Jiji Press

TOKYO (Jiji Press) The government is considering granting the Peoples Honor
Award to 47-year-old shogi master Yoshiharu Habu and Yuta Iyama, a 28-year-old
champion of the board game Go, an official said Wednesday.

Last week, Habu became the first-ever shogi player to win eisei lifetime honors
for all seven major shogi titles. In October, Iyama accomplished the unprecedented
feat of holding all seven major Japanese Go titles simultaneously for the second
time.

They marked historic achievements that have given the public bright hope and
courage, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference. Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe has instructed us to consider whether to honor them.

The government is set to make formal decisions after hearing opinions from experts.

In a match held on Dec. 5 in Kagoshima Prefecture, Habu won the Ryuo title for the
seventh time, winning an eisei honor for the last remaining title.

Except for Iyama, no one in the Go or shogi world has managed to monopolize all
major titles twice.

Habu received the prime ministers award in 1996, followed by Iyama in 2016.

The government created the Peoples Honor Award in 1977 to recognize those who are
widely respected by the public and have achievements that give hope to society.

The Associated Press

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) Giancarlo Stanton eased his 1.98-meter frame into a
pinstriped No. 27 jersey, ready to join 2.01-meter Aaron Judge as the Towers of
Power on the resurgent New York Yankees.

Theyre winners, Stanton said after his trade from the Miami Marlins to New York
was finalized Monday. Theyre young, and theyre in a good position to win for a
long time, and I lost for a long time. So I want to change that dynamic and be a
winner.

New York sent second baseman Starlin Castro and a pair of minor leaguers to the
Marlins for the NL MVP, also giving up right-hander Jorge Guzman and infielder Jose
Devers. The Yankees became just the fourth team in big league history with the
reigning home run champions in each league, joining Hank Greenberg and Ralph Kiner
of the 1947 Pirates, Joe DiMaggio and Johnny Mize of the 1949 Yankees, and Mike
Schmidt and Dick Allen of the 1975 Phillies.

Stanton joined a team that reached Game 7 of the AL Championship Series against
Houston, led by Judge and fellow young sluggers Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird. The
Yankees expect top infield prospect Gleyber Torres to join the big league team next
season.

New Yorks a marquee town, and I think its important to have some marquee
players, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said. But more important than that, I
think its important to have veteran players that could be mentors for the young
kids.

Stanton, a 28-year-old who like Judge plays right field, is owed $295 million over
the final decade of his record $325 million, 13-year contract.

The payroll-slashing Marlins, with new CEO and former Yankees star Derek Jeter
presiding over the teams fourth roster purge in two decades, will send $30 million
to the Yankees if Stanton doesnt exercise his right to opt out of the deal after
the 2020 season in six future installments. Under a change in baseballs new labor
contract, that money will be prorated for the luxury tax and Stanton will count as
$22 million annually.

Its a win-win for both sides, Marlins president of baseball operations Michael
Hill said. Opportunity for him to start fresh, and an opportunity for us to gain
needed flexibility.

Stanton led the majors with 59 home runs and 132 RBIs last season, and Judge was
second in the majors with 52 homers. The daunting duo figures to create must-see
BP, and new Yankees manager Aaron Boone isnt sure yet who will play right or left,
figuring they also will see time at designated hitter.

A 10-year commitment to any player, any position, should be a concern for the
owner, without a doubt, Steinbrenner maintained, but having said that, hes 28
and in great shape, and I think theres going to be many, many years.

Stantons contract includes a no-trade provision, and last week he turned down
prospective deals to St. Louis and San Francisco. He told the Marlins he was
willing to accept trades only to the Yankees, his hometown Los Angeles Dodgers, the
Astros and Chicago Cubs.

New York hasnt had a losing record since 1992. The Marlins havent had a winning
season since Stanton made his big league debut in 2010.

He spends his Octobers in Europe, said Stantons agent, Joel Wolfe. It was
killing him.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman spoke briefly with Hill about Stanton at last
months GM meetings but didnt move forward, wanting to save DH at-bats in case New
York added Shohei Otani. But the Japanese pitcher/outfielder eliminated all East
Coast teams in early December and talks with Hill resumed.

I felt maybe Wednesday of last week I thought it was not going to happen, Cashman
said. And then he re-engaged me Thursday.

TOKYO (Jiji Press) The Japan Sumo Association at an extraordinary board meeting
on Wednesday put off its decision on its possible action against Takanohana,
stablemaster of Takanoiwa, over former yokozuna Harumafujis assault on the junior
wrestler.

Harumafujis stablemaster, Isegahama, resigned from the board to take

responsibility for the incident.

Some in the association have rapped Takanohana, chief of the professional sumo-
governing bodys local tours, for failing to fulfill his responsibility of
reporting to the group the assault case, which happened while wrestlers were on a
regional sumo tour in late October.

At an extraordinary meeting of the yokozuna promotion council, held earlier on

Wednesday, most of its members criticized Takanohana, saying that he failed to meet
his responsibility as a board member of the sumo association.

The board of the association has received a final report from its crisis management
committee on the investigation of the assault case. But it refrained from making a
decision on its action against Takanohana, because the committee has still been
unable to interview the stablemaster.
On Harumafujis violence against Takanoiwa, the committee said, Using violence can
never be tolerated for any reason.

Harumafujis use of violence by itself deserves strong condemnation, the committee

added. Harumafuji retired from the professional sumo world late last month to take
responsibility for his assault on Takanoiwa.

Both Harumafuji and Takanoiwa are from Mongolia. The incident happened over drinks
in Tottori during the sumo tour.

The yokozuna promotion council concluded that Harumafujis assault deserved

retirement from professional sumo.

At the meeting, the association decided to slash pay for yokozuna Hakuho and
Kakuryu, acting on the councils view that the two Mongolian grand champions, both
of whom took part in the drinking party, had a chance to stop Harumafuji.

For Hakuho, all of his pay for January and half of his February salary will be cut.
Kakuryu will have the whole of his January pay reduced.

Hakkaku, chief of the association, will receive no pay for the remaining three
months of his term