Podcasts
The Baseball By Design podcast shines a light on the origins of the game’s best logos and identities. In this episode, JapanBall president Shane Barclay joins host Paul Caputo for a segment about the Hanshin Tigers shortly after their 2023 Japan Series Championship. Shane and Paul discuss the history of the Tigers name and colors, how the Japanese baseball environment compares to American baseball, how Shane became interested in international baseball and travel, and the many exciting upcoming travel opportunities JapanBall has to offer.
Listen to the full episode here (Shane’s segment begins around the 15:50 mark).
If you’re fascinated by the distinctive realm of Japanese consumer culture, then Shopaholics Japan is the perfect show for you. Shane Barclay from Japan Ball joins Grant in this episode to delve into the captivating world of Japan’s most beloved sport: Baseball! Grant and Shane take a deep dive into the electrifying atmosphere of Japanese baseball, share tips on how to maximize your experience, and even make some daring predictions about Shohei Ohtani. Listen to the episode here.
The Irish American Baseball Society is a tremendous organization that believes in the global and unifying aspects of baseball. Whether or not you’re Irish, you’ll love their podcast! Host Rick Becker interviewed JapanBall president Shane Barclay for four episodes:
- Part 1: What makes Japanese baseball unique, how Shohei Ohtani marches to the beat of his own drum, and the essential NPB ballparks (Apple, Spotify, stream).
- Part 2: The World Baseball Classic, Chinese baseball, and Shane’s “Chirish” (Chinese + Irish) heritage (Apple, Spotify, stream).
- Part 3: NPB players coming to MLB, getting pumped for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (Apple, Spotify, stream).
- Part 4: Team Ireland in the World Baseball Classic? The advantage that Team Isreal and Italy have (Apple, Spotify, stream).
All episodes are available on your favorite podcasting platform in addition to the links provided above. More info on the IABS website.
Trevor Raichura is not just an invaluable member of the JapanBall team who writes our NPB newsletters; he is also the leading English-language voice of the Hanshin Tigers community! For those who want to take their fandom to the next level, Hanshin Tigers English News is the perfect place to start. On this episode, Shane Barclay and Trevor discuss Shane’s history with Japanese baseball, past work at MLB, taking over JapanBall, and more. Listen to the episode here (includes links to various podcast platforms).
The Baseball Bucket List podcast is the premier baseball travel podcast. Each episode, host Anna DiTomasso interviews a different ambitious and passionate baseball fan to talk to them about their favorite baseball stories and what remains on their “baseball bucket list.” Anna and JapanBall’s Shane Barclay discussed his personal and professional baseball origins and our first-ever tour Dominican Republic tour. Listen to the episode here (includes links to various podcast platforms).
Shane and Anna also caught up for a special “Extra Innings” edition of the show after the 2023 Alaska Midnight Sun Game & Pacific Northwest Baseball Tour. Anna and Shane recap the tour, discuss what’s next for JapanBall, and learn about Shane and his wife Jessie’s brand new baby boy, Brooks! Listen to “Extra Innings” here (includes links to various podcast platforms)
After being stationed in Japan and Italy with the U.S. Navy, Dan Charest has learned of the allure in experiencing global sports culture. In JapanBall’s first episode, the Travel for Sports Podcast host reminisced with JapanBall’s Shane Barclay about his favorite things about Japan, including the must-see things in each NPB city (Apple, Spotify, Google). On episode 2, they talked about the Dominican Republic’s rich baseball culture and JapanBall’s annual, epic, Caribbean baseball adventure to the D.R. (Apple, Spotify, Google).
The Greatest Show on Dirt podcast is a rollicking baseball nostalgia trip. Host Quentin McCree traffics heavy in the glorious MLB days of old, when he was living like the The Sandlot gang. Quentin spoke with JapanBall’s Shane Barclay about the Japanese approach to baseball, “sweetheart” Shohei Ohtani, and why attending a sporting event is the best way to experience a new culture. Stream on the site or listen on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google.
No website covers Japanese sports in English more thoroughly than SportsLook by Japan-Forward. SportsLook editor Ed Odeven (our interview with Ed) invited JapanBall’s Shane Barclay onto the pod to discuss the World Baseball Classic, our NPB tours, and Shane’s journey from MLB employee to JapanBall owner. Stream on the Sports Look site or listen on Apple or Spotify.
San Francisco Giants superfans Garret Gonzales and Brad Evans have so much fun on the Thompson2Clark podcast! They had Shane Barclay on to talk about his formative baseball years, lifelong Giants fandom (including a lonely World Series win), whether Seiya Suzuki is a good fit for the Giants, and Japanese ballpark food and drink. Available on your preferred podcast outlet, including Apple, Spotify, and TuneIn.
Are you a fan of the science and human performance aspects of sports? Then Bats Left Throws Right is the podcast for you. Although things didn’t get too technical when Shane Barclay joined the pod, the guys from BLTR did explain how star Japanese players often have ambidextrous abilities. Listen on Apple or Spotify.
