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Welcome to Yakyu-Reference.com!

What you see here is both a portal and a placeholder. I have created a number of blogs related to baseball in Japan, and the coverage and research which I provide will be useful for fans from English-speaking backgrounds to better understand America's favorite game, as it is played in the Far East. By following the links found below, you will be able to stay up to date on many important events and personalities important to Japanese "Yakyu".

Additionally, you will find other links just to the right of this message that will help you navigate the world of baseball in Japan, as presented by many of the best writers on the beat. In this way Yakyu-Reference is a portal to a fascinating community of people just like you, who enjoy baseball in its many forms.

I mentioned that this site is also a placeholder. What exactly do I mean by that? As a member of SABR, and a dedicated record keeper of Japanese Yakyu metrics and historical narratives, I endeavor to improve the coverage and analysis of Japanese baseball in the English-speaking world. This is important for two reasons. One, the sport will benefit a great deal from wider access to information and data, and we will all better understand the context in which baseball exists in an international setting. Two, sport is often the best bridge between countries, cultures, and generations. By offering information about the sport in the most widely spoken language on Earth, I can contribute to the bridging of the East and the West in a way that should break down walls and open minds.

In the future, Yakyu-Reference will look something like Baseball-Reference if all goes well, and enough support exists for my efforts. In the meantime, bookmark this page and use it as your daily portal to my writing on a fascinating branch of America's Passtime. Be sure to catch my work at Baseball Prospectus (subscription only).

Mike Plugh
SABR Member

These are but a few of the important links that will lead you to coverage of Japanese baseball. In the future, this list will be expanded to include several more key sources of information and analysis. If you have any suggestions, or to submit your own link, please contact me by clicking my name in the left hand column.

Don't forget to follow the featured links below. Each one is a gateway into the world of Japanese Yakyu!

Matsuzaka Watch is the ongoing chronicle of Daisuke Matsuzaka's journey from Seibu to Boston and analysis of his performance: past, presence, and future.

Uehara Watch follows the career of the Yomiuri Giants ace from Tokyo to the Major Leagues. Narrative commentary and statistical analysis are featured at Uehara Watch in anticipation of the pitcher's move to the Major Leagues (ETA: 2008)

Darvish Watch follows the career of ace Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish of the Nippon Ham Fighters. Darvish Watch traces the development of one of the world's most exciting pitchers. Both narrative commentary and statistical analysis are featured at this site.

Yuki Saito Watch is a new blog chronicling the pitching career of the 2006 Koshien hero and Waseda University ace. Will he pitch in the NPB or will he jump to the Major Leagues upon graduation? We'll watch and wait until 2011 with narrative commentary and statistical analysis of every start.
In addition to the featured blogs available just above, Yakyu-Reference is proud to bring you more coverage as follows:

Baseball Japan follows issues related to professional and amateur baseball in Japan, including cultural highlights, current events, analysis, player profiles, and more.......

NPB Box Scores is a simple blog (available soon) offering readers a day-by-day look at the NPB box scores in English. Coverage will begin retroactively with the 2006 season and continue into the future.

More comprehensive coverage will be available in the future. Please support our efforts by reading, commenting, and spreading the word about the ever-evolving English language coverage of Japanese Yakyu.