Japan Series
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2008-07-16T00:27:41Z
Milk's Favorite Bot
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{{nihongo|The '''Japan Championship Series'''|日本選手権シリーズ試合|Nihon Senshuken Shiriizu Shiai|}}, or {{nihongo|'''Japan Series'''|日本シリーズ|Nihon Shiriizu|}} is a seven-game championship played by the winners of [[Japan]]'s two professional baseball leagues (the [[Central League]] and [[Pacific League]]). The Series is the highest level of play in professional baseball in Japan. It is usually played in October. As in all of the best of seven series, the first team to win four games is the overall winner and is declared {{nihongo|the Japan Series Champion|日本一|||}} in each year. The 2007 Series began on Oct. 27. Japan Series' winner will be the Japan representative of Asia Series.
The Home Team for the games 1, 2 and eventual 6 and 7, alternates between the two leagues with the Pacific League having the advantage on the years ending with an odd number and the Central League on the years ending with an even number. So the 2007 Japan Series had the Pacific League team hosting the games 1, 2 and eventual 6 and 7 (Although there was no Game 6 and Game 7 as Fighters lost 1-4).
Historically, the Central League has been more successful in the Japan Series than the Pacific League having won thirty-three times versus the Pacific League's twenty-four. The team with most championships is the [[Yomiuri Giants]], who have won the Japan Series twenty times. However, the Pacific League won four consecutive Series from 2003-2006, and did not lose the Series since the inception of their three-team stepladder playoff format to determine the league champion. But starting with the 2007 postseason, the Central League has also adopted the playoff format (now dubbed the "Climax Series"). Since Climax Series does not affact team's position in regular season, the nature of Japan Series slightly changed from a match between the Champions of leagues in the past to a mini-tournament postseason in nowadays, somewhat like [[World Series]] in MLB.
The 2007 Japan Series was a rematch of last year's matchup between the [[Chunichi Dragons]] and the [[Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters]]. But in a reversal of roles from last season, the Fighters won the opening game in Hokkaido but lost the last 4 to give the Dragons their first Japan Series championship since 1954. The series-clinching Game 5 was capped off by a 2-pitcher combined [[perfect game]].
==List of winners of Japan Series==
{| class="wikitable"
|bgcolor="#a6d96b"|'''Central League'''
|bgcolor="#7880ff"|'''Pacific League'''
|}
{| class="wikitable"
!style="background: #e3e3e3;" | Year
!style="background: #e3e3e3;" | Winning Team
!style="background: #e3e3e3;" | Losing Team
!style="background: #e3e3e3;" | Series
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"| [[Most valuable player|MVP]]
|-
|{{by|1950}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Chiba Lotte Marines|Mainichi Orions]] <small>([[Pacific League|PL]])</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Shochiku Robins]] <small>([[Central League|CL]])</small> || 4–2 || [[Kaoru Bettou]]
|-
|{{by|1951}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks|Nankai Hawks]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–2 || [[Yukou Minamimura]]
|-
|{{by|1952}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Nankai Hawks]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–2 || [[Takehiko Bessho]]
|-
|{{by|1953}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Nankai Hawks]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–2–1 || [[Tetsuharu Kawakami]]
|-
|[[1954 Japan Series|1954]] ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Chunichi Dragons]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions|Nishitetsu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Shigeru Sugishita]]
|-
|{{by|1955}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Nankai Hawks]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–3 || Takehiko Bessho
|-
|{{by|1956}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions|Nishitetsu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–2 || [[Yasumitsu Toyoda]]
|-
|{{by|1957}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions|Nishitetsu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–0–1 || [[Hiroshi Oshita]]
|-
|{{by|1958}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions|Nishitetsu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Kazuhisa Inao]]
|-
|{{by|1959}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Nankai Hawks]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–0 || [[Tadashi Sugiura]]
|-
|{{by|1960}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yokohama BayStars|Taiyō Whales]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Daimai Orions]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–0 || [[Akihito Kondo]]
|-
