Hanshin Tigers
- Thread starter Davey
- Start date
TIGERS, TIGERS, TIGERS 
senseiman
先輩
- 24 Jun 2003
- 679
- 47
Just like city officials to take the fun out of an event that only happens once a decade or so.
I've been to Koshien to see the Tigers 3 times, IMHO its the best place to watch a baseball game in the world. Really old-school stadium, Babe Ruth once played there, one of the last of its kind. I hate the domes they have in Tokyo, Fukuoka and Nagoya.
Tickets aren't that hard to come by, unless the Giants are in town you shouldn't have a problem. Enjoy!
I've been to Koshien to see the Tigers 3 times, IMHO its the best place to watch a baseball game in the world. Really old-school stadium, Babe Ruth once played there, one of the last of its kind. I hate the domes they have in Tokyo, Fukuoka and Nagoya.
Tickets aren't that hard to come by, unless the Giants are in town you shouldn't have a problem. Enjoy!
duff_o_josh
okonomiyaki=bliss
- 2 Apr 2004
- 324
- 14
i went last wednesday when they beat the nagoya dragons 4-0, it was awsome!
duff_o_josh
okonomiyaki=bliss
- 2 Apr 2004
- 324
- 14
it definitely is gross, they put up some tall plexiglass like fencing on the bridge where the fans jump in so they cant anymore....but there are other ways to jump in.
- 5 Feb 2005
- 7,694
- 627
- Thread starter
- #8
of course, and there are other rivers too, lol... my wife used to knew a japanese guy in australia, when he heard about the tigers won, he jumped in the Swan * main river of Perth*.
aaah, i am looking all the time if they have won already... all i can do is wait * all i have is the i-net, and i cant find when etc.. but i have trust haha... Genki da ne
aaah, i am looking all the time if they have won already... all i can do is wait * all i have is the i-net, and i cant find when etc.. but i have trust haha... Genki da ne
- 5 Feb 2005
- 7,694
- 627
- Thread starter
- #9
OMEDETOO HANSHIN TIGERS WON THE CENTRAL league 
Hanshin Tigers clinch Central League Pennant
Hanshin Tigers Manager Akinobu Okada salutes fans after his team clinches the Central League pennant at Koshien Stadium on Thursday night. (Mainichi)OSAKA -- The Hanshin Tigers are headed back to the Japan Series. Hanshin starter Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi went six strong innings Thursday, and Shinjiro Hiyama and Akihiro Yano had back-to-back RBI singles in the seventh inning at Koshien Stadium as the Tigers wiped the Yomiuri Giants 5-1 to win their second Central League pennant in three years.
Shimoyanagi struck out six and gave up four hits to improve to 14-3 on the season. Kyuji Fujikawa, Jeff Williams and Tomoyuki Kubota each worked an inning of relief. Kubota gave up the only run on a wild pitch in the ninth before getting Shinnosuke Abe to fly out to left.
Hiyama gave Hanshin a 4-0 lead in the seventh with a two-out, bases-loaded single to right. Yano widened the lead in the next at-bat with a sharply hit grounder to third that got past Yomiuri third baseman Hiroki Kokubo allowing the fifth run to score.
Thursday's win was a big relief for Hanshin manager Akinobu Okada, who is in his second year at the helm after replacing the highly-popular Senichi Hoshino.
The Tigers return to the postseason for the first time since 2003 when they lost to the Daiei Hawks. The last time the team won the Japan Series was in 1985, when Okada was a star infielder for Hanshin.
Hanshin jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings. Tomoaki Kanemoto singled in a run in the first and Kentaro Sekimoto and Norihiro Akahoshi drove in runs in the second.
The victory was all the more satisfying as it came at home and at the expense of the bumbling Yomiuri Giants, Hanshin's longtime rivals, who made three errors in Thursday's game and look set to finish a distant fifth in the standings.
Founded on Dec. 10. 1935, the Tigers are one of Japan's oldest baseball teams and are celebrating their 70th anniversary this year.
The Tigers moved into first place on June 9 and stayed there for good. They won nine of their first 10 games in September, pulling away from the second-place Chunichi Dragons.
They've lost only four times this month.
The Tigers will now await the winner of the Pacific League's playoffs and will face either the Softbank Hawks, the Chiba Lotte Marines or the Seibu Lions in the Oct. 22-30 Japan Series.
