Asians In Baseball (Asians in Baseball)

This month to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Asian hosted podcasts, we’re bringing you an episode from They Call Us Bruce, one of our sister podcasts from the Potluck Podcast Collective. They Call Us Bruce is hosted by Asian American community mainstays Phil Yu (also known as the Angry Asian Man) and Jeff Yang (prolific writer and celebrity dad), who, along with a guest or two, come together to discuss the good, the bad, and the WTF on the latest topics in Asian American culture and media.

On the episode we’re featuring, Phil and Jeff are joined by Olympic ice dancing pair the ShibSibs, Alex and Maia Shibutani, who discuss their new childrens’ book about inspiring Asian Americans who’ve paved the way for today’s generation.

You can learn more about They Call Us Bruce and our other Potluck Podcasts by going to podcastpotluck.com. Enjoy!

Did you miss us?? We are back with a beefier episode than ever to cover the return of baseball post-All-Star break! 

1:28 - A lot of random Asians in Baseball news! The Montgomery Biscuits temporarily become the Montgomery Kimchi, there is an Asian in Baseball in Barbie, the Dodgers and Padres are going to Seoul, there are helllllla Asians in the Women’s World Cup, and Arjun Nimmala is selected by the Blue Jays with the 20th overall pick.

16:08 - Position players my GOODNESS. Yu Chang and Choi Ji Man are back, Macho Man is now amongst Red Sox royalty by surpassing a Ted Williams streak, Corbin Carroll is still raking and even making it to third on a strikeout, and boy oh boy are there some HOT bats here in the dead of summer. 

38:49 - Pitchers! The Blue Jays have a lot going on with the impending return of Ryu Hyun Jin, ALL STAR Kodai Senga continues to dominate, and Bryan Woo’s grandparents make a very special visit to see his start when the Mariners were at Oracle Park. 

57:05 - Ohtani Talk! His pitching could use the bump but he’s still blasting homers, we do a special segment to try to convince him to come to a random (or not-so-random) team, and we discuss the trade rumor mill…and how it seems like it’s a bit stalled out. 

1:29:47 - The trade deadline is rapidly approaching! Shintaro Fujinami makes a cross-country move to the Orioles, we discuss some non-trade roster moves, and we’re keeping our eyes peeled for a couple of other potential trades for our guys. 

Arjun Nimmala is drafted by the Jays: https://tinyurl.com/34fec72m

Corbin Carroll’s…strikeout triple?? https://tinyurl.com/47544jt5

Bryan Woo’s grandparents see him pitch for the first time: https://tinyurl.com/yc7fn35h

It's just Kim and Scott doing a weekly recap this week, but there is a ton to cover! Steven Kwan, Connor Joe, Tommy Edman, and Rob Refsnyder’s hot hot bats all lead off for their respective teams in head-to-head matchups, Steven competes with Rob for catch of the year, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa robs Ji Man of XBH. Since we're not doing a profile this week, we take the extra time to just talk about our love of the game.

Connect with us on IG @asiansinbaseball, Twitter @aznsinbaseball, email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.cm, or send us an audio message on Anchor!

Opening week has come and gone, and the Asians in MLB CAME IN HOT!

2:11 - First up, debuts! Masataka Yoshida rides his success from the WBC right into his first week of major league play

8:11 - Anthony Volpe’s highly anticipated debut does not disappoint

12:00 - How much are MLB and the clubs talking about race?

17:38 - Bae Ji Hwan is flashing leather and hitting bombs already

24:10 - Blake Sabol aspires to make history with fellow Samoan teammate Sean Manaea 

28:13 - Kodai Senga and the ghost forkball make their mark

30:50 - Shintaro Fujinami starts strong, but the Angels get hot at the exact wrong time 

38:20 - We chat returning position players, including Kim Ha Seong’s walk off as he continues to show the Padres how much he belongs in the crowded infield

47:15 - Moving on to pitchers, our guys are BACK, including Kenta Maeda in a huge return in his first start post-Tommy John surgery.

101:42 - Ohtani talk!

Blake Sabol and Sean Manaea bond over being Samoan: https://theathletic.com/4297540/2023/03/11/giants-sean-manaea-blake-sabol-samoa/

Kim Ha Seong’s walk off post game interview: https://twitter.com/ballysportssd/status/1643106296630001666?s=46&t=MqT3PkvkVV1lUoQWSYxrPg

We are BACK, baby! Just in time to discuss the highlights from the off-season and the buzz around the Tokyo Series. And of course it's a beefy episode to kick off the season, what else would you expect from your favorite podcast about Asians in baseball where we just yap about Asians in baseball?!

Testing, testing, is this thing on?! We took a few weeks off from recording and boy oh boy were those a BONKERS three weeks. BUCKLE UP.

1:08 - A special shout out to one of our listeners, we discuss our trips to Dodger Stadium for Korea Night and Petco Park for Kim Ha Seong Bobblehead Night, and the next generation of Asian superstars were crushing it at the Little League World Series

15:49 - Position Players! Masataka Yoshida and Seiya Suzuki are given some games off to rest and then come back with a vengeance, Stuart Fairchild returns to the majors and proceeds to hit an inside-the-parker, Corbin Carroll remains a superstar with his own bobblehead night and joining Mike Trout in the record books, Kim Ha Seong smacks his first career grand slam and continues to be the bright spot for the Padres, and Kolten Wong is a DODGER! 

45:30 - Pitchers! The Dodgers finally sign a Korean with Jang Hyun Suk, Ryu Hyun Jin is finding his stride (and taking a page out of fellow elite pitcher IKF’s book), Bryan Woo is dominant after a brief stint on the IL, Sean Manaea is shaking off the first half of the season with a career high strikeout rate, Yusei Kikuchi is in control and coming into his own as an ace, and Shintaro Fujinami throws a “beautiful” pitch in his ongoing success with the Os. 

1:03:05 - Nothing else to talk about from the last three weeks…just kidding. Devastating blow with the news that Shohei Ohtani has torn his UCL and will not pitch the remainder of the season. We discuss who is at fault, how we think this will affect him in free agency, and how it’s not slowing him down as a hitter. 

Stuart Fairchild’s little league home run: https://www.mlb.com/news/stuart-fairchild-hits-little-league-home-run-against-the-marlins

Corbin Carroll’s parents unbox his bobble head: https://www.si.com/fannation/mlb/fastball/news/corbin-carrolls-parents-go-viral-for-their-reaction-to-seeing-arizona-diamondbacks-rookie-get-his-first-bobblehead

Adley Rutschman tells Shintaro Fujinami his pitch was “beautiful”: https://ftw.usatoday.com/lists/orioles-adley-rutschman-told-shintaro-fujinami-missed-call-video-reaction-pitch

First, a moment to recognize Willie Mays and all his incredible contributions to baseball. Thank you, Willie.

Onto the episode, All Star voting is open! Round 1 voting goes until June 27th and you can vote 5x/day for our favorite guys! Look for our voting guide coming very soon. Also, we discuss the Dodgers’ new City Connects ahead of their release…did our comments hold up once the real deal dropped?? (Yes.)

The IL Report is unfortunately back! Tommy Pham returns just in time to face his former club, Masataka Yoshida comes off a lengthy stint only to be HBP in the hand, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto goes to the 15-day with a strained rotator cuff.

But position player news keeps us in high spirits! Rob Refsnyder and Connor Wong continue to hold it down for the Red Sox, with Refsnyder being “one of our best players,” Steven Kwan is on a 10! Game! Hit! Streak!, and Kyle Higashioka hits his first ever walk off home run.

In pitching news, Dane Dunning gets the Yu Darvish treatment from his World Series Champion teammates, Kenta Maeda is back, and Shota Imanaga - er, sorry, MIKE Imanaga II - knows he’s a sophisticated guy.

And Ohtani bounces back from his “slump” with the long ball - an oppo field, record-breaking(ish) long ball. 

All Star voting is open! https://www.mlb.com/all-star/ballot

Rob Refsnyder is “one of our best players”: https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2024/06/mlb-notebook-rob-refsnyder-sheds-journeyman-role-to-become-key-contributor.html

Higgy walks it off: https://www.mlb.com/video/kyle-higashioka-homers-5-on-a-fly-ball-to-left-field

Not as much going on this week with Asians in Baseball, but the stuff we do have to talk about is BIG. It looks like our guy Kim Ha-seong will continue to be the everyday shortstop for the Padres through the rest of the season, Ohtani makes history yet again with his 10th win of the year, and we get into how we think the AL MVP race will shake out. What makes a Most Valuable Player anyway??

In the rest of the league, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Tommy Pham come up huge for their respective ball clubs in the Yankees-Red Sox series, Steven Kwan spends two glorious days in the 300 club, and Seiya Suzuki sets the stage (or rather the corn field) in the Field of Dreams game.

Connect with us on IG @asiansinbaseball, Twitter @aznsinbaseball, email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.com, or send us an audio message on Anchor!

We’re officially in the second half of the MLB season, and the race to the postseason is ON. 

1:21 - The Trade Deadline has come and gone! We’re stoked for more Asians in the NL West but sad to see some of our faves get DFA’d. 

