NPB returns on June 19 behind closed doors and a shortened 120 game schedule. Rather than do the usual primer of writing about each team and expecting you to know a bit, this year's edition will feature a fan guide of extra historical notes for each squad.
With MLB having its own issues between owners and players not coming to a middle ground, there could be starving baseball fans looking for a new team and having zero Japanese connections entering the dark.
First up is the Central League, the half of NPB with a more traditional sense of baseball. Here are a few things I'll look at for each team:
The Pacific League portion can be seen here.
Ownership: Every NPB team has a corporate owner and each company is known for something. One team still has a family ownership co-owned with a company.
2020 Payroll rank: Because people are curious who can spend money and who can't. Remember, there are 12 teams.
Location/Stadium: Each team has its own region or city represented in an area of Japan. Some teams have a nicer stadium than others, while a few represent more square miles (or kilometers) than others.
Mascots: Every team markets mascots like crazy. There's even prefecture mascots which are at games, but we'll focus on the team ones with a photo.
Cheer song: Seventh inning stretch in MLB is usually a singing of "Take me out to the ballgame" and sometimes adding "God Bless America", but in Japan, they sing their cheer song or "fight song" during this break. Most of the teams feature balloons. If the team is on the road, the visiting crowd will hear their cheer song at the end of the sixth inning.
Ōendan Songs: Thanks to the internet, people film or record the songs fans will sing while their team is batting. Players have their own songs being sung when at the plate, but there are also "chance" songs when there is a chance (aka guys on base).
They also have scoring and victory songs. An Ōendan roughly translates into cheer section. Like college football, there are visitor's sections which allow fans who root for the road team to be together and sing the songs. This will show their songs from 2019.
MLB Comparison: This is an estimated equivalent of what the NPB team could be viewed as for an MLB fan. Nothing can be exact, but based on history, coaching philosophy and fundamentals, I will compare to the best that I can. Keep in mind, don't pick the team just because yours is listed there.
Legendary players: While it would take too long to mention everyone involved, some names from each team deserve recognition.
Notable foreign players: This will show players who came to their NPB team on the ichi-gun and made a career from North America. My listing will be incomplete, but a handful of names will be shown.
Notable players who played in MLB: These are players who came from their NPB team who were significant enough to be remembered in MLB (Hiroyuki Nakajima will not be listed due to being only in the minors). A few players won't make the cut. Keep in mind, I don't want to list a few players twice, so I'll put them on their most significant team, unless they had a large impact on both.
Verdict: We give reasons why to like and dislike the given team. There will always be pros and cons.
2020 Core Four: Just to get an idea who is the core entering the 2020 season.
2020 Foreign players: Some names may be familiar expats out of North America or Taiwan. A * indicates a first-year player.
Long term future player: Who is viewed as the long term option? NPB has some obvious names, but there are some guys under development hoping to make an impact down the road. You could see a glimpse of him in 2020.
MLB Potential: Everyone has a player with potential, but some may not choose to go or are already past their prime/peak years.
2020 Expectations: I'll go over some strengths and weaknesses of the current product for each team. Who are stars worth tracking? Where do most people think they'll finish and where do I have them finishing?
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Why choose a Central League team?
First and foremost, their teams are the most popular in Japan with several of them being born before 1950, the first year of the current edition of professional baseball in Japan. Access to merchandise should also be easier because of the popularity with teams in the three highest populated regions of the country and a fourth large market if you count Yokohama being in Kanto.
The locations for the Yakult Swallows and Yomiuri Giants are right in Tokyo, making it easier to have access to if someone is on a business trip to the metropolis. Yokohama also has an easy location if someone goes there.
Maybe you also hate the designated hitter, because the Central League is the only one besides the National League to have the pitcher hitting as some enjoy "pure baseball."
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Why avoid a Central League team?
Access to watching games abroad are very tough outside of Japan. You'll need to be crafty and sneaky to find a way to watch it live, which I cannot post here. Highlights aren't the easiest to find either. The Central League will also be a reason why ESPN or another TV network won't likely pickup NPB as a whole, with some politics in their circles having this power and control they prefer.
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Yomiuri Giants (読売 巨人)
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| Archived uniform photo from 2018. The Giants still wear gray on the road today. |
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Ownership: Yomiuri
Yomiuri is the largest media conglomerate of Japan. It's the equivalent of what the USA would consider the New York Times. As a result, they have power as they are the media. The Yomiuri Shimbun is the paper well-known in Tokyo and essentially, the power the Giants have on the country due to the media owning them (not the other way around) cannot be overstated.
With Yomiuri owning the Giants, they have an elitist feel to them where nothing can be said negatively about the team (at least not by Yomiuri themselves). An example is how they hire managers from within as no one (except the first in team history) has managed the Giants unless they played their entire career with them. While recently three players were banned from baseball after being caught for gambling, it was most likely reported by someone else, meaning the Kyojin couldn't sweep this story under a rug or ignore it.
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2020 Payroll rank: 2
The Giants will likely win a bidding war with most teams when signing players. They're not scared to throw yen as free agents loosely since they can afford to eat any mistakes. In historical years, they've been known to be first in payroll, but a recent team has beaten them to the punch since their emergence.
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Location/Stadium: Tokyo Dome, in Bunkyo, Tokyo.
Tokyo Dome can also be called the "Big Egg" for its oval shape from above. It's located in Bunkyo with an entertainment complex with a hotel providing an above view of the area. It's also not far from their original home of Korakuen Stadium, which was their playing grounds from 1937-1987.
This is an easy location to get to with four different lines and two train stations. Suidobashi Station from the South covering the JR and Toei Mita Subway Lines. Korakuen Station from the North covers the Marunochi and Namboku lines on Tokyo Metro.
Tokyo Dome itself can be seen as a premier place to host a game, but the structure can also be disappointing from reviews. The humid heat on a hot day can still be felt inside the dome and the rules of the building don't allow balloons for Lucky 7.
On the field, it's a place that's prone for home runs with the air inside carrying the ball deep. It has hosted several MLB games over the years when promoting the league internationally. Another bonus is being host to the Japanese baseball hall of fame.
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Mascot: Giabbits
There is an entire family of Giabbits that can take the field.
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Cheer song: Tōkonkomete (闘魂こめて) "Fighting Spirit"
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Ōendan Songs: 2019 Player cheer songs at 00:00, Tokonkomete featured as well as chance songs and player chants at the back end.
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MLB Comparison: New York Yankees
It's possible the Giants are the Yankees of old by spending money at everything that moves. They have the most championships with 22 Japan Series titles and 37 Central League championships.
They're the defacto national team of Japan having easier media access to games around the nation, where they're either loved or hated having no middle ground. The Giants can be viewed as a rival or hated foe by any other Central League team as a result.
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Legendary Players:
Sadaharu Oh is the most documented player and arguably the best in NPB history. His 868 career home runs is still a world record today.
Shigeo Nagashima was the cleanup hitter batting after Oh during his playing days and also had success as a manager.
Tetsuharu Kawakami was a two-way player from the early days of professional baseball and he eventually won nine championships in a span of 14 years when he became a manager. As a player, he had five batting titles and was the first in NPB to record 2,000 career hits.
Victor Starffin was an ethnic Russian who starred in pre-NPB days of professional baseball in Japan. He was an accomplished pitcher during the dead ball era.
Eiji Sawamura was a young pitcher who was dominant before NPB existed. He has an award named after him for being a top pitching honor, however, it is not the Cy Young equivalent of Japan. The Sawamura award is more of a tributary honor given to a pitcher who resembles him statistically as pitchers need to reach certain thresholds of categories.
Shinnosuke Abe recently retired, but was one of the most accomplished catcher in NPB as he reached the 2,000 career hits mark. He was a big reason for some of their success in the 21st century.
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Notable foreigners who played for the Kyojin:
Miles Mikolas, Wally Yonamine (once a former San Francisco 49ers running back), Davey Johnson, Scott Mathieson, Warren Cromartie, Jesse Barfield and Gabe Kapler
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Notable Giants who played in MLB:
Hideki Matsui, Koji Uehara, Hideki Okajima
Currently, Shun Yamaguchi is on the Toronto Blue Jays.
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The Verdict:
Why you root for them: You enjoy being the villain and the original empire of Japanese baseball. They rarely miss the postseason and continue to be contenders. In Japan, their coverage is easy to find with their games being available in several prefectures far from Tokyo as the "National Team." Even their irregular home games can be in areas that don't make geographical sense.
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Why you avoid them: Because they're commonly called the Yankees of Japan. They get so much coverage in Japan that it's annoying and could lead to a revolt the other way. The Giants also have media power and control over baseball in Japan, making their conservative ways reducing progressiveness.
In previous years, they've shown signs of elitism because they're the Giants. Players have refused to play for any other team except the Giants when drafted while they can cover up any shady scandals if they have that information. Historically, they never post players and will have to wait until they hit international free agency (9 years of service time) in order to come to North America. Yamaguchi ended up being a first posting in franchise history as they fulfilled a promise when he was signed as a domestic free agent.
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2020 Core Four: OF Yoshihiru Maru, 1B Kazuma Okamoto, SS Hayato Sakamoto, P Tomoyuki Sugano
2020 Foreign players: P Rubby De La Rosa*, P C.C. Mercedes, P Angel Sanchez*, P Thyago Viera*, P Nattino Diplan**, OF Gerardo Parra*
**Diplan is a promoted developmental player from within
Long term future player: P Yuki Takahashi
Takahashi saw a decent amount of starts in 2019 and looks to build off his first professional season. He may not have ace expectations, but should be the long term rotation option going forward.
MLB Potential: P Tomoyuki Sugano
You may be familiar with Sugano through the 2017 WBC when he saw Team USA in the Semi-Final matchup. Sugano has had a lot of hype over the years and there's speculation the Giants will post him after the 2020 season. Keep in mind, they don't historically post players until this past offseason where Shun Yamaguchi became a rare exception.
Sugano has definitely wanted to go to MLB. However, the Giants are known to holding onto players until they reach international free agency. He'll be in his early 30s by the time he comes across and can still be useful, but will have mid-rotation expectations by the time he goes to MLB.
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2020 Expectations:
This is a team coming off their first pennant since 2014. After having a significant drought by their standards, it's likely the old empire is back to their ways. With an extra farm team, they've able to develop more players and have the resources to come back even when down.
