Kotaro Otake
is a Japanese Professional baseball pitcher for the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He played for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks until the 2022 season. Early baseball career Otake participated in the 2nd grade summer 94th Japanese High School Baseball Championship and the 3rd grade spring 85th Japanese High School Baseball Invitational Tournament as an ace pitcher at Seisei High School. He went to Waseda University and won the Best Nine in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League. Professional career Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks On October 26, 2017, Otake was not drafted as a registered player under control in the 2017 Nippon Professional Baseball draft, but drafted as a developmental player by the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. On July 29, 2018, he signed a 6 million yen contract with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks as a registered player under control. On August 1, Otake debuted against the Saitama Seibu Lions and won the game for the first time. In 2018 season, he finished the regul ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a base on balls, walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is assigned the number 1. The pitcher is often considered the most important player on the defensive side of the game, and as such is situated at the right end of the defensive spectrum. There are many different types of pitchers, such as the starting pitcher, relief pitcher, middle reliever, left-handed specialist, lefty specialist, setup man, and the closing pitcher, closer. Traditionally, the pitcher also bats. Starting in 1973 with the American League and spreading to further leagues throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the hitting duties of the pitcher have generally been given over t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Japanese People
are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Japanese archipelago. Japanese people constitute 97.4% of the population of the country of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 125 million people are of Japanese descent, making them list of contemporary ethnic groups, one of the largest ethnic groups. Approximately 120.8 million Japanese people are residents of Japan, and there are approximately 4 million members of the Japanese diaspora, known as . In some contexts, the term "Japanese people" may be used to refer specifically to the Yamato people, who are primarily from the historically principal islands of Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku and constitute by far the largest group. In other contexts, the term may include other groups native to the Japanese archipelago, including Ryukyuan people, who share connections with the Yamato but are often regarded as distinct, and Ainu people. In recent decades, there has also been an increase in the number of people with both Japanese and non-Japanes ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
2019 Japan Series
The 2019 Japan Series (known as the ''SMBC Nippon Series 2019'' for sponsorship reasons) was the championship series of Nippon Professional Baseball's (NPB) 2019 season. The 70th edition of the Japan Series, it was played from 19-23 October. The series was a best-of-seven playoff between the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, the Pacific League's (PL) Climax Series champion and defending Japan Series champions, and the Yomiuri Giants, the Central League's (CL) Climax Series champion. The Hawks defeated the Giants in a four game sweep to win their third consecutive Japan Series championship, their fifth title in six years; they are also the first team to win three straight Japan Series titles since the Seibu Lions did it from 1990 to 1992. The Hawks finished the 2019 regular season in second place in the Pacific League. They advanced to the Japan Series after defeating the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and the Saitama Seibu Lions in the PL Climax Series. The Giants finished in first place ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Saitama 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 a private railroad compan ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Sankei Sports
is a Japanese-language daily sports newspaper published by Sankei Shimbun. In 2014, it had a circulation of 1,270,000. The newspaper is known by its nickname . See also * Fujisankei Communications Group , abbreviated FCG, is Japan's largest media conglomerate. Its chair is Hisashi Hieda. The group engages in a wide range of businesses, from Mass media in Japan, media and entertainment, including Television in Japan, television, Japanese newspape ... * Japanese media External links *Sanspo.com Daily newspapers published in Japan Sports newspapers published in Japan Fujisankei Communications Group Mass media companies based in Tokyo Companies based in Osaka Prefecture Newspapers established in 1955 1955 establishments in Japan {{Japan-newspaper-stub ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Developmental Player System (Nippon Professional Baseball)
The is a system that allows players to be held for the purpose of training players separately from the 70 Registration of players under control (Nippon Professional Baseball), registered players under control of each team created in the fall of at Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). It is akin to the practice squads seen in other sports. Summary The system was established in 2005 to create an environment in which amateur players could gain playing experience after company-owned amateur baseball teams were folding following the economic recession of the Lost Decades. Players who are part of the system are considered "semi-controlled" in that they play for the team they are signed to but they are not a Registration of players under control (Nippon Professional Baseball), controlled player and thus their team doe not have exclusive rights to them. The Developmental Player System include players drafted as rookies (e.g. Yusuke Kosai, Michitaka Nishiyama), foreign players signed as d ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
2017 Nippon Professional Baseball Draft
