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Baseball: MLB World Series

Former Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta (L) reunites with former teammate and current Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo ahead of Game 3 of the MLB World Series at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, on Oct. 30, 2023.

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G-8 summit logo underlines coexistence of environment, humankind

TOKYO, Japan - The logo for July's Group of Eight summit in Hokkaido is unveiled during a ceremony at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on Jan. 4 with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (2nd from R) and Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura (R) attending. Atsuya Kondo (2nd from L), an 18-year-old high school student in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, and four other junior and high school students jointly created the logo. At left is Hokkaido Governor Harumi Takahashi.

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Yakult manager Furuta to step down, end playing career

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows player-manager Atsuya Furuta wipes away his tears during a news conference in Tokyo on Sept. 19. He said he will step down as manager and also end his playing career at the end of the season.

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Yakult manager Furuta to step down, end playing career

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows player-manager Atsuya Furuta tells reporters in Tokyo on Sept. 19 he will step down as manager and also end his playing career at the end of the season.

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Furuta to step down as Yakult manager

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows manager Atsuya Furuta, who will step down at the end of the season, waves to fans in Tokyo on Sept. 18 after a 3-2 victory over the Chunichi Dragons.

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Guttormson pitches no-hitter in Yakult victory

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows hurler Rick Guttormson, joined by manager Atsuya Furuta, poses for photo after becoming the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the history of interleague play in Japanese baseball at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo on May 25.

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Baseball players begin training for the 2006 season

URASOE, Japan - Yakult Swallows playing manager Atsuya Furuta receives flowers as his men look on during a welcome ceremony at the municipal office before the start of their official training for the 2006 season in Urasoe, Okinawa Prefecture, on Feb. 1.

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Furuta agrees to become player-manager for Yakult

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta (R) shakes hands with club President Yoshikazu Tagiku on Oct. 18 after coming to agreement on a two-year deal that will make him the first player-manager in 29 years in Japanese professional baseball. Furuta, 40, takes over from Tsutomu Wakamatsu who stepped down at the end of the season after a seven-year stint.

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Yakult manager Wakamatsu to resign at season-end

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows manager Tsutomu Wakamatsu leaves the Tokyo Dome on Sept. 21. He said he will resign at the end of the season from the Central League club after the Swallows on the previous day offered the manager's job for next season to veteran catcher Atsuya Furuta.

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Furuta reaches 2,000-hit milestone in Yakult win

MATSUYAMA, Japan - Atsuya Furuta responds to fans after marking his career 2,000th hit as the Yakult Swallows beat the Hiroshima Carp 5-2 in the Central League on April 24.

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Yakult Swallows' Furuta marks his career's 2,000th hit

MATSUYAMA, Japan - Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta hits a double, his career's 2,000th hit, in the sixth inning of a game against Hiroshima Carp in Matsuyama on April 23. Furuta is the 32nd player in Japanese pro baseball to reach the milestone.

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(3)Players, management reach accord, avert another strike

NAGOYA, Japan - Baseball players and management averted a strike on Sept. 25 and 26 after agreeing Sept. 23 that a new team will join professional baseball next season in their latest two-day talks. Atsuya Furuta, head of the players' association, spoke at a press briefing after signing a document on the accord at a hotel in Nagoya.

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(2)Players, management reach accord, avert another strike

NAGOYA, Japan - Baseball players and management averted a strike on Sept. 25 and 26 after agreeing Sept. 23 that a new team will join professional baseball next season in their latest two-day talks. Atsuya Furuta (R), head of the players' association, and Ryuzo Setoyama, the Lotte Marines general manager in charge of negotiations, signed documents on the accord at a hotel in Nagoya.

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Players, management reach accord, avert another strike

NAGOYA, Japan - Japan's professional baseball players and management averted a strike this weekend after agreeing Sept. 23 that a new team will join professional baseball next season in their latest two-day talks. Atsuya Furuta (R), head of the players' association, exchanged documents on the accord with a representative of the Nippon Professional Baseball organization at a hotel in Nagoya.