Next to the Hawks, the Tigers are arguably the most balanced team in Japanese baseball.
Infielder Makoto Imaoka and outfielder Kanemoto will both contend for MVP honors.
Going into Thursday's game, Imaoka has 28 homers with 144 RBIs and 152 hits while Kanemoto has a team-high 38 homers with 119 RBIs and 173 hits.
Not to be overlooked is speedy leadoff hitter Akahoshi, who leads the league with 58 steals and has 184 hits.
Andy Sheets, who came over from the Hiroshima Carp, has also put together a solid year with 85 RBIs, 19 homers and 159 hits.
Three of Hanshin's starters -- Kei Igawa, Yuya Ando and Shimoyanagi -- all have wins in double digits and the "JFK" relief relay of Williams, Fujikawa and closer Kubota was effective all year, including Thursday's win.
Hanshin's winning season in 2003 ended an 18-year pennant drought that was referred to by Tiger fans as "The Curse of the Colonel."
In 1985, an overzealous Hanshin fan threw a statue of Colonel Sanders taken from a nearby Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet into Osaka's Dotonbori River. The statue was never retrieved and the team's losing ways were attributed to the missing mannequin. (AP)
Hanshin Tigers clinch Central League Pennant
Hanshin Tigers Manager Akinobu Okada salutes fans after his team clinches the Central League pennant at Koshien Stadium on Thursday night. (Mainichi)OSAKA -- The Hanshin Tigers are headed back to the Japan Series. Hanshin starter Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi went six strong innings Thursday, and Shinjiro Hiyama and Akihiro Yano had back-to-back RBI singles in the seventh inning at Koshien Stadium as the Tigers wiped the Yomiuri Giants 5-1 to win their second Central League pennant in three years.
Shimoyanagi struck out six and gave up four hits to improve to 14-3 on the season. Kyuji Fujikawa, Jeff Williams and Tomoyuki Kubota each worked an inning of relief. Kubota gave up the only run on a wild pitch in the ninth before getting Shinnosuke Abe to fly out to left.
Hiyama gave Hanshin a 4-0 lead in the seventh with a two-out, bases-loaded single to right. Yano widened the lead in the next at-bat with a sharply hit grounder to third that got past Yomiuri third baseman Hiroki Kokubo allowing the fifth run to score.
Thursday's win was a big relief for Hanshin manager Akinobu Okada, who is in his second year at the helm after replacing the highly-popular Senichi Hoshino.
The Tigers return to the postseason for the first time since 2003 when they lost to the Daiei Hawks. The last time the team won the Japan Series was in 1985, when Okada was a star infielder for Hanshin.
Hanshin jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings. Tomoaki Kanemoto singled in a run in the first and Kentaro Sekimoto and Norihiro Akahoshi drove in runs in the second.
The victory was all the more satisfying as it came at home and at the expense of the bumbling Yomiuri Giants, Hanshin's longtime rivals, who made three errors in Thursday's game and look set to finish a distant fifth in the standings.
Founded on Dec. 10. 1935, the Tigers are one of Japan's oldest baseball teams and are celebrating their 70th anniversary this year.
The Tigers moved into first place on June 9 and stayed there for good. They won nine of their first 10 games in September, pulling away from the second-place Chunichi Dragons.
They've lost only four times this month.
The Tigers will now await the winner of the Pacific League's playoffs and will face either the Softbank Hawks, the Chiba Lotte Marines or the Seibu Lions in the Oct. 22-30 Japan Series.
Next to the Hawks, the Tigers are arguably the most balanced team in Japanese baseball.
Infielder Makoto Imaoka and outfielder Kanemoto will both contend for MVP honors.
Going into Thursday's game, Imaoka has 28 homers with 144 RBIs and 152 hits while Kanemoto has a team-high 38 homers with 119 RBIs and 173 hits.
Not to be overlooked is speedy leadoff hitter Akahoshi, who leads the league with 58 steals and has 184 hits.
Andy Sheets, who came over from the Hiroshima Carp, has also put together a solid year with 85 RBIs, 19 homers and 159 hits.
