|
2004 Japan Series
The Japan Series, the 55th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's championship series, began on October 16 and ended on October 25, and matched the Pacific League playoffs winner Seibu Lions against the Central League Champion, Chunichi Dragons. Seibu Lions After an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Yomiuri Giants in the 2002 Japan Series and losing out on the Pacific League pennant to the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in 2003, the Lions were back in the Japan Series in 2004 thanks in no small part to the healthy arm of Daisuke Matsuzaka. Also helping the cause offensively was Venezuelan import Alex Cabrera, who hit a record-tying 55 home runs in 2002. Seibu had not won the Japan Series since 1992. Chunichi Dragons Unlike the Lions, the Dragons had not had any success in winning the Japan Series since 1954, and this was their first appearance in the series since 1999, when they lost in 5 games to the Hawks. The Dragons pitching staff was led by Kenshin Kawakami and Masahiro Ya ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seibu Lions
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Seibu Railway, which in turn is owned by the Seibu Holdings. The team experienced a recent period of financial difficulty, but the situation brightened when the team received a record ¥6 billion (about $51.11 million) posting fee from the Boston Red Sox for the right to negotiate a contract with Daisuke Matsuzaka. Between 1978 and 2008, the team logo and mascot were based on the adult version of Kimba the White Lion, a classic Japanese anime and manga series by Osamu Tezuka. In 2004, former Seibu Lions player Kazuo Matsui became the first Japanese infielder to play in Major League Baseball. Franchise history Nishitetsu Clippers (1950) In 1950, the team became a founding member of the Pacific League. It was then owned by Nishi-Nippon Railroad, whi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daisuke Matsuzaka
is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher, who pitched professionally for 23 seasons, 16 of them in NPB, 7 in MLB. He is currently a baseball color commentator, critic, reporter, and YouTuber. Daisuke is nicknamed in Japan and "Dice-K" in the United States by ''The Boston Globe'' and ''USA Today''. He played for the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Saitama Seibu Lions, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Matsuzaka was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze medalist. He is the first player to have won both a World Series and a World Baseball Classic. Early life Matsuzaka was born on September 13, 1980, in Aomori, Aomori Prefecture. He was named after Japanese high school star pitcher Daisuke Araki. Growing up in Koto, Tokyo, he studied kendo from the age of five to nine and began playing organized baseball when ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1999 Japan Series
The 1999 Japan Series was the 50th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's postseason championship series. It matched the champion teams of the Pacific and Central Leagues. The Fukuoka Daiei Hawks represented the Pacific League, while the Chunichi Dragons represented the Central League. The Hawks won the series in five games, giving them their first Japan Series title since 1964. Background This was an interesting series in that neither team had reached the Japan Series in the 1990s (and in Daiei's case, they hadn't reached the Series in the '80s, either). Both teams also had long-standing championship droughts: Chunichi had not won the Series since 1954, and Daiei had not won since 1964, when they were known as the Nankai Hawks. Also heightening the drama was the managers: Hawks manager Sadaharu Oh had been a longtime star slugger with the Yomiuri Giants, and Dragons manager Senichi Hoshino, himself a former star player, was well known for his hatred of the Giants. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kazuhiro Wada
is a retired Japanese professional baseball player. He played mostly as an outfielder for the Chunichi Dragons and the Seibu Lions of the Nippon Professional Baseball league in a career spanning 18 years. Following retirement in 2015, he has become a color commentator for Dragons broadcasts for the NHK. Early career Playing for Tohoku Fukushi University, Wada was MVP of the Sendai Big Six University League as a senior and won the batting title. He hit .429 for Kobe Seiko in the industrial leagues, then in 1996 was drafted in the fourth round of the Japanese draft by the Seibu Lions. Professional career Seibu Lions He hit .190 in 1997 when he first played for Seibu and was 0/1 in the 1997 Japan Series. In 1998, Wada hit .333 in 36 games for Seibu and split his time between catching and the outfield. He went 0/2 in the 1998 Japan Series. In 1999, he batted .271 while again seeing limited time behind the plate, with Tsutomu Ito starting. In 1998, Wada began playing semiregula ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kiyoshi Toyoda
Kiyoshi Toyoda (豊田 清, born February 2, 1971) is a Japanese professional baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ... player. External links * 1971 births Living people Baseball people from Mie Prefecture Japanese baseball players Seibu Lions players Yomiuri Giants players Hiroshima Toyo Carp players Japanese baseball coaches Nippon Professional Baseball coaches {{japan-baseball-pitcher-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seibu Dome
(official name: ) is a baseball stadium located in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan. It is home to the Saitama Seibu Lions, a professional baseball team. The stadium has a roof over the field and the stands, like other indoor ballparks. However, it lacks a wall behind the stands so that natural air comes into the field. This makes it possible for home runs to leave the stadium, something not possible in typical domed stadiums. The stadium was built in 1979 without the roof and named as the new home field of the Lions that moved from Fukuoka to Tokorozawa that year. The installation of the roof took place in two phases: the first phase after the 1997 season, and the second phase after the 1998 seasons. At the beginning of the 1998 season, the stadium was renamed Seibu Dome although the domed roof had not completed yet. Originally, the Lions had planned to build a new stadium in Odaiba, but due to requiring to get approval from the three other Tokyo-based teams at the time (the Nip ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nagoya Dome
