Baseball in Indonesia have not known as much as football or badminton. Even though, almost Indonesia people knew and played a sport (game) as similar baseball. That sport (game) is called "KASTI".
In the past decades, amateur baseball and softball comunity started to increase gradually. And national team baseball of indonesia always play in international championship like SEA GAMES and ASEAN GAMES.
Indonesia hasn't have baseball professional leagues, but there are " INDONESIA AMATEUR BASEBALL & SOFTBALL FEDERATTION".
C/O. PT. Wisma Kosgoro
14th fl. Wisma Kosgoro Bldg.
Jl. M.H. Thamrin 53 Jakarta 10350 Indonesia
Phone 62-21 314-1808 / 62-21 722-2932
Fax: 62-21 334910 / 62-21 722-2932
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Rabu, 26 September 2007
Selasa, 25 September 2007
Red Sox top Athletics to extend AL East lead
Boston, MA (Sports Network) - David Ortiz and Jacoby Ellsbury both drove in a pair of runs to send Boston over Oakland, 7-3, in the opener of a brief two- game set at Fenway Park.
Curt Schilling (9-8), who hurled a one-hitter in his last start against Oakland on June 7, allowed six hits and one run over six full innings, fanning six without walking a batter. The veteran right-hander picked up his first win since August 24.
Mike Lowell, J.D. Drew and Bobby Kielty each drove in a run for the Red Sox, who have won three of four and extended their lead in the AL East to three games and cut their magic number to clinch the division to three after the Devil Rays topped the Yankees, 7-6, in 10 innings.
Manny Ramirez, in the lineup for the first time in 24 games, finished 1-for-2 with a run scored before leaving the game for a defensive replacement.
"It's terrific (having Ramirez back)," Francona added. "The idea is, the last five games, to build him up and get him enough at-bats where he can be the threat that he is. And then as we progress, we can get him into the middle of the order and spread our lineup out a little bit."
Oakland starter Chad Gaudin (11-13) took the loss, charged with three hits and three runs in four-plus innings, walking seven with three strikeouts.
Daric Barton homered for the Athletics, who have dropped five of six. Jack Hannahan and Kurt Suzuki each knocked in a run in defeat.
Ahead by two, Ellsbury provided an insurance run with a two-out RBI single in the seventh, and a sacrifice fly by Kielty plus a two-run homer by Ortiz in the eighth pushed the Sox lead to 7-1.
Manny Delcarmen, Eric Gagne and Jonathan Papelbon combined to hold off the A's after Schilling's departure. Bryan Corey permitted an RBI double from Hannahan and a sac fly from Suzuki in the ninth before inducing a line-out double-play to close out the game.
"You could say this in April or September, there's never not a good win," said Sox manager Terry Francona. "First game of the homestand, they're all huge games."
Barton took Schilling over the bullpen with one out in the first to put Oakland up 1-0, then Lowell doubled off the Green Monster to tie the game in the bottom half.
Three straight walks to Ramirez, Ortiz and Lowell in the fifth loaded the bases. Gaudin continued to have problems against Drew, walking him on four pitches to force in a run, and that signaled his exit for Lenny DiNardo. Jason Varitek struck out but Ellsbury lifted a sac fly to right which scored Ortiz for a 3-1 lead.
"We're going to have that happen," said A's manager Bob Geren. "We had a pretty strong finish but they had too big a lead for us to catch up."
Game Notes
Oakland has won four of the seven meetings...Along with Ramirez, Youkilis took batting practice Tuesday and went 0-for-2 as a defensive replacement...Sox reliever Hideki Okajima resumed throwing and pitching coach John Farrell said prior to the game that he expects Okajima to be available on Thursday...Gaudin threw 93 pitches, only 46 for strikes...Boston left 12 men on base and Oakland stranded seven.
source: Baseball.com
Curt Schilling (9-8), who hurled a one-hitter in his last start against Oakland on June 7, allowed six hits and one run over six full innings, fanning six without walking a batter. The veteran right-hander picked up his first win since August 24.
Mike Lowell, J.D. Drew and Bobby Kielty each drove in a run for the Red Sox, who have won three of four and extended their lead in the AL East to three games and cut their magic number to clinch the division to three after the Devil Rays topped the Yankees, 7-6, in 10 innings.
