The Pacific League's Survival Crisis - Behind the Scenes of the 2004 NPB Restructuring
In 2004, the merger of Kintetsu and Orix made Pacific League dissolution and single-league transition a real possibility.
Articles tagged with strike
Robo Ump Strike Zone - Challenges of Automated Ball-Strike Calls
How MLB's ABS challenge system, formally adopted for 2026, and KBO's league-wide rollout frame the technical and institutional questions NPB would face in adopting automated ball-strike calls.
Why 'Strike' Means 'Swing' - The Baseball Origin Hidden in the Umpire's Call
In English, 'strike' means 'to hit.' Yet in baseball, a pitch the batter doesn't swing at can also be called a strike. Why does a word meaning 'hit' describe a pitch that wasn't hit? The paradox traces to the umpire's evolving role in early baseball.
npb cont gamble case 231 - NPB Deep Dive
The 2015-2016 Yomiuri gambling scandal that led to three player bans and forced NPB to overhaul its anti-gambling measures.