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Tanaka Masahiro went to the U.S. a couple of weeks ago looking for a new team. Many MLB teams wanted him for the next season. He talked to different teams, but he finally decided to play for the New York Yankees. They offered him the highest salary, and they told him that he would be a regular starting pitcher when the season opens. He will join two other Japanese players on the team: Kuroda Hiroki and Suzuki Ichiro. The Yankees will have three great Japanese players on their team! (by Professor Douglas Jarrell)
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Sunday night NHK suddenly changed its schedule, and my favorite TV program was canceled. I wasn’t really surprised. I knew that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had chosen Tokyo as the city to hold the Summer Olympic Games in 2020. People all over Japan were cheering. They also showed old film of Tokyo before the 1964 Olympics. It’s amazing how much Tokyo has changed! Monday, there was another piece of good news. The IOC decided to keep wrestling as an Olympic sport. Unfortunately, neither baseball/softball nor squash will be in the 2016 Olympic games.　(by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
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