Eastern League (Japanese baseball)
Encyclopedia
The is one of the two minor leagues of Japanese professional baseball. The league is owned and managed by the Central League
.
, Kokutetsu Swallows
, Taiyo Whales
, Toei Flyers
, Daiei Unions, Mainichi Orions
, and Takahashi Unions.
The league was dissolved from 1956-1961, but was restarted in 1962 with five teams. The Seibu Lions minor league affiliate joined the league in 1979, and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
did the same in 2005.
Most of the Japanese minor league teams carry the same name, and use the same uniforms as their parent team, with the exception of the Yokohama BayStars (Shonan Searex), and Orix Buffaloes
(Surpass) minor league teams. Saitama Seibu Lion's minor team name depends on the sponsored company, but they will use the professional team name in 2008 since the previous company's(Goodwill) naming right was void in 2007 as a result in illegal commercial movements.
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...
.
History
The league was created in 1955, and contained the minor league teams of the seven professional teams that had their homefields in the Eastern region of Japan. The original teams in the league were, the Yomiuri GiantsYomiuri Giants
The are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
, Kokutetsu Swallows
Tokyo 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...
, Taiyo Whales
Yokohama BayStars
The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Home field is the Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The clubhouse is located near the stadium....
, Toei Flyers
Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at the Sapporo Dome. The Fighters also host a select number of regional home games in cities across Hokkaidō,...
, Daiei Unions, Mainichi Orions
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:...
, and Takahashi Unions.
The league was dissolved from 1956-1961, but was restarted in 1962 with five teams. The Seibu Lions minor league affiliate joined the league in 1979, and the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
The is a baseball team founded in 2004; it played its first season in the Japanese Pacific League in 2005. It is simply called Rakuten . The team was created to fill the void left by the merger of the Orix Blue Wave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, after the 2004 season due to financial difficulties,...
did the same in 2005.
Teams
The league contains the minor league affiliates of seven Japanese professional teams (minor league homefield shown in parentheses):- Tohoku Rakuten Golden EaglesTohoku Rakuten Golden EaglesThe is a baseball team founded in 2004; it played its first season in the Japanese Pacific League in 2005. It is simply called Rakuten . The team was created to fill the void left by the merger of the Orix Blue Wave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, after the 2004 season due to financial difficulties,...
(Tendō, YamagataTendo, Yamagatais a city located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 63,483 and a population density of 562 persons per km²...
), (Rifu, MiyagiRifu, Miyagiis a town located in Miyagi District, Miyagi, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 31,832 and a population density of 711.33 persons per km². The total area is 44.75 km²....
) - Yomiuri GiantsYomiuri GiantsThe are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
(Inagi, TokyoInagi, Tokyois a city located in Tokyo, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 81,134 and the density of 4,096.33 persons per km². The total area is 17.97 km².The city was founded on November 1, 1971.-History:...
) - Hokkaido Nippon Ham FightersHokkaido Nippon Ham FightersThe are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at the Sapporo Dome. The Fighters also host a select number of regional home games in cities across Hokkaidō,...
(Kamagaya, ChibaKamagaya, Chibais a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 108,142 and a population density of 5120 persons per km²...
) - Saitama Seibu Lions (Tokorozawa, SaitamaTokorozawa, Saitamais a city in Saitama, Japan. It is located in the central part of the Musashino plain, about 30 km west of downtown Tokyo. Tokorozawa can be considered part of the greater Tokyo area; its proximity to the latter and lower housing costs make it a popular bedroom community.-Location:Tokorozawa...
) - Chiba Lotte MarinesChiba Lotte MarinesThe 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:...
(Saitama, SaitamaSaitama, Saitama' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
) - Tokyo Yakult SwallowsTokyo Yakult Swallowsis 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...
(Toda, SaitamaToda, Saitamais a city located in Saitama, Japan. The city is located beside the Arakawa river which separates it from Tokyo. The Sasame river also flows through the city before joining the Arakawa.-History:...
) - Yokohama BayStarsYokohama BayStarsThe are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Home field is the Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The clubhouse is located near the stadium....
(Yokosuka, KanagawaYokosuka, Kanagawais a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 419,067 and a population density of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km²...
)
Most of the Japanese minor league teams carry the same name, and use the same uniforms as their parent team, with the exception of the Yokohama BayStars (Shonan Searex), and Orix Buffaloes
Orix Buffaloes
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka and Kobe, Japan. They play in the Pacific League. The team is owned by the Orix Group, a leading diversified financial services company based in Tokyo....
(Surpass) minor league teams. Saitama Seibu Lion's minor team name depends on the sponsored company, but they will use the professional team name in 2008 since the previous company's(Goodwill) naming right was void in 2007 as a result in illegal commercial movements.
See also
- Western LeagueWestern League (Japanese baseball)The is one of the two minor leagues of Japanese professional baseball. The league is owned and managed by the Pacific League.-History:The league was created in 1952 as the Kansai Farm League, and contained the minor league teams of the seven professional teams that had their homefields in the...
- Central LeagueCentral LeagueThe 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...
- Pacific LeaguePacific LeagueThe 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...