17:53 - Bats are staying hot for our position players! Macho Man’s slump is broken after chatting with Ichiro, Lars Nootbaar is on fire right now, Kim Ha Seong is “the best player on the team,” IKF celebrates not getting traded, and we welcome Alika Williams to the Asians in Baseball Cinematic Universe. 

42:16 - Lots going on in pitching this week: Ryu Hyun Jin is back for his first start of the season, Shintaro Fujinami gets a bit knocked around but is still faring quite well as of late, Dane Dunning remains dominant, and Sean Manaea gets his first ever save. 

54:07 - OHTANI TALK: the most anticipated trade in baseball did NOT go down by August 1st, but Ohtani made sure we still had much to discuss this week. His contributions in the double header against the Tigers were truly next level, we discuss the possibility of the triple crown, and we at Asians in Baseball have some fighting words for managers who intent walk him. 

Check out the Cardinals’ AAPI Heritage Night Lars x Tommy WBC Bobble Head! https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/specials/theme-tickets/asian-american-pacific-islander-heritage

WHAT A DIVISION SERIES.

*Steven Kwan holds his own against the Yankees until the bitter end

*Yu Darvish and Kim Ha Seong have strong contributions to the Padres advancing to the NLCS

*Dave Roberts and the Dodgers fall yet again in the early Postseason

*And speaking of the Yankees, special guest Nate joins us this week to discuss his Yankees fandom and Asians in Athletics on the whole!

Connect with us on IG @asiansinbaseball, Twitter @aznsinbaseball, email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.com, or send us an audio message on Anchor!

We did it, Sho!!!!

0:28 - YEAH WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT OHTANI! The rumors, the Dave Roberts Press Conference Heard 'Round the World, the Toronto madness, the enormous contract, the enormous contract deferral, what this means for the Asian/Asian American community, and more. (Though we recorded this on Wednesday 12/13 before the press conference, so we don't get to that yet!)

1:04:00 - Ohtani's not the only Asian in Baseball making moves: Kyle Higashioka comes home to SoCal with the Padres, Kenta stays in the Midwest to join the Tigers, Lee Jung Hoo holds down the Bay Area Asians in Baseball, plus many more free agent moves yet to come!

Keep your eyes peeled, this wild ride isn't over yet...

Lars Nootbaar's op-ed in the Player's Tribune: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/lars-nootbaar-st-louis-cardinals-mlb-japan-world-baseball-classic?utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-playerstribune&utm_content=later-39782451&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkin.bio

Is it possible that every single week is a big week for Asians in baseball? It sure seems like it. Shohei Ohtani has another fantastic pitching start, Choi Ji Man and Kim Ha Seong both homer on the same day, and Seiya Suzuki shows off his sprinting power after hitting an inside the park home run.

We’re back with the spotlight this week with an intro to Ichiro Suzuki’s magnificent career. The 10x Gold Glove outfielder and 10x All Star will likely be the first Asian player in the Hall of Fame, and he is definitely a first ballot Hall of Famer in our hearts.

Link to Kim’s favorite Youtube Video, “Ichiro Suzuki Career Highlights (Emotional)” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo5p7n4knig

Connect with us on IG @asiansinbaseball, Twitter @aznsinbaseball, email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.com, or send us an audio message on Anchor!

First, a moment for James Earl Jones and his contributions to the on-screen world of baseball. Thank you, James.

To kick off this week, we give our predictions in the return of Yoshinobu Yamamoto after his stint on the IL…facing off against Shota Imanaga no less! 

In position player news, Tommy Pham smacks his first homer and brings experience to the young Royals clubhouse, Rob Refsnyder follows in Travis d’Arnaud’s footsteps, Bo Bichette shares his priority for free agency, and Steven Kwan is the Guardians Roberto Clemente Award nominee.

In pitcher news, Kumar Rocker is set to make his major league debut on Thursday, Shota Imanaga leads Cubs pitching to a combined no-no, Joey Cantillo takes a perfecto into the 7th, Shintaro Fujinami is lights out in triple A, and Sean Manaea is just a regular guy…who happens to be really really really good at pitching.

And Ohtani continues to make history, barreling toward 50/50! We discuss the ever-heated MVP race - can’t we just celebrate everyone’s wins?!

Vote here for Steven Kwan to win the Roberto Clemente Award: https://www.mlb.com/community/roberto-clemente-award#vote

Article about Bryan Woo: https://www.mlb.com/news/mariners-split-series-with-a-s?partnerID=mlbapp-iOS_article-share

Article about Sean Manaea: https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/mets-sean-manaea-stj8n1l9

After a fabulous year of Asians in Baseball, we’ve reached the end of the line this season. But the legacies live on!

*Naomi is back and reports on Kim Ha Seong’s continued presence in South Korea.

*How many Asian Americans even know there are Asian/Asian American superstars in MLB?

*And we offer some free marketing ideas for teams that are simply not tapping into their Asian fan potential!

Edit: Justin Verlander WAS part of the 2017 Astros. He was traded at the deadline from Detroit and went onto be the ALCS MVP.

This episode sponsored by Audible Theater presents: GOOD ENEMY. Use code AIB25 for $25 tickets through 11/5 and code POTLUCK for 25% off tickets from 11/5-11/27 at goodenemyplay.com!

Additional music by Jenyi

Connect with us on IG @asiansinbaseball, Twitter @aznsinbaseball, email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.com, or send us an audio message on Anchor!

Welcome to the All Star Break!

We kick off our Midsummer Classic episode, of course, with the fits. Steven Kwan and Shota “Mike” Imanaga (II) opt for velvet, Christian Yelich dons mint green, and Ohtani steps out in a suit inspired, of course, by his dog, Decoy. 

Obviously the main event of the All Star Game is the game itself! Ohtani sets more records with his 3-run home run, Big Papi deems Steven Kwan “a bad man,” and Shota shows out for his new hometown of Chicago. 

But even before the All Star Break, Corbin Carroll has a much-needed 6RBI night, Travis d’Arnaud steals his third career base (and has two homers in the same game), and we’re not the only ones who thought Connor Wong belonged in Arlington. 

Lastly, Kenta is moved to the bullpen and builds his confidence against a former ballclub, Yusei Kikuchi has a career high 13 strikeouts, and we wish Oakland Baller Kelsie Whitmore good luck in her tryout for the USA Baseball Women’s National Team! 

Shotamania: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2024/07/16/baseball/mlb/imanaga-cubs-fan-favorite/

Connor Wong: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5633061/2024/07/12/red-sox-connor-wong-performance/

Steven Kwan’s suit: https://www.instagram.com/p/C9fyk8jBcgh/

Shota Imanaga’s suit: https://www.marqueesportsnetwork.com/the-hilarious-reason-behind-shota-imanagas-all-star-game-fit/

Christian Yelich’s suit: https://www.instagram.com/p/C9iAqyIuMcr/

Shohei Ohtani’s suit: https://www.mlb.com/news/shohei-ohtani-s-dog-decoy-pictured-inside-suit

It’s tiiime for Asians in POSTSEASON Baseball! The regular season and the wild card have come and gone, but we’ll be here weekly with a recap of our boys who are holding it down in October 🤩

In this week's episode, the Division Series:

Travis d'Arnaud leads it off for Asians in Postseason Baseball with a 3 RBI game vs the Phils, we bid adieu to the Asians whose teams were eliminated in the WC, the Padres lead the playoffs with 3 Asian players (and, Kim insists, one staff member), AND Kim predicts Steven Kwan's homer against the Yankees 😦😎

Drop your postseason predictions below and listen wherever you get podcasts! 🎧

Summertime always brings the heat, and this season is no exception! 

Naomi was our field correspondent this week, reporting on her pick for the Most Asian MLB stadium. And don’t forget, phase 1 All Star Voting is still going until June 27th! 

Congrats is in order in position player news, as Connor Wong goes to the paternity list in the middle of his 13-game hitting streak! IKF shines with his first career multi-homer game, Yeli hits his 200th career homer, Steven Kwan is still tearing it up, and not one but TWO Taiwanese players sign with MLB teams. 

In pitching, Shota Imanaga has seen better days (but leave him alone!), Sean Manaea takes a no hitter into the 6th on a day when the Mets offense does not have the Grimace bump, and Yuki Matsui is cruising.

Our favorite MLB Fashion Icon, Shohei Ohtani, debuts his signature New Balance collection, gains power from the new Dodgers City Connects, and proves his “slump” is a thing of the past. 

Steven Kwan profile in The Athletic: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5583940/2024/06/24/guardians-steven-kwan-pinball-hitting-success/

Nice article about Orion Kerkering: https://www.phillyvoice.com/phillies-news-analysis-orion-kerkering-bullpen-stats-rob-thomson-matt-strahm-jeff-hoffman/

New season, new look, same us! We’re back for our third season of Asians in Baseball, and although the season hasn’t even officially started yet, we’re off to the races.

First up: trades! (Or lack thereof.) Tommy Pham remains a Free Agent with Opening Day looming, Ryu Hyun Jin returns to the KBO, the Mets and minors gain some of our faves, and Where in the World is Kim Ng?!

Then after the break: The Dodgers and Padres have landed in Korea! We talk exhibition games, Seoul Series, which MLB team belongs to which country, the significance of Korean representation on AND off-field, and some trolls are mad about Ohtani’s finger heart.

