The Rolling SEIBU LIONS - CHUNICHI DRAGONS 2004 Japan Series Thread

I'm curious to check some out.

Oh, the "first X in Y years" construction drives me up the fucking wall when used like this. The first part implies that the event has not occured in a long time but the second part completely fails to deliver on the promise of the first.

"The Houston Astros won their first postseason series in 43 years..."

Now that tells us something.

http://www.geocities.com/s_borisov/jb2004/index.html

Yahoo Sports Japan - Baseball does have live gameday tracking, but the interface is almost entirely in kanji/katakana:

http://sports.yahoo.co.jp/images/baseball/live_sample02.gif
live sample

the japanese players are wearing goggles to protect their eyes from champagne and errant corks.

Wada homered off Kenshin Kawakami in the fourth inning and Seibu
made it 2-0 in the fifth on a two-out error by Chunichi right fielder
Hidenori Kuramoto at Nagoya Dome, while Ishii and the Seibu bullpen
held the Dragons to two hits.

Wada led off with a triple in the top of the second but Kawakami
left him stranded after retiring the next two batters and
intentionally walking Hiroyuki Takagi before striking out Ishii.

The second time Wada made sure it counted, launching an 0-1
pitch just inside the left-field foul pole, hushing a crowd of 37,909.

''Even though I didn't get a clean hit, it stayed fair for me,''
Wada said. ''In this short series, we have to do everything to win so
it was great to score first. Takashi threw some good pitches for us
and I was able to connect.''

Wada hit .444 in the second stage of the Pacific League playoffs
and maintained his form in Saturday's game.

Ishii (1-0) allowed two hits and struck out six for the win
while 17-game regular season winner Kawakami (0-1) took the loss
after a seven-inning effort.

Seibu closer Kiyoshi Toyoda, who had a 0.98 ERA in the regular
season, got the final three outs for the save.

The Lions struck again in the fifth when Tomoaki Sato doubled
with two outs and Shogo Akada followed with a single to right,
putting runners on second and third.

The visitors made it 2-0 when Kuramoto dropped Jose Fernandez's
routine fly ball in right field, allowing Sato to score from third.

Then there was a bizarre happening that forced a 49-minute halt
to the game in the bottom of the fifth.

With one out, Motonobu Tanishige hit a chopper in front of the
plate and the home plate umpire called him out on a tag by catcher
Kosuke Noda for the second out.

Noda, who had apparently thought he missed the tag, threw to
second to force out Omar Linares as part of a double play.

Chunichi manager Ochiai argued that Linares should have been
tagged out and the umpire crew overruled the call, prompting a fierce
complaint by Seibu manager Tsutomu Ito and throwing the game into
mayhem.

Restless Chunichi fans walked aimlessly about the stadium, did
the wave and looked about in confusion while the umpires continued
their conference.

The longest-ever game interruption over an umpire ruling in the
Japan Series was one hour and 19 minutes, which took place in Game 7
of the 1978 series between the Yakult Swallows and the Hankyu Braves.

Umpires finally ruled the play a judgment error, allowing the
game to resume with Linares at second but Kuramoto, the next batter,
popped out to Noda to end the inning in an anticlimax.

Chikara Onodera worked a hitless eighth and Toyoda closed out
the game with a perfect ninth for the Lions.

''A lot of things happened to the game but I'm relieved that we
won the opener,'' Ito said. ''Ishii showed what's required in such a
big game and Wada's homer proved the key.''

''The Dragons are a good team built around their pitching staff.
They should fight back and we got to get ready for it,'' he said.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series will be played at Nagoya Dome
on Sunday. The designated hitter rule will be in effect for Games 3,
4 and 5 at Seibu Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, after the
series takes Monday off.

Kazuyoshi Tatsunami hit a three-run homer and Motonobu Tanishige
delivered a tie-breaking single as the Chunichi Dragons rallied to
beat the Seibu Lions 11-6 to even the series at a game apiece in the
Japan Series on Sunday.

