Photo by © KYODO via
The Mainichi
Pre-reading questions:
- Do you like baseball? Why or why not?
- What kind of sport do you like the least and why?
Vocabulary:
- professional /pruh-FESH-uh-nl/
[adjective] used to describe someone who does a job that people usually do as a hobby
Kisenosato Yutaka was a professional sumo wrestler.
- pitch /pich/
[verb] in baseball, to throw a ball towards the player with the bat in order for them to try to hit it
Shohei Otani pitched for Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters for three years.
- outstanding /out-STAN-ding/
[adjective] clearly very much better than what is usual
My best friend has always been an outstanding student since grade school.
- garner /GAHR-ner/
[verb] to collect something, usually after much work or with difficulty
The winner of the competition garnered a total score of 99.7 percent among all the participants.
- valuable /VAL-yoo-uh-buhl/
[adjective] very helpful or important
Takuya Kai received the Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award in 2018.
Koji Uehara, a Japanese professional baseball player, announced his retirement on a press conference in Tokyo, Japan last May 21, 2019. He first played for the Yomiuri Giants in 1999 before he joined the Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2009. Uehara pitched for the Boston Red Sox where he became a World Series champion. Uehara said, “I want to end my 21-year baseball career today. There is a part of me that wants to play on, but I decided from the beginning of the season that this is my last.” He added that he failed to give his 100% on his performance during this season. He chose to end his MLB career with 95 saves and a 2.66 earned run average (ERA).
The 44-year old right-handed pitcher was a rookie of the year in 1999 and gained the Sawamura Award, Japan’s most outstanding starting pitcher award. In 10 years, he garnered 112 wins, 33 saves and a .301 ERA. He moved to the US and accepted the deals with the Baltimore Orioles in 2009 and Texas Rangers in 2011. He also played for the Boston Red Sox from 2013 to 2016 and became the Most Valuable Player in the American League Championship Series. After three years of pitching for the Red Sox, he played for the Chicago Cubs for a year and went back to the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball. Uehara also received a bronze medal and was a fourth-place finisher in two Olympic Games.
Comprehension Questions:
- Who is Koji Uehara?
- Based on the article, what kind of award did Uehara receive in 1999?
- What are the teams that Koji Uehara play for?
- According to the article, what is Uehara’s final baseball record?
- In the article, which team did he play for when he won the World Series?
Discussion Questions:
- Do you think Koji Uehara did the right decision to retire? Why or why not?
- What do you think will Koji Uehara do after his retirement? Please explain your answer.
- If you play sports, have you ever dreamt of being a professional player? If not, what kind of sports do you want to learn how to play?
- What is the most famous sport in Japan and why?
- Which do you prefer more, playing sports or just watching sports games? Explain your answer.
※レッスン教材に関するアンケートのお願い
[adjective] used to describe someone who does a job that people usually do as a hobby
Kisenosato Yutaka was a professional sumo wrestler.
[verb] in baseball, to throw a ball towards the player with the bat in order for them to try to hit it
Shohei Otani pitched for Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters for three years.
[adjective] clearly very much better than what is usual
My best friend has always been an outstanding student since grade school.
[verb] to collect something, usually after much work or with difficulty
The winner of the competition garnered a total score of 99.7 percent among all the participants.
[adjective] very helpful or important
Takuya Kai received the Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award in 2018.
The 44-year old right-handed pitcher was a rookie of the year in 1999 and gained the Sawamura Award, Japan’s most outstanding starting pitcher award. In 10 years, he garnered 112 wins, 33 saves and a .301 ERA. He moved to the US and accepted the deals with the Baltimore Orioles in 2009 and Texas Rangers in 2011. He also played for the Boston Red Sox from 2013 to 2016 and became the Most Valuable Player in the American League Championship Series. After three years of pitching for the Red Sox, he played for the Chicago Cubs for a year and went back to the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball. Uehara also received a bronze medal and was a fourth-place finisher in two Olympic Games.