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(2)Baseball fans gather at autograph sessions

TOKYO, Japan - Atsuya Furuta (C), Yakult Swallows catcher and head of the pro baseball players association (a labor union), and other players bow in a gesture of apology during a gathering with fans held in Tokyo's Ginza district on Sept. 19, the second day of the first-ever strike by Japanese pro ball players.

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(2)Ball players to strike after NPB talks fail

TOKYO, Japan - Ryuzo Setoyama (R), representative of the Pacific League ball club Lotte Marines, speaks to reporters at a Tokyo hotel Sept. 17 after negotiations between management and players broke down. At left is Atsuya Furuta, a catcher with the Central League baseball club Yakult Swallows who heads the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association.

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(1)Ball players to strike after NPB talks fail

TOKYO, Japan - Atsuya Furuta (C), a catcher with the Central League ball club Yakult Swallows who heads the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association, speaks at a press conference at a Tokyo hotel Sept. 17 after negotiations with Nippon Professional Baseball ended in failure. Players will go on strike Sept. 18 and 19 for the first time in the 70-year history of Japanese pro baseball.

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(4)Players' strike this weekend averted

OSAKA, Japan - Atsuya Furuta (L), Yakult Swallowers catcher and head of the Japan pro baseball players association, a labor union, looks grim as Ryuzo Setoyama, Chiba Lotte Marines general manager and representative of management, speaks at a joint press conference after two days of negotiations in Osaka on Sept. 10. They failed to make a clear-cut deal but agreed to avert a strike at least for this weekend.

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(3)Players' strike this weekend averted

OSAKA, Japan - Japan pro baseball players association (labor union) head Atsuya Furuta (C) declines to shake hands with Ryuzo Setoyama, general manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines and representative of management, as he leaves a joint press conference after two days of inconclusive negotiations in Osaka on Sept. 10. They failed to make a clear-cut deal but agreed to avert a strike at least for this weekend.

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(2)Players' strike averted for this weekend

OSAKA, Japan - Atsuya Furuta, a catcher of the Central League baseball club Yakult Swallows who heads the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association, briefs reporters at Osaka International Convention Center in Osaka's Kita Ward, on Sept. 10 about the players' decision not to go on strike on Sept. 11 and 12.

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(1)Players strike looms as merger nears reality

TOKYO, Japan - Atsuya Furuta, a catcher for the Central League baseball club Yakult Swallows who serves as head of the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association, speaks to reporters at a hotel in Kobe on Sept. 6 about a plan for players to go on strike over the planned merger between two Pacific League clubs -- the Orix BlueWave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes.

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Furuta speaks at FCCJ, ass'n to continue the fight

TOKYO, Japan - Professional baseball players' association president Atsuya Furuta responds to questions Sept. 2 at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan. He said the association will continue its fight against the merger of the Kintetsu Buffloes and Orix BlueWave and switching to one league from the current two-league format.

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(2)Furuta ties Japan baseball record with 4 homers

HIROSHIMA, Japan - Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta poses with a boy who picked his fourth home run ball during a game against the Hiroshima Carp at Hiroshima Stadium on June 28. The 37-year-old hit a pair of solo shots, a two-run and a three-run drive to become the fifth player in history to hit four home runs in a single game.

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Furuta ties Japan baseball record with 4 homers

HIROSHIMA, Japan - Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta matched a Japanese single-game baseball record when he hit four home runs in the game against the Hiroshima Carp on June 28. Furuta hit a pair of solo shots, a two-run and a three-run drive at Hiroshima Stadium to become the fifth player in history following Yoshiyuki Iwamoto (1951), Sadaharu Oh (1964), Tony Solaita (1980) and Nigel Wilson (1997) to accomplish the feat.

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Furuta homers twice

HIROSHIMA, Japan - Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta hits a solo homer, his second in the game, in the top of the ninth inning against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp at Hiroshima Stadium on April 19. Furuta went 4-for-4 as the Swallows beat the Carp 8-1.

