Kintetsu Buffaloes 974334 222830780 2008-07-01T09:30:16Z Kanabekobaton 622297 {{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]]