Lastly: RIP NAOMI’S NOTIFICATIONS. Ohtani announces he got married, and all hell breaks loose on the internet and our group chat.

This month to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Asian hosted podcasts, we’re bringing you an episode from Asian Americana, one of our sister podcasts from the Potluck Podcast Collective where host Quincy Surasmith explores the slices of distinctly Asian American culture and history.

The episode we’re featuring is an exploration of Kala Bagai, a South Asian woman who immigrated to American in the 20th century and who also has a street named after her in Berkeley, CA.

You can learn more about Asian Americana and our other Potluck Podcasts by going to podcastpotluck.com. Enjoy!

Rough week for Asians in baseball. Shohei AND Ji Man get robbed of homers halfway up the wall, Mitch White finds his groove but doesn’t get the run support he needs, and the fantasy football MLB crossover nightmare will not end! But Lars Nootbaar and Yu Chang are in the lineups this week, and Kolten Wong breaks up Joe Musgrove’s no hitter while keeping it classy.

This week we are highlighting the first Korean-born player in the MLB, Park Chan Ho, former power pitcher for the Dodgers and current power poster on Instagram. Follow him at www.instagram.com/chanhopark61. 화이팅!

Connect with us on IG @asiansinbaseball, Twitter @aznsinbaseball, email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.com, or send us an audio message on Anchor!

With Kim taking the week off, this week we recap the All-Star game where Ohtani took it easy and still dazzled Major League Baseball. And then Scott talks to longtime friend, Daren Mooko about the podcast and all things Asians in Baseball and the Dodger/Giant rivalry. It's a Gen X old guy segment that, really, has been a long time coming. 

AAPI Heritage Month isn’t over yet! This week gave us lots of opportunities to talk about representation in MLB - both positive and negative.

0:48 - Corbin Carroll and Mark Mathias join the Asians in Baseball roster, Steven Kwan continues to proudly rep the AAPI community, and we were pleasantly surprised by the Guardians’ thoughtful AAPI Heritage celebrations.

15:52 - Tommy Edman and Blake Sabol have hot hot bats, and Masataka Yoshida is on his WBC reunion tour with a hitting streak to go along with it.

22:56 - Pitchers have another solid week...though they could use a little more support both on and off the field. Sean Manaea gets the W out of the bullpen, Dane Dunning has another great start, and a positive article about Yusei Kikuchi’s talents despite his first loss leaves an extremely bad taste in our mouths. 

41:10 - We couldn’t let AAPI Heritage Month end without a profile on our idol Kim Ng, GM of the Marlins and the first woman and first person of East Asian descent to be the GM of an MLB team. Are we Marlins fans now?!?

Cleveland’s AAPI Heritage Celebration logo: https://www.mlb.com/guardians/ballpark/events/aapi-heritage-month#logo

Corbin Carroll’s speedy base running: https://www.mlb.com/news/corbin-carroll-nearly-passes-teammate-racing-for-home-plate

Kim Ng in Time: https://time.com/5943601/kim-ng-first-female-gm-miami-marlins/

There may not be any Asians left in the Postseason, but there's still plenty to talk about! 

The Shohei stove is already getting hot with rumors 

MLB cancels the Korea Series

Steven Kwan wins his first Gold Glove! 

And we have a new "Pull An Asian" segment, where we try to pull an Asian player out of a new deck of baseball cards! 

This episode sponsored by Audible Theater presents: GOOD ENEMY. Use code AIB25 for $25 tickets through 11/5 and code POTLUCK for 25% off tickets from 11/5-11/27 at goodenemyplay.com!

Additional music by Jenyi

Connect with us on IG @asiansinbaseball, Twitter @aznsinbaseball, email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.com, or send us an audio message on Anchor!

BASEBALL IS BACK, BABY!! Our first episode of the 2023 season has to be about none other than the jaw-dropping World Baseball Classic, where Asians in Baseball represented at every single stage, right down to the final strike. 

A little breakdown of what we talk about in this beefy episode:

2:02 - Four Asian teams in the WBC!

7:51 - Asian players represented on Team USA (Kyle Higashioka) and Team Britain (Vance Worley)!

16:50 - Asian players represented on Asian teams! Including new Red Sox teammates Yu Chang and Masataka Yoshida and breakout star Lars Nootbaar.

38:58 - Team Korea set a WBC record!!! ...a little too late.

48:16 - Japan WALKS IT OFF in an epic game against Mexico to advance to the finals!!!

53:46 - And finally, in a Hollywood ending no studio would ever buy because it would feel too unrealistic, Shohei Ohtani faces off against his teammate and fellow baseball legend Mike Trout in a showdown that will go down as one of the greatest moments in sports history.

Link to the Team Japan celebration: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqFCHRKDSIp/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

We’ve got a BEEFY episode of Asians in Baseball this week. First off, we've gotta shout out the Asians in Basketball, Jaylin Williams and Kianna Smith. Then in our weekly recap, Ohtani is yet again the entire Angels organization, Keston Hiura has himself a week, and Rob Refsnyder goes yard...into a car windshield. And Naomi and Scott got to see two icons IRL: Kim Ha Seong and the Padres’ super fresh City Connect unis.

This week we’re spotlighting Kolten Wong, a 2x Gold Glove second baseman and proud Hawaiian. He’s a highly skilled ballplayer with a great attitude and we appreciate him!

Article about Shohei’s free agency situation: https://deadspin.com/what-would-shohei-ohtani-be-worth-on-the-market-1849153279

Mini-doc on Kolten Wong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb3o47raZIc

Connect with us on IG @asiansinbaseball, Twitter @aznsinbaseball, email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.com, or send us an audio message on Anchor!

This is an EXTRA beefy episode, so let's get right into it!

First, a moment for the passing of Dodger Legend, Fernando Valenzuela. Thank you for all your contributions.

Then, a Championship Series recap: Steven Kwan and Anthony Volpe both fight for their teams to make it to the final round, an extra special extra long segment about Yoshinobu Yamamoto's luxury handbags, all love for Sean Manaea's best year yet, and Tommy Edman becomes the first Asian NLCS MVP in MLB history!

Finally, World Series predictions, anyone??

Steven Kwan's ode to the Postseason: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/steven-kwan-mlb-cleveland-guardians-baseball

Kwan's postgame interview: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/steven-kwan-gets-honest-about-playoff-loss-to-yankees/ar-AA1sBA8Q

Sean Manaea's postgame interview: https://sny.tv/articles/sean-manaea-would-love-to-be-back-mets-next-season

There were only four days of baseball between last week’s recording and this week’s, but boy were they a big four days!

1:27 - Sean Manaea and Blake Sabol make history as the first Samoan battery in MLB!

3:40 - Choi Ji Man and Bae Ji Hwan make history as the first Korean-born teammates to both homer in an MLB game!

8:00 - In position player news: Kim Ha Seong is on fire, Connor Wong comes through for the Red Sox, and the new guys are settling in 

26:43 - Pitchers were getting a bit roughed up this week, except Senga and his forkball 

35:00 - Ohtani Talk...and what do we think of the Angels' new home run celebration hat??

48:45 - Player profiles are back! First up in season 2…legendary hitter Hideki Matsui

So much to discuss after the trade deadline! Let’s get into it. 

Scott and Kim will be doing an event in LA with the LA County Dept of Public Health Peer Resource Center on Thursday, August 15th - sign up at the link in our bio! Then, we welcome JJ Wetherholt to the AIB Cinematic Universe (thank you to listener Paul Kuo for the tip!) and chat exciting Asians in 2025 news. 

The trade deadline was chaotic as always! The high: Tommy Edman to the Dodgers. The low: Yusei Kikuchi to the Astros. The shock: a lot of DFAs over the past few months. But a tie at the top of the Asians in Baseball team leaderboards!

Quick injury report, but not without a big L. Christian Yelich avoids back surgery but will miss time to rehab, Bo Bichette returns to the IL, and Kodai Senga exits his season debut with a high grade calf strain that will take him out for the rest of the year. 

In position player news, we get into the Cardinals new HR celebration, Masataka Yoshida’s strong showing, Seiya Suzuki’s interpreter is fired, and Kyle Higashioka receives a replica Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of his grandfather, and we discuss the history behind it. 

In pitching news, Joey Cantillo makes his long-awaited debut (though against the Phillies), Bryan Woo leaves his last start but isn’t expected to miss time, and Sean Manaea is dealing with a season high 11SO.

And finally, Ohtani Talk. Don’t worry about this man. He’s still securely in MVP talks despite only being an DH, is predicted to make over $100 million in endorsement deals this year, and hits a homer at Minute Maid Park that leaves even Astros fans speechless. 

Upcoming LA event: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=SHJZBzjqG0WKvqY47dusgfaHvggm-jpCryAOtkYWBH9UMDdNV05ZNlYwMVROTU1EM0NUQlU0V0lJQy4u

Scott’s Substack: https://rscottokamoto.substack.com/p/shohei-ohtanis-legacy-for-me-begins

Cubs’ Tokyo series video: https://www.instagram.com/p/C9kmZlZRXb3/

Press release about Kyle Higashioka: https://tinyurl.com/u8cs5t3f

We are fully in the second half, and Asians in Baseball are HOT!

