The are a professional
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team in the Japanese
Central 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...
. Home field is the
Yokohama Stadiumis a stadium in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan. It opened in 1978 and holds 30,000 people.It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Yokohama BayStars. The stadium is unique, because it features dirt around the bases and pitcher's mound, but with dirt colored turf infield and base...
, located in central
Yokohamais the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
. The clubhouse is located near the stadium.
The team mascot is
Hossy, the character with the star-shaped head seen on the team
logoA logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
.
The minor league team is named the
Shonan Searex, and plays in the
Eastern LeagueThe is one of the two minor leagues of Japanese professional baseball. The league is owned and managed by 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 minor league home field is Yokosuka Stadium, located in
Yokosuka, 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...
.
The team's name has changed from: (1950–1952), (1953), (1954), (1955–1977), (1978–1992) to the current name,
Yokohama BayStars, adopted in 1993.
Origin (1930s-1949)
The team originated from the amateur team of the
Taiyo Fishing Company (current Maruha Corporation). The amateur team began to appear in national tournaments in the 1930s, and won the
National Sports Festival in 1948 to obtain national recognition. In the 1949 off-season, the Japanese professional baseball league drastically expanded itself, and many players from the Taiyo amateur team were recruited to join the professional leagues. The owner of the Taiyo company decided to enter the amateur team into the newly expanded
Central 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...
, which was established in 1950. The team officially became professional as the
Maruha Team, and the franchise was based in
Shimonoseki, Yamaguchiis a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is at the southwestern tip of Honshū, facing the Tsushima Strait and also Kitakyushu across the Kanmon Straits....
.
Taiyo Whales (1950-1952)
The team name was changed to
Taiyo Whales, shortly after the start of the 1950 season. The Whales received several veteran players from the
Yomiuri 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...
to compensate for their lack of players, but ended up in the bottom half of the standings each year.
In 1951, there was talk of merging with the Hiroshima Carp, which had experienced serious financial problems. Thankfully, the merging never occurred due to massive protests from
Hiroshimais the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
citizens.
Taiyo Shochiku Robins (1953) and Yo-Sho Robins (1954)
In 1952, it was decided that teams ending the season with a winning percentage below .300 would be disbanded or merged with other teams. The Shochiku Robins fell into this category, and were merged with the
Taiyo Whales to become the
Taiyo Shochiku Robins in January, 1953. However, the team's re-organization was not completed in time for the 1953 season, and the team ended up continuing its offices in both
Shimonosekiis a city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. It is at the southwestern tip of Honshū, facing the Tsushima Strait and also Kitakyushu across the Kanmon Straits....
and
Kyotois a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. Home games took place in
Osakais 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...
for geographical reasons, and the team's finances were managed by both the Taiyo and
Shochikuis a Japanese movie studio and production company for kabuki. It also produces and distributes anime films. Its best remembered directors include Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita and Yōji Yamada...
companies until the franchise was officially transferred to
Osakais 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...
in 1954 to become the
Yō-Shō Robins.
The Shochiku Robins had won the 1950
Central 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...
championship before being merged.
Taiyo Whales (1955-1977)
The
Shochikuis a Japanese movie studio and production company for kabuki. It also produces and distributes anime films. Its best remembered directors include Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita and Yōji Yamada...
company discontinued its support in December, 1954, and the team name returned to
Taiyo Whales. The franchise moved to
Kawasaki, Kanagawais a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is the 9th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area....
, and obtained an exclusive home field (
Kawasaki Stadiumwas a stadium in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. The stadium was opened in 1952 and had a capacity of 30,000 people.It was primarily used for baseball and was home of the Taiyo Whales until they moved to Yokohama in 1977 and became the Yokohama Taiyo Whales...
), but ended up in last place six years in a row from 1954-1959.
In 1960, the team recruited Osamu Mihara, who had been manager of the Nishitetsu Lions the previous year. Mihara led the team to its first pennant in 1960, and swept the
Pacific 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...
champions in the Japanese championship series. The team had been in last place the previous year.
However, this success did not last long, and the team quickly fell back into last place in 1961. The Whales made a comeback in 1962, but trailed four games behind the
Hanshin TigersThe are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
to end up in second place. They lost the league championship again to the Tigers in 1964, only one game (.008 winning percentage) away from first place.
