2011 Japan Series
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Japan Series is the 62nd edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's championship series
. The best-of-seven playoff between the respective champions of the Central League
's and the Pacific League
's Climax Series
(postseason). The Series began on Saturday, November 12, 2011
and was a rematch of the 1999 Japan Series
, which the Hawks won, four games to one.
, the Hawks finally broke through against the Saitama Seibu Lions. Earning a first-round bye and a one-game advantage in the Pacific League Climax Series Final Stage, the Hawks completed the sweep of the Lions to earn their spot in the Japan Series.
During the regular season, the Hawks were the best team in the league record-wise at 88-46-10. They scored the second-most runs in the league (550) and allowed the fewest (351), while also stealing the most bases and leading the league in team batting average (.267). Leading the team offensively was new acquisition Seiichi Uchikawa
, who led the entire league in batting average at .338. He was helped by two longtime Hawks mainstays at the top of the lineup, Munenori Kawasaki
and Yuichi Honda
, who stole 91 bases between them. Providing the power was Nobuhiro Matsuda
, who finally had a breakout season with 25 home runs and 83 runs batted in, both team highs.
In a pitching-heavy year for NPB, the Hawks had a three-headed monster that finished 3-4-5 in ERA. Tsuyoshi Wada
(16-5, 1.51), Toshiya Sugiuchi
(8-7, 1.91) and D. J. Houlton
(19-6, 2.19) anchored the Hawks rotation, and Houlton had the most wins by a foreigner since Gene Bacque
. The bullpen featured another breakout star in Masahiko Morifuku, who led the team in holds with 34 and had a 1.13 ERA to go along with it. Closing duties were split between regular closer Takahiro Mahara
and another stellar foreigner, Brian Falkenborg
, who each had 19 saves.
4-2 in the Central League Climax Series. The Dragons had been to the Japan Series the previous season
but fell to the Chiba Lotte Marines
in seven games. This was Chunichi's third Japan Series appearance in the last five years, winning in 2007 against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and falling the previous season
to the Chiba Lotte Marines
.
Returning largely the same team as the previous season, the Dragons showcased an excellent pitching staff that covered up for a league-worst offense that only batted .228 as a team. The offensive leaders were Tony Blanco
, who hit 16 home runs during the season while batting .248. Masahiro Araki
led the team in batting average at .263 and also stolen bases with 18.
The pitching staff was led by a stellar foreigner of their own in Maximo Nelson, who may have had a losing record at 10-14 with a 2.52 ERA, but was the only pitcher on the staff who threw 200 innings. Veteran Kazuki Yoshimi
offset this with a 18-3 record and a 1.63 ERA, and Taiwanese lefty Chen Wei-Yin
added eight wins of his own.
The bullpen was the real star though, as it had four relievers who posted ERA's under 2.00. Takuya Asao
led the pack with a nigh-unhittable 0.41 ERA and a 7-2 record while also leading the league in holds with 45 and also getting 10 saves. Masato Kobayashi
also was dominant with a 0.87 ERA and 18 holds in 58 innings, and Yoshihiro Suzuki added 12 holds of his own while also post a 1.08 ERA. The anchor in the bullpen was longtime closer Hitoki Iwase
, who saved 37 games during the season.
in Fukuoka
in Fukuoka
in Nagoya
in Nagoya
in Nagoya
in Fukuoka
in Fukuoka
Japan Series
, or is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a seven-game series between the winning clubs of the league's two circuits, the Central League and the Pacific League....
. The best-of-seven playoff between the respective champions of the Central League
Central League
The or is one the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country,The Central League...
's and the Pacific League
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
's Climax Series
Climax Series
The is the current annual playoff system employed by Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball . It determines which two teams from the Central League and the Pacific League will compete in the Japan Series for the national championship. Since the creation of the NPB's two-league system in 1950, the...
(postseason). The Series began on Saturday, November 12, 2011
2011 Nippon Professional Baseball season
The 2011 baseball season in Japan was delayed by the Tohoku earthquake. The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, based in northern Japan, and coached by Senichi Hoshino, were particularly affected by the quake, as the Miyagi Baseball Stadium was badly damaged....
and was a rematch of the 1999 Japan Series
1999 Japan Series
Kimiyasu Kudoh took the mound for the Hawks and asserted his dominance from the beginning of the game. He would strike out 13 batters, and scattered six hits. His counterpart, Shigeki Noguchi, did not fare as well. Noguchi walked five batters in five and 2/3 innings, and while he only gave up...
, which the Hawks won, four games to one.
