Kintetsu Buffaloes
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2008-07-01T09:30:16Z
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{{NPB franchise and postseason |
Name = Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes |
DisplayName = Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes |
League = Pacific |
Logo = |
Tier 2 = Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes|
JS = (0)* |
JAPAN CHAMPIONS = None |
LEAGUE = PL |
P = (4)** |
PENNANTS = 2001 1989 1980 1979 |
}}
The '''Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes''' ([[Japanese language|ja]]: 大阪近鉄バファローズ) was a [[Nippon Professional Baseball]] team based in [[Osaka]], [[Japan]], which were in the [[Pacific League]]. The team was owned by [[Kinki Nippon Railway]] Co. (later: Kintetsu Corp.) and later sold to the [[Orix Group]], the owner of the [[Orix BlueWave]] baseball team, in [[2004]]. The new owner then announced that they would merged the two teams into one team called the [[Orix Buffaloes]] before the start of the [[2004]]-[[2005]] NPB season.
The team was founded in 1950 and was known by various names: the Kintetsu Pearls ([[1950]]-[[1958]]), Kintetsu Buffalo ([[1959]]-[[1961]]), Kintetsu Buffaloes ([[1962]]-[[1998]]), Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes ([[1999]]-[[2004]]), and Orix Buffaloes ([[2005]]-now).
The team plays in [[Osaka Dome]].
:'''Uniform colors:''' Red, navy blue and White
:'''Nickname:''' ''Kintetsu'' (近鉄), ''Buffaloes'' (バファローズ), ''Mougyu'' (猛牛) means violent buffalo, ''Ushi'' (牛,丑) means cow.
:'''Logo design:''' A stylized buffalo's head with angry-looking red eyes which is designed by [[Okamoto Taro]]; or "Buffaloes" in red script, outlined with white.
:'''League championships won''' (4): [[1979]], [[1980]], [[1989]], [[2001]]
:'''[[Japan Series]] championships won''' (0):
==Players of note==
===Former players===
*[[Ralph Bryant]]
*[[Phil Clark (baseball outfielder)|Phil Clark]]
*[[Dick Davis]]
*[[Chuck Essegian]]
*[[Yoshiaki Kanemura]] (金村 義明)
*[[Hisashi Iwakuma]] (岩隈 久志)
*[[Charlie Manuel]]
*[[Don Money]]
*[[Norihiro Nakamura]] (中村 紀洋)
*[[Hideo Nomo]] (野茂 英雄)
*[[Ben Oglivie]]
*[[Koji Ota]] (太田 幸司)
*[[Akinori Otsuka]] (大塚 晶則)
*[[Tuffy Rhodes]]
*[[German Rivera]]
*[[Lee Stevens]]
*[[Keishi Suzuki]] (鈴木 啓示)
*[[Jim Traber]]
*[[Masato Yoshii]] (吉井 理人)
*[[Fukuji Saotome]]
===Retired numbers===
*1 Keishi Suzuki
== External links ==
*[http://www.baywell.ne.jp/users/drlatham/baseball/yakyu/history/buffalo.htm History of the Kintetsu Buffaloes]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A32Eb8pkcx8 The dramatic determination of championship in Pacific League]
{{Japanese Professional Baseball}}
[[Category:Defunct baseball teams in Japan]]
[[Category:Sports clubs established in 1950]]
[[Category:Sports clubs disestablished in 2004]]
[[Category:Visitor attractions in Osaka Prefecture]]
[[Category:Baseball teams in Japan]]
{{baseball-team-stub}}
[[fr:Ōsaka Kintetsu Buffaloes]]
[[ja:大阪近鉄バファローズ]]
[[zh:大阪近鐵野牛]]