Tomoyuki Sugano is the most notable pitcher on the team, though he came off a down 2019 season. Other pitchers like Kazuto Taguchi, Toshiki Sakurai and Yuki Takahashi has questionable seasons, but they're expected to take the next step or rebound from last year.
Offense is their biggest strength with veterans Maru and Sakamoto carrying the load. Okamoto should continue to provide the power and it won't hurt if new import signing Gerardo Parra can contribute right way.
With this resurgence in 2019, there is no reason to think they can't come in first place again.
Personal expectation: First Place
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Hanshin Tigers (阪神タイガース)
The Hanshin (阪神) Tigers have been around since 1935, being the other primary team in Japan besides the Yomiuri Giants. They had stints of being called the "Osaka Tigers" before being named Hanshin Tigers in 1961 and sticking with that title ever since.
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Ownership: Hanshin Electric Railway
Hanshin is part of a bigger conglomerate known as Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group, but the title of Hanshin (阪神) is very direct in relation to the cities of Osaka and Kobe, taking part of their Kanji and merging the two. While some words have homophones and homonyms, 阪神 can also read as Hanshin.
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Location/Stadium: Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo
Koshien Stadium is the oldest venue in NPB, as it was built in 1924 with several renovations since. It's the grand stage for being the largest in capacity while also hosting the National High School Baseball tournaments of Spring and Summer Koshien. When these tournaments are happening, the Hanshin Tigers temporarily occupy Kyocera Dome for their home games in March, early April and August.
This stadium was home to several exhibitions when MLB players would take a tour of Japan. There is a plaque commemorating Babe Ruth setting foot in this building from the 1930s.
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Mascots: Torakkii (left) and Rakkii (right) which can be interpreted as To Lucky and Lucky. Torakki's name is a play on the Japanese words for tiger ("tora") and lucky ("rakkii").
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Cheer song: Rokkō Oroshi (六甲颪) "The Wind of Mt. Rokkō"
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Oendan Songs: From 2019, Chance songs begin a 6:54
What's very notable about the Tigers is how their style is old school. Some may say it's slow and boring, but it sticks with the sound of tradition.
===
MLB Comparison: Pre-2004 Boston Red Sox, Pre-2016 Chicago Cubs
The Tigers feel like they're cursed despite being the second most popular team in Japan. Osaka is a rival city of Tokyo and it is reflective in baseball with the Giants and Tigers being the two juggernauts. Only problem is, the Tigers don't have the championships compared to the Red Sox, as they've only won it all once in 1985 despite being around since 1935.
The Curse of Colonel Sanders is a story often told by the Western audience since it can be compared to other cursed sports teams. A statue of Colonel Sanders (yes, the KFC founder) was tossed into the Dotonburi River during a celebration in 1985. However, history shows that it happened when celebrating the 1985 pennant, not the Japan Series championship, which creates more a myth and a fun story than reality.
It wasn't long ago in America when the Red Sox and Cubs were viewed as cursed teams, but since 2004 and 2016, respectively, both sides have been relevant and no longer have this black cloud hanging over them with the former winning three World Series titles since.
A crazy thing in Japanese culture is to be careful of opinions on anything. Many don't want to hear it and it's best to keep negative or strong ones to yourself. However, Tigers fans and media aren't scared to take their frustration out if the team is not doing well.
In Tokyo, it's more likely there's salarymen and people working for someone higher up. In Kansai, it's possible there are more entrepreneurs where they're their own boss and have that freedom to voice what they want. Even in a shareholders meeting regarding Hankyu Hanshin, there was an incidental discussion about why the Tigers weren't doing well with frustration from the investor, financially and emotionally.
The New York media is known to be tough on sports figures in any league and the Kansai media mirrors this more than what's in Tokyo. It's like how the Toronto media is when talking about the Maple Leafs. Kansai's media is indeed a jungle, pun intended.
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Legendary Players:
Fumio Fujimura played for them in the early days of professional baseball and some of his years were a precursor to NPB. He was a great hitter in his day with batting champion titles, an MVP and once held the hits record, better known as "Mr. Tiger".
Minoru Murayama was a great pitcher during the 1960s. With multiple accomplishments of Best IX titles, strikeout leader, wins leader and an MVP award, some argue he is Mr. Tiger.
Yoshio Yoshida was a great shortstop remembered for his defense. He also managed the Tigers to their only championship in 1985.
Takashi Toritani recently departed the Tigers, but will go down in the books as one of the greatest in franchise history being a mainstay on the infield and having durability. He currently has the most hits and games played in franchise history while also holding a streak of 1,939 consecutive games appeared in.
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Notable foreigners who played for the Tigers:
Randy Messenger, Matt Murton, Gene Bacque (One of only two foreign Sawamura Award winners), Randy Bass (Part of the 1985 team), Cecil Fielder, Matt Keough, Tom O'Malley, Seung-Hwan Oh, Ryan Vogelsong
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Notable Tigers who played in MLB:
Tsuyoshi Shinjo, Keiichi Yabu, Kei Igawa, Kyuji Fujikawa, Kosuke Fukudome
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Verdict:
Why you root for them: Because this fanbase is passionate and is an answer to the Yomiuri Giants. There's no question that Tigers fans are loyal and large in numbers all over Japan even though the winning hasn't come. The atmosphere at Koshien Stadium is electric and they play in the grand building of them all.
Best yet, you can get plenty of English coverage of them through @TheHanshinTiger on TheHanshinTigers.com for all resources.
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Why you avoid them: Because the Tigers have futility. Even after winning it all in 1985, the team was forgettable after it until winning a pennant in 2003.
Players who come in get high praise for doing well, but can be trashed on if there is failure with high and irrational expectations by the media. Worst yet, the team is known to have these same high expectations for foreigners and there's been questions on how they're treated.
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2020 Core Four:
P Yuki Nishi, IF Yusuke Oyama, OF Koji Chikamoto, C Ryutaro Umeno
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2020 Foreign players: P Jon Edwards*, P Onelki Garcia, P Joe Gunkel*, P Yen-Ching Lu, P Robert Suarez, IF Justin Bour*, IF Jefry Marte, OF Jerry Sands*
Long term future player: P Kosuke Baba and IF Seiya Kinami
Both players weren't exactly young when drafted, but the long term future will hinge on both of them. Baba already has No. 18 assigned to him, which should be the overarching goal of the team's ace. Kinami saw a lot of time last season give his experience as a shakaijin rookie. While his upside isn't as high as a high school draft pick, he's expected to be an infield mainstay.
MLB Potential: Any foreign pitcher
Last year, Pierce Johnson was able to capitalize on his success as a middle reliever and signed a two-year deal with the San Diego Padres. Rafael Dolis also earned a contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. It's possible that one of the Tigers pitchers does well enough to come back to North America in 2021 or 2022.
Domestically speaking, it's all about potential while these players are unproven. Yusuke Oyama has expectations while recent high school draft pick Junya Nishi. However, this is all based on talent projections and no certainty.
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2020 Expectations:
The Tigers are coming off a surprise third place finish in what was supposed to be a rebuilding season. Itoi is getting old among the core players and it's showing in his defense, but the offense needs to take another step forward to establish themselves as a top three team. Koji Chikamoto had a successful rookie year, but does he have a sophomore slump?
By doing well a year ahead of schedule, are they prone to fall back towards the middle? The losses of Pierce Johnson and Rafael Dolis will be something they need to replace out of the bullpen.
Starting pitching has pieces like Kosuke Baba to succeed in the long run, but the bullpen will need to find a bridge to close it out. Kyuji Fujikawa is also coming off a career year of results even though his walk rate is a reason for concern. Was last year's run with a great bullpen fluky like 2017?
This offseason, the Tigers signed several import players and not all of them can be at the ichi-gun at once. Jefry Marte returns, but has plenty of competition behind him. Justin Bour, Jerry Sands (coming off a dominant KBO stretch) are among the position players added while Robert Suarez and Joe Gunkel and Jon Edwards are the new pitchers. They already have Yen-Ching Lu and Onelki Garcia returning. The foreign logjam should be an interesting puzzle for the year.
The Tigers can go anywhere from first to fifth place. It would take some serious injuries and bad luck to be a last place squad. They will need everything to go right in order to come in first, but I expect a solid team to go through growing pains under second-year skipper Akihiro Yano while still being respectful.
Personal expectation: Second place
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Yokohama DeNA Baystars (横浜DeNAベイスターズ)
The Yokohama (DeNA) Baystars were originally owned by the Taiyo since the 1930s as an amateur team. They became a professional team in 1950 and had their longstanding name of Taiyo Whales for only three seasons from 1950-1952. After having different ownerships and titles from Yosho Robins and Shochiku Robins, they went back to being Taiyo Whale from 1955-1977.
The location of Yokohama was added in 1978 before they became Yokohama Baystars in 1993 with ownership changes prior to that year. Eventually, DeNA purchased the team in 2011 and they've been called Yokohama DeNA Baystars ever since. The Baystars name comes from the Yokohama Bay Bridge.
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Ownership: DeNA
DeNA (pronounced like DNA) is most well-known for making games on any mobile devices. They are also partnered with Nintendo and many more. Other services include internet shopping, e-commerce, advertising and global business.
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2020 Payroll rank: 6
The Baystars used to be near the bottom, but recent success has forced them to give raises to several players while also maintaining some imports.
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Location/Stadium: Yokohama Stadium in Yokohama, Kanagawa
Yokohama is south of Tokyo, but still in the Kanto region. It's the second largest city in Japan behind Tokyo itself. With Yokohama being on the coast, it was a port for trade and foreign ships would come in all the time.
In many ways, it was a gate to open things up for the USA and Japan. Yokohama was also the site of the final game in the 2002 World Cup between Brazil and Germany. It's home to Nissan's headquarters as well as a decent-sized Chinese population being home to their Chinatown.
Yokohama Stadium is in the heart of the city and there are plenty of things to do in the area. Access is easy with Kannai Station covering the Negishi and Yokohama lines via JR and the Blue Line Yokohama Subway. The Minato Mirai line also goes to Nihon Odori Station to the North.
With recent renovations taking place, Yokohama Stadium is a bandbox ballpark in NPB, making it easy to hit a home run. With 94 meters (308.4 ft) at the edge of left and right field, the ball can easily reach the crowd. It's a hitter's heaven, or a pitcher's nightmare.