Manny Ramirez, in the lineup for the first time in 24 games, finished 1-for-2 with a run scored before leaving the game for a defensive replacement.
"It's terrific (having Ramirez back)," Francona added. "The idea is, the last five games, to build him up and get him enough at-bats where he can be the threat that he is. And then as we progress, we can get him into the middle of the order and spread our lineup out a little bit."
Oakland starter Chad Gaudin (11-13) took the loss, charged with three hits and three runs in four-plus innings, walking seven with three strikeouts.
Daric Barton homered for the Athletics, who have dropped five of six. Jack Hannahan and Kurt Suzuki each knocked in a run in defeat.
Ahead by two, Ellsbury provided an insurance run with a two-out RBI single in the seventh, and a sacrifice fly by Kielty plus a two-run homer by Ortiz in the eighth pushed the Sox lead to 7-1.
Manny Delcarmen, Eric Gagne and Jonathan Papelbon combined to hold off the A's after Schilling's departure. Bryan Corey permitted an RBI double from Hannahan and a sac fly from Suzuki in the ninth before inducing a line-out double-play to close out the game.
"You could say this in April or September, there's never not a good win," said Sox manager Terry Francona. "First game of the homestand, they're all huge games."
Barton took Schilling over the bullpen with one out in the first to put Oakland up 1-0, then Lowell doubled off the Green Monster to tie the game in the bottom half.
Three straight walks to Ramirez, Ortiz and Lowell in the fifth loaded the bases. Gaudin continued to have problems against Drew, walking him on four pitches to force in a run, and that signaled his exit for Lenny DiNardo. Jason Varitek struck out but Ellsbury lifted a sac fly to right which scored Ortiz for a 3-1 lead.
"We're going to have that happen," said A's manager Bob Geren. "We had a pretty strong finish but they had too big a lead for us to catch up."
Game Notes
Oakland has won four of the seven meetings...Along with Ramirez, Youkilis took batting practice Tuesday and went 0-for-2 as a defensive replacement...Sox reliever Hideki Okajima resumed throwing and pitching coach John Farrell said prior to the game that he expects Okajima to be available on Thursday...Gaudin threw 93 pitches, only 46 for strikes...Boston left 12 men on base and Oakland stranded seven.
source: Baseball.com
National League Game Summary - Washington at New York
(Tuesday, September 25th)
Final Score: Washington 10, New York 9
Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - Tom Glavine suffered a loss for the first time since early July and Washington held off a furious late rally by New York to post a 10-9 win over the Mets at Shea Stadium.
Austin Kearns hit a three-run homer and Tony Batista finished 3-for-5 with a solo blast for the Nationals, who have won the first two of this three- game series. Brian Schneider drove in three runs in the win.
For the playoff-hopeful Mets, it was the second consecutive loss after the club swept the Florida Marlins over the weekend. New York, however, did not lose any ground and maintained its two-game lead atop the NL East after the Philadelphia Phillies lost to Atlanta, 10-6, earlier Tuesday.
"I don't care if you lose by eight runs or one, it's still a loss," said New York catcher Paul Lo Duca. "We battled, but fell one run short and we have to fix it -- quick. It will be tough to sleep on this one."
Glavine (13-7) had been unbeaten in his last 14 straight starts but allowed six runs and nine hits in five innings of work with four strikeouts and one walk.
Jose Reyes hit two home runs while Moises Alou registered three RBI in the loss.
Jason Bergmann (6-5) earned the win after he was charged with three runs on seven hits through 5 2/3 innings with three strikeouts and three walks.
The Mets entered the bottom of the ninth trailing by seven runs but made it very interesting with a six-run explosion.
Facing Washington reliever Jesus Colome, Lo Duca started the rally with a single and Carlos Gomez drew a one-out walk before Reyes clobbered his second homer of the game and 12th of the year over the wall in right field to bring the Mets within 10-6.
"That's what they are capable of -- they can put up seven or eight runs in a hurry," said Nationals manager Manny Acta.
Luis Castillo then singled to left and closer Chad Cordero entered from the Washington bullpen. David Wright greeted him with a single and Carlos Beltran walked to load the bases. Alou then came through with a bases-clearing double and the home crowd roared as the Mets were within a run, but Jon Rauch struck out Carlos Delgado and forced Lo Duca to fly out for his fourth save.