First off, congrats to Kelsie Whitmore and the US Women’s Baseball Team for winning Silver at the Women’s Baseball World Cup! Gold went to Japan, of course, in their 7th consecutive win. 

In position player news, Connor Wong and Rob Refsnyder hold it down for the Red Sox, Volpe is mashing even from the bottom of the lineup, Travis d’Arnaud has a 10-game hit streak, and it’s that time of year for Seiya Suzuki to turn up the heat.

Pitching is blessedly having a much better week! Kikuchi crushes in his first start as an Astro, Bryan Woo tosses a career-high 7 innings against the Phillies slugging machine, and Sean Manaea still got that Grimace Bump.

Slow Ohtani news week as he is still slumping, but of course that still includes being first to 30HR/30SB on the year and 3rd fastest player in history to achieve the feat. YAWN! (For legal purposes, this is a joke.)

Athletic article about Yusei’s pitches: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5677686/2024/08/03/yusei-kikuchi-astros-debut/

Asians in Baseball are ready to ECLIPSE the league!

First, welcome Naoyuki Uwasawa and Jahmai Jones to the AiB Cinematic Universe! 

Then, position players: Anthony Volpe and Conner Joe are off to hot starts,Travis d’Arnaud walks it off already, Kim Ha Seong and Lee Jung Hoo adjust to their new roles, and Steven Kwan and the Guardians play in the path of totality. 

After the break, Kenta Maeda shuts down his former team the Twins, Shota Imanaga and Yoshinobu Yamamoto showcase their nastiest pitches, Dane Dunning tries to prop up the defending World Series Champs, and Mitch White is BACK, BABY! 

Finally, a little plea to lay off Ohtani, we check in on the Tommy Pham rumors, and big congrats to Arjun Nimmala for his first career homer! 

Two weeks into the postseason, and the players have come to PLAY. Well…almost. 

First up, we celebrate the Gold Glove nominations of Anthony Volpe and Steven Kwan! 

Then, into the ALDS - Volpe finds himself in the middle of some Yankees-Royals postseason drama and Kwan hits a massive .524 and writes himself into the history books to help Cleveland advance.

Across the league, the NLDS was a pitching masterclass. Orion Kerkering has a solid postseason for the Phillies, Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea keep the Mets afloat, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Yu Darvish face off in a historic matchup.

Game 1 of the ALCS wasn’t much to write home about if you’re a position player, but the Guardians sacrifice Joey Cantillo to the Yankees’ Murderer’s Row and he pays the price. 

In the NLCS, Kodai Senga struggles to get back into the swing of things but Sean Manaea stays cool, calm, and consistent in Game 2, and Ohtani is slumping at the exact wrong time but his teammate Tommy Edman shows himself to be the BUNT KING. 

Volpe’s great catch: https://www.mlb.com/yankees/video/vinnie-pasquantino-lines-out-softly-to-shortstop-anthony-volpe

Volpe’s double play: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5835577/2024/10/10/yankees-royals-benches-clear-alds-game-4/

1977 ALCS: https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/yankees-jazz-chisholm-accuses-royals-maikel-garcia-of-trying-to-hurt-anthony-volpe-on-slide-sore-loser/

Andy McCullough article: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5838152/2024/10/12/dodgers-yoshinobu-yamamoto-padres/

Dylan Hernandez article: https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2024-10-15/shohei-ohtani-dodgers-nlcs-game-2-struggles

It’s comeback season, baby! 

2:12 - Corbin Carroll and Shohei Ohtani are the only Asians to make it through the first round of All-Star voting! (We recorded this before they announced the teams, forgive the late news)

2:58 - It was a hot week in pitching! Dane Dunning nearly throws a complete game, Kenta Maeda is back from the IL, and Yusei Kikuchi is still dominating on the mound…and being microaggressed off the field.

20:09 - Position players were crushing this week: Kyle Higashioka catches Domingo German’s perfect game, several guys’ bats are hot hot hot, Bligh Madris enters the Asians in Baseball Cinematic Universe, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa is coming for Ohtani’s gig.

55:46 - Ohtani Talk! We saw peak Ohtani x Angels this week as he struck out 12 Dodgers and still took the L, he had his first multi-homer game as a pitcher, and the Angels are doubling down on their big bet. 

Bligh Madrid’s debut article: https://www.mlb.com/news/bligh-madris-first-palauan-player-in-majors

Seiya Suzuki is reeling in Ohtani: https://www.marqueesportsnetwork.com/seiya-suzuki-makes-his-pitch-to-shohei-ohtani-in-hilarious-fashion/

It’s the playoffs, baby! And we’ve got you covered on all things Asians in the Postseason.

3:31 - Just a LITTLE Ohtani Talk to start us off. Shohei exited the regular season early, but what’s all this mean for 2024?????

13:16 - The Wild Card has already come and gone, but not before Kikuchi got thrown to the wolves, Yeli's bat wasn't enough to carry the Brewers, and Kim Ng made history yet again in the final year of her contract.

27:40 - Any Division Series game you watch, you could see Asians in Baseball! First up, the NLDS: Corbin Carroll and Tommy Pham lead the Dbacks into a battle with Dave Roberts’ Dodgers (very likely including Postseason veteran Kolten Wong), we’re bound to see some of Travis d’Arnaud with Atlanta, and is there possibly an Asian in Baseball on the Phillies?!?!

45:37 - In the American League: expect to see Kenta Maeda pitch for Naomi’s beloved Twins (whether in his rightful role as a starter or in relief), and Asians in the Rangers-Orioles matchup have limited Postseason experience in Dane Dunning and Shintaro Fujinami, but it’s sure to be a fun series. 

7 players and 1 manager enter the Asians in Baseball Division Series…how many will take home the trophy? Only one way to find out...

While we're on a little break in preparation for all the October madness, we are airing this conversation from Scott's kitchen that took place back in May. The Angels were hot (haha!), and we were reflecting on some of the pioneers of Asians in Baseball, Mike Lum and Len Sakata. A lot of this conversation holds up today, but our hopes for any success with the Angels...let's just say oops. We'll be back next week with Kim and Scott rounding out the season. Naomi is in the motherland for the month, so we'll have some special segments and a lot less Ohtani lust. 

What in the KDrama is going on here?! It’s been a shocking week for Asians in Baseball, to say the least.

Let’s start from the Seoul Series: a false threat at the Sky Dome, the unceremonious demotion of Go Woo Suk, Asians show up for the first official games of the season (on the field and in the stands), and Yu Darvish has still got it at 37.

After the break, of course we have to talk about Ippei. The timeline that was - and is still - moving at a dizzying pace, the Ohtani press conference, and what this means from a cultural standpoint. 

And finally, Will the Thrill is back like he never left (because he has been working for the Dodgers this entire time!)

Tisha Thompson’s ESPN Timeline: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39784809/dodgers-shohei-ohtani-mizuhara-theft-line

Ohtani press conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnlYgPCv438

We've got a double header episode! (We skipped last week, so this week is like two episodes in one...that's not what a double header is, but you get it.)

In the week(s) in review, Asians in Baseball are absolutely crushing it. Kim Ha Seong and Steven Kwan make Gold Glove-level catches in left field foul territory, Lars Nootbaar leads *ALL* MLB in OPS, and Ohtani bests fellow AL MVP candidate Aaron Judge on the night of his 50th homer by giving the Angels the go-ahead 2-run home run to beat the Yankees.

Then we get into the larger BCU (Baseball Cinematic Universe) - Ichiro is inducted to the Mariners Hall of Fame of course, Hawaii wins the Little League World Series in a big way, and we plead our case for a generous benefactor to get us to the MLB v KBO series in November.

And Notre Dame is holding it down for Asians in Football, with the announcement of Tyler Buchner as starting QB under head coach Marcus Freeman. Are we Notre Dame fans now…???

Link to Steven Kwan’s catch: https://www.mlb.com/video/kwan-wins-play-of-the-week-x5856

Link to Kim Ha Seong’s catch: https://www.mlb.com/video/ha-seong-kim-s-incredible-catch

Connect with us on IG @asiansinbaseball, Twitter @aznsinbaseball, email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.com, or send us an audio message on Anchor!

The crew is back in full force, and not a moment too soon!

To kick us off this week, we’re excited to share that we were featured on Spectrum News! Thank you to reporter Taylor Schaub for spotlighting us! 

In position player updates, Tommy Pham is picked up by the Royals, Connor Joe and Lars Nootbaar are jamming, and Corbin Carroll has turned his season all the way around just in time to dunk on the Dodgers. 

Pitchers are crushing it this week: our guy Kumar Rocker makes a huge splash in his Triple A debut, Kenta Maeda finally gets a W, Kikuchi / Woo / Manaea continue to deal, and Yu Darvish is back!!

And Ohtani Talk finally gets the attention it deserves with the return of Naomi! His bobble head night has fans lined up 8 hours before Decoy’s first pitch, he makes history yet again in his quest for 50/50, and we prepare for his grand return to Angel Stadium. 

Ohtani falls to Ryu in the Japan-Korea match up but springs back later in the series with a 2 HR game. Kolten Wong makes an incredible catch-and-flip against the Padres, who win against the Brewers despite 6 scoreless innings from Darvish who takes the L. Mitch White stays in the show, and Ji Man owns Gerrit Cole once again.

