[sixcol_five_last]
By Errol Alegre, Jr.
Since 1993 Guam has been the location of choice for Japan’s top baseball team, the Yomiuri Giants, to train and prepare for their annual baseball season. This year is no different as 14 players arrived on January 5th to train at the Paseo Stadium in Hagatna to aid them in their upcoming season that is set to start at the end of March.
Yasu Kawauchi, a Guam resident from Japan, plays an instrumental role in the coordination of the Giants’ arrival and stay on the island year after year. According to Kawauchi, the players come to Guam every year to better their performance level. At this time of the year, Japan weather is too cold which makes it difficult for the baseball players to train under safe conditions. To help them meet the team’s standard-body-performance level of 90%, players train on Guam prior to their pre-season training camp in Japan. The players who participate are able to go into pre-season training with a body-performance level of 70%, according to Kawauchi.

Players practice their precision passing for the entire length of the field. (photo by Errol Alegre, Jr.)
Before training on Guam the Giants would use indoor training facilities to conduct their “old fashioned” style of training, according to Kawauchi. Now that other teams have become more competitive, the Giants have enhanced their training which demanded for a warmer, outdoor environment.
The Yomiuri Giants are currently the defending champions in the Japan Series and are considered to be the “New York Yankees of Japan”. From 1965 to 1973, the Giants won nine straight Japan Series championships. Some of the best Japanese players of all time have played for the Giants, including home run king Sadaharu Oh.They are also the oldest and most popular team in Japan.
The Giants have birthed quite a few players who went on to play in the Major Leagues, including current players such as Hideki Matsui (Yankees 2003-2009), Hideki Okajima (Red Sox 2007-2011), Koji Uehara (Red Sox), and Hisanori Takahashi (Cub). The Giants have recently signed former MLB player Jose Lopez who played seven seasons with the Seattle Mariners. Also included in their roster is Japan’s number one pitcher Tetsuya Utsumi and Japan’s top catcher Shinnosuke Abe who are both training on Guam.
The Giants players will continue to train at the Paseo Stadium until the 22nd of this month.
[/sixcol_five_last]
[fbshare url=”http://www.gspnlive.com/?p=22067″ type=”button”][fblike url=”http://www.gspnlive.com/?p=22067″ style=”standard” showfaces=”false” width=”450″ verb=”like” font=”arial”]


GPS Sports Calendar
May 2025
- SU
- MO
- TU
- WE
- TH
- FR
- SA
Events for May
2nd
GIRLS HS FOOTBALL LEAGUE
HS BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Events for May
3rd
H.S. PADDLING CHAMPIONSHIP
HIGH SCHOOL POWERLIFTING SHOWDOWN
H.S. TRACK & FIELD
Events for May
3rd
Events for May
5th
GIRLS HS FOOTBALL LEAGUE
HS BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Events for May
9th
GIRLS HS FOOTBALL LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS
HS BOYS VOLLEYBALL QUARTERFINALS
Events for May
10th
Events for May
13th
Events for May
15th
Events for May
17th
GIRLS HS FOOTBALL LEAGUE FINALS
H.S. TRACK & FIELD ALL-ISLAND MEET
Events for May
17th
Events for May
18th
Events for May
20th
Events for May
21st
Events for May
22nd
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
Events for May
24th
Events for May
25th
Events for May
26th
Events for May
27th
Events for May
28th
Events for May
29th
Events for May
30th
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7

Softball
CAMACHO SIGNS TO PLAY SOFTBALL IN NY

Running/Track
PANTHERS CONTINUE TRACK SUPREMACY

Running/Track
PANTHERS CONTINUE TRACK SUPREMACY

Softball
CAMACHO SIGNS TO PLAY SOFTBALL IN NY
COMING SOON …
Youth Football starts June 7-8
Pacific Mini Games June 29-July 9
QUICK HITS
Nino Untalan hit the game-winning 3-pointer with under 30 seconds left in the game.
It is the first championship for the Obispos in 13 years.