The team produced countless star players during the 1970s, but rarely ended the season above the .500 mark. The small
Kawasaki Stadiumwas a stadium in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. The stadium was opened in 1952 and had a capacity of 30,000 people.It was primarily used for baseball and was home of the Taiyo Whales until they moved to Yokohama in 1977 and became the Yokohama Taiyo Whales...
made the Whales one of the most offensively productive teams in Japanese baseball history, but a weak pitching staff, and lack of financial support put the team out of serious contention.
By 1976, the team had been planning on moving from
Kawasakiis a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is the 9th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area....
to
Yokohamais the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, and support from the mayor of
Yokohamais the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
allowed the team to gain financial support from the
Kokudo Company. 55% of the team's share was retained by Taiyo, and the other 45% went to Kokudo.
Yokohama Taiyo Whales (1978-1992)
The
Yokohama Stadiumis a stadium in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan. It opened in 1978 and holds 30,000 people.It is primarily used for baseball and is the home field of the Yokohama BayStars. The stadium is unique, because it features dirt around the bases and pitcher's mound, but with dirt colored turf infield and base...
was newly created in
Yokohamais the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
with the support of the Kokudo Company, and added the city into the team name to become the
Yokohama Taiyo Whales in 1978. The Kokudo Company bought the Crown Lighter Lions in 1978, and sold its shares of the Whales team to the
Nippon Broadcasting System, or JOLF, is a Japanese radio station in Tokyo. Together with Nippon Cultural Broadcasting it is a flagship station of the National Radio Network...
and
TBS, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
. The
Nippon Broadcasting System, or JOLF, is a Japanese radio station in Tokyo. Together with Nippon Cultural Broadcasting it is a flagship station of the National Radio Network...
obtained 30% of the shares, and
TBS, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
bought 15%, while Taiyo kept its 55%. The team enjoyed far more popularity during this period than previous years, but continued to post only meager results in the standings, with their best placing being in 1979, when they finished second behind the
Hiroshima Toyo CarpThe are a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda. Mazda is the largest single shareholder , which is less than the portion owned by the Matsuda family . Because of that,...
.
Yokohama BayStars (1993-present)
In November, 1992, Taiyo changed its name to the
Maruha Corporation, and renamed the team as the
Yokohama BayStars. The BayStars remain the only Japanese professional baseball team to not include the name of the parent company into the team name.
Originally, the team was going to be renamed the Yokohama Whales, but new restrictions on
whalingWhaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
convinced the company to drop the original name. Some superstitious fans had believed that dead whales put a curse onto the team (the Maruha Corporation was famous for its
whale meatWhale meat is the flesh of whales used for consumption by humans or other animals. It is prepared in various ways, and is historically part of the diet and cuisine of various communities that live near an ocean, including those of Japan, Norway, Iceland, and the Arctic...
products), preventing the Whales from winning championships. In his visit to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
,
Japanese Prime MinisterThe is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Kiichi Miyazawawas a Japanese politician and the 78th Prime Minister from November 5, 1991 to August 9, 1993.-Early life and career:Miyazawa was born in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, and graduated from Tokyo Imperial University with a degree in law. In 1942 he joined the Ministry of Finance...
remarked to former president
Bill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
(who had proposed international restriction on
whalingWhaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
) that the Maruha Corporation's decision was reflective of Japan's change in attitude towards whaling.
The BayStars remained a non-contender during the early 1990s, but gradually assembled the players that would contribute to the team's championship in 1998.
Akihiko OhyaAkihiko Ohya was the manager of the Yokohama BayStars baseball team in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball until he was fired on May 18, 2009.-External links:...
became manager in 1996, and almost caught up to the Yakult Swallows in 1997, ending in second place. Hiroshi Gondo (a pitching coach the previous year) became manager in 1998, and the BayStars won their first league championship in 38 years in 1998, defeating the
Seibu LionsThe are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based west of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Prince Hotels, which in turn is owned by the Seibu Group...
to win the Japanese championship series. The team's consistent hitting, impeccable defense, (players from the BayStars won five golden glove awards in 1998) and solid pitching staff (rounded by closer
Kazuhiro SasakiKazuhiro "Daimajin" Sasaki is a former Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He played his entire NPB career with the Yokohama Taiyo Whales / Yokohama BayStars...
