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Best Nine Award
The Best Nine Award is awarded annually to the best player at each position in both the Central League and Pacific League of Japanese professional baseball as determined by a pool of journalists. History While the Best Nine Award was first presented to players following the season, it was not until (after World War II) that it became an annual award. After the Japanese Baseball League was divided into Central and Pacific leagues in 1950, the award was presented to nine players from each league. Following the Pacific League's adoption of the DH rule in , ten players (including the best designated hitter) have been chosen for the Best Nine Award in the Pacific League alone each year. Selection process Journalists vote on the best pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, and three outfielders (typically chosen on merit of best offensive numbers, with the exception of pitchers) in each of the two leagues. As is the case with the Silver Slugger Aw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Central League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country. Unlike the Pacific League, designated hitters are not used during Central League home games. History The Central League was founded in 1949 with eight teams: four holdovers from the previous Japanese Baseball League — the Chunichi Dragons, the Hanshin Tigers, the Yomiuri Giants, and the Shochiku Robins (formerly the Taiyō Robins) — and four new teams — the Hiroshima Carp, the Kokutetsu Swallows, the Nishi Nippon Pirates, and the Taiyō Whales. The Nishi Nippon Pirates existed for one season — they placed sixth in 1950, and the following season merged with the also Fukuoka-based Nishitetsu Clippers (a member of the Pacific League) to form the Nishitetsu Lions, who joined the Pacific Lea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Center Fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the center fielder is assigned the number 8. Position description Outfielders must cover large distances, so speed, instincts and quickness to react to the ball are key. They must be able to catch fly balls above their heads and on the run. They must be able to throw the ball accurately over a long distance to be effective. As well as the requirements above, the center fielder must be the outfielder who has the best combination of speed and throwing distance. The center fielder "covers more 'grass' than any other player" (see photo) and, most likely, will catch the most fly balls. The position also has the greatest responsibility among the three outfielders for coordinating their play to prevent collisions when converging on a fly ball, and on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nishitetsu 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, which was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tony Roig
Anton Ambrose Roig (December 23, 1928 – October 20, 2010) was a utility infielder who played in Major League Baseball between the and seasons. Listed at , 180 lb, he batted and threw right-handed. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Roig spent more than a half-century in professional baseball, which included a prominent role with the Spokane Indians of the Pacific Coast League. Playing career Basically a shortstop, Roig was able to play at both second and third base during 21 seasons, including parts of three years for the original Washington Senators of the American League, three years with Spokane, and six in Nippon Professional Baseball. The versatile Roig later managed in the Minor leagues and spent nearly 30 years as a scout for the Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels and Philadelphia Phillies systems, where he also served as their hitting instructor. Roig signed his first professional contract as a 19-year-old pitcher with the Phillies organization in 1948. Two ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yasuhiro Kunisada
Yasuhiro is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Yasuhiro can be written using many different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples: *康弘, "healthy, vast" *康広, "healthy, wide" *康寛, "healthy, generosity" *康裕, "healthy, abundant" *康浩, "healthy, vast" *康洋, "healthy, ocean" *康博, "healthy, doctor" *康尋, "healthy, look for" *靖弘, "peaceful, vast" *靖広, "peaceful, wide" *靖寛, "peaceful, generosity" *靖裕, "peaceful, abundant" *靖浩, "peaceful, vast" *靖洋, "peaceful, ocean" *靖博, "peaceful, doctor" *靖尋, "peaceful, look for" *安弘, "tranquil, vast" *安広, "tranquil, wide" *安寛, "tranquil, generosity" *保弘, "preserve, vast" *保洋, "preserve,ocean" *保博, "preserve, doctor" *泰洋, "peaceful, ocean" *泰弘, "peaceful,vast" *泰博, "peaceful, doctor" *易尋, "divination, look for" *易大, "divination,big" *恭大, "respectful, big" The name can also be written in hiragana やすひろ or k ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. Although there are many rules to baseball, in general the team playing offense tries to score runs by batting balls into the field that enable runners to make a complete circuit of the four bases. The team playing in the field tries to prevent runs by catching the ball before it hits the ground, by tagging runners with the ball while they are not touching a base, or by throwing the ball to first base before the batter who hit the ball can run from home plate to first base. There are nine defensive positions on a baseball field. The part of the baseball field closest to the batter (shown in the diagram as light brown) is known as the "infield" (as opposed to the "outfield", the part of the field furthest