The Nagoya Dome (ナゴヤドーム), known as Vantelin Dome Nagoya (バンテリンドーム ナゴヤ) for sponsoring reasons, is a baseball field, constructed in 1997, located in the city of Nagoya, Japan. The dome has the capacity to seat up to 40,500 for sports and 49,000 for concerts. It is an example of a geodesic dome. It has served as HQ for the Chunichi Dragons baseball team, since its opening. It has also served baseball teams Orix BlueWave and Kintetsu Buffaloes, sometimes during the year. Official theme song for The Nagoya Dome, "Here For You", was written by local FM radio disk jockey, James Havens, and also released on CD by Victor Entertainment. Shopping center *ÆON MALL NAGOYADOMEMAE DragonsShop File:ÆON MALL Nagoya Dome-mae.jpg, ÆON MALL NAGOYADOMEMAE File:Konami Cup Asia Series Champions Chunichi Dragons No,2.jpg, Chunichi Dragons File:Nagoya dome from Midland Square.JPG Access *Nagoya Municipal Subway Meijō Line, Nagoya GuideWay-Bus Yutorito Line ** ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Masahiro Araki
is a retired Japanese professional baseball player. He played predominantly at second base for the Chunichi Dragons. He was noted for his speed and defense. Early career Araki was a first-round draft pick by Chunichi in 1995, out of high school. In 1997, he made his NPB debut and hit .179/.203/.209 in 74 plate appearances; he did steal 12 bases in 16 tries to lead his team. Araki was used as a defensive substitute in the outfield and at shortstop. In 1998, the 20-year-old played 7 games for Chunichi but had just one at-bat, appearing as a pinch-runner and defensive sub. The next year, he went 1 for 4 in 16 games in a similar role; in four steal attempts, he was only successful once. In 2000, Araki remained a substitute, playing 40 games but only getting 12 plate appearances (2 for 10, 2 sacrifice flies, 3 SB in 3 tries). He spent 34 games in the outfield. Increased role Araki became a semi-regular in 2001 and produced at a .338/.384/.438 clip with 13 steals and 9 times caug ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hirokazu Ibata
Hirokazu Ibata (Japanese:井端 弘和, born May 12, 1975) is a Japanese former professional baseball player in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Baseball career Ibata played second base for the Yomiuri Giants and short stop for the Chunichi Dragons but is able to play at other positions. After retiring at the end of the 2015 season, Ibata took up new Giants' manager, Yoshinobu Takahashi Yoshinobu Takahashi (高橋 由伸, born April 3, 1975) is a Japanese former professional baseball player and manager. He spent his entire playing career with the Yomiuri Giants and served as the team's manager for three seasons. He graduated ...'s invitation to join his coaching staff. References External links * * 1975 births Living people Asia University (Japan) alumni Baseball designated hitters Chunichi Dragons players Japanese baseball coaches Japanese baseball players Nippon Professional Baseball coaches Nippon Professional Baseball infielders Sports ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kosuke Fukudome
is a retired Japanese professional baseball outfielder. He previously played in Major League Baseball from 2008 to 2012, primarily with the Chicago Cubs and had a long spanning career in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with the Chunichi Dragons and Hanshin Tigers. Prior to arriving in the MLB, Fukudome played nine seasons for the Chunichi Dragons of the Nippon Professional Baseball. He was also a member of the Japan national baseball team, winning a silver medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics, a bronze medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics, and placing first in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and 2009 World Baseball Classic. He won the Central League MVP in 2006. Early career Fukudome entered the PL Gakuen High School, and was quickly targeted by professional scouts as a potential first round draft pick. Seven teams chose Fukudome in the first round of the 1995 draft, the Kintetsu Buffaloes won the right to negotiate with Fukudome by winning the lottery. However, Fukudome ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alex Ochoa
Alex Ochoa (; born March 29, 1972) is a Cuban-American former professional baseball outfielder in Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball. Career Ochoa played in part of eight seasons for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies and Anaheim Angels. He was originally drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the third round of the 1991 amateur draft, but he never played in the majors for them, as Baltimore traded him to the Mets as part of a trade for Bobby Bonilla in 1995. Ochoa would make his big league debut later that year for New York. Ochoa would eventually be traded seven times in his career, winning a World Series ring with the Angels in the 2002 World Series. Ochoa played for the Chunichi Dragons from 2003 to 2006. He signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox before the 2006 season and was invited to spring training. He started the season with Triple-A Pawtucket, but was released after a poor performa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hitoki Iwase
Hitoki Iwase (岩瀬 仁紀, born November 10, 1974) is a retired Japanese professional baseball player from Nishio, Aichi, Japan. He holds the NPB record for career saves and mound appearances. In 2005, he marked 46 saves with a 1.88 ERA, renewing the single-season save record previously set by Kazuhiro Sasaki. This was subsequently broken by Dennis Sarfate of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. The team was formerly known as the Nankai Hawks and was based in Osaka ... in 2017. He was chosen to play on the Japanese Olympic baseball team for the 2004 Summer Olympics, and won a bronze medal. In the 2007 Japan Series, he saved a perfect game with eight innings thrown by Daisuke Yamai. In 2008, he was selected to play on the Japanese Olympic baseball team for the 2008 Summer Olympics. In group stage agai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