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Swallows' Takatsu earns 200th save

NISHINOMIYA, Japan - Yakult Swallows' Shingo Takatsu (R) rejoices with catcher Atsuya Furuta after earning his career 200th save to become the second pitcher to do so in a game against Hanshin Tigers at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, on April 28.

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Iwamura slams two-run homer

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows infielder Akinori Iwamura (R) is greeted by teammates Alex Ramirez (L) and Atsuya Furuta (C) after hitting a two-run homer off Yokohama BayStars starter Takeo Kawamura in the bottom of the second inning at Jingu Stadium on April 16. Yakult edged Yokohama 7-5.

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Baseball players donate 29 mil. yen for victims of attacks

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta, president of the Japanese professional baseball players association, hands a list of over 29 million yen in donation to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington to Shizuo Kawakami of the Red Cross Society of Japan. The money had been contributed by the players associations of the 12 pro clubs in Japan and through Internet auctions.

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Giants Matsui tagged out in 1st inning against Swallows

TOKYO, Japan - Yomiuri Giants outfielder Hideki Matsui is tagged out by Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta in the top of the first inning at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo on July 27.

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Pair of Hokkaido melons fetch 3 mil. yen at year's 1st auction

Winning bidder Kiyomichi Noda (R) and Tsukasa Atsuya, mayor of the Hokkaido city of Yubari, pose with a pair of Yubari melons in Sapporo, northern Japan, on May 26, 2022, after the melons fetched 3 million yen ($23,550) at the year's first auction for the product.

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Baseball players donate 29 mil. yen for victims of attacks

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta, president of the Japanese professional baseball players association, hands a list of over 29 million yen in donation to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington to Shizuo Kawakami of the Red Cross Society of Japan. The money had been contributed by the players associations of the 12 pro clubs in Japan and through Internet auctions.

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Iwamura slams two-run homer

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows infielder Akinori Iwamura (R) is greeted by teammates Alex Ramirez (L) and Atsuya Furuta (C) after hitting a two-run homer off Yokohama BayStars starter Takeo Kawamura in the bottom of the second inning at Jingu Stadium on April 16. Yakult edged Yokohama 7-5.

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(1)Players strike looms as merger nears reality

TOKYO, Japan - Atsuya Furuta, a catcher for the Central League baseball club Yakult Swallows who serves as head of the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association, speaks to reporters at a hotel in Kobe on Sept. 6 about a plan for players to go on strike over the planned merger between two Pacific League clubs -- the Orix BlueWave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes. (Kyodo)

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(1)Players strike looms as merger nears reality

TOKYO, Japan - Atsuya Furuta, a catcher for the Central League baseball club Yakult Swallows who serves as head of the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association, speaks to reporters at a hotel in Kobe on Sept. 6 about a plan for players to go on strike over the planned merger between two Pacific League clubs -- the Orix BlueWave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes. (Kyodo)

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(3)Players' strike this weekend averted

OSAKA, Japan - Japan pro baseball players association (labor union) head Atsuya Furuta (C) declines to shake hands with Ryuzo Setoyama, general manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines and representative of management, as he leaves a joint press conference after two days of inconclusive negotiations in Osaka on Sept. 10. They failed to make a clear-cut deal but agreed to avert a strike at least for this weekend. (Kyodo)

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(2)Players' strike averted for this weekend

OSAKA, Japan - Atsuya Furuta, a catcher of the Central League baseball club Yakult Swallows who heads the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association, briefs reporters at Osaka International Convention Center in Osaka's Kita Ward, on Sept. 10 about the players' decision not to go on strike on Sept. 11 and 12. (Kyodo)

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(4)Players' strike this weekend averted

OSAKA, Japan - Atsuya Furuta (L), Yakult Swallowers catcher and head of the Japan pro baseball players association, a labor union, looks grim as Ryuzo Setoyama, Chiba Lotte Marines general manager and representative of management, speaks at a joint press conference after two days of negotiations in Osaka on Sept. 10. They failed to make a clear-cut deal but agreed to avert a strike at least for this weekend. (Kyodo)

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(2)Ball players to strike after NPB talks fail