Our spotlight this week is on bona fide baseball star Steven Kwan, who has been absolutely crushing it in his rookie season, both at the plate for the Guardians and on the mic for Asian Americans. We’re proud of you Steven.

Steven Kwan talks about mental health and being Asian American: https://twitter.com/MLBPlayersMedia/status/1526589610381348865

Connect with us on IG @asiansinbaseball, Twitter @aznsinbaseball, email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.com, or send us an audio message on Anchor!

BUCKLE YOUR SEATBELTS BECAUSE WE’RE ALL IN ON SHOHEI THIS WEEK. We gotta give him his due for the absolute tear he’s been on - an iconic 8RBI game followed by an unbelievable career high 13ks the next night…and after a couple days of rest, a little 462ft homer as the icing on the cake. We get into whether or not he’s getting the appreciation he deserves and what a nice boy does during a baseball brawl. (Spoiler alert: he’s a hugger, not a fighter.)

In the rest of the league, our boy Mitch White is back in the show, Steven Kwan has risen to a new role as the everyday leadoff hitter for Cleveland, and Rob Refsnyder is absolutely on fire.

Link to Jomboy’s detailed breakdown of the Angels / Mariners fight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFUawXZhnlc

Connect with us on IG @asiansinbaseball, Twitter @aznsinbaseball, email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.com, or send us an audio message on Anchor!

You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and then you have…this week in Asians in Baseball!

The good: Yu Darvish hits a massive milestone of 3000 career strikeouts across NPB and MLB, being only the second player !EVER! to do so. How iconic is this feat? The other pitcher that holds this distinction is…Hideo Nomo.

The bad: A few of our guys are struggling on the mound, so we attempt to give them the World Famous Asians in Baseball Bump (tm) (jk it’s not tm). And we have a bone to pick with Yankees fans, who need to back off of Isiah Kiner-Falefa!

The obvious: As the season winds down, MVP and ROY conversations ramp up - of course, we’re Ohtani / Kwan all the way.

Connect with us on IG @asiansinbaseball, Twitter @aznsinbaseball, email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.com, or send us an audio message on Anchor!

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for…postseason baseball has arrived!! 

First up, we talk Asians in the Wild Card, our friend Atsuko threw out the first pitch at the Cubs game, and Farhan Zaidi is fired by the Giants, leaving ZERO (0) Asian GMs in baseball. 

Position players bring much administrative news this week: Rob Refsnyder does not want to retire after this season (bless!), Masataka Yoshida and Kim Ha Seong struggle with shoulder surgery woes, and Isiah Kiner Falefa sacrifices his bonus for his younger teammates to get playing time.

Over in pitching, Yusei Kikuchi reaches 200 Ks and has a red ass (?!?!?!), Yu Darvish is announced as a relief pitcher in the Wild Card, Kumar Rocker shows potential in his final game of the season, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto prepares for his first MLB playoff run.

In Ohtani news, can this man give us a break?!?! We run through his list of records of the week and chat a little Decoy, of course.

And finally, the Asians in Baseball postseason predictions! Will the Dodgers flame out yet again? Will Yu Darvish get the respect he deserves? Will any Asians make it to the World Series?!?! 

All-MLB voting is LIVE: https://www.mlb.com/all-mlb/ballot

WTF is “red ass”???: https://tinyurl.com/vxk7dptr

Asians in Baseball were RAKING this week! Let’s discuss:

1:06 - Our position players went HAM this week! Three guys hit elusive triples, IKF executes a true steal of home, Tommy Edman smacks a 2-out grand slam, Travis d’Arnaud’s 100th homer is a moonshot, and Corbin Carroll stays elite.

24:56 - We offer the Asians in Baseball bump to some of our pitchers, Dane Dunning gets another W, Bryan Woo is looking solid for the Mariners, Robert Stephenson is doing great on his new team, and Brennan Bernadino had an awesome profile come out this week.

31:36 - Ohtani Talk! No wonder the man is tired: he’s on a 15-game hitting streak, leads MLB in homers and RBI, leads the AL in exit velo…as a hitter AND pitcher, and leads the Angels in…well, everything.

51:50 - We stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. We discuss the protest of their appearance at the Dodgers and how all LGBTQIA+ people and people of marginalized and underrepresented groups should feel safe and welcomed everywhere, including baseball. (CW: sexual abuse)

IKF steals home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN9bjjDX-zI

Tommy Edman’s grand slam: https://www.mlb.com/video/tommy-edman-hits-a-grand-slam-7-to-right-field-nolan-arenado-scores-dylan

Corbin Carroll’s elite stats: https://www.si.com/mlb/2023/06/19/corbin-carroll-diamondbacks-100-games-mvp-race

Brennan Bernadino’s MLB profile: https://www.mlb.com/news/brennan-bernardino-mlb-journey-around-the-world

Straight White American Jesus episode about the Sisters: https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/the-sisters-of-perpetual-indulgence-and-trans-antaganism/ 

It’s May, so you know what that means: we gotta talk about Asians in Baseball! (Because that’s what our podcast is about...obviously.)

First up, we discuss AAPI Heritage Month - Naomi and Scott went to see the As in their final season in Oakland, and the OG OG Masanori Murakami was also in the Bay, watching the Dodgers and Giants. 

Apparently we have a new weekly segment: Asians on the IL. While we did get some guys back, several guys went on. What the hell is going on around here?!

Then, in position player news: Jahmai Jones hits his first career home run and is hugely celebrated by his Yankees teammates, Stuart Fairchild smacks an inside-the-parker, and Connor Wong is in a League of His Own gets both the first and last out of the game catching Nationals stealing bases.

Pitchers are all over the place this week. Go Woo Suk aka “Suk-Go” is sent to Miami as part of the Luis Arraez trade, Sean Manaea has a strong start v the Phillies only for the Mets to blow the lead (but Orion Kerkering got the W), and Shota Imanaga stays atop the pitching charts with a 5-0 record and a 0.96 ERA.

Lastly, Ohtani wears the World’s Worst Suit to the Blue Diamond Gala, hams it up with Dave Roberts and a sports car, and, oh yeah, he also hit .524 and was MLB NL Player of the Week (but we were so distracted by his terrible suit we almost missed his stats).

Michael Clair’s profile on Masanori Murakami: https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/masanori-murakami-first-japanese-player-in-mlb

The Yankees love Jahmai Jones: https://tinyurl.com/43yxdvbj

NY Post story about Volpe and his mom: https://nypost.com/2024/05/12/us-news/yankees-star-anthony-volpe-attributes-his-early-mlb-success-to-selfless-mom-on-mothers-day/

Stuart Fairchild turns on the rocket blasters: https://www.mlb.com/video/erik-miller-in-play-run-s-to-stuart-fairchild

We’re only a month from the Postseason, and Asians in Baseball are in it to win it! 

1:10 - Some quick Asians in Soccer/Futbol news!

3:44 - Position players are dominating! Masataka Yoshida homers in back-to-back games to break his “drought,” Anthony Volpe enters Yankees Rookie History, Steven Kwan takes a rare first-pitch swing which pays off in a big way, SD native Tommy Edman walks it off against the Padres two nights in a row, and Kolten Wong made his presence known with a huge splash in his Dodgers debut.

32:46 - Let’s talk pitching: Ryu Hyun Jin is settling in in his return, Bryan Woo is mixing it up with new pitches AND a barehanded play, Kodai Senga and the ghost fork continue to dunk on hitters, Shintaro Fujinami is soaring as an Oriole, and we give a few of our guys the Asians in Baseball bump.

46:30 - Oh, Ohtani. His agent has provided some updates on his elbow injury, a new oblique injury has entered the chat, the Angels try to replace him with a stand in at photo day, and we speculate on if we have seen the last of him this season.

Anthony Volpe’s Jeter-esque play: https://tinyurl.com/2s42mb2z

Steven Kwan’s “Chatting Practice” interview: https://www.mlb.com/video/chatting-practice-steven-kwan-82078

Dong A Ilbo article about Kim Ha Seong: https://www.donga.com/en/article/all/20230905/4405330/1

Bryan Woo’s sweet barehanded catch: https://www.mlb.com/video/bryan-woo-in-play-out-s-to-spencer-steer

Back from our week off, did we miss anything??

As you might have expected, we have a BEEFY episode this week, so let’s get into it!

It was Team Ichiro vs the High School Girls All Stars in the annual exhibition at the Tokyo Dome to promote high school girls baseball, and the former pros pulled NO punches!! Then, we must discuss the epic Cubs and Dodgers matchup that saw Imanaga face Yamamoto fresh off the IL, where all of our guys came ready to play (except Ohtani…)! 

In position player news, Rob Refsnyder and Bo Bichette sadly close the season on the IL, Steven Kwan is activated just in time for the playoffs (and keep voting for him for the Roberto Clemente Award through Sunday 9/29!), and Seiya Suzuki is locked into his new role as the everyday DH. 

And our pitchers continue to impress! Kumar Rocker has an incredible major league debut, Yu Darvish reaches yet another milestone with 2k SO, Yusei Kikuchi is undefeated as an Astro, Sean Manaea gets another W but Orion Kerkering takes the L, and will these journalists ever learn how to not disrespect our guys when trying to write positive articles about them?!