Three of Hanshin's starters -- Kei Igawa, Yuya Ando and Shimoyanagi -- all have wins in double digits and the "JFK" relief relay of Williams, Fujikawa and closer Kubota was effective all year, including Thursday's win.
Hanshin's winning season in 2003 ended an 18-year pennant drought that was referred to by Tiger fans as "The Curse of the Colonel."
In 1985, an overzealous Hanshin fan threw a statue of Colonel Sanders taken from a nearby Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet into Osaka's Dotonbori River. The statue was never retrieved and the team's losing ways were attributed to the missing mannequin. (AP)
- 5 Feb 2005
- 7,694
- 627
- Thread starter
- #10
Yesterday the Series started, Tigers VS Marines Batting .. tigers lost Saturday with 10-1, and also the second one, from today they lost with 10-0
more info: http://www.geocities.com/s_borisov/jb2005/
Damn, I really hope that the tigers will come back on it!!!!
more info: http://www.geocities.com/s_borisov/jb2005/
Damn, I really hope that the tigers will come back on it!!!!
DoctorP
先輩
- 3 Jun 2004
- 2,193
- 93
Yeah that is what they said on the TV too after the game. But, I don't care what people say...Japanese players have better fundamentals than Americans. But Valentine is a genius when it comes down to strategy...he was "top shelf" in the States before going to Japan. He would still be a premiere manager in the US if he chose to move back...just wonder what he will do after the season is finished?
epigene
相変わらず不束者です
- 10 Nov 2004
- 4,354
- 179
Thanks for the response, CC1!
I've read in mlb.com that he doesn't expect to be invited back to manage a club in the US. He said MLB no longer is interested in his style of baseball...do you think that's true?
He has said on many occasions that he will be managing the Marines again next year... Also, the front office and owner are in awe of him...
I've read in mlb.com that he doesn't expect to be invited back to manage a club in the US. He said MLB no longer is interested in his style of baseball...do you think that's true?
He has said on many occasions that he will be managing the Marines again next year... Also, the front office and owner are in awe of him...
Dekamaster
「地獄の番犬！」
- 12 Feb 2005
- 429
- 5
Wow. I never knew they gave out an award for fighting spirit. More professional sports organizations should be doing that !
FURE FURE FURE
Dekamaster
「地獄の番犬！」
- 12 Feb 2005
- 429
- 5
Don't worry Dutch Baka, at least the Tigers gave it one hell of a last shot. 
Flashjeff
Pink Lady's Number #1 Fan
- 28 Dec 2003
- 2,585
- 77
epigene said:
Nope. Not likely. There's bound to be a team out there that will take a flyer on Bobby V if the price is right. I'm sure George Steinbrenner has Valentine's number on speed dial and might have used it if Joe Torre had quit. Hell, it wouldn't surprise me if Bobby is Big George's first choice to replace Torre should he ever leave.
epigene
相変わらず不束者です
- 10 Nov 2004
- 4,354
- 179
Thanks, Jeff!flashjeff said:
Looks like Torre-san is will stay another year. And Bobby Valentine has another year with the Lotte Marines in his contract. BTW, the team organization has already decided to retire his number "2" with the team...
The Japanese media is going crazy about Bobby right now. Even people who weren't interested in Japanese baseball is expressing admiration for him. Baseball analysts are going on and on about what he did in the Japanese postseason, and how much of a strategist he is. He has become an icon. He deserves it, because he had worked hard to build Lotte during his first stint managing the club in Japan (later leaving for the NY Mets) and the fans did not forget his effort. He also did a lot to win fan attention to the team, despite not being able to win the league championship. He certainly brought victory to the darkest of dark horses (ranking No. 3 in the league and battling through the playoffs).
He actually took media attention away from Tadahito Iguchi, the member of the MLB world champion Chicago White Sox and the first Japanese player to reach the top in MLB! ☝
Flashjeff
Pink Lady's Number #1 Fan
- 28 Dec 2003
- 2,585
- 77
Bobby V. is a damn good manager, it's just that he had a bad rap here in the States of being an egomaniac who grated on his players, but he certainly knows what he's doing in the dugout. And he certainly built a winner with the Marines. Sportscenter ran the clip of his players tossing Bobby in the air after the team's big win. I thought that was mondo cool! I'm surprised he was more of a story than Iguchi, the first Japanese player to win a World Series ring. Doubly cool!