Takayuki Onishi hit a pinch-hit single to lead off the bottom of
the seventh inning and Hirokazu Ibata followed with a one-out single
before Tatsunami, who drove in four runs on the day, hit his first
homer of the best-of-seven matchup into the right-field stands off a
weary Daisuke Matsuzaka to tie the game at 6-all.

After walking Alex Ochoa and hitting Masahiko Morino with a
pitch, Matsuzaka allowed a go-ahead double to Tanishige, followed by
a Mitsunobu Takahashi pinch-hit RBI single as Chunichi took an 8-6
lead.

After Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Seibu in which Chunichi was held
to just two hits, the Chunichi bats came together in a 14-hit
onslaught, shaking up Matsuzaka in the process.

''It's good for us when veterans like Tatsunami and Tanishige
play a pivotal role,'' Chunichi manager Hiromitsu Ochiai said.

''We were fortunate that Matsuzaka was on the mound. I doubt any
other Lions pitchers can be stubborn like he was on the mound
tonight. His fighting spirit cost them a game,'' he said after
winning his first Japan Series game as manager.

Matsuzaka (0-1) gave up eight runs in 6-1/3 innings. He struck
out seven but also hit three batters and walked two as he struggled
with his control in a 110-pitch outing.

Jose Fernandez and Kazuhiro Wada homered for the visitors while
teeing off veteran southpaw starter Masahiro Yamamoto in the fifth.

With Seibu training 3-2, Hiroyuki Takagi led off the inning with
a single and Tomoaki Sato doubled to left one out later to tie the
game at 3-3. Shogo Akada then hit another double to left for a 4-3
lead and Wada sent the ball the same direction for a double to make
it 5-3.

Yamamoto was chased after allowing five runs on seven hits in
4-1/3 innings and Marc Valdes (1-0) was credited with the win after
pitching one inning of relief.

Earlier in the game, Fernandez hit a two-run homer to put the
Lions ahead in the top of the first inning.

In the third, Shogo Mori led off with a single to right and
advanced to second on Yamamoto's sacrifice bunt. Matsuzaka hit
Masahiro Araki with a pitch and Ibata singled to load the bases.

Tatsunami then hit an RBI groundout and Ochoa's bloop single to
right tied the game at 2-all. Matsuzaka hit another batter before
issuing a bases-loaded walk to Tanishige, giving Chunichi a 3-2 lead.

Wada connected for a solo blast off Valdes to make it 6-3 in the
top of the seventh before Chunichi rallied in the bottom half. Ochoa
lofted a sacrifice fly in a three-run eighth that also featured a
two-out RBI triple by pinch-hitter Hidenori Kuramoto.

After a travel day on Monday, the series resumes Tuesday at
Seibu Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture.

This picture of Tom Cruise and Seibu Lions pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka was on yahoo sports italia for some reason. Tom was there to throw the ceremonial first pitch in game #3 of the Japan Series.

Tom Cruise threw out the ceremonial first pitch, but Alex Cabrera was the biggest star of Game 3 of the Japan Series.

Cabrera hit a grand slam in the seventh inning Tuesday at Seibu Dome to lift the Pacific League champion Seibu Lions to a 10-8 win over the Chunichi Dragons and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Cruise is in Tokyo to promote his film "Collateral." The American actor, who is hugely popular in Japan, threw a pitch that was nearly 3 feet wide of strike zone.

"I'm very happy to be here," Cruise said. "That was a terrible pitch, but I love being here in Japan."

TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Pref. (AP) The Chunichi Dragons played their own version of powerball Thursday to reclaim the momentum in the Japan Series.

After being outslugged by the Seibu Lions in Game 3, Omar Linares, Alex Ochoa and Kazuki Inoue all homered in Game 4 as the Dragons cruised to an 8-2 victory over the Pacific League champions at Seibu Dome to even the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.

Ochoa gave the Central League champions a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning with a solo blast off Seibu starter Chang Chih-chia that just cleared the wall in center field.

