Chico Barbon

The New York Times ran an article last week on Robert “Chico” Barbon, the first Cuban player in Japan. He played for the Hankyu Braves from 1955-64 and then for the Kintetsu Buffaloes in 1965. The article is well worth the read and gives me the oppor…

Continue reading about Chico Barbon »

For no other reason than I feel like showing off an old card, here’s a pair of cards from the 1959 Doyusha Game Set. On the right is Kazuhiro Yamauchi of the Daimai Orions and on the left is Masaichi Kaneda of the Kokutetsu Swallows.

Continue reading about Card Of The Week March 7 »

(This post’s title is offered with apologies to Maximo Nelson…)- Jason told me about an interesting blog called The Infinite Baseball Card Set whose author is has designed and illustrated his own set of virtual baseball cards. Card #4 is of Eiji Saw…

Continue reading about Bullet Points »

OK, really late this week. I spent last weekend in New Orleans for the Mardi Gras Marathon and I’ve spent this week recovering – both from the run (I ran the Half Marathon) and the city. Nothing like recovering from a run with a hand grenade at Tropi…

Continue reading about Card Of The Week February 28 »

BBM listed a new Lions set on their website today. It’s a 28 card box set that features 9 of the Lions “popular young players”. Looks like there’s three separate styles of cards in the set – an “expression” subset, a home uniform subset and an away u…

Continue reading about Young Lions Set »

I received the cards from my first order placed through KuboTEN today. The whole process was pretty easy, although a bit slow. I had won the auction in question back in December, but I waited until mid-January to actually get the cards shipped as I w…

Continue reading about KuboTEN »

For no reason other than I love old Yamakatsu cards, a 1977 Yamakatsu card of Masayuki Kakefu.

Continue reading about Card Of The Week February 21 »

Since 2004, BBM has included a subset featuring people throwing out the first pitch at ballgames in the 2nd Version set. A couple of times, the person in question is a former player (Tetsuharu Kawakami, Akira Ohgi, Jim Paciorek) but usually they are a…

Continue reading about Japanese Winter Olympians »

The latest Prestige Collectibles Auction has started and will be running until March 4.

Continue reading about Prestige Collectibles Auction »

BBM is releasing a memorial set for Norihiro Akahoshi in March. It will be a 28 card box set featuring 27 “regular” cards and one insert/autograph/memorabilia card.

Continue reading about Norihiro Akahoshi Memorial set »

I mentioned a few weeks ago that none of the cards in the Orix 20th Anniversary set showed anyone wearing an Orix Braves uniform (which the team wore in 1989-90). Here’s a card of Boomer Wells from 1990 Lotte set (#37):

Continue reading about Card Of The Week February 14 »

OK, maybe I’m being too optimistic here, but I’m guessing that Topps has finally finished making World Baseball Classic sets for the 2009 games. So here’s a wrap up on what all they produced last year.There were 10 sets in all:- a 55 card box set- a 2…

Continue reading about 2009 World Baseball Classic Card Wrap Up »

BBM’s first official set for 2010 was in stores last November. It’s the latest “Historic Collection” set called “Memory Makers”. Like most of the previous editions, this year’s set has 144 cards – 72 OB players and 72 active players. The active play…

Continue reading about 2010 BBM Memory Makers »

The checklist for the latest offering from Calbee, 2010 Series 1, went up on their website in the last day or so. This set features 96 “regular” player cards (8 per team). As always, there are a number of separate insert sets or subsets. There’s a 1…

Continue reading about 2010 Calbee Series 1 »

Former Lotte Giants catcher Lim Soo Hyuk (or Lim Su-Hyeok) has passed away after spending 10 years in a coma. Both East Windup Chronicle and True Stories Of Korean Baseball have posts about it.The card shown is 1999 Teleca #44.

Continue reading about Lim Soo Hyuk »

After spending 5 hours digging out from the SECOND two+ foot snow fall of the season, I’m ready to go somewhere warm. I’ll even do the calisthenics…2004 BBM Tigers #T95

Continue reading about Card Of The Week February 7 »

BBM completes its 2009 line of cards with the publication of its annual Nippon Series set. This year’s edition is a 65 card set featuring all the players who appeared in the Series between the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters (31 cards including the manag…

Continue reading about 2009 BBM Nippon Series Set »

I mentioned the other day when talking about the Carp 60th Anniversary set that after the 1949 season, NPB expanded from eight teams to fifteen. Another of the teams that were added (in addition to the Carp) was a team that was then called the Kintets…

Continue reading about 2009 BBM Buffaloes History Set »

Robert Whiting has written a 4 part series of articles in the Japan Times on the Bobby Valentine’s stint as Chiba Lotte Marines manager. Here’s the links:Part OnePart TwoPart ThreePart FourThe card shown is 2008 BBM 1st Version #253. Thanks to Yakyu …

Continue reading about Bobby Valentine »

The 1949 NPB season featured eight teams in a single league. Following that season, NPB expanded to 15 teams spread across two leagues – the Central and Pacific. One of the new teams was the Hiroshima Carp (later the Hiroshima Toyo Carp). BBM celebr…

Continue reading about 2009 BBM Carp 60th Anniversary Set »

I’ve seen a couple things on eBay recently that I wanted to comment on…- There’s a guy claiming to be selling a card of “Sadaharu Oh All Time Home Run King” except that he isn’t – he’s selling a 1981 Calbee card of Masayuki Kakefu of the Hanshin Tige…

Continue reading about As seen on eBay »

Jason has done the research on finding Japanese Baseball Card stores online and it’s all here.Jason’s also done a box break for the 2000 Epoch stickers and has started one for the 2000 Power League collectible card game.

Continue reading about Online Japanese Card Shops »

On their website this week, BBM announced the first of the 2010 team sets – the Swallows and the Eagles.The Swallows set will have 99 “regular” cards – 75 cards for the players, coaches and manager, 4 cards for a “Uniform Number 1″ subset, a checklist …

Continue reading about First 2010 Team Sets »

I don’t know what to say here, other than my thoughts go out to his family.2008 BBM 1st Version #432 & #510, 2009 BBM 1st Version #066

Continue reading about Hiroyuki Oze »

I mentioned earlier in my post about the Orix Anniversary set that Leon Lee was the first black manager in Japan when he managed the Blue Wave back in 2003. Lee was the hitting coach for the team and took over after Hiromichi Ishige (the former Seibu …

Continue reading about Card Of The Week January 31 »

Continue reading about 2009 Epoch All Japan Baseball Foundation Set »

Continue reading about 2009 BBM Orix 20th Anniversary Set »

Continue reading about Card Of The Week January 24 »

Continue reading about Shigeru Kobayashi »

Continue reading about Yet Another Bowman WBC set »

Continue reading about Matsui Home Run Cards »

Continue reading about Card Of The Week January 17 »

Continue reading about 2010 BBM 1st Version »

Continue reading about 2010 Hall Of Fame class »

Continue reading about 2010 Rookie Edition »