|{{by|1961}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Nankai Hawks]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–2 || [[Toshio Miyamoto]]
|-
|{{by|1962}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters|Toei Flyers]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Hanshin Tigers]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–2–1 || [[Masayuki Dobashi]]<br/>[[Masayuki Tanemo]]
|-
|{{by|1963}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Nishitetsu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Shigeo Nagashima]]
|-
|{{by|1964}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Nankai Hawks]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Hanshin Tigers]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Joe Stanka]]
|-
|{{by|1965}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Nankai Hawks]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–1 || Shigeo Nagashima
|-
|{{by|1966}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Nankai Hawks]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–2 || [[Isao Shibata]]
|-
|{{by|1967}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Orix Buffaloes|Hankyu Braves]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–2 || [[Masaaki Mori]]
|-
|{{by|1968}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Hankyu Braves]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–2 || [[Shigeru Takada]]
|-
|{{by|1969}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Hankyu Braves]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–2 || [[Shigeo Nagashima]]
|-
|{{by|1970}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Lotte Orions]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–1 || [[Shigeo Nagashima]]
|-
|{{by|1971}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Hankyu Braves]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–1 || [[Toshimitsu Suetsugu]]
|-
|{{by|1972}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Hankyu Braves]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–1 || [[Tsuneo Horiuchi]]
|-
|{{by|1973}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Nankai Hawks]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–1 || [[Tsuneo Horiuchi]]
|-
|{{by|1974}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Lotte Orions]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Chunichi Dragons]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–2 || [[Sumio Hirota]]
|-
|{{by|1975}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Hankyu Braves]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Hiroshima Carp]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–0–1 || [[Takashi Yamaguchi]]
|-
|{{by|1976}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Hankyu Braves]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Yutaka Fukumoto]]
|-
|{{by|1977}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Hankyu Braves]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–1 || [[Hisashi Yamada]]
|-
|{{by|1978}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Tokyo Yakult Swallows|Yakult Swallows]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Hankyu Braves]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Katsuo Osugi]]
|-
|{{by|1979}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Hiroshima Toyo Carp]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes|Kintetsu Buffaloes]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Yoshihiko Takahashi]]
|-
|{{by|1980}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Hiroshima Toyo Carp]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Kintetsu Buffaloes]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Jim Lyttle]]
|-
|{{by|1981}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters|Nippon Ham Fighters]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–2 || [[Takashi Nishimoto]]
|-
|{{by|1982}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Chunichi Dragons]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Osamu Higashio]]
|-
|{{by|1983}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Takuji Ota]]
|-
|{{by|1984}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Hiroshima Toyo Carp]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Hankyu Braves]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Kiyoyuki Nagashima]]
|-
|{{by|1985}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Hanshin Tigers]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–2 || [[Randy Bass]]
|-
|{{by|1986}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Hiroshima Carp]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–3–1 || [[Kimiyasu Kudo]]
|-
|{{by|1987}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–2 || Kimiyasu Kudo
|-
|{{by|1988}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Chunichi Dragons]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–1 || [[Hiromichi Ishige]]
|-
|{{by|1989}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Kintetsu Buffaloes]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Norihiro Komada]]