Climax Series
Summary
| Game | Score (visitors listed first) | Date(s) | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dragons 2-1 Hawks | November 12 | Fukuoka Dome Fukuoka Dome The is a baseball field, located in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Built in 1993, the stadium can accommodate 35,695 spectators and was Japan's first stadium with a retractable roof.... |
34,457 |
| 2 | Dragons 2-1 Hawks | November 13 | Fukuoka Dome | 34,758 |
| 3 | Hawks 4-2 Dragons | November 15 | Nagoya Dome Nagoya Dome Nagoya Dome , constructed in 1997, is a baseball field, located in the city of Nagoya, Japan. The dome has the capacity to seat up to 38,414 people . It is an example of a geodesic dome.... |
38,041 |
| 4 | Hawks 2-1 Dragons | November 16 | Nagoya Dome | 38,041 |
| 5 | Hawks 5-0 Dragons | November 17 | Nagoya Dome | 38,051 |
| 6 | Dragons 2-1 Hawks | November 19 | Fukuoka Dome | 34,927 |
| 7 | Dragons 0-3 Hawks | November 20 | Fukuoka Dome | 34,737 |
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
After not having won a playoff series since 2003 when they won the Japan Series that year2003 Japan Series
The first game of the 2003 Japan Series set the stage for one of the most exciting series in recent memory. The first game was a matchup of matching 20-game winners: Igawa for Hanshin, and Saitoh for Daiei. Saitoh got out of a jam in the first, and Igawa struck out Hiroshi Shibahara and Munenori...
, the Hawks finally broke through against the Saitama Seibu Lions. Earning a first-round bye and a one-game advantage in the Pacific League Climax Series Final Stage, the Hawks completed the sweep of the Lions to earn their spot in the Japan Series.
During the regular season, the Hawks were the best team in the league record-wise at 88-46-10. They scored the second-most runs in the league (550) and allowed the fewest (351), while also stealing the most bases and leading the league in team batting average (.267). Leading the team offensively was new acquisition Seiichi Uchikawa
Seiichi Uchikawa
Seiichi Uchikawa is a Japanese professional baseball player for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He rose to prominence in 2008 with a league-leading .378 batting average...
, who led the entire league in batting average at .338. He was helped by two longtime Hawks mainstays at the top of the lineup, Munenori Kawasaki
Munenori Kawasaki
is a Japanese shortstop for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He played for the Japanese national team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as well as the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics.-Early life and high school career:...
and Yuichi Honda
Yuichi Honda
is a Japanese baseball player. He has been with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks since 2006, and plays as second baseman, wearing number 46. In 2008, he batted .291. From 2006-09 he was .670 on base plus slugging.-External links:* *...
, who stole 91 bases between them. Providing the power was Nobuhiro Matsuda
Nobuhiro Matsuda
is a Nippon Professional Baseball infielder for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Pacific League.-External links:...
, who finally had a breakout season with 25 home runs and 83 runs batted in, both team highs.
In a pitching-heavy year for NPB, the Hawks had a three-headed monster that finished 3-4-5 in ERA. Tsuyoshi Wada
Tsuyoshi Wada
is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.Wada pitched in the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics as well as the 2006 World Baseball Classic for the Japanese national team...
(16-5, 1.51), Toshiya Sugiuchi
Toshiya Sugiuchi
is a Japanese baseball player. He is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.Sugiuchi was the Eiji Sawamura Award winner in...
(8-7, 1.91) and D. J. Houlton
D. J. Houlton
Dennis Sean "D. J." Houlton Jr. was a Major League Baseball pitcher and is currently a member of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan.Houlton attended Servite High School and the University of the Pacific...
(19-6, 2.19) anchored the Hawks rotation, and Houlton had the most wins by a foreigner since Gene Bacque
Gene Bacque
Gene Bacque is a former professional baseball player who played in the Japanese professional leagues.-Biography:...
. The bullpen featured another breakout star in Masahiko Morifuku, who led the team in holds with 34 and had a 1.13 ERA to go along with it. Closing duties were split between regular closer Takahiro Mahara
Takahiro Mahara
is a right-handed pitcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He played in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Originally a starter, Mahara was converted to a closer partway through 2005 season and has been an efficient closer since then.His best season was in...
and another stellar foreigner, Brian Falkenborg
Brian Falkenborg
Brian Thomas Falkenborg is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently pitching for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball....
, who each had 19 saves.
Chunichi Dragons
Chunichi also won the Central League with the best record at 75-59-10, defeating the Tokyo Yakult SwallowsTokyo Yakult Swallows
is a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League.The Swallows are named after their corporate owners, the Yakult Corporation. From 1950 to 1965, the team was owned by the former Japanese National Railways and called the Kokutetsu Swallows; the team was then owned by the newspaper Sankei...