Victor Starffin was an ethnic Russian who starred in pre-NPB days of professional baseball in Japan. He was an accomplished pitcher during the dead ball era.
Eiji Sawamura was a young pitcher who was dominant before NPB existed. He has an award named after him for being a top pitching honor, however, it is not the Cy Young equivalent of Japan. The Sawamura award is more of a tributary honor given to a pitcher who resembles him statistically as pitchers need to reach certain thresholds of categories.
Shinnosuke Abe recently retired, but was one of the most accomplished catcher in NPB as he reached the 2,000 career hits mark. He was a big reason for some of their success in the 21st century.
===
Notable foreigners who played for the Kyojin:
Miles Mikolas, Wally Yonamine (once a former San Francisco 49ers running back), Davey Johnson, Scott Mathieson, Warren Cromartie, Jesse Barfield and Gabe Kapler
===
Notable Giants who played in MLB:
Hideki Matsui, Koji Uehara, Hideki Okajima
Currently, Shun Yamaguchi is on the Toronto Blue Jays.
===
The Verdict:
Why you root for them: You enjoy being the villain and the original empire of Japanese baseball. They rarely miss the postseason and continue to be contenders. In Japan, their coverage is easy to find with their games being available in several prefectures far from Tokyo as the "National Team." Even their irregular home games can be in areas that don't make geographical sense.
===
Why you avoid them: Because they're commonly called the Yankees of Japan. They get so much coverage in Japan that it's annoying and could lead to a revolt the other way. The Giants also have media power and control over baseball in Japan, making their conservative ways reducing progressiveness.
In previous years, they've shown signs of elitism because they're the Giants. Players have refused to play for any other team except the Giants when drafted while they can cover up any shady scandals if they have that information. Historically, they never post players and will have to wait until they hit international free agency (9 years of service time) in order to come to North America. Yamaguchi ended up being a first posting in franchise history as they fulfilled a promise when he was signed as a domestic free agent.
===
2020 Core Four: OF Yoshihiru Maru, 1B Kazuma Okamoto, SS Hayato Sakamoto, P Tomoyuki Sugano
2020 Foreign players: P Rubby De La Rosa*, P C.C. Mercedes, P Angel Sanchez*, P Thyago Viera*, P Nattino Diplan**, OF Gerardo Parra*
**Diplan is a promoted developmental player from within
Long term future player: P Yuki Takahashi
Takahashi saw a decent amount of starts in 2019 and looks to build off his first professional season. He may not have ace expectations, but should be the long term rotation option going forward.
MLB Potential: P Tomoyuki Sugano
You may be familiar with Sugano through the 2017 WBC when he saw Team USA in the Semi-Final matchup. Sugano has had a lot of hype over the years and there's speculation the Giants will post him after the 2020 season. Keep in mind, they don't historically post players until this past offseason where Shun Yamaguchi became a rare exception.
Sugano has definitely wanted to go to MLB. However, the Giants are known to holding onto players until they reach international free agency. He'll be in his early 30s by the time he comes across and can still be useful, but will have mid-rotation expectations by the time he goes to MLB.
===
2020 Expectations:
This is a team coming off their first pennant since 2014. After having a significant drought by their standards, it's likely the old empire is back to their ways. With an extra farm team, they've able to develop more players and have the resources to come back even when down.
Tomoyuki Sugano is the most notable pitcher on the team, though he came off a down 2019 season. Other pitchers like Kazuto Taguchi, Toshiki Sakurai and Yuki Takahashi has questionable seasons, but they're expected to take the next step or rebound from last year.
Offense is their biggest strength with veterans Maru and Sakamoto carrying the load. Okamoto should continue to provide the power and it won't hurt if new import signing Gerardo Parra can contribute right way.
With this resurgence in 2019, there is no reason to think they can't come in first place again.
Personal expectation: First Place
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Hanshin Tigers (阪神タイガース)
The Hanshin (阪神) Tigers have been around since 1935, being the other primary team in Japan besides the Yomiuri Giants. They had stints of being called the "Osaka Tigers" before being named Hanshin Tigers in 1961 and sticking with that title ever since.
===
Ownership: Hanshin Electric Railway
Hanshin is part of a bigger conglomerate known as Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group, but the title of Hanshin (阪神) is very direct in relation to the cities of Osaka and Kobe, taking part of their Kanji and merging the two. While some words have homophones and homonyms, 阪神 can also read as Hanshin.
In this case, Hanshin Electric Railway is the train company that has a railway connecting both cities in the Kansai region. Their cap logo's "T" has a hammer, in reference to the railroad.
Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group owns several things from department stores, hotels and banks. The Toho portion is best known for Japanese film production and distribution. Maybe you're familiar with Godzilla and Studio Ghibli? They own these rights.
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2020 Payroll Rank: 4
The Tigers are typically known for spending big and can usually be in the upper tier of payroll rankings. They're able to pay decent money for first-year imports as well as being able to keep the good players around while not letting anyone significant walk in free agency, assuming he's still in his prime.
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Location/Stadium: Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyogo
The Tigers cover the Kansai region which goes from Kyoto in the East to Kobe in the West. Nishinomiya, the home of Koshien Stadium, is actually a suburb of the area as it's right between the hubs of Kobe and Osaka, nearly the middle point.
For anime fans, this area is also known as the home of Haruhi Suzumiya.
This stadium was home to several exhibitions when MLB players would take a tour of Japan. There is a plaque commemorating Babe Ruth setting foot in this building from the 1930s.
===
Mascots: Torakkii (left) and Rakkii (right) which can be interpreted as To Lucky and Lucky. Torakki's name is a play on the Japanese words for tiger ("tora") and lucky ("rakkii").
===
Cheer song: Rokkō Oroshi (六甲颪) "The Wind of Mt. Rokkō"
This is the Hanshin Tigers victory song after a win and it's also heard after a score. It isn't what you'll hear during Lucky 7 in Koshien, but it is used on the road.
With this being the oldest cheer song, you can listen to several versions including an old recording here. A more modern version (with celebrities singing) can be found here.
In Koshien Stadium, a short instrumental melody plays before balloons are released.
===
Oendan Songs: From 2019, Chance songs begin a 6:54
What's very notable about the Tigers is how their style is old school. Some may say it's slow and boring, but it sticks with the sound of tradition.
===
MLB Comparison: Pre-2004 Boston Red Sox, Pre-2016 Chicago Cubs
The Tigers feel like they're cursed despite being the second most popular team in Japan. Osaka is a rival city of Tokyo and it is reflective in baseball with the Giants and Tigers being the two juggernauts. Only problem is, the Tigers don't have the championships compared to the Red Sox, as they've only won it all once in 1985 despite being around since 1935.
The Curse of Colonel Sanders is a story often told by the Western audience since it can be compared to other cursed sports teams. A statue of Colonel Sanders (yes, the KFC founder) was tossed into the Dotonburi River during a celebration in 1985. However, history shows that it happened when celebrating the 1985 pennant, not the Japan Series championship, which creates more a myth and a fun story than reality.
It wasn't long ago in America when the Red Sox and Cubs were viewed as cursed teams, but since 2004 and 2016, respectively, both sides have been relevant and no longer have this black cloud hanging over them with the former winning three World Series titles since.
A crazy thing in Japanese culture is to be careful of opinions on anything. Many don't want to hear it and it's best to keep negative or strong ones to yourself. However, Tigers fans and media aren't scared to take their frustration out if the team is not doing well.
In Tokyo, it's more likely there's salarymen and people working for someone higher up. In Kansai, it's possible there are more entrepreneurs where they're their own boss and have that freedom to voice what they want. Even in a shareholders meeting regarding Hankyu Hanshin, there was an incidental discussion about why the Tigers weren't doing well with frustration from the investor, financially and emotionally.
The New York media is known to be tough on sports figures in any league and the Kansai media mirrors this more than what's in Tokyo. It's like how the Toronto media is when talking about the Maple Leafs. Kansai's media is indeed a jungle, pun intended.
===
Legendary Players:
Fumio Fujimura played for them in the early days of professional baseball and some of his years were a precursor to NPB. He was a great hitter in his day with batting champion titles, an MVP and once held the hits record, better known as "Mr. Tiger".
Minoru Murayama was a great pitcher during the 1960s. With multiple accomplishments of Best IX titles, strikeout leader, wins leader and an MVP award, some argue he is Mr. Tiger.
Yoshio Yoshida was a great shortstop remembered for his defense. He also managed the Tigers to their only championship in 1985.
Takashi Toritani recently departed the Tigers, but will go down in the books as one of the greatest in franchise history being a mainstay on the infield and having durability. He currently has the most hits and games played in franchise history while also holding a streak of 1,939 consecutive games appeared in.
===
Notable foreigners who played for the Tigers:
Randy Messenger, Matt Murton, Gene Bacque (One of only two foreign Sawamura Award winners), Randy Bass (Part of the 1985 team), Cecil Fielder, Matt Keough, Tom O'Malley, Seung-Hwan Oh, Ryan Vogelsong
===
Notable Tigers who played in MLB:
Tsuyoshi Shinjo, Keiichi Yabu, Kei Igawa, Kyuji Fujikawa, Kosuke Fukudome
===
Verdict:
Why you root for them: Because this fanbase is passionate and is an answer to the Yomiuri Giants. There's no question that Tigers fans are loyal and large in numbers all over Japan even though the winning hasn't come. The atmosphere at Koshien Stadium is electric and they play in the grand building of them all.
Best yet, you can get plenty of English coverage of them through @TheHanshinTiger on TheHanshinTigers.com for all resources.
===
Why you avoid them: Because the Tigers have futility. Even after winning it all in 1985, the team was forgettable after it until winning a pennant in 2003.
Players who come in get high praise for doing well, but can be trashed on if there is failure with high and irrational expectations by the media. Worst yet, the team is known to have these same high expectations for foreigners and there's been questions on how they're treated.
===
2020 Core Four:
P Yuki Nishi, IF Yusuke Oyama, OF Koji Chikamoto, C Ryutaro Umeno
===
2020 Foreign players: P Jon Edwards*, P Onelki Garcia, P Joe Gunkel*, P Yen-Ching Lu, P Robert Suarez, IF Justin Bour*, IF Jefry Marte, OF Jerry Sands*
Long term future player: P Kosuke Baba and IF Seiya Kinami
Both players weren't exactly young when drafted, but the long term future will hinge on both of them. Baba already has No. 18 assigned to him, which should be the overarching goal of the team's ace. Kinami saw a lot of time last season give his experience as a shakaijin rookie. While his upside isn't as high as a high school draft pick, he's expected to be an infield mainstay.