"Both those guys (Delgado and Lo Duca) are quality hitters and can make good contact, so I just tried to make good pitches and (force them) to hit a ball on the ground," said Rauch.
New York's magic number to clinch the division is now four.
"We've had multiple chances to (put the division away) and we haven't done it yet," Lo Duca added.
The Nationals stormed out of the gate and scored four runs in the top of the first courtesy of a pair of home runs. Felipe Lopez led off the game with a single and stole second base before a one-out walk to Ryan Zimmerman. The next batter was Kearns, who drilled his 16th home run of the season over the wall in left field for a 3-0 lead. With two outs, Batista's homer made it a four- run cushion.
After Reyes led off the home first with his 11th home run, the Mets made it 4-2 in the second via Shawn Green's RBI single that scored Alou.
But the visitors answered in the top of the third. Zimmerman doubled and scored on a base hit by Wily Mo Pena and then scored their sixth run on Justin Maxwell's solo homer in the fourth.
Bergmann tossed a 1-2-3 fourth but allowed a run in the bottom of the fifth. Green singled leading off and came around to score when pinch-hitter Ruben Gotay followed with a two-base hit. Castillo's one-out base hit kept the mild rally alive, but Wright grounded into a 5-4-3 double play.
A pair of two-out walks brought the potential tying run to the plate in the home sixth, but Arnie Munoz came out of the Washington bullpen and induced an inning-ending groundout off the bat of Green.
Schneider's two-run single in the seventh, which allowed Zimmerman and Pena to cross the plate, made it 8-3 before an RBI groundout in the top of the eighth and a ninth-inning run-scoring single by Schneider gave the Nats a 10-3 lead.
Game Notes
This marked Reyes' first career multi-homer game at Shea...Alou extended his career-best hitting streak to 29 games. It's the longest hit streak in franchise history and the longest in baseball this season...Green recorded his 2,000th career hit...The Mets grounded into a season-high four double plays...Bergmann is unbeaten (5-0) in his last 10 starts -- his last loss was on June 30 versus Pittsburgh...The Nats outhit the Mets, 16-14...Both teams left seven runners on base...Attendance was 49,244.
source: Baseball.com
Final Score: Washington 10, New York 9
Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - Tom Glavine suffered a loss for the first time since early July and Washington held off a furious late rally by New York to post a 10-9 win over the Mets at Shea Stadium.
Austin Kearns hit a three-run homer and Tony Batista finished 3-for-5 with a solo blast for the Nationals, who have won the first two of this three- game series. Brian Schneider drove in three runs in the win.
For the playoff-hopeful Mets, it was the second consecutive loss after the club swept the Florida Marlins over the weekend. New York, however, did not lose any ground and maintained its two-game lead atop the NL East after the Philadelphia Phillies lost to Atlanta, 10-6, earlier Tuesday.
"I don't care if you lose by eight runs or one, it's still a loss," said New York catcher Paul Lo Duca. "We battled, but fell one run short and we have to fix it -- quick. It will be tough to sleep on this one."
Glavine (13-7) had been unbeaten in his last 14 straight starts but allowed six runs and nine hits in five innings of work with four strikeouts and one walk.
Jose Reyes hit two home runs while Moises Alou registered three RBI in the loss.
Jason Bergmann (6-5) earned the win after he was charged with three runs on seven hits through 5 2/3 innings with three strikeouts and three walks.
The Mets entered the bottom of the ninth trailing by seven runs but made it very interesting with a six-run explosion.
Facing Washington reliever Jesus Colome, Lo Duca started the rally with a single and Carlos Gomez drew a one-out walk before Reyes clobbered his second homer of the game and 12th of the year over the wall in right field to bring the Mets within 10-6.
"That's what they are capable of -- they can put up seven or eight runs in a hurry," said Nationals manager Manny Acta.
Luis Castillo then singled to left and closer Chad Cordero entered from the Washington bullpen. David Wright greeted him with a single and Carlos Beltran walked to load the bases. Alou then came through with a bases-clearing double and the home crowd roared as the Mets were within a run, but Jon Rauch struck out Carlos Delgado and forced Lo Duca to fly out for his fourth save.