"It was a slider but I got a good swing at it," said the former Anaheim Angels outfielder. "We knew we needed to score some more runs and I was glad to do that for us. It's been a while since I hit one out."

Inoue then deposited a hanging changeup from Chang into the right field stands in the same inning as the Dragons took a commanding 5-0 lead on a three-run homer that knocked the Seibu starter out of the game.

The two teams split the first two games at Nagoya Dome. The Lions rode the bat of Alex Cabrera to win Game 3 by a score of 10-8 after the Venezuelan slugger hit a grand slam and a two-run homer for six RBIs.

Cabrera was held to a ninth inning single in Thursday's game.

Catcher Motonobu Tanishige widened the Chunichi lead to 7-0 with a double in the fifth inning that scored Linares and Kazuyoshi Tatsunami. Masahiro Araki drove in a run in the sixth to complete the scoring for the Dragons.

With the victory, the Dragons ensured themselves of returning to Nagoya Dome for Game 6.

Chunichi starter Daisuke Yamai, pitching in his first Japan Series game, was as impressive as the Chunichi batters.

The 26-year-old right-hander struck out six and held the Lions to five hits over six scoreless innings for the win.

Linares got the Dragons on the scoreboard with a leadoff solo homer in the second inning off Chang.

The Lions finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh when Jose Fernandez doubled to center, scoring pinch-hitter Tatsuya Ozeki all the way from first base.

Seibu shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima added a solo homer in the eighth.

The Japan Times: Oct. 22, 2004
(C) All rights reserved

TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Pref. (AP) Kenshin Kawakami pitched eight strong innings Friday and Kazuki Inoue and Kazuyoshi Tatsunami each drove in a pair of runs as the Chunichi Dragons defeated the Seibu Lions 6-1 in Game 5 of the Japan Series.

Kawakami, who posted 17 wins in the regular season, pitched a perfect game through 5 1/3 innings at Seibu Dome. He left the mound after the eighth having given up just one run on five hits while striking out seven.

"We've still got one win to go," said Kawakami. "I just tried to be aggressive with their batters and fortunately it worked."

Seibu's two big hitters -- Jose Fernandez and Alex Cabrera -- both struck out three times. Fernandez had a single in the ninth while Cabrera went hitless.

With the victory, the Central League champion Dragons grabbed a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series and can wrap up their first Japan Series title since 1954 with a win over the Pacific League champion in Game 6 on Sunday at Nagoya Dome.

"We're going home in a very good position," said Chunichi manager Hiromitsu Ochiai. "Our pitchers and catcher have done a great job of learning their batters and we're looking forward to winning it at home."

Inoue, who hit a three-run homer in Thursday's 8-2 win, gave the Dragons a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning with a clutch single to the gap in left that scored Alex Ochoa and Omar Linares, who previously walked and then advanced a base on a Motonobu Tanishige sacrifice bunt.

Seibu catcher Toru Hosokawa, making his first start in the series, broke up Kawakami's no-hit bid with a clean single to left in the sixth inning, and Hiroyuki Takagi followed with a single up the middle.

Pinch-hitter Tatsuya Ozeki then hit a double off the wall in right that scored Hosokawa to make it 3-1 but Takagi was gunned down at the plate on a perfect relay from second baseman Masahiro Araki.

Ochiai brought in closer Hitoki Iwase to work the ninth. Iwase retired the side and was given a little breathing room thanks to a two-run homer from Tatsunami and a solo blast from Ochoa in the top of the ninth that made it 6-1.

Araki got the Dragons on the scoreboard in the third inning when he hit a triple to left and then scored on Hirokazu Ibata's grounder to shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima.

Nakajima's throw home hit Araki in the leg as he was sliding into home plate and bounced to Seibu starter Fumiya Nishiguchi, who threw to second, where Ibata was tagged out.

Kawakami pitched a solid game in the opener but was the victim of poor run support and sloppy defense as the Dragons lost 2-0.