) contributed to an epic 1998 season. The BayStars' offense in the '98 season became known as the "Machine Gun Offense" because of the quick succession of hits the Yokohama batters would get (mostly singles), and no game was ever over until the final out was recorded.
The team dropped to third place in 1999 despite having the best offense in Japan and also setting a league record for team batting average at .294, and has not been in serious contention for the championship ever since. In 2001, the Maruha Corporation sold its remaining shares to
TBS, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
, giving
TBS, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
full control of the team's finances.
Akihiko OhyaAkihiko Ohya was the manager of the Yokohama BayStars baseball team in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball until he was fired on May 18, 2009.-External links:...
returned in 2007 after leaving the team in 1997. In 2009 the team finished in the bottom of the league despite having a few young stars on the team like slugger Shuichi Murata and league batting champion Seiichi Uchikawa, and also having the pitching of
Daisuke MiuraDaisuke Miura is a professional baseball player from Kashihara, Nara, Japan. He is a starting pitcher for the Yokohama BayStars....
and the signing of foreign star
Ryan GlynnRyan David Glynn is a pitcher for the Chinese Professional Baseball League's Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions.-College and MLB Career:...
.
On May 18, 2009, The Baystars management announced that it has fired Ohya and appointed Tomio Tashiro as acting manager.
Current roster
This is a partial list. - IF (稲田直人) - CF (金城龍彦) - 2B,SS (渡辺直人) - LF - CF (森本稀哲) - SS (石川雄洋) - IF (嶋村一輝) - P (山口俊) - P (大沼幸二) - P (山本省吾) - P (加賀繁) - P (清水直行) - P (三浦大輔) - P (高崎健太郎) - 2B,SS (藤田一也) - P - 3B (村田修一) - P (江尻慎太郎) - C (新沼慎二) - P (真田裕貴) - RF (吉村裕基) - C (橋本将) - P (篠原貴行) - C (細山田武史) - CF (早川大輔) - P - OF (内藤雄太) - 1B - P (大家友和) - P - P (佐藤祥万) - C(武山真吾) - P
Managers
- Tairiku Watanabe (渡辺大陸: 1950)
- Haruyasu Nakajima
Haruyasu Nakajima was a Japanese baseball player. He is one who played an active part most in the Nippon Professional Baseball of the dawn....
(中島治康: 1951)
- Giichi Arima (有馬義一: 1951)
- Tokuro Konishi
Tokuro Konishi was a Japanese baseball manager for Shochiku Robins. During his university years, we played for Nihon University and Meiji University....
(小西得郎: 1952-1953)
- Takeo Nagasawa (永沢武夫: 1954)
- Isamu Fujii (藤井勇: 1955)
- Masami Sakohata (迫畑正巳: 1956-1958)
- Shigeo Mori (森茂雄: 1959)
- Osamu Mihara (三原脩: 1960-1967)
- Kaoru Betto
was a former Nippon Professional Baseball player. After playing for the Ōsaka Tigers for two years, Betto played for the Mainichi Orions from 1950 to 1957...
(別当薫: 1968-1974)
- Noboru Akiyama
was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher, originally from Okayama, Okayama. He played with the Taiyo Whales. He is a member of the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.-External links:...
(秋山登: 1975-1976)
- Kaoru Betto
was a former Nippon Professional Baseball player. After playing for the Ōsaka Tigers for two years, Betto played for the Mainichi Orions from 1950 to 1957...
(別当薫: 1977-1979)
- Kiyoshi Doi (土井淳: 1980-1981)
- Junzo Sekine (関根潤三: 1982-1984)
- Sadao Kondo (近藤貞雄: 1985-1986)
- Takeshi Koba
Takeshi Koba is now the manager of Tokyo International University's baseball team and was formerly a professional baseball player and manager in Japan.-Career as Player:...
(古葉竹識: 1987-1989)
- Yutaka Sudo (須藤豊: 1990-1992)
- Akira Ejiri (江尻亮: 1992)
- Akihito Kondo (近藤貞雄: 1993-1995)
- Akihiko Ohya
Akihiko Ohya was the manager of the Yokohama BayStars baseball team in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball until he was fired on May 18, 2009.-External links:...