Lastly, what more could possibly be said about Ohtani? Uh, A LOT! Buckle up because we go through his historic game where he establishes the 50/50 club, the dizzying and strange ways he continues to be pitted against Aaron Judge for an award they can both win, and, as usual, people’s racism is showing! 

The full crew is back, and it was a wild week for Asians in Baseball, with ups and downs and injuries and celebrations:

2:18 - Masataka Yoshida quiets hyper-critical Red Sox fans with a TWO HOME RUN INNING, and Anthony Volpe had a rough weekend and Yankees fans…actually understood and supported him?! 

11:28 - Connor Joe’s bat stays hot, Blake Sabol is down to his last strike and WALKS IT OFF, and Lars Nootbaar meets Ichiro!

24:29 - Pitchers are getting roughed up, physically and in their stats, though some get more run support through the struggles than others 

40:06 - Ohtani Talk: Is there anything he CAN’T do??? Well, he’s only ranked 48th at base stealing…

54:41 - And a profile on TWO guys: Choi Ji Man and Ji Man Choi.

New to baseball and have a question about what something is? Send us a message!

Masa’s big inning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1C05bj1vTk

Blake Sabol’s walk off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl9T41S2Mgg

IKF’s diving catch: https://www.mlb.com/video/hunter-renfroe-lines-out-to-center-fielder-isiah-kiner-falefa

Choi Ji Man highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KpSItDyFjE

PHEW. After a week off, we’ve got tons to talk about this episode.

Steven Kwan continues to display exceptional maturity in prioritizing his health over his streak, Kim Ha Seong proves he deserves to stay on the field even with the impending return of Tatis Jr, Lars Nootbaar comes up with a huge hit to walk it off for the Cards, Shohei Ohtani is feeling the weight of having to carry his team week after week, and Dane Dunning gets a massive win against his former club.

At the trade deadline, Ohtani stays put for now, but a huge blow for the AiB Dodgers contingent as our boy Mitch White goes to Toronto. We hope this move mirrors that of Ryu Hyun Jin and Mitch gets the consistent starts he deserves! We’ll miss you in LA but are always rooting for you, dongseng.

Connect with us on IG @asiansinbaseball, Twitter @aznsinbaseball, email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.com, or send us an audio message on Anchor!

Mitch White gets the win, Keston Hiura walks it off, and Yu Darvish tosses 7 scoreless innings, among other MLB highlights from last week. Kim, Naomi, and Scott get into the legacy of Hideo Nomo. And the Shohei Ohtani stan train rides on. 

What are our guys up to in these last few days of summer? Let’s get into it!

In position player news, Christian Yelich’s season sadly ends, Anthony Volpe fights through the Kim Curse, Masataka Yoshida and Seiya Suzuki are hot, Corbin Carroll is officially back, and Shay Whitcomb enters the Asians in Baseball Cinematic Universe. 

Our pitchers look to cruise into the fall going strong: Brennan Bernadino commands a 0.00 ERA over his last 7 games, Yusei Kikuchi / Bryan Woo / Sean Manaea continue to post strong outings, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto participates in the Dodgers Foundation’s first ever dual language story time. 

In Ohtani news, did anything even happen these last two weeks?? We kid! He manages to get out of a pickle - but MLB misses with the caption, reaches 40/40 in true Hollywood fashion, and what the heck is going on with the Shohei and Decoy bobblehead giveaway?! 

Volpe’s elite baserunning: https://www.pinstripealley.com/2024/8/24/24226155/yankees-analysis-anthony-volpe-baserunning-aaron-boone-winning-player-shortstop

Corbin Carroll turns it around: https://www.mlb.com/news/corbin-carroll-hitting-home-runs-for-d-backs

Kikuchi’s translator Yusuke Oshima: https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/astros-yusei-kikuchi-translator-19665575.php

“Sneaky Sho”: https://x.com/MLB/status/1825720740928237601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1825720740928237601%7Ctwgr%5Ecdba0bf02340def224f09e26e6dd87da9ef2f65f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fmlb%2Fdodgers-shohei-ohtani-cool-rundown-mistake

Before we get started, a moment for the passing of Billy Bean, MLB’s Senior VP for DEI who spent the last 10 years promoting inclusivity and education in baseball and sports. Thank you, Billy. 

This week in position player news, we are alllllll over the place. Rob Refsnyder is subbed in after Jarren Duran’s suspension and comes up big with a walk off and a pep talk, Kim issues a public apology to Anthony Volpe who she accidentally cursed, Corbin Carroll’s stats suggest an upward trend, and we puzzle over the Kim Ha Seong homer-turned-ground rule double.

On the bump, Joey Cantillo takes the L but still has a decent line, Kikuchi continues to deal for his new club, Sean Manaea played a very memorable game of catch with some fans back during the All Star Break, and Shota is still solid and in the running for ROY. 

Ohtani’s BA dips below 300 (but still has 3 homers, 6 RBI, and 2 stolen bases in his last 7 games), Scott explains the unspoken rule of not swinging on a 3-0 count, and Shohei’s 176th home run ball will allegedly hit the auction block on 8/23 - if you have a cool $200k to spare, that is. 

Rob's walk off: https://www.mlb.com/video/rob-refsnyder-s-walk-off-rbi-single

Corbin's double play: https://www.mlb.com/video/brandon-pfaadt-in-play-out-s-to-bo-naylor-x8697

Kenta's interpreter Daichi Sekizaki: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/mlb/tigers/2024/08/11/japanese-interpreter-daichi-sekizaki-essential-detroit-tigers-kenta-maeda/74666328007/

Kim, Naomi, and Scott welcome you to Asians in Baseball! Connect with us on IG and Twitter @asiansinbaseball or email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.com. 

Crank the air conditioning, because Asians in Baseball are STAYING HOT.

0:49 - All-Star Game voting is open, and there are so many Asians to vote for! 

1:39 - Position players are ON FIRE. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is shining as a power hitter, guys all over the league were making leaping and diving plays, and NINE players are batting well over 300 in their last 7 games.

13:15 - Ohtani talk! He has his version of a down week...that still involves him smashing three homers.

22:48 - We’re only a month and change from the All-Star break, so of course we gotta get the Ohtani trade deadline rumor mill churning…

42:44 - Big week for Japanese-born pitchers: Yusei Kikuchi reaches not one but TWO milestones, Kodai Senga and the ghost fork continue to stump opponents, and Shintaro Fujinami gets his second win.

All-Star Game voting: https://www.mlb.com/all-star

Senga’s Ghost Fork in action: https://tinyurl.com/mryurwxr

We're rocketing toward the halfway point, and Asians in Baseball show no sign of slowing down!

Of course, we have to start by congratulating our 2024 All Stars! And Ryu Hyun Jin makes All Star history across leagues. Closer to home, the Dodgers celebrate Japanese Heritage Night, and we get into what Dodger Stadium is doing for the new influx of Japanese fans.

In position player news, Connor Wong brought back that dad strength from the paternity list, weird baserunning by Anthony Volpe leaves the door open for Masataka Yoshida to tie the game, Steven Kwan remains atop the leaderboard, and we get into the nitty gritty of what’s going on with Corbin Carroll. 

Our pitchers have a lot going on: Yusei Kikuchi is a valuable trade chip as we approach the deadline, Kenta Maeda is straight up not having a good time, Sean Manaea continues to ride that Big Grimace Energy, Orion Kerkering proves he can hang with the big dawgs, and Yu Darvish goes on the Restricted List. 

Lastly, in Ohtani Talk, Elly De La Cruz sets the new bar, Shohei’s “slump” continues but he still sets a couple of records, and we discuss the nightmare of what we think he will bring to this year's All Star Game red carpet.

ABC7 article about Dodger Stadium and the influx of Japanese fans: https://abc7.com/post/how-dodgers-shohei-ohtani-has-brought-new-wave/15030162/

Rob Refsnyder’s superman catch: https://www.mlb.com/redsox/video/josh-bell-lines-out-to-left-fielder-rob-refsnyder&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1720636262614551&usg=AOvVaw2PXm3WaywBoJNmSVXOy-vG

Volpe’s baserunning blunder: https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/yankees-anthony-volpe-explains-costly-mental-error-vs-red-sox-as-new-yorks-miserable-slide-continues/

Would you believe we have a lot to say about Shohei Ohtani going into the All-Star Break??

But first: Yu Chang (who loves Soulja Boy) and Choi Ji Man hold it down for the Rays, Yu Darvish has his 180th career win, and an Asian in Softball has entered the chat for...Taco Bell?

Then we get into this week’s events: Chloe Kim and Simu Liu represent in the Celebrity Softball Game, Ohtani leads off for the AL in the ASG but opts out of pitching, and Kumar Rocker makes a huge splash in the MLB Draft.

And finally: What will the Angels do with Shohei Ohtani ahead of the trade deadline?

Connect with us on IG @asiansinbaseball, Twitter @aznsinbaseball, email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.com, or send us an audio message on Anchor!

Days are getting longer and bats are getting hotter for Asians in Baseball!

1:21 - The Pirates actually have another Asian on their roster, none other than PIKACHU

6:36 - 2024 Korea series?!?! Dodgers Padres?! Will the Dodgers finally get another Asian player?!

