Hanshin Tigers
The Hanshin Tigers ( Japanese 阪神 タ イ ガ ー ス , Hanshin taigāsu ) is a Japanese baseball team in the Central League .
The team was founded in 1935 by the Hanshin Denki Tetsudō railway company under the name Ōsaka Tigers ( 大阪 タ イ ガ ー ス , Ōsaka taigāsu ) as the second professional club in Japan. During the Second World War between 1940 and 1944 it was called Hanshin ( 阪神 ). In 1946 it called itself back and the team has had its current name since 1961.
The Tiger's fan base is one of the largest in Japan, especially since the team has grown to be one of the strongest in recent years. However, the fans are also - by Japanese standards - brutal. For example, after the team's last league championships in Osaka at the Ebisu-bashi bridge, riots caused injuries and property damage.
successes
In the past few years, the Hanshin Tigers won the Central League championship twice (2003, 2005). However, as in 1962 and 1964, the Japan Series was subsequently lost. So it was only enough for the Japanese championship so far, in 1985, when the Seibu Lions could be beaten.
Stages
Unlike the other professional clubs in Japan, the Hanshin Tigers have two stadiums. The main stadium is the site of Japan's annual high school championship, Koshien . The stadium holds a maximum of 50,454 spectators. Since it is not roofed and also not centrally located, there is a second stadium, the roofed Ōsaka Dome, which only holds 36,477 spectators.
player
The big stars of the Hanshin Tigers are currently the batter Kanemoto Tomoaki and Imaoka Makoto, with Imaoka now playing in the 2nd team of the Tigers. Among the pitchers, the so-called JFK trio ( J eff Williams, F ujikawa Kyūji and K ubota Tomoyuki) should be mentioned, who as relief pitcher (substitute thrower) were able to bring almost every lead of the Tigers over time.
In late 2006, the New York Yankees signed pitcher Kei Igawa and paid the Tigers $ 26 million for him.