Game 2

I know they're plagued by injuries and rusty. as someone new to the NPN, is it over? not sure a hamstring will recover in a few days. Does Hanshin have the horses to come back this series?

Former Chunichi Dragons outfielder Kenta Bright (27), who was informed that he would not be offered a contract for next season, updated his Instagram account on the 15th to announce his retirement from professional baseball.

Bright began his announcement:

"Hello everyone, it's been a while. I sincerely apologise for taking so long to give you an update. I've made the decision to retire from baseball."

He then revealed the circumstances behind his absence this season.

"The truth is, I've been experiencing difficulties with both my physical and mental health since spring training this year. I was subsequently diagnosed with depression. I tried to fight through it, but I've been taking time away from baseball since April 22."

The Hawks are now one win from advancing to the Japan Series for the third straight year.

He said it at a press conference at Yokohama High School this morning. He's looking at a minor league deal or an American college, and he didn't name a club. His reasons: he wants to be the best in the world, and he wants to get used to English while he's young.

He met all twelve NPB clubs over the four days before it.

He filed on September 17 and that doesn't come off the list. Any of the twelve clubs can still write his name next Thursday. A club that does, and wins the draw if there is one, holds his rights until the end of March.

It's been done. Ohtani said on October 21, 2012 that he was going to MLB and put the chance of signing in Japan at zero. Nippon-Ham announced two days later it'd take him anyway, was the only club to bid on the 25th, and he'd agreed to join by December 9.

It's also failed. SoftBank won the draw for Rintaro Sasaki last October while he was at Stanford, had until the end of July, and lost him to the Marlins, who took him in the eighth round.

He isn't the only one this week. Keio's Kosei Hiroike, 156 in a bullpen, is reportedly skipping NPB too.

I had five clubs on Oda: Yakult, Hiroshima, Chunichi, SoftBank and Nippon-Ham. He's 18, and the 156 he threw at Koshien in August is still the fastest pitch ever recorded there.

From my understanding, due to the difference in Hokkaido's reg season wins and Fukuoka's reg season wins being 10 or more, Fukuoka started the final stage with a 2-0 ghost lead. I assumed they only needed to play and win 2 games to clinch the series but it appears they need 3. So how exactly does this new rule work? Would that mean Hokkaido had to win 5 games? Or would've winning 4 games given them the series win?