MLB Potential: Any foreign pitcher
Last year, Pierce Johnson was able to capitalize on his success as a middle reliever and signed a two-year deal with the San Diego Padres. Rafael Dolis also earned a contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. It's possible that one of the Tigers pitchers does well enough to come back to North America in 2021 or 2022.
Domestically speaking, it's all about potential while these players are unproven. Yusuke Oyama has expectations while recent high school draft pick Junya Nishi. However, this is all based on talent projections and no certainty.
===
2020 Expectations:
The Tigers are coming off a surprise third place finish in what was supposed to be a rebuilding season. Itoi is getting old among the core players and it's showing in his defense, but the offense needs to take another step forward to establish themselves as a top three team. Koji Chikamoto had a successful rookie year, but does he have a sophomore slump?
By doing well a year ahead of schedule, are they prone to fall back towards the middle? The losses of Pierce Johnson and Rafael Dolis will be something they need to replace out of the bullpen.
Starting pitching has pieces like Kosuke Baba to succeed in the long run, but the bullpen will need to find a bridge to close it out. Kyuji Fujikawa is also coming off a career year of results even though his walk rate is a reason for concern. Was last year's run with a great bullpen fluky like 2017?
This offseason, the Tigers signed several import players and not all of them can be at the ichi-gun at once. Jefry Marte returns, but has plenty of competition behind him. Justin Bour, Jerry Sands (coming off a dominant KBO stretch) are among the position players added while Robert Suarez and Joe Gunkel and Jon Edwards are the new pitchers. They already have Yen-Ching Lu and Onelki Garcia returning. The foreign logjam should be an interesting puzzle for the year.
The Tigers can go anywhere from first to fifth place. It would take some serious injuries and bad luck to be a last place squad. They will need everything to go right in order to come in first, but I expect a solid team to go through growing pains under second-year skipper Akihiro Yano while still being respectful.
Personal expectation: Second place
===
Yokohama DeNA Baystars (横浜DeNAベイスターズ)
The Yokohama (DeNA) Baystars were originally owned by the Taiyo since the 1930s as an amateur team. They became a professional team in 1950 and had their longstanding name of Taiyo Whales for only three seasons from 1950-1952. After having different ownerships and titles from Yosho Robins and Shochiku Robins, they went back to being Taiyo Whale from 1955-1977.
The location of Yokohama was added in 1978 before they became Yokohama Baystars in 1993 with ownership changes prior to that year. Eventually, DeNA purchased the team in 2011 and they've been called Yokohama DeNA Baystars ever since. The Baystars name comes from the Yokohama Bay Bridge.
===
Ownership: DeNA
DeNA (pronounced like DNA) is most well-known for making games on any mobile devices. They are also partnered with Nintendo and many more. Other services include internet shopping, e-commerce, advertising and global business.
===
2020 Payroll rank: 6
The Baystars used to be near the bottom, but recent success has forced them to give raises to several players while also maintaining some imports.
===
Location/Stadium: Yokohama Stadium in Yokohama, Kanagawa
Yokohama is south of Tokyo, but still in the Kanto region. It's the second largest city in Japan behind Tokyo itself. With Yokohama being on the coast, it was a port for trade and foreign ships would come in all the time.
In many ways, it was a gate to open things up for the USA and Japan. Yokohama was also the site of the final game in the 2002 World Cup between Brazil and Germany. It's home to Nissan's headquarters as well as a decent-sized Chinese population being home to their Chinatown.
Yokohama Stadium is in the heart of the city and there are plenty of things to do in the area. Access is easy with Kannai Station covering the Negishi and Yokohama lines via JR and the Blue Line Yokohama Subway. The Minato Mirai line also goes to Nihon Odori Station to the North.
With recent renovations taking place, Yokohama Stadium is a bandbox ballpark in NPB, making it easy to hit a home run. With 94 meters (308.4 ft) at the edge of left and right field, the ball can easily reach the crowd. It's a hitter's heaven, or a pitcher's nightmare.
===
Mascots: DB Starman
DB Starman might look like a cat with a star face, but it's a hamster, with the title being a play on words. “Hamster” is pronounced hamasutaa in Japanese. "Hama" comes from YokoHAMA, and "sutaa" is from STAR, with the Japanese pronunciation of the English word "star" being sutaa. When combined, this sounds very similar to the Japanese pronunciation of hamster, although the spelling in Japanese is different.
Mascots: DB Starman
DB Starman might look like a cat with a star face, but it's a hamster, with the title being a play on words. “Hamster” is pronounced hamasutaa in Japanese. "Hama" comes from YokoHAMA, and "sutaa" is from STAR, with the Japanese pronunciation of the English word "star" being sutaa. When combined, this sounds very similar to the Japanese pronunciation of hamster, although the spelling in Japanese is different.
===
Cheer song: "Atsuki hoshi-tachi yo" (熱き星たちよ) "Passionate Star"
===
Ōendan Songs: Chance songs featured at 5:55
===
MLB Comparison: Toronto Blue Jays / Baltimore Orioles
The Baystars offensive numbers are inflated thanks to the home run reputation of Yokohama Stadium, bringing a reminder to the Rogers Centre and Camden Yards. Like the Blue Jays and Orioles, the Baystars had their lean years as well for a lengthy time, not playing a postseason game from 1999-2015.
However, a recent resurgence and a good rebuild in the 2010s decade has led to relevance, including a Japan Series appearance in 2017. This is similar to the Orioles and Blue Jays, having some championships in history, but usually being a spark for a short span before competing with bigger teams like the Tigers and Giants being in the way.
===
Legendary players:
Masaji Hiramitsu was a famous pitcher during the 1970s of the Whale years.
Makoto Matsubara was a constant infielder throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
Takuro Ishii was a star infielder in the early years of the Baystars era.
Motonobu Tanishige has the all-time record of games played and began the front end of his career with the Baystars.
Daisuke Miura recently retired and was there at the start of the Baystars era as the team's ace. As a "Bancho", he's remembered as the boss.
===
Notable foreign players:
Alex Ramirez (as a player, but also serves as the current manager, Jim Tracy (as a a Taiyo Whale), Leon Lee (As a Taiyo Whale), Bobby Rose, Glenn Braggs
Notable players who played in MLB:
Tomokazu Ohka, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Takashi Saito
Yoshitomo Tsutsugo recently signed with the Tampa Bay Rays
===
Verdict:
Why you root for them: Because the Baystars a likable underdog story with a foreign manager in Ramirez calling the shots. Home runs are your favorite way of scoring? You won't have trouble liking the Baystars and their power hitting stats. Some home runs can soar and even leave the ballpark. Yokohama is also not far from Tokyo while still being its own Kanto city. What's impressive is how the team's popularity has risen in recent years.
Why you avoid them: The Baystars are an inconsistent team known to be a loser for most of their history. They can follow up an eight game win streak followed by an eight game losing streak. Offense will sputter or be red hot, a tradeoff that can feel frustrating.
===
2020 Foreign players: P Edwin Escobar, P Spencer Patton, P Michael Peoples*, IF Tyler Austin*, IF Jose Lopez, IF Neftali Soto
Long term future player: IF Keito Mori
The Baystars went outside the box last October in the draft going for Mori, one of the most talented infielders in the class. He's viewed as a well-rounded shortstop and is supposed to be there for the future.
MLB Potential: P Shota Imanaga
Imanaga has been solid outside of his down season of 2018. After working in Australia during the winter that year, he had a rebound 2019 season. With scouts enjoying left-handed pitching, he has potential to be a No. 2 pitcher at best the sooner he's posted. If older, he can be a back-end starter. There's no indication he wants to go, but that could change with time.
2020 Core Four:
P Shota Imanaga, P Haruhiro Hamaguchi, IF Neftali Soto, IF Toshiro Miyazaki
===
2020 Expectations:
The Baystars were a frustrating group, but got red hot in the second half to secure a second place finish. It only ended on a disappointing Climax Series exit to the Hanshin Tigers, who have had their number in recent years.
Even though Tsutsugo is gone and Katsuki Azuma is lost to Tommy John surgery, the Baystars still have a solid pitching staff to build around with Imanaga and Hamaguchi leading the way. Taiga Kamichatani had a decent rookie year, but could have a sophomore slump. Of course no one is more reliable than Yasuaki Yamasaki as the closer.
Offense is extremely home run dependent with Soto and well-known import Jose Lopez combining for 74 of them. They'll need better offense from the infield, specifically at shortstop with the hopes of Yuikya Ito being a contributor. As a manager, Ramirez is known to aggressively micromanage and try to find all advantages, but results are a mixed bag.
If recent import signings Tyler Austin and Michael Peoples can stay at the ichi-gun, they're in good shape. If not, the Baystars take a step backwards. I felt their 2019 had fluke written all over it, but the consensus feels that they can go anywhere on the board from first to fifth place.
I think they'll have some bad luck after good luck last season.
Personal Expectation: Fifth Place
===
The Hiroshima (広島) Toyo Carp were established in 1950, five years removed from the historic atomic bomb that rocked the city. While Carp is a generic term for a fish, it's name comes from the Hiroshima Castle known as "Rijo." The Toyo name isn't used as frequently when talking about the team.
===
Ownership: Matsuda family and Mazda
===
Payroll rank: 5th
The Carp are notorious for being penny pinchers operating as a small market team. Recent winning and success has led to an increase in raises, but they don't historically sign free agents outside of foreigners.
They're good at developing homegrown talent and staying course, something that can be respected. Currently, a small amount of money separates the 5-11 spots in payroll rankings.
===
Location/Stadium: Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium in Minami Ward, Hiroshima
Hiroshima is pretty famous for the location of the first atomic bomb during WWII. It is known as a city of peace today with a building standing as part of a memorial. The Itsukushima Shrine pictured above is another well-regarded site. Their "stacked" style of Okonomiyaki is also a favorite.
Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium is the newest park in NPB. Completed in 2009, it offers a view of the hills and elevated cheer sections with the visitors being closer to third base instead of the outfield. JR can go to Hiroshima Station in the West or Tenjingawa Station in the East. Fans can also take a tram to Matoba-Cho Station or Enkobashi-Cho Station on the Hiroden from the Western direction.
