You may have noticed a conspicuous absence in this space the past couple weeks, as I traveled to Japan to cover the Major League Baseball All-Star Series. Though only one Met — first baseman Lucas Duda — made the trip, I hope you’ll appreciate all of the coverage anyway. The full list is here, with some of the highlights below:
- Japan trip extra special for MLB dads: Duda, Jeff Beliveau and others shared their Japan trip with their fathers, sleeping feet apart in the same hotel rooms.
- Ohtani biding his time while wowing fans, foes alike: Other Japanese stars, such as Kenta Maeta, might come to the US sooner. But Shohei Ohtani is the Darvish-sized prize everyone is eyeing.
- Guthrie reconnects with family, heritage: A fourth-generation Japanese-American, Royals pitcher Jeremy Guthrie used his trip to Japan as a way to reconnect with long-lost family.
- No matter the location, these friends always talk baseball: Terry Francona, John Farrell and DeMarlo Hale go back years, but now all manager or coach for different teams. Their trip to Japan was like a family reunion.
- Sayonara: MLB stars head home after memorable trip: Putting a bow on MLB’s trip to Japan.
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