19:03 - In position player news, things are looking up! Kolten Wong and Christian Yelich got the Asians in Baseball bump, and though Macho Man’s hitting streak ended at 16 games he finally got to meet his idol, Bryce Harper. But let’s not compare rookies to franchise leaders too much, let these guys shine on their own! (Looking at you, Yankees fans.) 

53:05 - Pitchers! Dane Dunning crushes his first start of the year, Yusei Kikuchi is in elite company in the 5 wins club, Sean Manaea finally gets his first W, and shout out to relievers Robert Stephenson and Brennan Bernadino who are holding it down for their teams 

1:04:41 - Ohtani Talk: Shohei takes his first loss of the season…and also surpasses another of Babe Ruth’s records. All in a week’s work! 

It’s AAPI Heritage Month, and Asians in Baseball are kicking May off with a bang!

1:16 - Last week we forgot one of our favorite Choi Ji Man flexes: having Gerrit Cole’s number

5:47 - Happy AAPI Heritage Month, but do not read the comments! 

10:17 - Position players are on a tear: Masataka Yoshida has a 13-game hitting streak, Connor Wong goes 4-for-4 with two HR, Anthony Volpe is 10-for-10 in SB, the list goes on 

23:49 - Ohtani talk! What records has he broken this week??

34:48 - Lots going on with pitchers: Kikuchi has found his stride, Sean Manaea and Yu Darvish pitch in the Mexico City series, and it looks like Dane Dunning might make a return to the Rangers’ rotation

We’re a quarter of the way through the season, and Asians in Baseball cannot be stopped! 

0:51 - Lars Nootbaar and his mom Kumi are besties 

6:13 - Three Asians made Brian Kenny’s all-MLB team!

8:13 - How are position players doing this week? Amazing, as usual. Steven Kwan receives his Gold Glove from last season and then makes a case for a Silver Slugger, Seiya Suzuki beats Ohtani to a home run record, and Christian Yelich finds his groove, including some absolutely wild base running

32:37 - Pitching is HOT y’all! Kodai Senga sets the Mets record for most Ks by a Japanese-born pitcher, Shintaro Fujinami gets the W at long last, and Dane Dunning makes his case for a 6-man rotation 

52:09 - Ohtani Talk: an off-night pitching is no problem when you can just put up your own run support

1:08:10 - Live from Twins at Dodgers, it’s Asians in Baseball! 

Volpe’s great grab: https://tinyurl.com/29nesfrj

Kwan’s acrobatic catch: https://tinyurl.com/bdzh73dm

Yeli’s wild base chase: https://tinyurl.com/3vb9ka6p

Kenta’s compilation: https://tinyurl.com/3tzvdjuk

Can you believe this is only the first month of the season?! 

First, this year's hottest collab is MLB x Kpop groups! And there are HOW MANY of our guys on the IL right now?!

Then, position player news: Tommy Pham and the White Sox make it official, Masataka Yoshida could use some more playing time, Anthony Volpe takes a big swing on his birthday, and there are a lot of guys raking right now, but Travis d'Arnaud is the home run KING.

And our pitchers are on fire! Shota Imanaga has a start to his MLB career for the record books, Yoshinobu Yamamoto silences the haters and shows off some gold glove reflexes, World Series Champ Dane Dunning has a 0BB 10K game, and Yusei Kikuchi and Shohei Ohtani face off in Toronto. 

So of course, we have to talk about Torontogate - Ohtani arrives at Rogers Centre to an ice-cold crowd, but his bat does the talking for him. And could he POSSIBLY pass the record set by Dave Roberts for most HR by a Japanese-born Dodger?!?! (Yes. The record is 7.)

Travis d'Arnaud throws out JRam: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6UbYltuUk9/

Shota Imanaga becomes a meme: https://tinyurl.com/3fz6fedr

Yamamoto saves his own life: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6MzDLApbNI/

Tickets to Kim's solo show Trauma Response on 5/4 in Minneapolis and 5/7 in LA! linktr.ee/kimcoopie

WHAT. A. SERIES. We’ve got you covered on Games 1-4 fashion, Naomi’s trip to the fall classic, Yamamoto’s debut, Ohtani’s injury, Tommy’s clutch hits, and the Anthony Volpe Slam Heard ‘Round The World. Were our Game 5 predictions right?? Listen now to find out! 

Prociety 다저스 hat pre-order: https://procietyshop.com/collections/pre-order-dodgers-korea-script

Prociety interview: https://abc7.com/post/la-hat-shop-prociety-drops-exclusive-korean-dodger-caps-owner-says-tommy-edman-wining-nlcs-mvp-was-proud-moment-koreans/15482179/

It’s a relatively quick episode this week! Recapping some epic plays from our fam plus a pitching debut from one of our favs. 

3:35 — WBC Pool A* MVP Yu Chang hits his first homer for the season ✨

4:48 — Our boys are back from the IL. Tatchan aka Lars Nootbaar hits his first homer for the season as well as Seiya Suzuki 🥰

7:29 — Connor Joe started the year on the IL but has made a splash back and is currently (as of now) hitting over .300 🥹

8:15 — Tommy Edman is in full fighting force: a walk-off, multiple homers, almost hitting for the cycle, RBIs galore ☄️

15:55 — Choi Ji Man is on the IL for an ankle injury, we’re giving him the Asians in the Baseball bump for a healthy and speedy recovery 😢👊

17:57 — Things are looking up for our pitchers. Yusei Kikuchi found his release point again and gets the win, Shintaro Fujinami pitched through 6 innings and didn’t unravel, but where is the run support for Yu Darvish?!?! Darvish struck out 12 😾

25:47 — Isiah Kiner-Falefa makes his debut as a reliever and throws a fast one at 38 MPH 🫨

28:38 — We had the most Asian line up when Shohei Ohtani pitched to 4 Asians players on the Red Sox plus Ohtani v. Yoshida 😎

Congrats to our co-host, @rscottokamoto, on his book release! Check it out on https://www.rscottokamoto.com 🫶

It was a HOT week for Asians in baseball! Shohei single-handedly revives the slumping Angels, Yu Darvish and Sean Manaea both finally get Ws, and Rob Refsnyder gets called back up just in time to assist the Red Sox offense AND make what just may be the catch of the year.

This week we’re talking about the complexity of Kurt Suzuki. Kurt has been a consistent player for 15+ years in the MLB, though he received the widest attention for his choices following the Nationals' 2019 World Series win.

Rob Refsnyder’s catch: https://www.mlb.com/redsox/video/ty-france-lines-out-sharply-to-right-fielder-rob-refsnyder?t=t111-default-vtp

Connect with us on IG @asiansinbaseball, Twitter @aznsinbaseball, email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.com, or send us an audio message on Anchor!

Another day, another impressive showing of Asians in Baseball! 

1:10 - Keep voting to send our guys to the All-Star Game! 

6:14 - McCormick Spices sends Lars Nootbaar a special get well soon gift

7:31 - Corbin Carroll is helping launch the Dbacks to a huge season, Rob Refsnyder signs an extension with the Red Sox, Tommy Pham has found his stride, multiple players flash the leather to get their teams the win, and Anthony Volpe gets hits with a little help from his friends

28:30 - Yu Darvish gets his 100th win! Mitch White makes his 2023 debut in relief after a long stint on the IL, Brennan Bernadino is holding it down for the Red Sox, a trade breaks the tie on which team has the most Asians in Baseball, and Robert Stephenson proudly reps his Filipino heritage in a gift to his mom

40:24 - Ohtani Talk: Shohei is tired, which makes sense considering he’s been busy hitting bombs and hanging out atop the leaderboards

Tommy Edman robs XBH on the warning track: https://www.mlb.com/news/tommy-edman-stabilizing-cardinals-outfield

Kim Ha Seong’s cannon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61nwWIaerno

Steven Kwan’s diving catch: https://www.mlb.com/video/jose-altuve-singles-on-a-sharp-line-drive-to-left-fielder-steven-kwan-mar-x3759

Robert Stephenson and his mom at AAPI Heritage Night: https://www.mlb.com/news/robert-stephenson-pays-tribute-to-philippines-with-cleats

We are solidly in the season, and Asians in Baseball stay hot!

First, Masanori Murakami - the first ever Japanese player in MLB - throws out the first pitch at the Giants game, and we talk exceptionalism and burden of representation. 

Then, position players are making moves: Bo Bichette goes 4-for-4, Christian Yelich steals home, and Corbin Carroll triples in two in a row! But in a sad twist of fate, Lee Jung Hoo’s rookie season ends early following last week’s shoulder injury. 

And if you’re watching good MLB pitching you’re watching Asians in Baseball! Shota Imanaga and Yu Darvish make history, Yusei Kikuchi is dedicated to his off days, Yamamoto is rolling (shoving?!?!), Brennan Bernadino holds it down for the Red Sox bullpen, and Bryan Woo shakes off a scare in his first start with a solid W. 

Finally, Ohtani continues to flex! He invites Albert Lee, a pediatric patient, to throw out the first pitch on his bobblehead night, finally gets the right sized suit to pull up to LA City Hall for Ohtani Day on 5/17 (but Kim has thoughts about his shirt choices), and caps it all off with his first walk off as a Dodger. 

