talking about:

(Note that I try to copy the style of the paper as well, hence why some are in ALL CAPS while others aren’t. Also, I ignored extremely basic-and extremely common- headlines like “Giants win” or “Game 5 Tomorrow”. I’ll occasionally make an exception for the team’s “home” newspapers)

 

Headline: Giants win Game 5, one win away from WS Title

San Francisco Chronicle: World Class

San Francisco Examiner: Ace of October

Kansas City Star: DOMINATED

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock): Bumgarner does it again

Bakersfield Californian: MAD BUM

Enterprise-Record (Chico, CA): ROYALS BUMMED (this was in other papers too)

Oakland Tribune: SHOW-STOPPER (this was used in other papers too)

Merced (CA) Sun-Star: BUMGARNER IS PITCH PERFECT

Sacramento Bee: GIANTS FANS WATCH MAKING OF LEGEND

Tribune (San Luis Obispo, CA): ONE TO GO

Marin Independent Journal (San Rafael, CA): BUMGARNER BRILLIANCE

Santa Maria (CA) Times: BRILLIANT BUMGARNER

The Record (Stockton, CA): MASTERFUL, MAGNIFICENT, MADBUM

Ventura County (CA) Star: MAD ABOUT BUMGARNER

Washington Post: Giants on verge

Lawrence (KS) Journal-World: ACE UP THEIR SLEEVE?

Salina (KS) Journal: Royals in trouble

Joplin (MO) Globe: SHUTOUT

St. Joseph (MO) News-Press: FACING ELIMINATION

Omaha World-Herald: A Giant step closer to the crown

Vanguardia (Saltillo, Mexico): BLANQUEADA LOS PONE A UN TRIUNFO (not entirely sure, something about “putting the bleach out” to win)

Headline: Oscar Taveras, Cardinals Super-Prospect, passes away after car accident

St. Louis Post Dispatch: TAVERAS KILLED IN CRASH

La Presse (Montreal): FIN TRAGIQUE POUR UNE ÉTOILE MONTANTE (“A TRAGIC END TO A RISING STAR”- note that Taveras spent parts of his childhood in Montreal)

 

Headlines from around the Continuum: October 26, 2014

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A sampling of baseball-related headlines from the Newseum, with the occasional note from me on what they are talking about:

(Note that I try to copy the style of the paper as well, hence why some are in ALL CAPS while others aren’t. Also, I ignored extremely basic-and extremely common- headlines like “Giants win” or “Game 5 Tonight”. I’ll occasionally make an exception for the team’s “home” newspapers)

Headline: Giants win Game 4 big, tie up series.

San Francisco Chronicle: After the rain, Giants pour it on

Kansas City Star: FRISCO MELT

Appeal-Democrat (Marysville, CA): Fit to be tied

Modesto Bee: On the big stage, little things count

The Herald (Monterey, CA): EVENING IT UP

Oakland Tribune: GIANTS 2-2 GOOD (also the headline in San Jose and other affiliated papers)

Sacramento Bee: Bochy goes with gut, brings Giants back from the brink

Marin Independent Journal (San Rafael, CA): MAUL BALL

Santa Cruz (CA) Sentinel: GIANTS’ BATS COME ALIVE TO TIE SERIES

The Record (Stockton, CA): Ushering his way to a dream (on a SF Giants usher from Stockton)

The Hawk Eye (Burlington, IA): Royals flush

Lawrence (KS) Journal-World: REDEMPTION TONIGHT

St. Joseph (MO) News-Press: ROYALS LET THE GIANTS SLIDE BY IN CRUSHING DEFEAT

Vanguardia (Saltillo, Mexico): IMPONEN RESPETO EN SU CASA (Something along the lines of the “Imposing respect in their house” or “Command respect at home”, referring to the Giants)

Check back throughout the series for more headlines! 