4-2 in the Central League Climax Series. The Dragons had been to the Japan Series the previous season
2010 Japan Series
-Summary:-Chiba Lotte Marines:In what was a roller coaster of a year for seemingly the entire Pacific League, the Chiba Lotte Marines finished third in the league behind the second-place Saitama Seibu Lions and the first-place Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks...
but fell to the Chiba Lotte Marines
Chiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by the Lotte conglomerate.-History:...
in seven games. This was Chunichi's third Japan Series appearance in the last five years, winning in 2007 against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and falling the previous season
2010 Japan Series
-Summary:-Chiba Lotte Marines:In what was a roller coaster of a year for seemingly the entire Pacific League, the Chiba Lotte Marines finished third in the league behind the second-place Saitama Seibu Lions and the first-place Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks...
to the Chiba Lotte Marines
Chiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by the Lotte conglomerate.-History:...
.
Returning largely the same team as the previous season, the Dragons showcased an excellent pitching staff that covered up for a league-worst offense that only batted .228 as a team. The offensive leaders were Tony Blanco
Tony Blanco
Tony Hemiphere Blanco is a professional baseball player , He last played in Major League Baseball for the Washington Nationals...
, who hit 16 home runs during the season while batting .248. Masahiro Araki
Masahiro Araki
Masahiro Araki is a Japanese professional baseball player. He currently is the second baseman for the Chunichi Dragons. He is noted for his speed and defense.-Early career:...
led the team in batting average at .263 and also stolen bases with 18.
The pitching staff was led by a stellar foreigner of their own in Maximo Nelson, who may have had a losing record at 10-14 with a 2.52 ERA, but was the only pitcher on the staff who threw 200 innings. Veteran Kazuki Yoshimi
Kazuki Yoshimi
is a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher with the Chunichi Dragons in Japan's Central League.-External links:...
offset this with a 18-3 record and a 1.63 ERA, and Taiwanese lefty Chen Wei-Yin
Chen Wei-Yin
Chen Wei-Yin born July 21, 1985 in Kaohsiung County , Taiwan is a professional pitcher for the Chunichi Dragons in Central League of the Nippon Professional Baseball .-Career:...
added eight wins of his own.
The bullpen was the real star though, as it had four relievers who posted ERA's under 2.00. Takuya Asao
Takuya Asao
is a Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan's Central League.-External links:...
led the pack with a nigh-unhittable 0.41 ERA and a 7-2 record while also leading the league in holds with 45 and also getting 10 saves. Masato Kobayashi
Masato Kobayashi
Masato Kobayashi may refer to:*Masato , former professional Japanese Welterweight kickboxer*Masato Kobayashi , , a Japanese mixed martial artist...
also was dominant with a 0.87 ERA and 18 holds in 58 innings, and Yoshihiro Suzuki added 12 holds of his own while also post a 1.08 ERA. The anchor in the bullpen was longtime closer Hitoki Iwase
Hitoki Iwase
Hitoki Iwase is a Japanese professional baseball player from Nishio, Aichi, Japan. He is a closing pitcher....
, who saved 37 games during the season.
Game 1, November 12
Fukuoka DomeFukuoka Dome
The is a baseball field, located in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Built in 1993, the stadium can accommodate 35,695 spectators and was Japan's first stadium with a retractable roof....
in Fukuoka
Fukuoka
Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
Game 2, November 13
Fukuoka DomeFukuoka Dome
The is a baseball field, located in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Built in 1993, the stadium can accommodate 35,695 spectators and was Japan's first stadium with a retractable roof....
in Fukuoka
Fukuoka
Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
Game 3, November 15
Nagoya DomeNagoya Dome
Nagoya Dome , constructed in 1997, is a baseball field, located in the city of Nagoya, Japan. The dome has the capacity to seat up to 38,414 people . It is an example of a geodesic dome....
in Nagoya
Game 4, November 16
Nagoya DomeNagoya Dome
Nagoya Dome , constructed in 1997, is a baseball field, located in the city of Nagoya, Japan. The dome has the capacity to seat up to 38,414 people . It is an example of a geodesic dome....
in Nagoya
Game 5, November 17
Nagoya DomeNagoya Dome
Nagoya Dome , constructed in 1997, is a baseball field, located in the city of Nagoya, Japan. The dome has the capacity to seat up to 38,414 people . It is an example of a geodesic dome....
in Nagoya
Game 6, November 19
Fukuoka DomeFukuoka Dome
The is a baseball field, located in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Built in 1993, the stadium can accommodate 35,695 spectators and was Japan's first stadium with a retractable roof....
in Fukuoka
Fukuoka
Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
Game 7, November 20
Fukuoka DomeFukuoka Dome
The is a baseball field, located in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. Built in 1993, the stadium can accommodate 35,695 spectators and was Japan's first stadium with a retractable roof....
in Fukuoka
Fukuoka
Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...