(大矢明彦: 1996-1997)
- Hiroshi Gondo (権藤博: 1998-2000)
- Masahiko Mori (森祇晶: 2001-2002)
- Daisuke Yamashita (山下大輔: 2003-2004)
- Kazuhiko Ushijima (牛島和彦: 2005-2006)
- Akihiko Ohya
Akihiko Ohya was the manager of the Yokohama BayStars baseball team in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball until he was fired on May 18, 2009.-External links:...
(大矢明彦: 2007-2009)
- Tomio Tashiro (田代富雄: 2009)
- Takao Obana
Takao Obana is the current manager of the Yokohama BayStars and a former Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher and coach. Takao was the Yakult Swallows's fourth pick in the 1978 draft and played the entirety of his 14-year career with the team...
(尾花高夫: 2010-)
Former players
Taiyo Whales Era - 1B (松原誠: 1962-80)- SS (ケン・アスプロモンテ: 1966) - P (平松政次: 1967-84) - 3B (クリート・ボイヤー: 1972-75) - 2B (ジョン・シピン: 1972-77) - 3B,1B (田代富雄: 1973-91) - SS (山下大輔: 1974-88) - P (斉藤明夫: 1977-93)
Yokohama Taiyo Whales Era - 2B (フェリックス・ミヤーン: 1978-1980) - P (遠藤一彦: 1978-1992) - CF (屋鋪要: 1978-1993)- 2B, SS (高木豊: 1981-1993) - 3B (レオン・リー: 1983-1985) - LF (加藤博一: 1983-1990) - 1B (カルロス・ポンセ: 1986-1990) - 1B, RF (ジム・アドゥチ: 1987) - 1B, LF (ジム・パチョレック: 1988-1991) - P (盛田幸妃: 1988-1997) - SS, 3B (進藤達哉: 1988-2000) - P (野村弘樹: 1988-2002) - C (谷繁元信: 1989-2001) - SS, 3B, P (石井琢朗: 1989-2008) - P (佐々木主浩: 1990-1999, 2004–2005) - RF (ロバート・レイノルズ: 1991-1992) - P (斎藤隆: 1992-2005) - (ラリー・シーツ: 1992)
Yokohama BayStars Era - RF (グレン・グラッグス: 1993-1996) - 2B (ロバート・ローズ: 1993-2000) - 1B,OF(佐伯貴弘: 1993-2010) - P (大家友和: 1994-1998) - 1B (駒田徳広: 1994-2000) - CF (波留敏夫: 1994-2001) - P (福盛和男:1995-2003) - CF (多村仁:1995-2006) - C (相川亮二:1995-2008) - P (川村丈夫:1997-2008) - OF (中根仁:1998-2003) - 3B (ロウ・メローニ:2000) - P (ラファエル・ベタンコート:2000) - P (小宮山悟:2000-2001) - P (木塚敦志:2000-2010) - 2B (種田仁:2001-2007) - 1B,OF (内川聖一:2001-2010) - 1B(スティーブ・コックス:2003) - 1B (タイロン・ウッズ:2003-2004) - P (門倉健:2004-2006) - P (土肥義弘:2004-2008) - P (マーク・クルーン: 2005-2007) - LF(ラリー・ビグビー: 2008) - P (石井裕也:2008-2010) - 1B, 3B, LF (ダン・ジョンソン: 2009) - 1B, 2B, OF (ホゼ・カスティーヨ: 2010)
MLB Players
Active:
- Takashi Saito
is a Japanese professional baseball player.Saito previously pitched for the Yokohama BayStars in the Japanese Central League, compiling a record of 87–80 over 13 seasons...
(2006-)
- Tomo Ohka
is a Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher who is currently playing for the Yokohama BayStars. Previously, Ohka played with the Boston Red Sox , Montreal Expos , Washington Nationals , Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Cleveland Indians...
(1999-2009)
Retired:
- Kazuhiro Sasaki
Kazuhiro "Daimajin" Sasaki is a former Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He played his entire NPB career with the Yokohama Taiyo Whales / Yokohama BayStars...
(2000-2005)
- Denney Tomori (2005)
External links
Yokohama BayStars official website