Pacific League
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The Pacific League (パシフィック・リーグ Pashifikku Riigu) is one of Japan's two major professional baseball leagues (the other is the Central League). It is often referred to as the "Pa League" in Japanese.
It was founded as the Taiheiyo Baseball Union in 1949 with seven teams. The name was changed to its current form in 1980. See also Japanese baseball.
The current teams are:
- Seibu Lions (Tokorozawa)
- Orix Buffaloes (Osaka and Kobe)
- Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (Fukuoka)
- Chiba Lotte Marines (Chiba)
- Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters (Sapporo)
- Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (Sendai)
After the 2004 season, the Orix BlueWave and the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes merged to form the Orix Buffaloes. A franchise was granted to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles to fill the void caused by the merger.
The Pacific and Central League champions face off at the end of the year in the Japan Series.
PL Pennant Winners
- 2004 Seibu Lions (after play-offs)
- 2003 Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
- 2002 Seibu Lions
- 2001 Kintetsu Buffaloes
- 2000 Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
- 1999 Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
- 1998 Seibu Lions
- 1997 Seibu Lions
- 1996 Orix BlueWave
- 1995 Orix BlueWave
- 1994 Seibu Lions
- 1993 Seibu Lions
- 1992 Seibu Lions
- 1991 Seibu Lions
- 1990 Seibu Lions
- 1989 Kintetsu Buffaloes
- 1988 Seibu Lions
- 1987 Seibu Lions
- 1986 Seibu Lions
- 1985 Seibu Lions
- 1984 Hankyu Braves
- 1983 Seibu Lions
- 1982 Seibu Lions
- 1981 Nippon Ham Fighters
- 1980 Kintetsu Buffaloes
- 1979 Kintetsu Buffaloes
- 1978 Hankyu Braves
- 1977 Hankyu Braves
- 1976 Hankyu Braves
- 1975 Hankyu Braves
- 1974 Lotte Orions
- 1973 Nankai Hawks
- 1972 Hankyu Braves
- 1971 Hankyu Braves
- 1970 Lotte Orions
- 1969 Hankyu Braves
- 1968 Hankyu Braves
- 1967 Hankyu Braves
- 1966 Nankai Hawks
- 1965 Nankai Hawks
- 1964 Nankai Hawks
- 1963 Nishitetsu Lions
- 1962 Toei Flyers
- 1961 Nankai Hawks
- 1960 Daimai Orions
- 1959 Nankai Hawks
- 1958 Nishitetsu Lions
- 1957 Nishitetsu Lions
- 1956 Nishitetsu Lions
- 1955 Nankai Hawks
- 1954 Nishitetsu Lions
- 1953 Nankai Hawks
- 1952 Nankai Hawks
- 1951 Nankai Hawks
- 1950 Mainichi Orions
External links
- Japanese website (http://pacific.npb.or.jp/)
- Japanese Baseball Data Archive at The Baseball Guru (http://baseballguru.com/jalbright/stats.html)
- List of players at Japanese Baseball (http://japanesebaseball.com/players/index.jsp)