Mascots: SLYLY
While some will think this is a copycat carbon copy of the Phillie Phanatic, they actually have the same creator, or "parent". Therefore, these two are related in some way. Siblings? Cousins? Your choice.
Cheer song: Soreike kāpu それ行けカープ "Let's Go Carp"
In the 7th inning, the Carp will play a celebrity singing version as heard here for 2020. A throwback/retro mix is included here, in honor of 70 years.
Ōendan Songs: Special themes and chance songs begins at 8:37
What's noted is the Carp style in cheer, where fans will stand up/sit down in an ordered manner.
===
MLB Comparison: Cincinnati Reds / Pittsburgh Pirates / Milwaukee Brewers
The Carp are a small market team, no way around it. They've had their relevance, specifically in the 1980s, but it took awhile to be a postseason team again in 2014. In recent years, the talent they've stocked up and developed has flourished.
Liked the Pirates, Brewers and Reds, these small markets teams will stints of being good, but historically, they could be forgotten when comparing championships to the rest.
What's unique about the Carp is how they have an academy in the Dominican Republic where players can work their way up to the team. Alfonso Soriano is the most famous of the bunch, starting his career in Hiroshima before signing with the New York Yankees.
Legendary players:
The late Sachio Kinugasa was known to be an iron man and played in 2,215 consecutive games. As seen above, he was there when Cal Ripkin Jr. broke his record as well as being above Lou Gehrig's 2,130. He was durable enough to last into thee 1980s and be a Central League MVP during the 1984 season.
Koji Yamamoto also played for the Carp when Kinugasa was there and had four consecutive seasons with at least 40 home runs. He even dons the nickname of "Mr. Red Helmet".
===
Notable foreign players: Alfonso Soriano, Colby Lewis, Richie Scheinblum, Gail Hopkins, Brad Eldred, Bryan Bullington (formerly a first overall draft pick)
Notable players who played in MLB: Hiroki Kuroda, Kenta Maeda, Ken Takahashi
===
Verdict:
Why you root for them: They have a fresh stadium while also being a large fan base when it comes to attendance. Small market? You wouldn't think that way when it comes to fans being at home and away games, taking over several venues. A unique and loud cheering style while having a competitive team doesn't hurt.
Why you avoid them: Demand. Getting tickets to a Carp game is very hard, as they disappear the moment they're released. The Carp are also very exclusive with how they're marketed in preference to being a small market versus expanding their base with limited edition goods that also vanish quickly for the local fans.
Worse yet, they don't even have a social media presence on any platform, including being without something as basic as LINE in Japan. Access will not be easy and it will require a devotion in order to get the full experience.
On the field, they have the longest Japan Series drought in the league being stuck on 1984, only one year earlier than the Hanshin Tigers. While recent postseason appearances is a good sign, this black cloud of no title in awhile still hangs over the franchise.
===
2020 Foreign players: P D.J. Johnson*, P Geronimo Franzua, P Kris Johnson, P Tayler Scott*, IF Alejandro Mejia**, OF Jose Pirela
**Mejia was once a developmental player who was grown in their Dominican Republic Academy.
Long term future player: C Shosei Nakamura
Nakamura has some extreme hype as a catcher and is viewed as a backstop of the future. Scouts liked his ability to hit and his home ties to Hiroshima made him an instant fan favorite. He is only 21 years old, but could get some time this year, though he is blocked by Tsubasa Aizawa.
MLB Potential: OF Seiya Suzuki
Seiya Suzuki is the best hitting position player in Japan. Very well-rounded and able to hit anything thrown at him. There hasn't been indications he wants to leave, but his talent shows he could make it to MLB if he left.
2020 Core Four: OF Seiya Suzuki, P Daichi Osera, P Kris Johnson, 2B Ryosuke Kikuchi
2020 Expectations:
Offensive issues led to a disappointing fourth place finish and a change in manager with Koichi Ogata out and Shinji Sasaoka being promoted from pitching coach.
It's possible the best days are behind them when Maru left for the Giants, but the homegrown talent can still compete. Ryoma Nishikawa is a solid player while Kosuke Tanaka should rebound from a forgettable 2019. They still have speed and defense, but the pop outside of Suzuki is lacking. They're hoping the homegrown Alejandro Mejia and new signing Jose Pirela can contribute.
Starting pitching shouldn't be an issue when you can assume Ryosuke Nomura can have a better year and Akitake Okada can be healthy. On paper, the bullpen should be decent, but relievers can always be ticking time bombs with a bad year following a decent one.
Most of the media sees the Carp as a top three squad and it took a strange fluke to get bounced on the last week. I mostly agree with this and given the competition, they'll should be a postseason team, assuming there is a Climax Series.
Personal Expectation: Third place
===
The Chunichi (中日) Dragons have been around since 1936 as a professional team, but had multiple nicknames including "Nagoya Dragons" in their history. They've kept the title of Chunichi Dragons since 1954. The Dragons were the same team featured in the movie "Mr. Baseball."
===
For those wanting the Pacific League Edition, you can click here.
===
Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall
Cheer song: "Atsuki hoshi-tachi yo" (熱き星たちよ) "Passionate Star"
Ōendan Songs: Chance songs featured at 5:55
===
MLB Comparison: Toronto Blue Jays / Baltimore Orioles
The Baystars offensive numbers are inflated thanks to the home run reputation of Yokohama Stadium, bringing a reminder to the Rogers Centre and Camden Yards. Like the Blue Jays and Orioles, the Baystars had their lean years as well for a lengthy time, not playing a postseason game from 1999-2015.
However, a recent resurgence and a good rebuild in the 2010s decade has led to relevance, including a Japan Series appearance in 2017. This is similar to the Orioles and Blue Jays, having some championships in history, but usually being a spark for a short span before competing with bigger teams like the Tigers and Giants being in the way.
===
Legendary players:
Masaji Hiramitsu was a famous pitcher during the 1970s of the Whale years.
Makoto Matsubara was a constant infielder throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
Takuro Ishii was a star infielder in the early years of the Baystars era.
Motonobu Tanishige has the all-time record of games played and began the front end of his career with the Baystars.
Daisuke Miura recently retired and was there at the start of the Baystars era as the team's ace. As a "Bancho", he's remembered as the boss.
===
Notable foreign players:
Alex Ramirez (as a player, but also serves as the current manager, Jim Tracy (as a a Taiyo Whale), Leon Lee (As a Taiyo Whale), Bobby Rose, Glenn Braggs
Notable players who played in MLB:
Tomokazu Ohka, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Takashi Saito
Yoshitomo Tsutsugo recently signed with the Tampa Bay Rays
===
Verdict:
Why you root for them: Because the Baystars a likable underdog story with a foreign manager in Ramirez calling the shots. Home runs are your favorite way of scoring? You won't have trouble liking the Baystars and their power hitting stats. Some home runs can soar and even leave the ballpark. Yokohama is also not far from Tokyo while still being its own Kanto city. What's impressive is how the team's popularity has risen in recent years.
Why you avoid them: The Baystars are an inconsistent team known to be a loser for most of their history. They can follow up an eight game win streak followed by an eight game losing streak. Offense will sputter or be red hot, a tradeoff that can feel frustrating.
===
2020 Foreign players: P Edwin Escobar, P Spencer Patton, P Michael Peoples*, IF Tyler Austin*, IF Jose Lopez, IF Neftali Soto
Long term future player: IF Keito Mori
The Baystars went outside the box last October in the draft going for Mori, one of the most talented infielders in the class. He's viewed as a well-rounded shortstop and is supposed to be there for the future.
MLB Potential: P Shota Imanaga
Imanaga has been solid outside of his down season of 2018. After working in Australia during the winter that year, he had a rebound 2019 season. With scouts enjoying left-handed pitching, he has potential to be a No. 2 pitcher at best the sooner he's posted. If older, he can be a back-end starter. There's no indication he wants to go, but that could change with time.
2020 Core Four:
P Shota Imanaga, P Haruhiro Hamaguchi, IF Neftali Soto, IF Toshiro Miyazaki
===
2020 Expectations:
The Baystars were a frustrating group, but got red hot in the second half to secure a second place finish. It only ended on a disappointing Climax Series exit to the Hanshin Tigers, who have had their number in recent years.
Even though Tsutsugo is gone and Katsuki Azuma is lost to Tommy John surgery, the Baystars still have a solid pitching staff to build around with Imanaga and Hamaguchi leading the way. Taiga Kamichatani had a decent rookie year, but could have a sophomore slump. Of course no one is more reliable than Yasuaki Yamasaki as the closer.
Offense is extremely home run dependent with Soto and well-known import Jose Lopez combining for 74 of them. They'll need better offense from the infield, specifically at shortstop with the hopes of Yuikya Ito being a contributor. As a manager, Ramirez is known to aggressively micromanage and try to find all advantages, but results are a mixed bag.
If recent import signings Tyler Austin and Michael Peoples can stay at the ichi-gun, they're in good shape. If not, the Baystars take a step backwards. I felt their 2019 had fluke written all over it, but the consensus feels that they can go anywhere on the board from first to fifth place.
I think they'll have some bad luck after good luck last season.
Personal Expectation: Fifth Place
===
Hiroshima Toyo Carp (広島東洋カープ)
The Hiroshima (広島) Toyo Carp were established in 1950, five years removed from the historic atomic bomb that rocked the city. While Carp is a generic term for a fish, it's name comes from the Hiroshima Castle known as "Rijo." The Toyo name isn't used as frequently when talking about the team.
===
Ownership: Matsuda family and Mazda
The Matsuda family is a descendant of the founder of the car company known as Mazda. With the family being majority owners over the car company, they have the city and prefecture title of "Hiroshima" in their name first.
"Toyo" is the former name of Mazda, which originated in 1927 and had that name until its current title in 1984. Mazda itself was also found in Hiroshima and it was partnered with Ford for several decades until 2015.
===
Payroll rank: 5th
The Carp are notorious for being penny pinchers operating as a small market team. Recent winning and success has led to an increase in raises, but they don't historically sign free agents outside of foreigners.
They're good at developing homegrown talent and staying course, something that can be respected. Currently, a small amount of money separates the 5-11 spots in payroll rankings.
===
Location/Stadium: Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium in Minami Ward, Hiroshima
Hiroshima is pretty famous for the location of the first atomic bomb during WWII. It is known as a city of peace today with a building standing as part of a memorial. The Itsukushima Shrine pictured above is another well-regarded site. Their "stacked" style of Okonomiyaki is also a favorite.
Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium is the newest park in NPB. Completed in 2009, it offers a view of the hills and elevated cheer sections with the visitors being closer to third base instead of the outfield. JR can go to Hiroshima Station in the West or Tenjingawa Station in the East. Fans can also take a tram to Matoba-Cho Station or Enkobashi-Cho Station on the Hiroden from the Western direction.
Mascots: SLYLY
While some will think this is a copycat carbon copy of the Phillie Phanatic, they actually have the same creator, or "parent". Therefore, these two are related in some way. Siblings? Cousins? Your choice.
Cheer song: Soreike kāpu それ行けカープ "Let's Go Carp"
Ōendan Songs: Special themes and chance songs begins at 8:37
What's noted is the Carp style in cheer, where fans will stand up/sit down in an ordered manner.
===
MLB Comparison: Cincinnati Reds / Pittsburgh Pirates / Milwaukee Brewers
The Carp are a small market team, no way around it. They've had their relevance, specifically in the 1980s, but it took awhile to be a postseason team again in 2014. In recent years, the talent they've stocked up and developed has flourished.
Liked the Pirates, Brewers and Reds, these small markets teams will stints of being good, but historically, they could be forgotten when comparing championships to the rest.
What's unique about the Carp is how they have an academy in the Dominican Republic where players can work their way up to the team. Alfonso Soriano is the most famous of the bunch, starting his career in Hiroshima before signing with the New York Yankees.
Legendary players:
The late Sachio Kinugasa was known to be an iron man and played in 2,215 consecutive games. As seen above, he was there when Cal Ripkin Jr. broke his record as well as being above Lou Gehrig's 2,130. He was durable enough to last into thee 1980s and be a Central League MVP during the 1984 season.
Koji Yamamoto also played for the Carp when Kinugasa was there and had four consecutive seasons with at least 40 home runs. He even dons the nickname of "Mr. Red Helmet".
===
Notable foreign players: Alfonso Soriano, Colby Lewis, Richie Scheinblum, Gail Hopkins, Brad Eldred, Bryan Bullington (formerly a first overall draft pick)
Notable players who played in MLB: Hiroki Kuroda, Kenta Maeda, Ken Takahashi
===
Verdict:
Why you root for them: They have a fresh stadium while also being a large fan base when it comes to attendance. Small market? You wouldn't think that way when it comes to fans being at home and away games, taking over several venues. A unique and loud cheering style while having a competitive team doesn't hurt.
Why you avoid them: Demand. Getting tickets to a Carp game is very hard, as they disappear the moment they're released. The Carp are also very exclusive with how they're marketed in preference to being a small market versus expanding their base with limited edition goods that also vanish quickly for the local fans.
Worse yet, they don't even have a social media presence on any platform, including being without something as basic as LINE in Japan. Access will not be easy and it will require a devotion in order to get the full experience.
On the field, they have the longest Japan Series drought in the league being stuck on 1984, only one year earlier than the Hanshin Tigers. While recent postseason appearances is a good sign, this black cloud of no title in awhile still hangs over the franchise.
===
2020 Foreign players: P D.J. Johnson*, P Geronimo Franzua, P Kris Johnson, P Tayler Scott*, IF Alejandro Mejia**, OF Jose Pirela
**Mejia was once a developmental player who was grown in their Dominican Republic Academy.
Long term future player: C Shosei Nakamura
Nakamura has some extreme hype as a catcher and is viewed as a backstop of the future. Scouts liked his ability to hit and his home ties to Hiroshima made him an instant fan favorite. He is only 21 years old, but could get some time this year, though he is blocked by Tsubasa Aizawa.
MLB Potential: OF Seiya Suzuki
Seiya Suzuki is the best hitting position player in Japan. Very well-rounded and able to hit anything thrown at him. There hasn't been indications he wants to leave, but his talent shows he could make it to MLB if he left.
2020 Core Four: OF Seiya Suzuki, P Daichi Osera, P Kris Johnson, 2B Ryosuke Kikuchi
2020 Expectations:
Offensive issues led to a disappointing fourth place finish and a change in manager with Koichi Ogata out and Shinji Sasaoka being promoted from pitching coach.
It's possible the best days are behind them when Maru left for the Giants, but the homegrown talent can still compete. Ryoma Nishikawa is a solid player while Kosuke Tanaka should rebound from a forgettable 2019. They still have speed and defense, but the pop outside of Suzuki is lacking. They're hoping the homegrown Alejandro Mejia and new signing Jose Pirela can contribute.
Starting pitching shouldn't be an issue when you can assume Ryosuke Nomura can have a better year and Akitake Okada can be healthy. On paper, the bullpen should be decent, but relievers can always be ticking time bombs with a bad year following a decent one.
Most of the media sees the Carp as a top three squad and it took a strange fluke to get bounced on the last week. I mostly agree with this and given the competition, they'll should be a postseason team, assuming there is a Climax Series.
Personal Expectation: Third place
===
Chunichi Dragons (中日ドラゴンズ)
The Chunichi (中日) Dragons have been around since 1936 as a professional team, but had multiple nicknames including "Nagoya Dragons" in their history. They've kept the title of Chunichi Dragons since 1954. The Dragons were the same team featured in the movie "Mr. Baseball."
===
Ownership: Chunichi Shimbun
Chunichi is a media outlet like Yomiuri covering the news of the Tokai region. Their headquarters are in Aichi prefecture, but can operate throughout the middle Japan, as their name 中日 didn't hint already.
===
2020 Payroll rank: 12
The Dragons were historically higher paying, but the decline in regional journalism has taken its hit. It has forced them to find creative ways in getting players, specifically scouting in the Dominican Republic for imports.
===
Location/Stadium: Nagoya Dome in Nagoya, Aichi
Nagoya is the heart and main hub of the entire Tokai region as the Chubu region is divided into three subregions. It's most famous for Nagoya Castle, which is right on the rocks. Plenty of unique cuisine can be seen here which includes a thick red miso and hitsumabushi (grilled eel). This area is also home to several companies, including Toyota.
Nagoya Dome is in the suburbs and it was built in 1997, replacing the original Nagoya Stadium. It's known to be a pitcher's park while also having a distinct high foul pole reaching the roof. Access can be acquired through Ozone Station (JR Central) on the Chuo Main Line and Nagoya Dome-Mae Yada Station on the Meijo Line.
Nagoya Stadium was featured in Mr. Baseball. However, it functions today as a farm stadium and training facility for the team as it was reduced in capacity being a shell of its former self.
===
Mascots: Doala
Doala comes from the Nagoya Zoo being the first in Japan to have a Koala, which was a significant event for its time. This mascot is known to do flips and during an intermission,it's considered good luck for the team if he lands it. They also have two Dragon looking mascots in Shaolon and Paolon.
===
Cheer song: Moeyo Dragons (燃えよドラゴンズ) "Light'em up Dragons"
The Dragons are one of three teams who doesn't use balloons during their Lucky 7 time in Nagoya Dome. Fans will hold up their scarves or towels instead. Balloons aren't banned, but they rarely happen compared to other teams who use them every time.
===
Ōendan Songs: Chance Songs begin at 8:02
What stood out recently was how Chance #1 (Southpaw) at 10:35 recently came to a halt when manager Tsuyoshi Yoda did not like the use of the word omae お前, which is an informal way of saying "you". It definitely caused an uproar among Dragons fans who like that song and the "dancing" that goes with it.
===
MLB Comparison: Atlanta Braves / Philadelphia Phillies
This comparison has more do with history. The Dragons have a lot of years, but nearly no championships to show for it. Like the Braves under Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz, they only had one title to show for their era of dominance.
In a similar manner to how the Phillies had their stretch under Cole Hamels, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, they had one World Series title when relevant.Their only Japan Series championships came in 1954 and 2007.
Legendary players:
Tsuguhiro Hattori was a two-way player from the early days of professional baseball and played before NPB existed.
Michio Nishizawa was a feared hitter in the Dragons early days and also had success as a manager.
Shigeru Sugishita won the Triple Crown in 1954 and won the Sawamura Award three separate times.
The aforementioned Motonobu Tanishige spent the second half of his career with the Dragons and even served as a player/manager.
Senichi Hoshino was a pitcher, but legendary manager for his two stints with the team.
Hitoki Iwase was a great closer during the 2000s era.
Masahiro Araki reached the 2,000 hit mark and was also big for the team in the 2000s.
Hiromitsu Ochiai played for several teams, including the Dragons. As manager, he won the Japan Series and also spent time as the general manager in the front office.
===
Notable foreign players: Alonzo Powell, Matt Stairs, Wei-Yin Chen, Ken Macha, Don Newcombe
Notable players who played in MLB: Kosuke Fukudome
Keep in mind, some players had stints with the Dragons, but Fukudome is the most notable one who can say he was a Dragons player for some time before going to MLB.
===
Verdict:
Why you root for them: Because the movie Mr. Baseball may have hit a soft spot for you. The film took place mostly in Nagoya and helped put the Dragons on the map in front of a western audience. If people became fans of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim through Angels in the Outfield and the Mighty Ducks through their movies, the Dragons can be included too.
If you like a big city, but not the top regions of Kansai/Kanto, Nagoya is for you. It's a forgotten area among the average person, but it's an authentic feeling when you're with locals in the city. Player chants and other things in the Ōendans are a very traditional style of baseball.
Chunichi is a media outlet like Yomiuri covering the news of the Tokai region. Their headquarters are in Aichi prefecture, but can operate throughout the middle Japan, as their name 中日 didn't hint already.
===
2020 Payroll rank: 12
The Dragons were historically higher paying, but the decline in regional journalism has taken its hit. It has forced them to find creative ways in getting players, specifically scouting in the Dominican Republic for imports.
===
Location/Stadium: Nagoya Dome in Nagoya, Aichi
Nagoya is the heart and main hub of the entire Tokai region as the Chubu region is divided into three subregions. It's most famous for Nagoya Castle, which is right on the rocks. Plenty of unique cuisine can be seen here which includes a thick red miso and hitsumabushi (grilled eel). This area is also home to several companies, including Toyota.
