Akira Ohgi's Legacy - The Light and Shadow of the Man Who Discovered Ichiro and Nomo
Akira Ohgi was a legendary manager who unlocked the talents of Hideo Nomo and Ichiro as manager of the Kintetsu Buffaloes and Orix BlueWave.
Articles tagged with controversy
Hanshin Tigers Draft Strategy Debate - Ready-Made Talent vs. Player Development
A comprehensive look at hanshin tigers draft strategy debate - ready-made talent vs. player development, from the ready-made talent era and its limitations t..
A History of Sign Stealing - The Lineage of Baseball's Intellectual Crime and the Arms Race of Technology
Sign stealing has existed as long as baseball itself. From runners on second to telescopes, video cameras, and wearable devices, this article traces the escalating arms race between cheaters and defenders.
Hanshin Tigers Managerial Controversies - Behind the Scenes of Leadership Changes
The Hanshin Tigers are known for having one of NPB's highest rates of managerial turnover.
Pitcher Overuse at Koshien - Teenage Arms Destroyed Behind the Drama
Ace pitchers throwing 150-plus pitches on consecutive days at Koshien has long been consumed as inspirational drama. But the cost is a steady stream of broken arms before players even turn professional.
NPB's Double Motion Rule - The Evolution and Controversy of Pitching Form Regulations
NPB has long regulated pitching motions branded as 'double motion,' a topic of debate for over 30 years involving phases of stricter and looser enforcement. The rule aims to prevent unnatural deceptive deliveries but has wrestled with ambiguous adjudication and conflicts with international standards. The 2006 tightening and the 2011 liberalization marked major turning points. We trace the history of NPB pitching-motion regulation through controversy and globalization.
The Power of Official Scorers - The Opacity of Hit-or-Error Rulings
In NPB games, official scorers hold the authority to judge whether a batted ball is a hit or an error. These rulings shape major performance metrics such as batting average, ERA, and earned runs. Yet the standards are not fully objectified, and many situations rely on the scorer's subjective judgment. We explain dispute cases over rulings, the ambiguity of the standards, the challenges of objectification, and the powers and responsibilities of the official scorer position.