A good old fashioned victory parade. Yeah, we didn’t see that one coming in September! I’m a doofus who can’t read a parade map properly, so instead of being in the thick of torrent of paper raining down upon Our Marines as they celebrated their amazing run to the Nippon Series title I got to …
Tag: Hiroyuki Kobayashi
Nippon Series Game 7 – Nippon Ichi!
It took seven games, and 12 innings in the seventh game to decide a winner – that winner, finally, decisively, is Our Marines. Can you believe it? This was just an amazing game (and I am not saying that just because of the result) – it was truly an epic way to end the series. …
Nippon Series Game 5 – One More to Go
Today was the last home game of the season for Our Marines, and they made the most of it. Lotte batters bashed 15 hits and hung 10 runs on the “best pitching staff in NPB” en route to a decisive 10-4 victory and a 3-2 series lead. Since Nishimura-kantoku made a surprise move in starting …
Nippon Series Game 1 – The Road Warriors
Do you realize the Chiba Lotte Marines have now played nine games in a row on the road? And not against cupcakes, either – against the 2008 champion Lions, the always strong Hawks, and now the Central League Champion Dragons. With Saturday’s 5-2 win over Chunichi in Game 1 of the 2010 Nippon Series, Our …
Nippon Series – A Brief Preview
I’m in Nagoya now, awaiting the first game of the Nippon Series. Back in Chiba it’s 14 C/57 F and a typhoon is on the way; here it’s just cloudy and cold. Good thing the game today is in Nagoya or else there wouldn’t be a game 1 today. I’d like to take a quick …
Climax Series Final Stage Game 5 – With Great Force!
I’m not going to yank your chain with an extended intro – The Chiba Lotte Marines came alive late in tonight’s Climax Series Final Stage Game 5, finally turning on the jets and setting fire to Hawks pitching. With great pitching and furious offense, Lotte put away the Hawks 5-2 to force a decisive game …
Climax Series Final Stage Games 3 & 4 – Still Alive
One might think that if the Marines pitching staff would give up only one earned run over 18 innings they would win those two games. Right? Right? Instead Our Marines lost both games – Friday’s game (which I’ve already mentioned) by 3-1, and in a total letdown Saturday’s game, 1-0. 4 games total in the …
Climax Series 1st Stage Game 2 – Indefatigable Spirit
“I feel like everything is shiny. Just… shiny.” -Katsu, about 60 minutes after the end of the game The world is indeed a shinier place this evening as yesterday’s comeback kings found a way to do it again today. Down late – again – needing a spark – again – wanting a hero to step …
Climax Series 1st Stage Game 1 – Never Say Die
‘‘This is what happens when you never give up,’’ said Fukuura, who pumped his right fist as he rounded the bases. – Kyodo News on Saturday’s Climax Series First Stage Game 1 If you were to make a time capsule for sports – a representative collection of the appeal of sport and the significance to …
Modasho
As I have much lamented lately, the Lotte offense is just plain injured. Tonight’s starting lineup featured two batters well below .200 BA (Matoba at .172, Okada at .184 – the backup catcher and 6th outfielder, respectively) and had two more pinch hitters below .200 (Takehara at .145, Muniz at .136). But looky here – …