"Both those guys (Delgado and Lo Duca) are quality hitters and can make good contact, so I just tried to make good pitches and (force them) to hit a ball on the ground," said Rauch.
New York's magic number to clinch the division is now four.
"We've had multiple chances to (put the division away) and we haven't done it yet," Lo Duca added.
The Nationals stormed out of the gate and scored four runs in the top of the first courtesy of a pair of home runs. Felipe Lopez led off the game with a single and stole second base before a one-out walk to Ryan Zimmerman. The next batter was Kearns, who drilled his 16th home run of the season over the wall in left field for a 3-0 lead. With two outs, Batista's homer made it a four- run cushion.
After Reyes led off the home first with his 11th home run, the Mets made it 4-2 in the second via Shawn Green's RBI single that scored Alou.
But the visitors answered in the top of the third. Zimmerman doubled and scored on a base hit by Wily Mo Pena and then scored their sixth run on Justin Maxwell's solo homer in the fourth.
Bergmann tossed a 1-2-3 fourth but allowed a run in the bottom of the fifth. Green singled leading off and came around to score when pinch-hitter Ruben Gotay followed with a two-base hit. Castillo's one-out base hit kept the mild rally alive, but Wright grounded into a 5-4-3 double play.
A pair of two-out walks brought the potential tying run to the plate in the home sixth, but Arnie Munoz came out of the Washington bullpen and induced an inning-ending groundout off the bat of Green.
Schneider's two-run single in the seventh, which allowed Zimmerman and Pena to cross the plate, made it 8-3 before an RBI groundout in the top of the eighth and a ninth-inning run-scoring single by Schneider gave the Nats a 10-3 lead.
Game Notes
This marked Reyes' first career multi-homer game at Shea...Alou extended his career-best hitting streak to 29 games. It's the longest hit streak in franchise history and the longest in baseball this season...Green recorded his 2,000th career hit...The Mets grounded into a season-high four double plays...Bergmann is unbeaten (5-0) in his last 10 starts -- his last loss was on June 30 versus Pittsburgh...The Nats outhit the Mets, 16-14...Both teams left seven runners on base...Attendance was 49,244.
source: Baseball.com
Baseball As America
Baseball As America is a national celebration of America 's romance with baseball. Organized by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and drawn from its unparalleled collections, this unprecedented exhibition marks the first time that these Hall of Fame treasures have left their legendary home in Cooperstown, New York.
Through the exploration of a broad range of themes, including immigration, nationalism, integration, technology and popular culture, Baseball As America reveals how baseball has served as both a reflection and a shaper of American society.
Baseball As America examines such aspects of the game as the rituals of fans and players; myth making and the role of heroes; the impact of technology on performance; segregation, integration and baseball's role as a ladder of mobility for ethnic groups; the game's evolution as a business; the physics of the home run and the curveball; and baseball's presence throughout popular culture as a subject and metaphor, among many other aspects. Ultimately, Baseball As America reveals how the development of American culture owes so much to a 19th century game, affecting everything from our language and literature to movies, mass communication and art.
source: NATIONAL MUSEUM of NATURAL HISTORY
Through the exploration of a broad range of themes, including immigration, nationalism, integration, technology and popular culture, Baseball As America reveals how baseball has served as both a reflection and a shaper of American society.
Baseball As America examines such aspects of the game as the rituals of fans and players; myth making and the role of heroes; the impact of technology on performance; segregation, integration and baseball's role as a ladder of mobility for ethnic groups; the game's evolution as a business; the physics of the home run and the curveball; and baseball's presence throughout popular culture as a subject and metaphor, among many other aspects. Ultimately, Baseball As America reveals how the development of American culture owes so much to a 19th century game, affecting everything from our language and literature to movies, mass communication and art.
source: NATIONAL MUSEUM of NATURAL HISTORY
A Glance History of Baseball in Asia
Baseball in Asia has a long history. By the 1870s, organized teams existed in Japan and China, and by the beginning of the twentieth century, baseball had spread to the Philippines, Korea, and Taiwan (where it has become the national sport). The past decades have seen the growth of baseball reach into almost every corner of Asia, with national teams from Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, India, Iran, and Malaysia regularly competing in international play. Currently, there are thriving professional leagues in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China.
