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Japan has stunned the United States, the defending Olympic champions, by winning the gold medal in women’s softball.

Softball has the same rules as baseball, except that the ball is thrown underhand.

Softball will not be played at the London Olympics in 2012.

Words

to stun: to shock, to surprise.
defending champion: the person or team which won an event the last time it was held.
underhand: below the shoulder.

In soccer, a player tries to kick a ball into a goal. In baseball, a ball is hit with a bat and caught with a mitt or glove. In golf, a ball is hit with a club. In tennis, a player uses a racket to hit a ball. And in ice hockey, a player uses a stick to hit a puck into a goal.

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The American baseball season kicked off in Tokyo on Tuesday.

The Boston Red Sox, the 2007 champions, played the Oakland A’s.

Many went to the game in order to see Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, a native of Japan, play.

The Red Sox won the game by a score of 6-5.

Words

to kick off: to begin, to start.
pitcher: the baseball player who throws the ball to the hitter.

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The San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers played a game in Beijing’s Wukesong Stadium on Saturday.

This is the first game between two professional American baseball teams in China.

It ended in a 3-3 tie.

Baseball games will be held at Wukesong Stadium during the Olympics in August.

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More of the world’s top athletes have been using steroids.

According to a report released yesterday in the United States, Roger Clemens, one of the best baseball players of the past 20 years, used steroids to help his performance.

The report also said that at least 80 other baseball players have been using steroids.

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One of the best players in American baseball used steroids.

Barry Bonds, who holds the record for the most home runs in a season and in a career, used steroids and other drugs to help his performance. Bonds then lied to officials about using them.

A home run is when the ball is hit over the fence.

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Al Hrabosky is a well-known person of Hungarian ancestry. Nevertheless, not many people in Hungary know who he is.

Hrabosky was one of the best baseball players in the 1970s. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals. His nickname was “The Mad Hungarian”.

On Saturday Hrabosky traveled to the Hungarian city of Szentendre, 20 miles from Budapest, to talk to Hungarian young people about baseball.

He later spoke with fans and stayed on to watch a Hungarian baseball game.

This was his first trip to Hungary.

There are only 1,000 people in Hungary who play baseball at present. However, the sport is becoming more popular with young Hungarians.

Hrabosky, who is now an announcer for the Cardinals, said he hoped that one day a Hungarian baseball player will play professionally in the United States.