The Dragons are making their first postseason appearance since 1999, when they lost in five games to the Daiei Hawks.

The Lions last played in the Japan Series in 2002, when they were swept by the Yomiuri Giants.

Game 4 was postponed a day because of a powerful typhoon that passed through the Tokyo area Wednesday night.

Because of the typhoon, all games were pushed back a day, meaning that if there is a Game 7, it would be played on Monday at Nagoya Dome instead of Sunday as originally scheduled.

chat playbyplay here.

Lions Win Japan Series Championship

NAGOYA, Japan - Former Arizona Diamondback Alex Cabrera hit a two-run home run Monday to lead the Seibu Lions to a 7-2 win over the Chunichi Dragons in Game 7 of the Japan Series, their first title since 1992 and ninth overall.

Takashi Ishii gave up three hits in six scoreless innings as the Pacific League champion Lions became the first team since 1989 to clinch the championship by winning the final two games of the best-of-seven series on the road.

"It's an unbelievable feeling," first-year Seibu manager Tsutomu Ito said. "This team never gave up and I never stopped believing in these players."

Ishii, the series MVP, was only 1-5 in the regular season. But he was dominant in the series. He won Game 1 when he held the Dragons to two hits over seven scoreless innings.

"I just tried to build on the momentum from yesterday's win," said the right-hander, who finished the series with a 0.00 ERA. "It's not often that I get to pitch in these situations. I just tried to pitch as I always do."

Seibu took control of the game with a five-run third inning, highlights by Cabrera's towering homer off Chunichi reliever Daisuke Yamai that bounced off the glass-enclosed private boxes above the left-field seats.

It was Cabrera's third homer of the series. He had a grand slam and a two-run homer in Game 3.

It was a disappointing finish for the Central League champion Dragons, who were looking for their first Japan Series championship since 1954.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1920654

SAPPORO, Japan -- Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka picked the right spot to showcase his talent.

He pitched a complete game Thursday in leading the Japanese All-Stars past the touring major league stars 5-1 in Game 6 of an eight-game exhibition series. The major leaguers lead the series 4-2.

Matsuzaka, perhaps the best pitcher in Japan, hopes to play in the majors.

"Without question he could pitch in the major leagues," manager Bruce Bochy of the major league All-Stars said. "He has four major league pitches; he has a good idea of what he's doing on the mound. It's hard to compare him to anybody because of his unique delivery."

The 24-year-old right-hander has played six years in Japan's professional league and must wait three more before becoming a free agent.

Matsuzaka gave up one run on five hits while striking out six for the win. The major leaguers scored their only run in the bottom of the sixth when Jack Wilson of Pittsburgh doubled in Tampa Bay outfielder Carl Crawford from first.

"This is an unbelievable feeling," Matsuzaka said. "I wanted to face [Manny] Ramirez and [David] Ortiz but I still feel satisfied because I beat a very good major league lineup."

Ramirez left the tour after the first three games because of a sore left hamstring. Ortiz, his Boston teammate, did not play Thursday.

"In the sixth inning I started to feel I could go all the way," Matsuzaka said. "We can't win the series, but hopefully we can come back and win the next two games to tie it."

Matsuzaka was the winning pitcher when Japan defeated Cuba 6-3 in the preliminary round of the Athens Olympics. He played a key role in helping the Seibu Lions win the Japan Series this year.

Cubs outfielder Moises Alou, who singled off Matsuzaka in the sixth inning, was impressed.

"He pitched really well," Alou said. "I was lucky to hit a fastball right down the middle."

The Japanese scored two runs off starter Mark Redman in the second inning. Akinori Iwamura doubled home Kenji Jojima and Shinnosuke Abe's fielder's choice scored Kazuhiro Wada from third.

Takahiro Saeki hit a solo homer to right in the eighth off Francisco Rodriguez. Iwamura followed with a triple and scored when Alou dropped the ball in right, putting Japan up 5-1.

"I was excited to hit the first home run of the series for our team," Saeki said. "I felt great at the plate."