The primary goals of the Asian Baseball Committee are to introduce Asian baseball to the North American public and to focus on the long history of interaction between American and Asian baseball. These exchanges are important topics for both understanding the cultural variations of baseball and also for bringing together scholars from different nations. The committee hopes to achieve these goals by producing and distributing; creating a website; encouraging serious studies of Asian baseball by helping researchers network; encouraging members to publish their studies in the SABR journals, and eventually holding symposium at the annual SABR coventions.
source: SOCIATY FOR AMERICAN BASEBALL RESEARCH
The primary goals of the Asian Baseball Committee are to introduce Asian baseball to the North American public and to focus on the long history of interaction between American and Asian baseball. These exchanges are important topics for both understanding the cultural variations of baseball and also for bringing together scholars from different nations. The committee hopes to achieve these goals by producing and distributing; creating a website; encouraging serious studies of Asian baseball by helping researchers network; encouraging members to publish their studies in the SABR journals, and eventually holding symposium at the annual SABR coventions.
source: SOCIATY FOR AMERICAN BASEBALL RESEARCH
Netherlands succeed in the European Championship 2007
On September 16th, 2007 the last match of the 30th European Baseball Championship was played at the Barcelona Baseball Stadium Carlos Pérez de Rozas, with Netherlands's Team was the winner.
The game Sweden vs. Spain finished with victory for the hosting country, 5:8. Spain repeated the 3rd place achieved in Prague two years ago.
The final standing was following:
1. Netherlands
2. Great Britain
3. Spain
4. Germany
5. France
6. Sweden
7. Italy
8. Croatia
9. Ukraine
10. Russia
11. Austria
12. Czech Republic
The game Sweden vs. Spain finished with victory for the hosting country, 5:8. Spain repeated the 3rd place achieved in Prague two years ago.
The final standing was following:
1. Netherlands
2. Great Britain
3. Spain
4. Germany
5. France
6. Sweden
7. Italy
8. Croatia
9. Ukraine
10. Russia
11. Austria
12. Czech Republic
Taiwan, Japan & Korea have dominated Asian Baseball Championship in last decade
The Asian Baseball Championship is the main championship tournament between national baseball teams in Asia, governed by the Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA). It is held every other year in odd-numbered years and since 1983 it also functions as the qualification games for the Baseball at the Summer Olympics if the event year is exactly one year before the Olympics. The competition has been dominated by teams from the Taiwan, Japan and Korea.
*) In 1993 championship,host Australia
- The winner: Japan
- Runner-up: Korea
- 3rd Place: Taiwan
- 4th Place: Australia
*) In 1995 championship,host Japan
- The winner: Japan
- Runner-up: Korea
- 3rd Place: Taiwan
- 4th Place: China
*) In 1997 championship,host Taiwan
- The winner: Korea
- Runner-up: Japan
- 3rd Place: Taiwan
- 4th Place: China
*) In 1999 championship,host Korea
- The winner: Korea
- Runner-up: Japan
- 3rd Place: Taiwan
- 4th Place: China
*) In 2001 championship,host Taiwan
- The winner: Taiwan
- Runner-up: Korea
- 3rd Place: Japan
- 4th Place: Philippines
*) In 2003 championship,host Japan
- The winner: Japan
- Runner-up: Taiwan
- 3rd Place: Korea
- 4th Place: China
*) In 2005 championship,host Japan
- The winner: Japan
- Runner-up: Taiwan
- 3rd Place: China
- 4th Place: Korea
*) In 2007 the championship will be carry out in Taiwan
*) In 1993 championship,host Australia
- The winner: Japan
- Runner-up: Korea
- 3rd Place: Taiwan
- 4th Place: Australia
*) In 1995 championship,host Japan
- The winner: Japan
- Runner-up: Korea
- 3rd Place: Taiwan
- 4th Place: China
*) In 1997 championship,host Taiwan
- The winner: Korea
- Runner-up: Japan
- 3rd Place: Taiwan
- 4th Place: China
*) In 1999 championship,host Korea
- The winner: Korea
- Runner-up: Japan
- 3rd Place: Taiwan
- 4th Place: China
*) In 2001 championship,host Taiwan
- The winner: Taiwan
- Runner-up: Korea
- 3rd Place: Japan
- 4th Place: Philippines
*) In 2003 championship,host Japan
- The winner: Japan
- Runner-up: Taiwan
- 3rd Place: Korea
- 4th Place: China
*) In 2005 championship,host Japan
- The winner: Japan
- Runner-up: Taiwan
- 3rd Place: China
- 4th Place: Korea
*) In 2007 the championship will be carry out in Taiwan
Profesional Baseball Teams in JAPAN
Though a number of ball clubs have come and gone, since 1958 Japanese professional baseball has had twelve teams, evenly divided into two leagues.
