Mets eye trading Kaz Matsui to Red Sox , Newsday reports
January 1, 2006The New York Mets are sounding out the Boston Red Sox about trading second baseman Kazuo Matsui for infielder Alex Cora, Newsday reported Sunday. The Mets have told the Sox and other teams that they would pay $5 million of Matsui's $8 million sala...
Konica Minolta wins ekiden title
January 1, 2006Defending champion Konica Minolta held off a late comeback attempt by Chugoku Electric Power to win its fifth national corporate ekiden championship on Sunday. Fifth-leg runner Yuko Matsumiya took the lead for good for Konica Minolta, which went o...
Japanese skaters set for 1st test at Olympic venue
January 1, 2006Japanese figure skaters Fumie Suguri, Miki Ando and Daisuke Takahashi left Japan for Turin on Sunday to test the ice at the venue for their competition in the upcoming Turin Winter Olympics. The three skaters and former world champion Shizuka Arak...
Urawa downs Shimizu to win Emperor's Cup
January 1, 2006Croatian striker Tomislav Maric struck the winner to give Urawa Reds their first Emperor's Cup title in 25 years with a 2-1 defeat of Shimizu S-Pulse in the final on Sunday. Defender Satoshi Horinouchi put Urawa on their way to victory with a head...
West Ham to test midfielder Ogasawara
January 1, 2006Japan and Kashima Antlers midfielder Mitsuo Ogasawara, who is seeking a transfer to a European club, will take part in training sessions at English Premier League side West Ham this month, sources close to him said Sunday. Ogasawara will leave Jap...
Rakuten to release baseball, soccer club shares to fans
January 1, 2006Rakuten Inc plans to allow shares in its professional baseball and soccer clubs to be owned by local fans and business circles in the future, said the company's president, Hiroshi Mikitani. Rakuten, a major Japanese Internet shopping mall operator...
NTV retains women's national crown
January 1, 2006Yuki Nagasato struck twice as NTV Beleza retained their women's national championship crown with a 4-1 thrashing of Tasaki Perule FC on Sunday. Shinobu Ono opened the scoring for NTV on the stroke of halftime at Tokyo's National Stadium before Tas...
Ologun beats Akebono; Sapp loses in K-1
January 1, 2006Nigerian Bobby Ologun, 32, improved his record against former sumo grand champion Akebono, 36, to 3-0 when he won their bout by decision after three rounds at the K-1 Premium 2005 Dynamite extravaganza at Osaka Dome on Saturday night. In another h...