The 2017 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Draft was held on October 26, , for the 53rd time at the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa to assign amateur baseball players to the NPB. It was arranged with the special cooperation of Taisho Pharmaceutical Co. with official naming rights. The draft was officially called "The Professional Baseball Draft Meeting supported by Lipovitan D". 2017 marked the 5th consecutive year in which Taisho Pharmaceuticals had sponsored the event. Summary Only the first round picks were allowed to be contested with all picks from the second round onward being based on table placing in the 2017 NPB season in a waiver system. Waiver priority was based on inter-league results. As the Pacific League teams came out on top against Central League opposition, Pacific League teams were given preference. From the third round the order was reversed continuing in the same fashion until all picks were exhausted. Apart from the selection of Katsuki Azuma by the Y ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Registration Of Players Under Control (Nippon Professional Baseball)
A is the process of notifying Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) that a professional baseball team affiliated with the NPB has the exclusive right to sign a contract with a specific player. (NPB Agreement, Article 52) A player whose unified contract documents have been approved and published by NPB is called a or a , and under Article 68 of the NPB Agreement, a team has exclusive ownership of a player unless the player becomes a free agent. Summary In general, controlled players refer to players on a team, excluding people considered Developmental players. Among these players, players who have been player registered will play in the first league's Central League and Pacific League, and other players will play in the second league's Eastern League and Western League. (NPB Agreement, Article 81, 170) Players must fulfill their obligation to participate in official games (Central League Pacific League, Eastern League, and Western League) held by NPB as well as unofficial games an ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Nikkan Sports
is the first-launched Japanese daily sports newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ... founded in 1946. It has a circulation of 1,661,000, and is an affiliate newspaper of the '' Asahi Shimbun''. Companies and regions ;Nikkan Sports News (Tokyo) :Tokyo HQ: 5-10, Tsukiji Sanchome, Chuo, Tokyo, Japan ;Hokkaido Nikkan Sports News (Hokkaido) :Hokkaido HQ: KN Building, 1-30, Kita-Sanjo-Higashi Sanchome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Japan ;Nikkan Sports News West Japan (Osaka, Nagoya, Kyushu) :Osaka HQ: Hanshin Diamond Building, 14-24, Fukushima Sanchome, Fukushima-ku, Osaka, Japan :Nagoya HQ: Asahi Kaikan, 3-3, Sakae Itchome, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Japan :Seibu HQ: Fukuoka Asahi Building, 1-1, Hakata Ekimae Nichome, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan See also * Nikkan Sports Film Award ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Tokyo Big6 Baseball League
The is an College baseball, intercollegiate baseball conference that features six prominent university, universities in the Tokyo area. It is the oldest collegiate baseball conference in Japan and the oldest baseball league overall in Japan. Before the start of the Japanese High School Baseball Championship on following year of 1915, the 1936 establishment of the Japanese Baseball League and subsequent growth (after 1950) of Nippon Professional Baseball, the Big6 League was widely considered the highest level of baseball in Japan. All games are played at Meiji Jingu Stadium in Kasumigaoka, Shinjuku in downtown Tokyo. Games are known to be rowdy and celebratory, with Ōendan, cheerleading squads (応援団, ''Ōendan'') and bands working themselves and the crowd into a frenzy. It is also the origin of the Tokyo 6 Universities (, ''Tōkyō roku daigaku'') nickname that is given to the same six universities. History The league has its origins in the Waseda, Keio, and Meiji Univer ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Waseda University
Waseda University (Japanese: ), abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the Tōkyō Professional School by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the fifth Prime Minister of Japan, prime minister of Japan, the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902. Waseda is organized into 36 departments: 13 undergraduate schools and 23 graduate schools. As of 2023, there are 38,776 undergraduate students and 8,490 graduate students. In addition to a central campus in Shinjuku (Waseda Campus and Nishiwaseda Campus), the university operates campuses in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Nishitōkyō, Tokyo, Nishitōkyō, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Tokorozawa, Honjō, Saitama, Honjō, and Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka, Kitakyūshū. Waseda also operates 21 research institutes at its main Shinjuku campus. The university is selected as one of the Top Type (Type A) universities under Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, MEXT's Top Gl ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Japanese High School Baseball Invitational Tournament
The National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament (選抜高等学校野球大会 ''senbatsu kōtō gakkō yakyū taikai'') of Japan, commonly known as "Spring Kōshien" (春の甲子園 ''haru no kōshien'') or "Senbatsu" (センバツ), is an annual high school baseball tournament. Background The tournament, organized by the Japan High School Baseball Federation and Mainichi Shimbun, takes place each year in March at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in the Koshien district of Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan. Teams are chosen for the tournament by a committee from the Japan High School Baseball Federation based on a set of criteria. While it is not a guaranteed path, teams winning a regional tournament held annually in the fall are usually invited. For instance, in the 2008 Fall Tournament in the Tōhoku region, Ichinoseki Gakuin was the runner-up. However, they were passed over for 3rd place Hanamaki Higashi for the 2009 invitation tournament. Of the 32 bids, 29 are awarded o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |