Hanshin Tigers Change Players After Winning the League
Listen to the story
The Hanshin Tigers, who clinched the Central League title the day before, have made seven changes to their player roster.
Pitcher Shoji Ito has been added to the active roster and is scheduled to start today's game against the DeNA BayStars.
Four players have been removed from the active roster: pitchers Haruto Takahashi, Shoki Murakami, and Doris, along with outfielder Ukyo Maekawa.
Other players, including Lucas and Noboru Obata, have joined the active roster as part of the seven-player swap.
Hanshin are now back-to-back league champions, having won the title for a second consecutive year.
With the title already secured, attention has turned to a possible new target for the team this season.
There is also discussion about a possible special rule being applied for DeNA in the upcoming Climax Series, Japan's post-season playoff.
Today's game marks a direct matchup between Hanshin and DeNA, adding extra interest after the title announcement.
Vocabulary7 words
- clinched
- won something in a final and official way
- start
- to be the first pitcher to play in a game
- removed from the active roster
- taken off the list of players who can play in games
- league champions
- the team that won the whole competition
- Climax Series
- special games in Japan that decide who goes to the championship final
- direct matchup
- a game where two specific teams play each other
- roster
- the official list of players on a sports team
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Quiz
Answer key
1. The day before the roster changes 2. Shoji Ito 3. False
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The Hanshin Tigers, who _____ the Central League title the day before, have made seven changes to their player roster.
Pitcher Shoji Ito has been added to the active roster and is scheduled to _____ today's game against the DeNA BayStars.
Four players have been _____ from the active roster: pitchers Haruto Takahashi, Shoki Murakami, and Doris, along with outfielder Ukyo Maekawa.
Other players, including Lucas and Noboru Obata, have joined the active roster as part of the seven-player swap.
Hanshin are now back-to-back league _____, having won the title for a second consecutive year.
With the title already secured, attention has turned to a possible new target for the team this season.
There is also discussion about a possible special rule being applied for DeNA in the upcoming _____ Series, Japan's post-season playoff.
Today's game marks a direct _____ between Hanshin and DeNA, adding extra interest after the title announcement.
Discussion questions
- Why might a team make several roster changes right after winning a championship?
- What could be the benefits of resting key players once a title is secured?
- How might new rules for the Climax Series affect how teams prepare for the playoffs?
- What new goals might a team set after winning back-to-back league titles?
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