The higher status Central League offers a more traditional style of baseball while the more dynamic Pacific League features faster-paced games and employs the designated hitter. Each year, the two pennant winners meet in the Japan Series.
In 2005 the leagues agreed to a portion of the season in which inter-league play would take place.
Although both leagues were formed in 1950, professional baseball dates back to the 1934 founding of the Great Japan Tokyo Baseball Club, later known as the Tokyo Kyojin and eventually renamed the Yomiuri Giants. Though the Giants dominated Japanese baseball until 1973, the player draft helped level the playing field.
Eastern Japan: With the largest possible baseball market, the Tokyo area hosts five pro baseball teams: Yomiuri Giants, Yakult Swallows, Seibu Lions, Chiba Lotte Marines and Yokohama BayStars.
Japan's most popular ball club, the Yomiuri Giants always attract standing-room-only crowds. Because the Giants won nine straight Japan Series championships in the 1960s as Japan was becoming an economic superpower, many fans consider a Yomiuri championship a symbol of financial success. To cheer against the Giants, therefore, is to cheer against prosperity and against Japan.
The Yakult Swallows, also in Central Tokyo, played in obscurity for most of their first four decades. Without much television exposure, however, Yakult still has a relatively small but enthusiastic group of fans who turn up regularly at Meiji-Jingu Stadium, Tokyo's oldest and most traditional ballpark.
Thirty minutes west of Tokyo, the Seibu Lions play at Seibu Dome, a covered amphitheater built by team owner Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, one of the richest men in the world. With lots of money, good scouts and the best pitching staff in Japan, the Lions are always competitive.
On the other side of Japan's capital city, the Chiba Lotte Marines play on the Tokyo Bay waterfront. Because of low attendance, Lotte is desperate for fans to watch games, and the ballpark staff are the friendliest and most helpful in Japan. Although the team has some good players, the Marines have only posted one winning season in the last decade.
In the past few years, the Yokohama BayStars have become one of the strongest teams in the Central League. In 1998, the BayStars won their first Japan Series championship in four decades. The sightlines are excellent at Yokohama Stadium and the location, a few blocks from Chinatown and several outdoor malls, can't be beat.
To make up for what would have been one less team in the Pacific League as a result of the merger of the Kintetsu Buffaloes and the Orix BlueWave, a new franchise was granted to the Sendai area with the Rakuten Golden Eagles. While players, coaches and managers from the United States are now relatively commonplace, the Eagles have the first general manager from the United States, Marty Kuehnert.
For years they shared the Tokyo Dome with the Giants, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters are the negative image of the Giants. In the last five decades, the franchise has only won two pennants and one Japan Series title. In 2004 they moved to a new home field in the Sapporo Dome, though they still play some home games in the Tokyo Dome.
Western Japan: While the Chunichi Dragons play in Nagoya and the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks and Hiroshima Carp represent their own cities, two teams play in the Osaka-area: the Orix Buffaloes and the Hanshin Tigers. While Tokyo residents often consider themselves upper-class, fans in these outlying areas are usually more energetic.
When the Chunichi Dragons moved into Nagoya Dome in 1997, the team sank to last place. But after making several player changes, the Dragons bounced back and won their fourth Central League pennant in 1999. Nagoya Dome, with it's major league dimensions, may be tough on hitters, but fans can find plenty of things to do between innings.
After moving to Osaka Dome in 1997, the Kintetsu Buffaloes attracted standing-room-only crowds for the first time in the team's history. The Buffaloes signed a relationship agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers in recent years and their level of play has increased, though attendance has not matched those early days in the dome.
