Yakult Swallows Release Six Baseball Players
Listen to the story
The Yakult Swallows is a baseball team in Japan. The team has released six players.
The players are Kosho Aoyagi, Reito Taguchi, Sho Yamanobe, Hiroki Hasegawa, Shohei Numata, and Tatsunori Negishi.
This is called a release in baseball. It means the team will not keep the player next season.
Reito Taguchi talked to the media. He said, "I am not thinking about money now." He wants to keep playing baseball. He may play for another team, not only in Japan's league, NPB.
Taguchi also said sorry to fans. He said, "I am really sorry."
Kosho Aoyagi and Shohei Numata also got the news from the team. This year, Hiroki Hasegawa only played one game for the top team.
Vocabulary15 words
- release
- to tell a player they cannot stay on the team
- team
- a group of players who play sports together
- pitcher
- a baseball player who throws the ball
- league
- a group of sports teams that play against each other
- media
- news people, like TV and newspapers
- top team
- the main, best team in a sports club
- contract
- an agreement to work for a company or team
- fans
- people who like and support a team
- season
- the time of the year when a sport is played
- announce
- to tell people some news
- career
- the time a person works at a job
- sorry
- a word you say when you feel bad about something
- keep playing
- to continue to play a sport
- news
- new information about something that happened
- game
- one match in a sport
📚 Ready to use these words in a real conversation?
Practice live with a real tutor on Preply.
Quiz
Answer key
1. Yakult Swallows 2. He is not thinking about money now 3. One
✅ Nice work on the quiz!
Keep the momentum going — book a live English lesson with a Preply tutor.
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 has _____ six players.
The players are Kosho Aoyagi, Reito Taguchi, Sho Yamanobe, Hiroki Hasegawa, Shohei Numata, and Tatsunori _____.
This is called a release in baseball. It means the team will not keep the player next _____.
Reito Taguchi talked to the _____. He said, "I am not thinking about money now."
He wants to keep playing baseball. He may play for another team, not only in Japan's league, _____.
Taguchi also said sorry to _____. He said, "I am really sorry."
Kosho Aoyagi and Shohei Numata also got the news from the _____.
This year, Hiroki Hasegawa only played one _____ for the top team.
🎓 Enjoyed this story?
Turn today's reading into real speaking practice with a live Preply tutor.
