The Nomo Baseball Club (Industrial League) is finalizing details for their move from Sakai, Osaka to Toyooka, Hyogo for the 2013 season.  The team will likely make an official announcement later this month.

The Nomo Baseball Club was established by Hideo Nomo in 2003.  The team started looking for a new home after they were informed their home stadium in Sakai was the future site of a highway.

Sponichi is reporting that a Tohoku Earthquake Relief benefit game, involving NPB and amateur players, will be played at Koriyama Kaiseizan Baseball Stadium on August 5.

The NPB team will likely be made up of Ni-gun players (two from each team) that have connections to Tohoku (more specifically, Fukishima).  Their opponent will be a mixed team of players belonging to Industrial League teams and schools (universities) in Fukushima.

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Eastern League managers met today in order to select candidates for the Fresh All-Star Game (July 19).  The actual list of candidates will be released, together with the Western League, on April 18.

The Saibu Gas baseball team held their first day of full workouts in Fukuoka today.  Manager Yasuhiko Sugimoto watched over practices; Yoshifumi Koda (coach) spent some time as batting practice pitcher.

The team's first official game will take place during the Industrial League Kyushu Regionals in September.

Saibu Gas also announced that they added Kanehiro Shibata (a trainer) to their staff (back-dated to May 1).

For those wondering about their uniforms, you can check their press release from March 14.

The media learned on Friday that JR Nishi Nihon is hoping to resume baseball activities in time for the 2013 Industrial League season.  They plan to file the necessary paperwork with the Japan Amateur Baseball Association once they figure out the details.

JR Nishi Nihon temporarily shut down its baseball operations for an indefinite amount of time on July 8, 2005, a few months after a derailment accident occurred on their line (April 25, 2005).

As for why they decided to resume baseball activities now, it appears they received requests (both internally and externally) to bring the baseball team back.  In an effort to get the ball rolling, JR Nishi Nihon has already started looking into high school and college prospects.

The Japan Amateur Baseball Association (JABA) announced on Wednesday that nine Industrial League teams from the Tohoku region will return to action this year after taking the year off last year due to the Tohoku Earthquake.

The Miyako Club, the Takada Club, the Akasaki Club, the Kamaishi Yakyu-dan, and the Kuji Club are amongst the nine teams (all from the Iwate region) returning.  There are also three teams from Fukushima and one team from Miyagi.

UPDATE 4/29 @ 12:03am - The other four teams: SA Club (Miyagi), Jietai Fukushima (Fukushima), Iwase Shoten Club (Fukushima), All Futaba Yakyu Club (Fukushima).

Thirty-eight year old Ken Kadokura made his debut for the Date Hijirigaoka Hospital Baseball Club team on Sunday: he entered the game in the 5th inning and gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits over four innings of work.  He faced a total seventeen batters, threw sixty-seven pitches, did not issue any walks, and struck out eight.  Kadokura did surrender a two-run homer in the 8th inning.  This was his first game since June 2011.

Kadokura was initially slated to pitch the last inning of the game, but after the team fell behind 7-0 in the 2nd inning, the manager decided to bring him in a little earlier.

FYI: Kadokura wore a uniform with the number 14 and the name "Masuda" on it because the team was not able to prepare his uniform in time for the outing (he joined a little late).

The Date Hijirigaoka Hospital Baseball Club announced the addition of 38-year-old Ken Kadokura today.  A press conference is scheduled for April 24.

The Date Hijirigaoka Hospital Baseball Club has existed in one form or another for thirty-seven years.  They officially joined the Japan Amateur Baseball Association in January 2006.

The Japan Amateur Baseball Association announced on Friday that eleven of fourteen Club Teams in the Tohoku Region are expected to resume operations after taking the last year off due to the Tohoku Earthquake.

* links go to JABA website

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Final Standings

Block A

Block B

Block C

Block D

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Playoffs

* links go to JABA website

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Awards

MVP Award - Naobumi Mitsuhashi (JFE Higashi Nihon)

Fighting Spirit Award - Takuya Washio (Nippon Tsuun)

Top Hitter Award - Shigenori Ochiai (JFE Higashi Nihon)

Rookie Award - Ryosuke Obuta (JFE Higashi Nihon), Takuya Washio (Nippon Tsuun)

Special Award - Naobumi Mitsuhashi (JFE Higashi Nihon)

University Mixed Team vs Industrial League Mixed Team @ Tokyo Dome - 12:00

Attendance: 7,293 | Time: 2:38

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