Having been led by six-time batting champion Ichiro Suzuki, the Orix BlueWave had been one of the strongest Pacific League teams. Playing their home games in Kobe at Yahoo BB Stadium, the BlueWave had an average local following.
As mentioned earlier, the merger of the Kintetsu and Orix clubs after the 2004 season resulted in the Orix Buffaloes. Most of their games will be played at the Kyocera Osaka Dome, with a fair number continuing to be played at Yahoo BB.
Representing Osaka in that city's rivalry with Tokyo, the Hanshin Tigers have for six decades sought to upstage the Yomiuri Giants. A relatively strong team until the 1980s, the Tigers are to the Giants what the Red Sox are to the Yankees. Like their Fenway-dwelling counterparts, the Tigers, who play at Koshien Stadium, usually come out on the losing end.
Playing across the street from the A-bomb Dome, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp have been a strongest team in the Central League the past two decades. Hiroshima Stadium's cozy dimensions offer good visibility for the team's lively fans.
Moving into Japan's first dome with a retractable roof, the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks have a devoted group of fans. The Hawks are managed by former Yomiuri Giants home run king Sadaharu Oh.
source: JapanBall.com
The higher status Central League offers a more traditional style of baseball while the more dynamic Pacific League features faster-paced games and employs the designated hitter. Each year, the two pennant winners meet in the Japan Series.
In 2005 the leagues agreed to a portion of the season in which inter-league play would take place.
Although both leagues were formed in 1950, professional baseball dates back to the 1934 founding of the Great Japan Tokyo Baseball Club, later known as the Tokyo Kyojin and eventually renamed the Yomiuri Giants. Though the Giants dominated Japanese baseball until 1973, the player draft helped level the playing field.
Eastern Japan: With the largest possible baseball market, the Tokyo area hosts five pro baseball teams: Yomiuri Giants, Yakult Swallows, Seibu Lions, Chiba Lotte Marines and Yokohama BayStars.
Japan's most popular ball club, the Yomiuri Giants always attract standing-room-only crowds. Because the Giants won nine straight Japan Series championships in the 1960s as Japan was becoming an economic superpower, many fans consider a Yomiuri championship a symbol of financial success. To cheer against the Giants, therefore, is to cheer against prosperity and against Japan.
The Yakult Swallows, also in Central Tokyo, played in obscurity for most of their first four decades. Without much television exposure, however, Yakult still has a relatively small but enthusiastic group of fans who turn up regularly at Meiji-Jingu Stadium, Tokyo's oldest and most traditional ballpark.
Thirty minutes west of Tokyo, the Seibu Lions play at Seibu Dome, a covered amphitheater built by team owner Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, one of the richest men in the world. With lots of money, good scouts and the best pitching staff in Japan, the Lions are always competitive.
On the other side of Japan's capital city, the Chiba Lotte Marines play on the Tokyo Bay waterfront. Because of low attendance, Lotte is desperate for fans to watch games, and the ballpark staff are the friendliest and most helpful in Japan. Although the team has some good players, the Marines have only posted one winning season in the last decade.
In the past few years, the Yokohama BayStars have become one of the strongest teams in the Central League. In 1998, the BayStars won their first Japan Series championship in four decades. The sightlines are excellent at Yokohama Stadium and the location, a few blocks from Chinatown and several outdoor malls, can't be beat.
To make up for what would have been one less team in the Pacific League as a result of the merger of the Kintetsu Buffaloes and the Orix BlueWave, a new franchise was granted to the Sendai area with the Rakuten Golden Eagles. While players, coaches and managers from the United States are now relatively commonplace, the Eagles have the first general manager from the United States, Marty Kuehnert.
For years they shared the Tokyo Dome with the Giants, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters are the negative image of the Giants. In the last five decades, the franchise has only won two pennants and one Japan Series title. In 2004 they moved to a new home field in the Sapporo Dome, though they still play some home games in the Tokyo Dome.
Western Japan: While the Chunichi Dragons play in Nagoya and the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks and Hiroshima Carp represent their own cities, two teams play in the Osaka-area: the Orix Buffaloes and the Hanshin Tigers. While Tokyo residents often consider themselves upper-class, fans in these outlying areas are usually more energetic.