1992 NPB Central League MVP, longtime major leaguer, and current professional coach Jack Howell hosted Shane Barclay on his Control the Zone with “Cactus” Jack Howell podcast to talk about JapanBall’s approach to guided tours and why a sporting event is the best way to experience a new culture. Listen here.
The Caught Looking Podcast is hosted by Johnny and Danny Tancredi, two Mets-loving, baseball-collecting brothers from Long Island. They spoke with JapanBall’s Shane Barclay about the path that led Shane to JapanBall, the Japanese baseball experience, NPB souvenirs and merch, the World Baseball Classic, autograph collecting autographs, and why July 2 is like Christmas in the Dominican Republic (available on Spotify).
Host Mark Lawson of the Game Day Tourist podcast featured JapanBall owner Shane Barclay on two episodes. The first is about the global baseball landscape, including pro leagues in Asia and Latin America, the World Baseball Classic, and European baseball. In the second, they discuss the sports scene of Shane’s native San Francisco Bay Area. Game Day Tourist is on Apple (episode 1 and 2) and Spotify (episode 1 and 2).
Baseball PhD strives “to create an environment where people who seek to get a PhD in life and love baseball can share their experience, knowledge and passion.” Founder Edward Kasputis interviewed JapanBall’s Shane Barclay as part of Baseball PhD’s preview of the 2019 MLB Opening Series in Tokyo between the Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners.
Video
What an honor it was to moderate an important conversation about Asian American representation in baseball. I learned so much from the panel of executives,who were insightful and honest. Thank you to the JACL and Major League Baseball for hosting, and to Stephen Nelson for joining despite the whirlwind of just receiving a job with the Dodgers as the first Asian broadcaster to work for an MLB team!
The Beer Baseball Blog is “Keeping baseball history alive, one craft beer at a time.” It’s always a blast to spend time with hosts Michael Mondragon and Kevin Lyon. Their enthusiasm for the camaraderie that baseball provides makes them our type of people! Shane Barclay joined the pod twice – once for their “Hoppy Hour” and another time with Baseball Bucket List’s Anna DiTommaso (video to left).
Stadium Journey is the world leader in sports travel information. Their website is a hub for stadium chasers, featuring a plethora of information via stadium profiles, videos, and podcasts. They cover every sport, all over the globe. Check out their JapanBall episode, in which Shane Barclay discusses the Japanese baseball experience.
The mission of Gaijin T.V. is “to get viewers to come on over and enjoy all that Japan has to offer” – something we sure can relate to! Host Michael Phelps invited JapanBall’s Shane Barclay to sit in for an episode to talk about our tours and what makes Japan and Japanese baseball so special.
SportsBrand Media Group assigned Tokyo correspondent Christian Storms to do a piece about Japanese baseball that featured us. It was shown on television in Australia, Europe, and the United States.
Press
Shohei Ohtani’s unprecedented bidding war was highlighted in the USA edition of El País, a daily Spanish newspaper. Ohtani is the most sought-after free agent this offseason (and possibly ever), thanks to his exceptional two-way ability. The estimated contract value and effects of Ohtani’s UCL injury were discussed by Luis Pablo Beauregard and Shane Barclay of JapanBall. Read the full article here.
The Eagle Tribune of Andover, Massachusetts is a go-to source for New England sports news. Journalist Mac Cerullo profiled former Hiroshima Carp superstar outfielder Seiya Suzuki in anticipation of him potentially signing with the Boston Red Sox. To get a feel for what to expect from Suzuki, Cerullo interviewed JapanBall’s Shane Barclay. Read the article here: The Japanese Mookie Betts? Seiya Suzuki could be MLB’s next big star.
It hasn’t taken long for Japan Forward to become a leader in English-language Japanese news coverage, and with the hiring of Ed Odeven as their sports editor, they are filling a niche that so many English-speakers want – coverage of Japanese sports news! Ed interviewed JapanBall President Shane Barclay about how Shane’s MLB experience helped him prepare for JapanBall, the highlights of JapanBall’s “Chatter Up!” Zoom series, JapanBall’s plans for the future, and much more! Read the full interview.
Baseball Jobs Overseas offers a service that is not too different than JapanBall’s tours – they help facilitate cultural exchange, adventure, and global friendships through a shared love of baseball. Author Carter Cromwell explored explored the cultural differences in the international game by talking to a few former NPB import players and JapanBall’s Shane Barclay.
Preeminent Japanese news outlet Japan Forward used our “Chatter Up!” Zoom video call with Bobby Valentine to show why he is one of the great ambassadors of the Japanese game. “Bobby V” was as expected – enthusiastic, insightful, generous, and full of entertaining stories! Read the article.
The Week magazine featured JapanBall as “This week’s dream” in the Travel section of their May 31/June 7, 2019 issue. Read the article here.
The San Jose Mercury News – “The Newspaper of Silicon Valley” – featured JapanBall in the March 22, 2020 “Eat Drink Play” section. The piece focused on our our first-ever baseball tour to the Dominican Republic in early 2020.
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