Headlines from around the Continuum: October 23, 2014

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A sampling of baseball-related headlines from the Newseum, with the occasional note from me on what they are talking about:

(Note that I try to copy the style of the paper as well, hence why some are in ALL CAPS while others aren’t. Also, I ignored extremely basic-and extremely common- headlines like “Royals win” or “Game 3 tomorrow”. I’ll occasionally make an exception for the team’s “home” newspapers)

Headline: Royals win Game 2

San Francisco Chronicle: Sweep talk swept away in big inning

San Francisco Examiner: Roasted rookie (on Hunter Strickland)

Kansas City Star: GAME ON

Appeal-Democrat (Marysville, CA): Great start, rough finish for Giants

Monterey Herald (Monterey, CA): ROUGHED UP

Oakland Tribune: NO RELIEF (also the title for the San Jose Mercury News)

Sacramento Bee: Giants lose their edge

San Mateo (CA) Daily Journal: A ROYAL PAIN

Marin Independent Journal (San Rafael, CA): ROYAL REVENGE

Loveland (CO) Reporter-Herald: 1 AND 1

Miami Herald: THE MARLINS’ MR. OCTOBER (On Laurence Leavy, AKA “Marlins Guy”, who has a habit of going to World Series games in full Marlins regalia even though they aren’t playing)

The Hawk Eye (Burlington, IA): Back in the game

Lawrence (KS) Journal-World: ROYAL SMACKDOWN

Ottawa (KS) Herald: ROYAL BLUE (for a story on local Royals fans)

Joplin (MO) Globe: ROYAL ROUT (The same headline was used in Springfield)

Bozeman (MT) Daily Chronicle: ALL EVEN

Poughkeepsie (NY) Journal: A FAMILY’S JOURNEY (On Joe Panik, who grew up and went to High School not far from Poughkeepsie)

News & Advance (Lynchburg, VA): A ROYAL REVIVAL

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Pride of Clintonville (on Royals 3B coach Mike Jirschele, a Clintonville, WI native)

El Universal (Cartagena, Colombia): BUENA REACCIÓN (“Good reaction” or “Good Response”)

El Norte (Monterrey, Mexico): UNA REACCIÓN REAL (“A Royal Response” or “A Royal Reaction”)

Check back throughout the series for more!

 

 

 

Headlines from around the Continuum: October 22, 2014

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A sampling of baseball-related headlines from the Newseum, with the occasional note from me on what they are talking about:

(Note that I try to copy the style of the paper as well, hence why some are in ALL CAPS while others aren’t. Also, I ignored extremely basic-and extremely common- headlines like “Giants win” or “Game 2 tonight”. I’ll occasionally make an exception for the team’s “home” newspapers)

Headline: Giants win Game 1, 7-1

San Francisco Chronicle: To start, a royal drubbing

San Francisco Examiner: Giants strike early, often

Kansas City Star: BUMMER

Bakersfield Californian: DETHRONED (w/ image of sad Royals fans)

Appeal-Democrat (Marysville, CA): Giants deliver Royals pain in Game 1

Modesto Bee: S.F. OFF TO A GIANT START

Monterey (CA) Herald: ROYAL CRUSH (was also used in other papers, too)

Oakland Tribune: ONE GIANT STEP (the San Jose Mercury News had the same headline, as did others)

Sacramento Bee: A GIANT STATEMENT

San Mateo (CA) Daily Journal: ONE DOWN, THREE TO GO

The Record (Stockton, CA): SF fans gather to watch glory

Tampa Bay Times: WHAT A SHAME IN GAME 1 FOR BIG GAME JAMES (Note that James Shields got his start as a Ray)

The Hawk Eye (Burlington, IA): Royally Disappointed

Lawrence (KS) Journal-World: PUT AWAY YOUR BROOMS

Joplin (MO) Globe: ROUGH START

News-Leader (Springfield, MO): FEE-FI-FO-FUM (because Giants, get it?)

Omaha World-Herald: SERIES BEGINS, STREAK ENDS

El Universal (Cartagena, Colombia): SERIE GIGANTE (Giant Series)

Novedades de Quintana Roo (Quintana Roo, Mexico): Gigantes da el primer golpe (“Giants tee off” or “Giants land the first blow” or something along those lines)

Vanguardia (Saltillo, Mexico): GIGANTES ROMPEN RACHA (“Giants break streak”)

La Prensa (Managua, Nicaragua): Bumgarner estuvo gigante (“Bumgarner was giant”)

El Nuevo Dia (San Juan, Puerto Rico): PALIZA GIGANTE A KANSAS CITY (Could range, depending on translation, from simply saying that the Giants beat Kansas City to something like “Giant beating of Kansas City”)

Check back throughout the World Series for more headlines!