Yakult Swallows Release Eight Baseball Players
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The Yakult Swallows is a baseball team in Japan. The team told eight players they can leave. This is called a free agent notice. A free agent can join any team. One player is 25 years old. He came to Yakult this season in a trade. He did not play in the top team this year. His season ended with no games.
Most of the eight players are from the development team. A development team is a lower team for young players. Seven of the eight players are from this team. One player is Takumi Sakamoto. Other players are Yu Nishihama, Takuma Sato, and Takuma Nakagawa. Yakult will ask five players, including Sakamoto, to sign a new development contract. This means they can still train with the team.
One more player is a left-handed pitcher. A pitcher throws the ball in baseball. He moved to Yakult from SoftBank two years ago. He is also one of the eight free agents.
This news happens at the end of the baseball season. Teams often change their players at this time. Fans will wait to see what happens to these players next.
Vocabulary10 words
- free agent
- a player who can join any team
- trade
- when a player moves from one team to another
- development team
- a lower team where young players practice and grow
- pitcher
- a player who throws the ball to the batter
- left-handed
- using the left hand to throw or write
- contract
- a paper that says a player will work for a team
- season
- the months when a sport is played
- notice
- a message that tells someone something important
- top team
- the main, best team in a sports club
- sign
- to agree to join something by writing your name
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Eight 2. He never played in the top team 3. Sign a new development contract
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The Yakult Swallows is a baseball team in Japan. The team told _____ players they can leave. This is called a _____ notice. A free agent can join any team. One player is 25 years old. He came to Yakult this season in a _____.
Most of the eight players are from the _____ team. Seven of the eight players are from this team. One player is Takumi _____. Yakult will ask five players to sign a new development _____.
One more player is a left-handed _____. He moved to Yakult from _____ two years ago.
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