Toronto Life article about Kikuchi: https://torontolife.com/city/blue-jays-pitcher-yusei-kikuchi-day-off/

Yamamoto pitching overlay video: https://tinyurl.com/5n6dx74s

The postseason has come to an end, but Asians were still all over in the playoffs, end-of-season awards, and - of course - trade rumors! 🍾
3:38 - If you left your Asian player off your DS roster or reassigned him to relief pitching, it didn’t work out well for you! (And if you were the Dodgers…it still didn’t work out well for you 😬)
11:58 - Only 4 Asian players were in the CS, and a little amateur sleuthing (read: Googling) was the key to learning about one rookie’s Asian heritage 🕵🏻‍♀️
16:50 - The World Series 🤩 H.E.R. opens the Fall Classic singing the National Anthem, Corbin Carroll shows true leadership in his first WS appearance, and Tommy Pham opts to help out a teammate over going for a World Series record (and for this, is awarded the highly-coveted Asians in Baseball World Series MVP award), and Dane Dunning emerges a World Series Champion 🏆
37:25 - Did someone say FREE AGENCY?! 🗣️ This year’s FA class is absolutely stacked with international Asian players - and that’s without mentioning a certain TWP 👀 And further up the chain of command, Kim Ng walks away from the Marlins after their egregious display of disrespect 😤
1:06:05 - Awards!!!! 🥇 We announce the Silver Sluggers as they come in live, three guys win Gold Gloves, and there are Asians in the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player conversations, obviously! 👑

After some recaps of trades tracking our Asians in Baseball players, we decided to have our own Awards Episode for the 2022 season. We have our MVP (The Shohei Ohtani Award), Cy Young (Hideo Nomo Award), Best Ass, Gotcha Moment, and several others. Sure, the MLB has some awards, but our Asians in Baseball Awards will overpower those soon enough. Let Asians in Baseball excellence shine! 

It's tiiiiiiiiime for TOKYOOOOO BASEBALLLLL!!! Kim and Scott discuss the Tokyo Series! The Dodgers explore Japanese culture, both MLB clubs are blanked by the Hanshin Tigers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga make history, Roki Sasaki debuts, and who is already in hot water with Kim for intent walking Ohtani in Japan?!

We’re off this week, so as promised, here’s a profile on one of our favorite guys, Yu Darvish. Yu has a long baseball history, from MLB scouts trying to draft him out of high school in Japan to being a 5x MLB All-Star to dealing with anti-Asian racism in the 2017 World Series. He is truly one of the greats - we love you Yu!

Gold Glove/Silver Slugger awards, a chaotic Game 5 to close the season, the long-awaited parade, and Asians in Free Agency

We’re back from our hiatus and there is MUCH to discuss in the world of Asians in Baseball!

Our field correspondent Kim shares how Korea goes HAM for both the KBO and MLB, we chat about the culinary offerings of Dodgers Korean Heritage Night, and a brief diversion in AIB content to discuss another very important matter: WTF is going on with all these mid-to-bad City Connects???

In position player news, Connor Wong’s offensive tear is shadowed by more bad reporting, Seiya Suzuki commits a costly error but manages to erase it in grand fashion, IKF enjoys a 5 RBI game, and Steven Kwan is back like he never left - better even.

On the mound, Kelsie Whitmore continues to make history as the first woman to ever start a Pioneer League game, Yoshinobu Yamamoto shuts down Yankee fans’ boos with 7 shutout innings, Bryan Woo surpasses Randy Johnson in the Mariners record books, and Brennan Bernadino keeps the Red Sox out of the red.

Lastly, huge news - OHTANI GOT A HAIRCUT! And set another career record and still hitting over 300 despite “slumping” nbd. 

Julian McWilliams doubts Connor Wong’s size: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/06/10/sports/connor-wong-red-sox/

Shota Imanaga’s new celly: https://tinyurl.com/3hacze3v

It may be the offseason, but Asians in Baseball are still putting in work!

2:55 - Ohtani STAYS BUSY. We discuss his introductory press conference (including Decoy, of course), his side gig as a GM in pulling Glasnow and Yamamoto, and his new Big Market Team persona.

41:08 - Free Agents have been flying! Lee Jung Hoo solidifies himself as the MLB version of a Kpop Idol, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and his plaid suit make their Dodgers debut, and is it somewhere in these Asian free agent contracts that you also have to have a dog?!

1:22:14 - Ooh baby are we ready for the Seoul Series! The first game sells out in 8 minutes, Kim Ha Seong’s been doing promo in Korea, the Dodgers and Padres are set to face off against KBO teams and the Korean national team in exhibition, and…are the Padres the Most Asian Team in MLB???

We have some thoughts about this year's awards. And we preview some of the matchups in Group B of the World Baseball Classic coming up. Trade rumors? Got any? Need any? Let us know. 

WOWOWOW. This Postseason is bringing the DRAMA! 

First, the end of an era as the legend Choo Shin Soo retires after 18 seasons of pro ball, and Shota Imanaga’s interpreter Edwin Stanberry gets high praise. 

Let’s get into the Wild Card: in the AL, Detroit leaves Kenta Maeda off the roster, Yusei Kikuchi never makes it to his start and will likely be released into free agency, and Tommy Pham is ever the postseason professional. 

The NL Wild Card brought Sean Manaea’s first start of the postseason, the Asianless Brewers are eliminated, and Kyle Higashioka impresses big stars. 

Now onto the ALDS: Steven Kwan has a big - if controversial - catch in game 2, Anthony Volpe has an impressive at bat but a costly error, and Kenta Maeda STILL hasn’t made the roster.

It’s the NLDS where things really start getting nuts: the Mets bring Kodai Senga back after only 5IP in the regular season, Sean Manaea dedicates his lights-out performance to his aunt, and the series with the most Asians - SD vs. LA - is getting HAIRY.

Steven Kwan’s big catch: https://www.mlb.com/video/steven-kwans-incredible-diving-catch

First, a huge thank you to Nikki Kay for featuring Asians in Baseball on Spectrum Sportsnet!!

This week, we welcome 6 new players into the Asians in Baseball Universe, bringing us to 8 new guys this season and 46 known Asians in Baseball on MLB 40-man rosters!!! Welcome Matt Bowman (P - Twins), Joey Cantillo (P - Guardians), Freddy Tarnok (P - As), Cheng Tsung-Che (SS - Pirates), Riley O’Brien (P - Cardinals), Teng Kai Wei (P - Giants).

Then, in position player news, we discuss the (now confirmed) Tommy Pham rumors, Volpe stays raking, multiple guys flash Gold Glove-caliber leather, and Kim Ha Seong hopes to play in Petco Park “for years to come.”

In pitching news, Imanaga has a glorious 0.00 ERA through 15.1 IP, Yu Darvish lacked run support but his bud Yuki Matsui came in clutch, Brennan Bernadino proves he deserves more playing time, and Asians in Baseball get (sent) down, but we know they’ll get back up again.

Finally, we discuss the updates from the Feds’ investigation into the Ippei case. 

Seiya Suzuki’s new Cubs commercial: https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2024/04/14/seiya-suzuki-and-willie-harris-got-together-on-a-must-see-commercial/

Kim Ha Seong’s post game interview: https://twitter.com/SammyLev/status/1774594685383905758

Stuart Fairchild’s sick diving catch: https://www.mlb.com/reds/video/gavin-sheets-lines-out-to-right-fielder-stuart-fairchild

Alika Williams’ backhanded grab: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mlb.com/pirates/video/javier-baez-grounds-out-shortstop-alika-williams-to-first-baseman-rowdy-t&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1713332327193311&usg=AOvVaw1HeIMmfiIs945BkkUMTIc7

Corbin Carroll’s smooth sliding snag: https://www.mlb.com/video/brandon-pfaadt-in-play-out-s-to-nolan-gorman

Congratulations are in order this week! Dave Roberts’ Dodgers become the first MLB team to clinch 2022 playoff berth AND their division (not to mention, they are the winningest team in baseball). The Dodgers have made it to the postseason every season Dave has managed - no small feat, and on top of that, he’s the first Asian and second Black manager to ever win a World Series title.

Speaking of great managers, Naomi sacrifices her beloved Twins for the culture as Steven Kwan and Isiah Kiner-Falefa take down Minnesota with their clubs. IKF not only hits the game tying single in the first game of the double header, he smashes his first career grand slam in game 2. HOW YA LIKE THAT YANKEES FANS????

And in NPB, 22-year-old Munetaka Murakami is on a home run record mission of his own. The Yakult Swallows 3B has tied Sadaharu Oh’s (basically the Michael Jordan of Japanese sports) record for single-season HR by a Japanese-born player. He's now pressing on to match - maybe even pass - the overall single-season record of 60 HR.

Lars and the Real Big Pepper Grinder: https://clutchpoints.com/cardinals-news-lars-nootbaar-gets-extra-spicy-for-albert-pujols-696th-home-run/

Yankees Legend CC Sabathia backs Ohtani for MVP: https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork/status/1569465522005184513

Connect with us on IG @asiansinbaseball, Twitter @aznsinbaseball, email us at asiansinbaseball@gmail.com, or send us an audio message on Anchor!