From April 12:

Hitters

Pitchers

===

The Yankees will host Hideki Matsui Bobblehead Day on July 28th.

Source: official announcement

From April 10:

Hitters

Pitchers

===

From April 8:

Hitters

Pitchers

===

From April 7:

Hitters

Pitchers

===

From April 5:

Hitters

Pitchers

===

Manny Ramirez hit the CPBL's 7,000th home run on April 4.

Source: Nikkan Sports 4/6/2013

From April 4:

Hitters

Pitchers

===

From April 3:

Hitters

Pitchers

===

Ichiro Suzuki trained with Munenori Kawasaki at Hotto Motto Kobe on Thursday.  Ichiro also worked out with Yuki Saito (Nippon Ham) on Wednesday.  Source: Nikkan Sports 1/18/2013

===

Hiroki Kuroda trained in Los Angeles on Wednesday.  His workouts lasted about three hours and included weight training, running, and playing catch.  He plans to begin tossing bullpen session in February.  Source: Nikkan Sports 1/18/2013

Sponichi sat down with Hiroki Kuroda for an interview on the 3rd (4th in Japan).

Last year at this time, you were still a free agent.  You were wondering if you should sign with the Yankees.

Mentally, I had a lot more flexibility this year.  The pitching coach and manager have not changed.  They know me.  So there is no need for me to try to prove something [during exhibition games].  I just need to get my condition up and get spring training.

What kind of new things would you like to try for 2013?

I think curves or slow pitches will become necessary.  My curve was not bad last season, but my sinker and slider were good, so I did not use it much.  But I think it will be needed this year.  I want to use it to change the look batters have.  I will try some things out during exhibition games.

You were a main part of the rotation last year and won a team high sixteen games.  Your 235.2 innings, which includes the post-season, was third most in the Majors.  There will be expectations for you to put up similar numbers this year.

I am a little worried about my age.  There are also concerns about injury and stamina.  I do not want to set any limits.  I just want to do the same thing as last year and go as far as I possibly can.

You say that maintaining status quo is similar to retiring and are always looking to improve.  Did you gain anything after one year of playing with the Yankees?

[Derek] Jeter, [Andy] Pettitte...  I was able to watch those kinds of players up close ever day.  And Pettitte is forty, [Mariano] Rivera forty-three.  They make me feel like I have to keep going.

Ichiro joined the team partway through the season last year.  He signed a two-year extension.

It was great that we were on the same team.  I watched him prepare and go through his routines.  I was impressed.  People around him easily say he is gifted, but it is not something that should be said so simply.  It gives me strength to know that we will be on the same team again.

You became a free agent after last season.  Teams like the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Angels were interested in you.  You received better offers than the Yankees, and yet you stayed.

The biggest thing was the connection.  We fought together one year.  I especially grew close to the pitchers.  I felt like we bonded.  There are veterans close to my age and I feel comfortable here.  I was touched when I received an e-mail from Jeter saying that he wanted me to come back.

The last three years you have asked for one-year deals.

Each year I give it my all.  If I sign a multi-year deal, my mind can not help but think about the second year.  I do not want to play a full season while sparing energy.

In the US, there are reports you want a one-year deal because you want to spend the last year of your career in Hiroshima.

That is wrong.  The only thing I am thinking about right now is pitching for the Yankees.  It would be doing a disservice to Yankee fans and Hiroshima fans if I thought about next year.  I also do not think life will go the way I plan it to go.  I cannot think about what happens next year on.  But if I do return to Japan to play, it will be for Hiroshima.  That part is correct.

Japanese players painfully know how difficult it is to consistently have good seasons over a number of years.  And yet you have managed to improve.

I think it was big that I was able to throw away my Japanese self.  Power, speed, the baseball here is different than Japan.  I thought about what I needed to do in order to help teams.  And I also decided on the direction I wanted to head.  In my case, I threw away compete games, focused on keeping a spot in the starting rotation, and worked on pitching games that kept my team close.  I was able to find my spot by continuing to do that.  I think it is the reason why I can pitch for the Yankees this year.

The last three years, you managed to keep a spot in the starting rotation and the last two years he reached the 200 inning milestone.  Do you still have the same goal?

It is really hard to pitch 200 innings in Majors because of the short amount of rest.  Keeping that up is difficult.  I was able to go the last three years without hitting the DL.  Right now, I want to avoid injury by building up my body.

Source: Sponichi 1/5/2013, Sponichi 1/5/2013

Former Yokohama Bay Star Kota Kobayashi (21) signed a minor league deal with the Cleveland Indians.  He is also scheduled to attend the Winter League in Puerto Rico in January.  Source: Sports Hochi 11/30/2012

===

Hiroki Kuroda also apparently received a better offer from the San Diego Padres.  Source: New York Post 11/28/2012

===

The Baltimore Orioles are interested in Koji Uehara.  From the Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly:

The Orioles have already met with Japanese free agent closer Kyuji Fujikawa, who would be a set-up man in the majors, and they are at least considering other late-inning relievers, including Uehara, who played with the Orioles from 2009 until he was dealt away in July 2011.

Although he doesn’t like to talk about specific free agents, Duquette said about Uehara: "He's on our list, we like him. He’s been here before."

The 37-year-old Uehara, who compiled a 1.75 ERA in 37 games with the Texas Rangers in 2012 after rebounding from a midseason lat injury, still maintains a residence in Baltimore. He broke down in tears when the Orioles dealt him to Texas for Tommy Hunter and Chris Davis.  

===

Hisanori Takahashi returned to Japan on Thursday.  He told reporters he is not yet ready to return to Japan and that he plans to play at least one more year in the US.  Source: Sponichi 11/30/2012

===

Yu Darvish was named the Texas Rangers' rookie of the year.  From a press release:

The Rangers also announced today that right-hander Yu Darvish has been selected as the team’s 2012 Rookie of the Year in voting conducted by the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Darvish was 16-9 with a 3.90 earned run average in 29 starts in his first season with Texas after signing as a free agent in January. He led all major league rookies with 221 strikeouts, the fifth highest overall total in team history, and 191.1 innings while tying for first in wins, a club rookie record. Darvish had the A.L.'s second lowest opponents batting average (.216) and strikeouts per 9.0 innings ratio (10.4) and also ranked among the league leaders in strikeouts (3rd), wins (T5th), and winning percentage (8th, .640). He joined Cleveland’s Herb Score in 1955 as the only rookies in A.L. history with at least 16 wins and 210 strikeouts in a season, just the fifth such rookie in the modern era (since 1900). Darvish finished third in the voting for the BBWAA A.L. Rookie of the Year Award.

Darvish, Rangers Player of the Year Adrian Beltre and Rangers Pitcher of the Year Matt Harrison will be among the award recipients at the 2013 Texas Rangers Dr Pepper Awards Show, which will be held in conjunction with Texas Rangers Fan Fest on Friday, January 11 at the Arlington Convention Center. Other award winners will be announced in upcoming weeks. Tickets for Fan Fest, which will take place January 11-12, are on sale at texasrangers.com/fanfest or by calling 972-RANGERS.

===

Kyuji Fujikawa may be down to the Angels and Cubs.  He could get a two-year deal worth around US$5 million.

The Angels apparently made a lasting impression on Fujikawa during their meeting with him.  He likes Chicago because Wrigley Field reminds him a little of Koshien.  The bullpen situation for both teams could also tip in his favor.

Source: Sponichi 11/30/2012, Sponichi 11/30/2012