Kansai Independent Baseball League
Encyclopedia
The is a professional baseball league in Japan. Its debut season was in .
The league's activities became public in 2008. Plans to form the league were announced at a press conference on March 6. On July 30, the names of the four teams were released.
The league held its first draft on November 16. Kobe made history, selecting 16-year-old Eri Yoshida
to be the first female in an otherwise all-male league. Yoshida made her professional debut at the Osaka Dome
in the opening game of the KIBL on March 26, 2009 before 11,592 fans. Yoshida faced two batters, walking the first and striking-out the second in a 5-0 win over the Osaka Gold Villicanes.
The league's activities became public in 2008. Plans to form the league were announced at a press conference on March 6. On July 30, the names of the four teams were released.
The league held its first draft on November 16. Kobe made history, selecting 16-year-old Eri Yoshida
Eri Yoshida
is a high-school student at Kawasaki-kita Senior High School in Kawasaki, who at the age of 16 became the first female drafted by a Japanese professional baseball team, Kobe 9 Cruise of Kansai Independent Baseball League, to play alongside male teammates....
to be the first female in an otherwise all-male league. Yoshida made her professional debut at the Osaka Dome
Osaka Dome
Osaka Dome is a baseball stadium located in Osaka, Japan. Beginning in 1997, the stadium was the home field of the Kintetsu Buffaloes. In 2005, the stadium became one of the homes of the Orix Buffaloes, a result of the merger between the Orix Blue Wave and Kintetsu Buffaloes. Prior to the Osaka...
in the opening game of the KIBL on March 26, 2009 before 11,592 fans. Yoshida faced two batters, walking the first and striking-out the second in a 5-0 win over the Osaka Gold Villicanes.
Teams
The league has five teams.| Team | Founded | City |
|---|---|---|
| Kishu Rangers (紀州レンジャーズ) | 2009 | Wakayama Wakayama, Wakayama is the capital city of Wakayama Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan.-Background:Wakayama occupies 4% of the land area and has 40% of Wakayama prefecture's population. The city was founded on April 1, 1889.... , Wakayama Wakayama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the Kii Peninsula in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Wakayama.- History :Present-day Wakayama is mostly the western part of the province of Kii.- 1953 Wakayama Prefecture flood disaster :... |
| Seoul Haechi (ソウル・ヘチ) | 2010 | Osaka Osaka Prefecture is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :... |
| Hyogo Blue Sandars (兵庫ブルーサンダーズ) | 2011 | Sanda Sanda, Hyogo is a city located in Hyōgo, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 113,585 and the density of 540 persons per km². The total area is 210.22 km².The city was founded on July 1, 1958.-History:... , Hyōgo Hyogo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :... |
| Osaka Hawks Dream (大阪ホークスドリーム) | 2011 | Osaka Osaka Prefecture is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :... |
| Kobe Suns (神戸サンズ) | 2011 | Kobe Kobe , pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka... and Awaji Island Awaji Island is an island in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, in the eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea between the islands of Honshū and Shikoku. The island has an area of 592.17 km²... , Hyōgo Hyogo Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :... |
Championship history
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| Osaka Gold Villicanes | |
| Kobe 9 Cruise | |
| Hyogo Blue Sandars | |
Dormant franchises
- Akashi Red Soldiers - AkashiAkashi, Hyogois a city located in southern Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, on the Seto Inland Sea west of Kobe.As of April 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 290,776, with 117,392 households, and a population density of 5,907.68 persons per km²...
, HyōgoHyogo Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
(2009-2010)
Former franchises
- Osaka Gold Villicanes - OsakaOsakais a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, OsakaOsaka Prefectureis a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...
(2009) - Kobe 9 Cruise - KobeKobe, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, HyōgoHyogo Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
(2009-2010)