This is a site about Pro Yakyu (Japanese Baseball), not about who the next player to go over to MLB is. It's a community of Pro Yakyu fans who have come together to share their knowledge and opinions with the world. It's a place to follow teams and individuals playing baseball in Japan (and Asia), and to learn about Japanese (and Asian) culture through baseball.
It is my sincere hope that once you learn a bit about what we're about here that you will join the community of contributors.
Michael Westbay
(aka westbaystars)
Founder
It truly was a team effort, but if one unit was to be singled out as a reason for the Hawks' success, it would be the stellar work of the bullpen. The emergence of Masahiko Morifuku, who has pitched a career-high in innings, has been essential in a year full of career-highs for the Hawks' pitching staff. Despite getting lit up today for four runs, he will be counted on along with the rest of the bullpen in the Second Stage of the Pacific League Climax Series.
A huge reason why the Hawks are PL champs right now is because of the September 18th-20th weekend sweep of the Lions, which was immense. SoftBank won the three games by scores of 9-7 in extra innings, 11-4, and a 5-4 comeback win.
The Hawks also did their job in the makeup games this week, as they crushed the Marines 9-3 in a game where they led from the bottom of the first inning, and the Hawks also procured their third win of the season against Yu Darvish yesterday with a 1-0 win in which Sugiuchi once again shut out the Fighters.
Today, the Hawks were defeated 8-3 by the Rakuten Eagles, but the clincher came when the Fighters, playing for their own playoff spot, secured a sayonara victory over the Lions, giving the Hawks the Pacific League championship.
SoftBank has now completed the regular season, and now they play the waiting game on who they will face in the Second Stage of the Pacific League Climax Series. Their opponents will either be the Lions, the Marines, or the Fighters.