Nagoya Dome is in the suburbs and it was built in 1997, replacing the original Nagoya Stadium. It's known to be a pitcher's park while also having a distinct high foul pole reaching the roof. Access can be acquired through Ozone Station (JR Central) on the Chuo Main Line and Nagoya Dome-Mae Yada Station on the Meijo Line.
Nagoya Stadium was featured in Mr. Baseball. However, it functions today as a farm stadium and training facility for the team as it was reduced in capacity being a shell of its former self.
===
Mascots: Doala
Doala comes from the Nagoya Zoo being the first in Japan to have a Koala, which was a significant event for its time. This mascot is known to do flips and during an intermission,it's considered good luck for the team if he lands it. They also have two Dragon looking mascots in Shaolon and Paolon.
===
Cheer song: Moeyo Dragons (燃えよドラゴンズ) "Light'em up Dragons"
The Dragons are one of three teams who doesn't use balloons during their Lucky 7 time in Nagoya Dome. Fans will hold up their scarves or towels instead. Balloons aren't banned, but they rarely happen compared to other teams who use them every time.
===
Ōendan Songs: Chance Songs begin at 8:02
What stood out recently was how Chance #1 (Southpaw) at 10:35 recently came to a halt when manager Tsuyoshi Yoda did not like the use of the word omae お前, which is an informal way of saying "you". It definitely caused an uproar among Dragons fans who like that song and the "dancing" that goes with it.
===
MLB Comparison: Atlanta Braves / Philadelphia Phillies
This comparison has more do with history. The Dragons have a lot of years, but nearly no championships to show for it. Like the Braves under Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz, they only had one title to show for their era of dominance.
In a similar manner to how the Phillies had their stretch under Cole Hamels, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, they had one World Series title when relevant.Their only Japan Series championships came in 1954 and 2007.
Legendary players:
Tsuguhiro Hattori was a two-way player from the early days of professional baseball and played before NPB existed.
Michio Nishizawa was a feared hitter in the Dragons early days and also had success as a manager.
Shigeru Sugishita won the Triple Crown in 1954 and won the Sawamura Award three separate times.
The aforementioned Motonobu Tanishige spent the second half of his career with the Dragons and even served as a player/manager.
Senichi Hoshino was a pitcher, but legendary manager for his two stints with the team.
Hitoki Iwase was a great closer during the 2000s era.
Masahiro Araki reached the 2,000 hit mark and was also big for the team in the 2000s.
Hiromitsu Ochiai played for several teams, including the Dragons. As manager, he won the Japan Series and also spent time as the general manager in the front office.
===
Notable foreign players: Alonzo Powell, Matt Stairs, Wei-Yin Chen, Ken Macha, Don Newcombe
Notable players who played in MLB: Kosuke Fukudome
Keep in mind, some players had stints with the Dragons, but Fukudome is the most notable one who can say he was a Dragons player for some time before going to MLB.
===
Verdict:
Why you root for them: Because the movie Mr. Baseball may have hit a soft spot for you. The film took place mostly in Nagoya and helped put the Dragons on the map in front of a western audience. If people became fans of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim through Angels in the Outfield and the Mighty Ducks through their movies, the Dragons can be included too.
If you like a big city, but not the top regions of Kansai/Kanto, Nagoya is for you. It's a forgotten area among the average person, but it's an authentic feeling when you're with locals in the city. Player chants and other things in the Ōendans are a very traditional style of baseball.
Why you avoid them: The Dragons are currently in their darkest state of franchise history. Since the beginning of NPB in 1950, they only had three seasons finishing outside the top 3 (A-class) in the Central League. That was until this current stretch, where they have finished in the bottom 3 (B-class) for seven consecutive years dating back to 2013. It took until 2017 for them to admit and commit to rebuilding the franchise.
Nagoya is also considered to be a boring city. Similar to how Nebraska is flyover country, Aichi prefecture is usually skipped when riding the Shinkansen from Tokyo to and from Osaka by many tourists. Fan apathy is also real, as this recent cold stretch has led to several games being more than half empty.
===
2020 Foreign players: IF Dayan Viciedo, P Luis Gonzalez*, P Raidel Martinez, P Enny Romero, OF Zolio Almonte, OF Moises Sierra
Long term future player: IF Akira Neo
Neo was viewed as the can't miss best player in his draft class and will be thought of as a the future core hitter. Once a two-way player in high school, the Dragons landed the best talent and took a patient approach by giving him only two ichi-gun games. Make no mistake, the long term will depend on what Neo does.
MLB Potential: P Yuya Yanagi
Yanagi impressed attendees on a college tour when visiting Arizona a few years ago. While taking some time to come into his own, Yanagi could be a mid-rotation starter if everything goes right. He still needs to prove himself in NPB, but there's a chance something could happen 4-5 years down the road.
2020 Core Four: P Yudai Ono (Ohno), IF Shuhei Takahashi, IF Dayan Viciedo, OF Yohei Ohshima
===
2020 Expectations: The Dragons were nearly a postseason team last year, but came up short with a handful of close losses coming back to bite them. Health also hurt when Takahashi was injured. Offensively, they've had some decent contributors with veterans Yohei Ohshima and Ryosuke Hirata still there. Tsuyoshi Yoda enters his second year as the team's manager.
However, the pitching is more uncertain with this being a contract year for Ono. They've drafted several intriguing players over the last few years like Akira Neo, Takaya Ishikawa and Yuya Yanagi. The question is, how raw are they and how quickly can they grow up? Yanagi in particular looked decent when on the field.
Bullpen will make or break this Dragons team in 2020 when they found stability in the second half with Toshiya Okada closing. It's going to take a team effort to end their A-class drought, which is the longest current streak in NPB as their last postseason year was 2012. Like the Tigers, they also have to deal with the foreign import rule hitting as a total of six are under contract.
I'm expecting this team to make competitive waves for the first time in years. However, I can see them coming up just short from one break or another.
Personal Expectations: Fourth Place
===
Tokyo Yakult Swallows (東京ヤクルトスワローズ)
The Tokyo Yakult (ヤクルト) Swallows were originally Kokutetsu Swallows from 1950-1965, which was a Japanese railway company. After being Sankei Atoms and Sankei Swallows, they became Yakult Swallows in 1974. Tokyo was added to the team's name in 2006 and the name has stuck ever since.
Ownership: Yakult
Yakult is a probiotic yogurt drink which is supposed to be consumed after a meal. At one point, the owners of Yakult didn't care about winning, because the sales of the product would decrease in the region of the losing team if the Swallows would beat them. It would take a larger hit financially if the Swallows would defeat the Yomiuri Giants, the unofficial "national team".
Here is a video on how Yakult is made. A recent factory was constructed in Fountain Valley, California which is near the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
===
2020 Payroll rank: 10
The Swallows are usually in the middle of the pack and in this case, some recent losing has dropped some salaries or made it easier for the team to not give raises like other teams.
Location/Stadium: Meiji Jingu Stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo
Shinjuku is a large economic hub of Japan within Tokyo. Several corporate companies have their headquarters in Shinjuku including Nissin foods (one of several companies that makes instant ramen noodles/soup), Subaru, Japan's branch of McDonalds and more. There are several major universities in the area as well.
The Swallows ground is the second oldest in NPB behind the aforementioned Koshien Stadium. Fans can get to this place via Gaiemmae Station or Aoyama Itchome Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line.
Mascots: Tsubakuro
Tsubakuro is an infamous trouble maker with some personality. Beware, or you can get pranked!
Cheer song: Tokyo Ondo (東京音頭) (Tokyo Folk)
Tokyo Ondo is a famous song where being a baseball fan isn't required to know it. The more unique part about the Swallows and their Lucky 7, is that they bring out umbrellas. (Balloons are not allowed in Jingu Stadium).
Swallows fans will also sing a condensed version when they score, but the umbrellas are also a message to the opposing pitcher to hit the showers.
Here's a visual
Ōendan Songs: Chance songs begin at 9:40
If anyone is familiar with Lupin III, the Swallows play that theme as a chance song (10:54)
===
MLB Comparison: New York Mets
This is a pretty easy comparison because they're the second team in a two-team market, let alone Tokyo itself like how the Mets are in New York. They're a stone's throw away from Bunkyo and their games are often overtaken by opposing fans. Historically, they've had their share of winning, but always in the shadow of the Yomiuri Giants.
===
Legendary players:
Masaichi Kaneda was one of the best pitchers in the 1950s, winning a Triple Crown.
The recently deceased Katsuya Nomura was one of the legendary managers in Swallows history, leading the team to three Japan Series titles in the 1990s.
Atsuya Furuta was an important catcher during their run in the 90s and eventually became a player/manager.
Tsutomu Wakamatsu has the career batting average record and was a dominant outfielder throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Nagoya is also considered to be a boring city. Similar to how Nebraska is flyover country, Aichi prefecture is usually skipped when riding the Shinkansen from Tokyo to and from Osaka by many tourists. Fan apathy is also real, as this recent cold stretch has led to several games being more than half empty.
===
2020 Foreign players: IF Dayan Viciedo, P Luis Gonzalez*, P Raidel Martinez, P Enny Romero, OF Zolio Almonte, OF Moises Sierra
Long term future player: IF Akira Neo
Neo was viewed as the can't miss best player in his draft class and will be thought of as a the future core hitter. Once a two-way player in high school, the Dragons landed the best talent and took a patient approach by giving him only two ichi-gun games. Make no mistake, the long term will depend on what Neo does.
MLB Potential: P Yuya Yanagi
Yanagi impressed attendees on a college tour when visiting Arizona a few years ago. While taking some time to come into his own, Yanagi could be a mid-rotation starter if everything goes right. He still needs to prove himself in NPB, but there's a chance something could happen 4-5 years down the road.
2020 Core Four: P Yudai Ono (Ohno), IF Shuhei Takahashi, IF Dayan Viciedo, OF Yohei Ohshima
===
2020 Expectations: The Dragons were nearly a postseason team last year, but came up short with a handful of close losses coming back to bite them. Health also hurt when Takahashi was injured. Offensively, they've had some decent contributors with veterans Yohei Ohshima and Ryosuke Hirata still there. Tsuyoshi Yoda enters his second year as the team's manager.
However, the pitching is more uncertain with this being a contract year for Ono. They've drafted several intriguing players over the last few years like Akira Neo, Takaya Ishikawa and Yuya Yanagi. The question is, how raw are they and how quickly can they grow up? Yanagi in particular looked decent when on the field.
