Tag: robert
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Enatsu’s feats resonate years later
by Robert Whiting (Aug 15, 2010) Nippon Professional Baseball recently released the results of an interesting survey of the greatest games and moments – regular season and postseason – in its history. Indeed, opinions will vary on which games should be on the list and how to rank those games in order of greatness. Here…
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Open mind key to Hillman’s success
by Robert Whiting (May 31, 2009) The most successful American manager in Japan turned out to be a relative unknown named Trey Hillman. His achievements were all the more remarkable, because they entailed an almost complete turnaround from the way he had operated in the United States. Hillman, a University of Texas graduate, had played…
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Hillman relied on intensity, goofball antics during time with Fighters
by Robert Whiting (Jun 1, 2009) In 2007, despite losing several key members of his team, Hillman led Nippon Ham to a second straight pennant, juggling his lineup and pitching staff with reinforcements from the farm team. One critic called it one of the finest pieces of managing ever seen over the course of a…
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Irabu’s impact on MLB-NPB relations profound
by Robert Whiting (Oct 16, 2011) — First in a three-part series Hideki Irabu, once considered to be one of the best pitchers in the world, is dead, in what has been adjudged to be a suicide in late July. Formidable force: Hideki Irabu led the Pacific League twice in strikeouts and earned run average…
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Attitude, lifestyle contributed to Irabu’s demise
by Robert Whiting (Oct 23, 2011) Hideki Irabu was given a king’s welcome in New York. He was flown to the city in Yankees owner George Steinbrenner’s private jet and given the key to the city by NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Irabu’s debut in America, July 10, 1997, was a memorable event in a Yankees…
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Irabu spent final days lost, without purpose
by Robert Whiting (Oct 30, 2011) For the late pitcher Hideki Irabu, the surname Irabu had come from Hideki’s mother. It was her surname, and Hideki’s stepfather, Ichiro Irabu, had been a common-law husband. Still, he treated Hideki as his own, raised him and encouraged his love for baseball. He had set up a routine…
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History, tradition helped to undermine Valentine
by Robert Whiting (Feb 7, 2010) It was not exactly clear what Chiba Lotte Marines president Ryuzo Setoyama’s motives were, whether he was so frustrated that he really did intend to quit, or whether his threat to resign in 2008 was just a ploy to get skipper Bobby Valentine to leave and save the team…
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Valentine’s philosophy brought Marines glory, money
by Robert Whiting (Jan 24, 2010) Second in a four-part series Bobby Valentine was born and raised in Connecticut and was chosen one of the most outstanding high school athletes in the history of the state, in a survey by Sports Illustrated. He was recruited by the University of Southern California, whose football coach expected…
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Clandestine campaign led to Valentine’s demise
by Robert Whiting (Jan 17, 2010) [Part 1 of 4] It was just about the time that Chiba Lotte Marines acting owner Akio Shigemitsu declared that Bobby Valentine could run his team “for life” that things began to go sour. Until then, the former Texas Rangers and New York Mets manager had been riding a…
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Nomo’s legacy should land him in Hall of Fame
by Robert Whiting (Oct 24, 2010) It is doubtful that Hideo Nomo and Don Nomura realized the full significance of what they were doing back in 1995 when they defied Nippon Professional Baseball and migrated to the United States. But many of the changes that followed in the wake of their actions may never have…
