Fukudome Finds Familiar Faces During LA Trip

The Cubs should probably sign this guy so they can finally get out of that Jim Edmonds deal.

Sumo Wrestling Baseball

This is Hakuho. He checks in at about 340 bills, which makes him about 15 pounds lighter than Prince Fielder. Read more…

Volleyball Players Turn to Tight Undies for Victory

Japanese men’s national team volleyball players come up a little short in the literal and figurative sense. They haven’t qualified for the Olympics in sixteen years and their centers are under six feet fall. Desperate times have led to desperate measures, so the Japanese have done what you would expect from that country to rectify the situation.

Captain Underpants

Naturally, they’ve turned to special underwear that is 20% lighter and will “correct the positioning of the pelvis” to allow them to jump up to one centimeter higher. Possibly. We haven’t seen proof. We suspect it’s just an excuse to reload the ol’ panty vending machines.

Sailor Moon

Read more…

Phillies Pull Off All-Time Prank On Pitcher Kendrick

Hello, kids. This is Richard McPlenty, and I’m here to take you through another lazy Sunday. What better way to kick things off than with a little bit of mischief at the expense of young Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick.

Kyle Kendrick

G.M. Ruben Amaro Jr. was in on it. Manager Charlie Manuel was in on it. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if Anna Benson was in on it. She seems to be up for just about anything.

And it worked. They convinced Hendrick he had been traded to Japan. Cruel, and unusually funny. Read more…

Japan Post Office Gives Dice-K Stamp Of Approval

Daisuke Matsuzaka can’t be licked - or can he? The star pitcher has just been given the stamp(s) of approval from Japan’s postal service.

Dice-K waving

SbBer Mark mails in word from MAINICHI DAILY NEWS that the Red Sox hurler will be featured in a set of collectible stamps. The special Dice-K postage will be available throughout post offices in Japan until February 22.

The commemorative sheets are expected to have “10 80-yen stamps showing some of Matsuzaka’s finest moments, including his first victory in his first game as a starting pitcher, and when he held up the trophy celebrating victory in the World Series.”

Kosuke Fukudome Cubs Ad Japanese Flag

Looks like the Cubs finally found the right stamps to mail out their own promotional material (that they ripped off of other sports blogs).

On a side note, some Sox fans are selling historically-insensitive shirts of their own. Just don’t send any to China.

Good Thing Beijing Isn’t On Cubs’ Road Schedule

The Chicago Cubs have begun their marketing blitz for newly signed Japanese star Kosuke Fukudome.

Kosuke Fukudome Cubs Ad Japanese Flag

On the Cubs’ official website, Fukudome is featured in a graphic that displays a historical variation of Japan’s traditional rising sun flag. But that particular flag design is not the official state flag of Japan, and ON 205TH reminds us that neighboring Asian nations aren’t exactly fond of it.

The flag was the symbol of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, which terrorized the region.

Read more…

Blogs: SbB Mentioned in Kansas City Star

Jeff Flanagan of the KANSAS CITY STAR gives a shout-out to SbB and our ‘86 Royal adventure:

Charity Melissa SbB Girls KC hat

• SECURE COMPUTING gives a red card to ESPN’s Soccernet site, which has been attacked by viral banner ads.• 100% INJURY RATE discovers 19th century baseball players were quite colorful with their infield chatter.

• YOU BEEN BLINDED finds the Williams Sisters’ dad yelling at the court - the legal court:


• JEN’S FREE THROWS has the latest sports trend from Japan - human Tetris.• LARRY BROWN SPORTS can’t explain Cal’s complete collapse.

• Not that their complaining, but DEUCE OF DAVENPORT wonders why the Worldwide Leader would be offering up a Led Zeppelin video:



• GOING FIVE HOLE skates over with their NHL week in review.• THE ANGRY T isn’t sold on these questionable sports endorsement deals.

Dice-K May Not Play in Red Sox Japan Series If Wife Gives Birth

RED SOX PITCHER’S PLANS FOR JAPAN MIGHT BE NO DICE: As Red Sox Nation knows, Boston’s season will start next year in Tokyo. But now there’s a chance the club’s biggest Japanese star won’t even play:

Daisuke Matsuzaka wife Red Sox

The ASSOCIATED PRESS delivers news that pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka may be off the mound and in the maternity ward, as his wife Tomoyo is scheduled to be giving birth to their second child around the same time.Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said the team and the MLB front office were already aware of Dice-K’s impending re-fatherhood when they scheduled the games between the Sox & A’s for March 25 & 26.

Baby ward headphones

Lucchino hopes the kid “will be born at such a time to allow (Dice) to participate,” but also added that Dice “has an important obligation with respect to the birth of that child.”If the baby does pop out at that time, Boston won’t be short-handed when it comes to bringing along Japanese pitchers. Hideki Okajima will have a chance to return to the field where he spent 12 years of his career.

And another Sox hurler is already looking forward to the trip. Curt Schilling proclaims, “I’m not going to pitch over there, so I’m going to have fun.”

Curt Schilling family

Seems like he’s already having fun, with his Red Sox squad beating SbB’s Royals in SPORTING NEWS Strat-O-Matic action.Damn him! (for this week, anyway)