|-
|{{by|1990}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–0 || [[Orestes Destrade]]
|-
|{{by|1991}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Hiroshima Carp]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Kouji Akiyama]]
|-
|{{by|1992}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yakult Swallows]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Takehiro Ishii]]
|-
|{{by|1993}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yakult Swallows]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Kenjiro Kawasaki]]
|-
|{{by|1994}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–1 || [[Hiromi Makihara]]
|-
|{{by|1995}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yakult Swallows]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Orix Blue Wave]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–1 || [[Tom O'Malley]]
|-
|{{by|1996}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Orix Blue Wave]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–1 || [[Troy Neel]]
|-
|{{by|1997}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yakult Swallows]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–1 || [[Atsuya Furuta]]
|-
|{{by|1998}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yokohama BayStars]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–2 || [[Takanori Suzuki]]
|-
|{{by|1999}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Fukuoka Daiei Hawks]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Chunichi Dragons]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–1 || [[Kouji Akiyama]]
|-
|{{by|2000}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Fukuoka Daiei Hawks]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–2 || [[Hideki Matsui]]
|-
|{{by|2001}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yakult Swallows]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–1 || [[Atsuya Furuta]]
|-
|{{by|2002}} ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Yomiuri Giants]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–0 || [[Tomohiro Nioka]]
|-
|{{by|2003}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Fukuoka Daiei Hawks]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Hanshin Tigers]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Toshiya Sugiuchi]]
|-
|{{by|2004}} ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Seibu Lions]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Chunichi Dragons]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–3 || [[Takashi Ishii (baseball)|Takashi Ishii]]
|-
|[[2005 Japan Series|2005]] ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Chiba Lotte Marines]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Hanshin Tigers]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–0 || [[Toshiaki Imae]]
|-
|[[2006 Japan Series|2006]] ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters]] <small>(PL)</small> ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Chunichi Dragons]] <small>(CL)</small> || 4–1 || [[Atsunori Inaba]]
|-
|[[2007 Japan Series|2007]] ||bgcolor="#a6d96b"| [[Chunichi Dragons]] <small>(CL)</small> ||bgcolor="#7880ff"| [[Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters]] <small>(PL)</small> || 4–1 || [[Norihiro Nakamura]]
|}
NOTE: There is a limit to the number of innings which may be played during any game in Japanese professional baseball. All ties after 15 innings (was originally 12 innings) are official tie games and must be replayed for the purpose of the Series.
==Teams by number of wins in Japan Series==
{| class="wikitable"
!style="background: #e3e3e3;" | Team
!style="background: #e3e3e3;" | Wins
!style="background: #e3e3e3;" | Losses
|-
|bgcolor="#a6d96b"|[[Yomiuri Giants]] || 20 || 10
|-
|bgcolor="#7880ff"|[[Seibu Lions]] || 12 || 8
|-
|bgcolor="#a6d96b"|[[Tokyo Yakult Swallows]] || 5 || 1
|-
|bgcolor="#7880ff"|[[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]] || 4 || 9
|-
|bgcolor="#7880ff"|[[Orix Buffaloes]] || 4 || 8
|-
|bgcolor="#a6d96b"|[[Hiroshima Carp]] || 3 || 3
|-
|bgcolor="#7880ff"|[[Chiba Lotte Marines]] || 3 || 2
|-
|bgcolor="#7880ff"|[[Hokkaidō Nippon Ham Fighters]] || 2 || 2
|-
|bgcolor="#a6d96b"|[[Yokohama BayStars]] || 2 || 0
|-
|bgcolor="#a6d96b"|[[Chunichi Dragons]] || 2 || 6
|-
|bgcolor="#a6d96b"|[[Hanshin Tigers]] || 1 || 4
|-
|bgcolor="#7880ff"|[[Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes]] || 0 || 4
|-
|bgcolor="#a6d96b"|[[Yokohama BayStars|Shochiku Robins]] || 0 || 1
|}
==See also==
* [[Nippon Professional Baseball]]
* [[World Baseball Classic]]
* [[Baseball World Cup]]
* [[Asia Series]]
* [[2005 Konami Cup Asia Series]]
* [[2006 Konami Cup Asia Series]]
==External links==
*[http://www.japanbaseballdaily.com Japan Baseball Daily]
{{JapanSeries}}
{{Japanese Professional Baseball}}
[[Category:Asia Series]]
[[Category:Baseball in Japan]]
[[Category:Baseball playoffs and champions]]
[[es:Serie de Japón]]
[[ko:일본 선수권 시리즈]]
[[ja:日本選手権シリーズ]]
[[pt:Nippon Series]]
[[zh:日本大賽]]