TOKYO, Japan - Ryuzo Setoyama (R), representative of the Pacific League ball club Lotte Marines, speaks to reporters at a Tokyo hotel Sept. 17 after negotiations between management and players broke down. At left is Atsuya Furuta, a catcher with the Central League baseball club Yakult Swallows who heads the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association. (Kyodo)

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(1)Ball players to strike after NPB talks fail

TOKYO, Japan - Atsuya Furuta (C), a catcher with the Central League ball club Yakult Swallows who heads the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association, speaks at a press conference at a Tokyo hotel Sept. 17 after negotiations with Nippon Professional Baseball ended in failure. Players will go on strike Sept. 18 and 19 for the first time in the 70-year history of Japanese pro baseball. (Kyodo)

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(2)Baseball fans gather at autograph sessions

TOKYO, Japan - Atsuya Furuta (C), Yakult Swallows catcher and head of the pro baseball players association (a labor union), and other players bow in a gesture of apology during a gathering with fans held in Tokyo's Ginza district on Sept. 19, the second day of the first-ever strike by Japanese pro ball players. (Kyodo)

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Players, management reach accord, avert another strike

NAGOYA, Japan - Japan's professional baseball players and management averted a strike this weekend after agreeing Sept. 23 that a new team will join professional baseball next season in their latest two-day talks. Atsuya Furuta (R), head of the players' association, exchanged documents on the accord with a representative of the Nippon Professional Baseball organization at a hotel in Nagoya. (Kyodo)

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(2)Players, management reach accord, avert another strike

NAGOYA, Japan - Baseball players and management averted a strike on Sept. 25 and 26 after agreeing Sept. 23 that a new team will join professional baseball next season in their latest two-day talks. Atsuya Furuta (R), head of the players' association, and Ryuzo Setoyama, the Lotte Marines general manager in charge of negotiations, signed documents on the accord at a hotel in Nagoya. (Kyodo)

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Yakult Swallows' Furuta marks his career's 2,000th hit

MATSUYAMA, Japan - Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta hits a double, his career's 2,000th hit, in the sixth inning of a game against Hiroshima Carp in Matsuyama on April 23. Furuta is the 32nd player in Japanese pro baseball to reach the milestone. (Kyodo)

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Yakult manager Wakamatsu to resign at season-end

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows manager Tsutomu Wakamatsu leaves the Tokyo Dome on Sept. 21. He said he will resign at the end of the season from the Central League club after the Swallows on the previous day offered the manager's job for next season to veteran catcher Atsuya Furuta. (Kyodo)

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Furuta agrees to become player-manager for Yakult

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta (R) shakes hands with club President Yoshikazu Tagiku on Oct. 18 after coming to agreement on a two-year deal that will make him the first player-manager in 29 years in Japanese professional baseball. Furuta, 40, takes over from Tsutomu Wakamatsu who stepped down at the end of the season after a seven-year stint. (Kyodo)

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Baseball players begin training for the 2006 season

URASOE, Japan - Yakult Swallows playing manager Atsuya Furuta receives flowers as his men look on during a welcome ceremony at the municipal office before the start of their official training for the 2006 season in Urasoe, Okinawa Prefecture, on Feb. 1. (Kyodo)

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Guttormson pitches no-hitter in Yakult victory

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows hurler Rick Guttormson, joined by manager Atsuya Furuta, poses for photo after becoming the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the history of interleague play in Japanese baseball at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo on May 25. (Kyodo)

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Furuta to step down as Yakult manager

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows manager Atsuya Furuta, who will step down at the end of the season, waves to fans in Tokyo on Sept. 18 after a 3-2 victory over the Chunichi Dragons. (Kyodo)

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Yakult manager Furuta to step down, end playing career

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows player-manager Atsuya Furuta tells reporters in Tokyo on Sept. 19 he will step down as manager and also end his playing career at the end of the season. (Kyodo)

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Yakult manager Furuta to step down, end playing career

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows player-manager Atsuya Furuta wipes away his tears during a news conference in Tokyo on Sept. 19. He said he will step down as manager and also end his playing career at the end of the season. (Kyodo)