Bullpen will make or break this Dragons team in 2020 when they found stability in the second half with Toshiya Okada closing. It's going to take a team effort to end their A-class drought, which is the longest current streak in NPB as their last postseason year was 2012. Like the Tigers, they also have to deal with the foreign import rule hitting as a total of six are under contract.
I'm expecting this team to make competitive waves for the first time in years. However, I can see them coming up just short from one break or another.
Personal Expectations: Fourth Place
===
Tokyo Yakult Swallows (東京ヤクルトスワローズ)
The Tokyo Yakult (ヤクルト) Swallows were originally Kokutetsu Swallows from 1950-1965, which was a Japanese railway company. After being Sankei Atoms and Sankei Swallows, they became Yakult Swallows in 1974. Tokyo was added to the team's name in 2006 and the name has stuck ever since.
Ownership: Yakult
Yakult is a probiotic yogurt drink which is supposed to be consumed after a meal. At one point, the owners of Yakult didn't care about winning, because the sales of the product would decrease in the region of the losing team if the Swallows would beat them. It would take a larger hit financially if the Swallows would defeat the Yomiuri Giants, the unofficial "national team".
Here is a video on how Yakult is made. A recent factory was constructed in Fountain Valley, California which is near the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
===
2020 Payroll rank: 10
The Swallows are usually in the middle of the pack and in this case, some recent losing has dropped some salaries or made it easier for the team to not give raises like other teams.
Location/Stadium: Meiji Jingu Stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo
Shinjuku is a large economic hub of Japan within Tokyo. Several corporate companies have their headquarters in Shinjuku including Nissin foods (one of several companies that makes instant ramen noodles/soup), Subaru, Japan's branch of McDonalds and more. There are several major universities in the area as well.
The Swallows ground is the second oldest in NPB behind the aforementioned Koshien Stadium. Fans can get to this place via Gaiemmae Station or Aoyama Itchome Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line.
Mascots: Tsubakuro
Tsubakuro is an infamous trouble maker with some personality. Beware, or you can get pranked!
Cheer song: Tokyo Ondo (東京音頭) (Tokyo Folk)
Tokyo Ondo is a famous song where being a baseball fan isn't required to know it. The more unique part about the Swallows and their Lucky 7, is that they bring out umbrellas. (Balloons are not allowed in Jingu Stadium).
Swallows fans will also sing a condensed version when they score, but the umbrellas are also a message to the opposing pitcher to hit the showers.
Here's a visual
Ōendan Songs: Chance songs begin at 9:40
If anyone is familiar with Lupin III, the Swallows play that theme as a chance song (10:54)
===
MLB Comparison: New York Mets
This is a pretty easy comparison because they're the second team in a two-team market, let alone Tokyo itself like how the Mets are in New York. They're a stone's throw away from Bunkyo and their games are often overtaken by opposing fans. Historically, they've had their share of winning, but always in the shadow of the Yomiuri Giants.
===
Legendary players:
Masaichi Kaneda was one of the best pitchers in the 1950s, winning a Triple Crown.
The recently deceased Katsuya Nomura was one of the legendary managers in Swallows history, leading the team to three Japan Series titles in the 1990s.
Atsuya Furuta was an important catcher during their run in the 90s and eventually became a player/manager.
Tsutomu Wakamatsu has the career batting average record and was a dominant outfielder throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Shinya Miyamoto was a key shortstop in the 2000s.
===
Notable foreign players:
Tony Barnette, Charlie Manuel, Jim "Bob" Horner, Rex Hudler, Wladimir Balentien, Rex Hudler, Floyd Bannister
Notable players who played in MLB:
Kazuhisa Ishii, Norichika "Nori" Aoki, Shingo Takatsu (now a manager), Akinori Iwamura, Ryota Igarashi
===
Verdict:
Why you root for them: Because you can relate to being a Clippers, White Sox or Mets fan. Root for that other team in a market that shadows a juggernaut! Umbrellas are also a unique feature that only the Swallows do, something that can unite everyone. If anything, this goes against any form of bandwagoning.
You can also get part-time coverage in English via @TokyoSwallows. Once active for game-by-game reports, they still podcast and discuss the team on a semi-active basis.
Why you avoid them: Because they're known for losing while being the little brother. Opposing fans will often overtake Jingu Stadium and most Central League games can feel like an away game when this happens. They've had their share of glory in the 90s with some history, but being behind the Giants will always be a permanent thorn.
===
2020 Foreign players: P Matt Koch*, P Scott McGough, P Albert Suarez, P Gabriel Ynoa*, IF Alcides Escobar*
Long term future player: P Yasunobu Okugawa
The Swallows landed the 2019 Summer Koshien Star who carried his team in the tournament. There was plenty of debate on who was the best high school pitcher and he was one of the few. The catch is, the Swallows don't have the best track record at developing high school pitchers. Something will have to give, but there's no doubt Okugawa is seen as a future ace.
MLB Potential: IF Tetsuto Yamada
Yamada is a pure athlete and has the ability to hit the long ball and steal bases. He's been a 30-30 club member four times in his career. However, the catch is he hasn't indicated he wants to go to MLB and has domestic free agent rights (see expectations below) after the 2020 season. If he uses this option to leave domestically, he forfeits any international rights for four years and won't be able to come in his prime. Scouts have been looking at him, but the odds of him arriving in North America are slim.
2020 Core Four: IF Tetsuto Yamada, P Yasuhiro "Ryan" Ogawa, OF Nori Aoki, IF Munetaka Murakami
2020 Expectations:
As already mentioned, this is a contract year for Yamada and that becomes the biggest focus on the Swallows, coming off a last place 2019. Manager Junji Ogawa was there to bite the bullet and he moved back to the front office, passing the torch to former White Sox pitcher Shingo Takatsu.
This Swallows team has an extreme uphill battle to be a postseason squad and it's unlikely based on projections and roster. However, there are plenty of young names that will be developing as it's considered a rebuilding season. Problem is, they lost Wladimir Balentien to the Softbank Hawks and Yamada could be out the door after this year.
The Core is already uncertain with a raw Murakami who is home run or bust while Aoki isn't getting in any younger. Who is going to step up? Can't have an old "Yuhei" Takai there forever ether. If their foreign pitcher signings can contribute, there's a chance for A-class, but they need a lot to go right, including getting help from MLB veteran Alcides Escobar.
Personal Expectation: Sixth Place
===
Closing:
The expectations from the media, former players/managers and analysts are shown as below. If you didn't notice the Kanji/Katakana highlighted in this post from earlier, be sure to remember them and practice, because several scoreboards will show what's on here.
Last year's results are shown on the very bottom. For further English-speaking information, check out Japan Baseball Weekly's Central League Prediction show.
===
So, will you pick a Central League team or are you more interested in the Pacific League? I'll end on this note showing people singing all six cheer songs for the Central League.
===
Notable foreign players:
Tony Barnette, Charlie Manuel, Jim "Bob" Horner, Rex Hudler, Wladimir Balentien, Rex Hudler, Floyd Bannister
Notable players who played in MLB:
Kazuhisa Ishii, Norichika "Nori" Aoki, Shingo Takatsu (now a manager), Akinori Iwamura, Ryota Igarashi
===
Verdict:
Why you root for them: Because you can relate to being a Clippers, White Sox or Mets fan. Root for that other team in a market that shadows a juggernaut! Umbrellas are also a unique feature that only the Swallows do, something that can unite everyone. If anything, this goes against any form of bandwagoning.
You can also get part-time coverage in English via @TokyoSwallows. Once active for game-by-game reports, they still podcast and discuss the team on a semi-active basis.
Why you avoid them: Because they're known for losing while being the little brother. Opposing fans will often overtake Jingu Stadium and most Central League games can feel like an away game when this happens. They've had their share of glory in the 90s with some history, but being behind the Giants will always be a permanent thorn.
===
2020 Foreign players: P Matt Koch*, P Scott McGough, P Albert Suarez, P Gabriel Ynoa*, IF Alcides Escobar*
Long term future player: P Yasunobu Okugawa
The Swallows landed the 2019 Summer Koshien Star who carried his team in the tournament. There was plenty of debate on who was the best high school pitcher and he was one of the few. The catch is, the Swallows don't have the best track record at developing high school pitchers. Something will have to give, but there's no doubt Okugawa is seen as a future ace.
MLB Potential: IF Tetsuto Yamada
Yamada is a pure athlete and has the ability to hit the long ball and steal bases. He's been a 30-30 club member four times in his career. However, the catch is he hasn't indicated he wants to go to MLB and has domestic free agent rights (see expectations below) after the 2020 season. If he uses this option to leave domestically, he forfeits any international rights for four years and won't be able to come in his prime. Scouts have been looking at him, but the odds of him arriving in North America are slim.
2020 Core Four: IF Tetsuto Yamada, P Yasuhiro "Ryan" Ogawa, OF Nori Aoki, IF Munetaka Murakami
2020 Expectations:
As already mentioned, this is a contract year for Yamada and that becomes the biggest focus on the Swallows, coming off a last place 2019. Manager Junji Ogawa was there to bite the bullet and he moved back to the front office, passing the torch to former White Sox pitcher Shingo Takatsu.
This Swallows team has an extreme uphill battle to be a postseason squad and it's unlikely based on projections and roster. However, there are plenty of young names that will be developing as it's considered a rebuilding season. Problem is, they lost Wladimir Balentien to the Softbank Hawks and Yamada could be out the door after this year.
The Core is already uncertain with a raw Murakami who is home run or bust while Aoki isn't getting in any younger. Who is going to step up? Can't have an old "Yuhei" Takai there forever ether. If their foreign pitcher signings can contribute, there's a chance for A-class, but they need a lot to go right, including getting help from MLB veteran Alcides Escobar.
Personal Expectation: Sixth Place
===
Closing:
The expectations from the media, former players/managers and analysts are shown as below. If you didn't notice the Kanji/Katakana highlighted in this post from earlier, be sure to remember them and practice, because several scoreboards will show what's on here.
Last year's results are shown on the very bottom. For further English-speaking information, check out Japan Baseball Weekly's Central League Prediction show.
===
So, will you pick a Central League team or are you more interested in the Pacific League? I'll end on this note showing people singing all six cheer songs for the Central League.
For those wanting the Pacific League Edition, you can click here.
===
Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall
Thanks this was great !
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