When the Chunichi Dragons moved into Nagoya Dome in 1997, the team sank to last place. But after making several player changes, the Dragons bounced back and won their fourth Central League pennant in 1999. Nagoya Dome, with it's major league dimensions, may be tough on hitters, but fans can find plenty of things to do between innings.
After moving to Osaka Dome in 1997, the Kintetsu Buffaloes attracted standing-room-only crowds for the first time in the team's history. The Buffaloes signed a relationship agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers in recent years and their level of play has increased, though attendance has not matched those early days in the dome.
Having been led by six-time batting champion Ichiro Suzuki, the Orix BlueWave had been one of the strongest Pacific League teams. Playing their home games in Kobe at Yahoo BB Stadium, the BlueWave had an average local following.
As mentioned earlier, the merger of the Kintetsu and Orix clubs after the 2004 season resulted in the Orix Buffaloes. Most of their games will be played at the Kyocera Osaka Dome, with a fair number continuing to be played at Yahoo BB.
Representing Osaka in that city's rivalry with Tokyo, the Hanshin Tigers have for six decades sought to upstage the Yomiuri Giants. A relatively strong team until the 1980s, the Tigers are to the Giants what the Red Sox are to the Yankees. Like their Fenway-dwelling counterparts, the Tigers, who play at Koshien Stadium, usually come out on the losing end.
Playing across the street from the A-bomb Dome, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp have been a strongest team in the Central League the past two decades. Hiroshima Stadium's cozy dimensions offer good visibility for the team's lively fans.
Moving into Japan's first dome with a retractable roof, the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks have a devoted group of fans. The Hawks are managed by former Yomiuri Giants home run king Sadaharu Oh.
source: JapanBall.com
CLEMENTS WILL BE ABSENT ON TUESDAY UNTIL AT LEAST THE WEEKEND
TAMPA -- Yankees right-hander Roger Clemens was scratched from his scheduled start against the Devil Rays on Tuesday and will not pitch until at least the weekend, the team announced.
Clemens, 45, had been pushed back to Tuesday after feeling a tweak in his left hamstring while performing conditioning exercises last Thursday during the club's off-day.
While the Yankees remained cautiously optimistic that Clemens would be able to pitch on Tuesday, manager Joe Torre had said that if there was any doubt about the state of Clemens' hamstring, he would be removed from the start. An official announcement was made at 3:15 p.m. ET.
Left-hander Kei Igawa was inserted as New York's starting pitcher as the club prepared to open a three-game series at Tropicana Field, hoping to clinch a playoff berth with their magic number at one entering play.
Igawa last pitched in relief on Saturday against the Blue Jays, recording one out. He has not started a Major League game since July 26 at Kansas City.
Clemens is 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) for the Yankees since agreeing to a pro-rated one year, $28 million contract in May.
The seven-time Cy Young Award winner has made just two starts in September due to ligament damage in his pitching elbow and the hamstring injury, though the club hopes to have him make at least one regular season appearance -- which would have to come at Baltimore over the weekend -- before lining up for a potential playoff start.
source: Bryan Hock/MLB.com
Clemens, 45, had been pushed back to Tuesday after feeling a tweak in his left hamstring while performing conditioning exercises last Thursday during the club's off-day.
While the Yankees remained cautiously optimistic that Clemens would be able to pitch on Tuesday, manager Joe Torre had said that if there was any doubt about the state of Clemens' hamstring, he would be removed from the start. An official announcement was made at 3:15 p.m. ET.
Left-hander Kei Igawa was inserted as New York's starting pitcher as the club prepared to open a three-game series at Tropicana Field, hoping to clinch a playoff berth with their magic number at one entering play.
Igawa last pitched in relief on Saturday against the Blue Jays, recording one out. He has not started a Major League game since July 26 at Kansas City.
Clemens is 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) for the Yankees since agreeing to a pro-rated one year, $28 million contract in May.
The seven-time Cy Young Award winner has made just two starts in September due to ligament damage in his pitching elbow and the hamstring injury, though the club hopes to have him make at least one regular season appearance -- which would have to come at Baltimore over the weekend -- before lining up for a potential playoff start.
source: Bryan Hock/MLB.com
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