from the batter, shown in the diagr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nankai 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 1988, Daiei bought the team from Osaka's Nankai Electric Railway Co., and its headquarters were moved to Fukuoka (which had been without NPB baseball since the Lions departed in 1979). The team subsequently became known as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks until 2005, when they were purchased by SoftBank. The franchise has won 11 Japan Series championships and 19 Pacific League pennants, with the most recent of both coming in . History Nankai Electric Railway Company ownership (1938–1988) The franchise that eventually became the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks was founded on February 22, 1938 by Nankai Electric Railway president Jinkichi Terada as Nankai Club, based in central Osaka. The organization was said to be created as a result of riv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hiroshima Carp
The is a professional baseball team based in Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan. They compete in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda. Mazda is the largest single shareholder (34.2%), which is less than the portion owned by the Matsuda family (about 60%). Because of that, Mazda is not considered the owner firm. However, the company connection is highlighted in the club name; until 1984, Mazda's official name was . The Carp are the only one of the 28 History_of_baseball_outside_the_United_States#Asia, Asian professional baseball teams to be majority privately owned. History Early years The Nippon Professional Baseball league was planned to be split into two separate leagues in 1949, and Hiroshima prefecture decided to establish a professional baseball team as part of the reconstruction process after the atomic bombing, Atomic bombings of Hiroshima ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greg LaRocca
Gregory Mark LaRocca (born November 10, 1972) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) second baseman who played for the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Indians between 2000 and 2003. He also played in the Nippon Professional Baseball league from 2004 to 2010. Biography LaRocca attended Manchester High School West in Manchester, New Hampshire and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In 1993, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Orleans Cardinals of the Cape Cod Baseball League. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 10th round (262nd overall) of the 1994 MLB Draft. Major League Baseball Minor Leagues (1994–1999) LaRocca played for Low-A Spokane Indians and High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. The 1995 season was split between High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and AA Memphis Chicks. The entire 1996 season was played for AA Memphis Chicks. LaRocca played all of 1997 for AA Mobile BayBears. The 1998 season was played for AAA Las Vegas Stars. LaRocca sta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chunichi Dragons
The are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chūbu region of Japan. The team plays in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. They have won the Central League pennant nine times (most recently in 2011) and the Japan Series twice (in 1954 and 2007). They were also champions in the 2007 Asia Series. Franchise history The Chunichi Dragons were formed in 1936 as the Nagoya Club. The franchise was acquired by the ''Chunichi Shimbun'' newspaper company in 1946. They became the "Dragons" in 1947, but experimented with a number of variations on their team name before settling on Chunichi Dragons in 1954. The Dragons' most famous player, Michio Nishizawa, played for the team from 1936 to 1958. He entered the league as a 15-year-old pitcher. He developed into a 20-game winner by 1939. Nishizawa's most memorable pitching feats occurred in 1942. On May 24 of that year, Nishizawa pitched a remarkable twenty-eight complete innings, totalling 311 pi ... [...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 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ..., 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 in baseball, 1998, the 20-year-old played 7 games for Chunichi but had just one at-bat, appearing as a pinch-runner and defensive sub. 1999 in baseball, 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 in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2005 Nippon Professional Baseball Season
In the Nippon Professional Baseball season ended with the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Pacific League defeating the Hanshin Tigers of the Central League in a four-game sweep in the Nippon Series. Format Central League * Season Format ** Regular Season * Regular Season 1st place is the champion Pacific League * Season Format ** Regular Season ** Playoff 1st Stage: Regular Season 2nd place vs. Regular Season 3rd place – Best of 3 ** Playoff 2nd Stage: Regular Season 1st place vs. Playoff 1st Stage winner – Best of 5 * Playoff 2nd Stage winner is the champion Japan Series * Central League champion vs. Pacific League champion – Best of 7 Standings Central League Regular season Pacific League Regular season Playoff 1st Stage Chiba Lotte Marines (2) vs. Seibu Lions (0) Playoff 2nd Stage Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2) vs. Chiba Lotte Marines (3) Japan Series Leaders Batting Pitching Awards Best Nine Awards Central League Pacific League Gold Gloves Central Le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
