Central League champion: CHUNICHI DRAGONS
October
On Oct 1, the Dragons, in a competitive game lost 4 runs in the 12th inning to the Carp.
It lost the game 2 to 5.
But as the Swallows lost to the Giants that day, the Dragons'secured the pennant of the Central League.
It's the first victory under skipper Hiromichi Ochiai.
The next day too, however, the Dragons lost.
On Oct 4, The Tigers Kei Igawa pitched a no hitter game, shutting out the Carp 1 to 0. He's the 71st player to achieve the feat. Kimiyasu Kudo started for the Giants that day. He won his 10th game of the season, to become only the 3rd Japanese over 40 to achieve a 2-digit victory. The Giants won 7 to 3 over the BayStars.
The Tigers' Hiroshi Yaki who was called the pinch hitter deity played his last game on Oct 10. Although the game itself had no relevance as the Dragons league win's been confirmed, there was a turnout of 48,000. The Tigers won the game 8 to 3 against the Giants. The same day, the Dragons beat the Swallows 13 to 4. Kenshin Kawakami clinched a league leading 17th win. On Oct 11,the Dragons finished its final game of the regular season beating the BayStars 10 to 2.
Standing as of end of season
1. Chunichi Dragons
2. Yakult Swallows
3. Tokyo Yomiuri Giants
4. Hanshin Tigers
5. Hiroshima Toyo Carp
6. Yokohama Bay Stars
September
A disaster for the Dragons on Sept 1.
It's slugger Kosuke Fukudome was hit by the Tigers Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi's pitch.
It was later learned he broke his finger.
The Dragons, however, managed to win 4 to 1.
The Giants that day won too, with a game tying homer by Tuffy Rhodes, and a game winning hit by Akira Etoh,
4 to 3 against the BayStars.
The next day the Dragons won against 5 to 4. The Giants did not play.
On Sept 3, the Dragons starter Domingo Guzman pitched a shut out 7 inning and his team won 2 to 0 over the Carp. The next day it lost 4 to 8 and it did again in the final inning 5 to 6. The Giants meanwhile on Sept 4 defeated the Tigers on Yoshinobu Takahashi's 2 run home run. The game on Sept 5 was rained out after the middle of the 2nd inning.
From Sept 7, the top 2 teams faced eachother. The Giants lost 3 to 5 despite 2 homers by Hiroki Kokubo. The next day the Giants managed to win 2 to 1 on Koji Uehara's hurl over the distance. By the way, Kazuhiro Kiyohara was back in the starting line-up although it couldn't contribute with his bat. On Sept 9, the Dragons won 8 to 3. Kiyohara was hurt while playing on first base.
The Dragons Masahiro Kawai formerlly a Giants, helped his team beat the Carp in the 11th inning 5 to 4 on Sept 10. The next day and Sunday, Japan's first baseball strike was expected but the players union decided against it after talks with the the baseball owners saw a bit of progress for the future of Japan baseball. The Giants played the Swallows. Catcher Shinosuke Abe was back and the team won 14 to 3. The Dragons won too, 3 to 2. On Sept 12, the Dragons won 2 to 0, while the Giants lost to the Swallows 2 to 3.
The Dragons defeated the Tigers in an 11 inning game, 4 to 3, on Sept 14. The Giants did not play that day. The next day the Dragons lost on George Arias's home run. The Giants overwelmed Hiroshima 8 to 0.
No games are played on the weekend of Sept 18 and 19 due to a baseball strike. It's the first time in the 70 year of baseball history that the players union took the plunge.
On Sept 20, the game fans were looking forward to, between the Dragon and Giants was at last on after the first 2 games were boycotted. The Giants managed to win 6 to 4. The Swallows closer, Ryota Igarashi pitched 158 kilo per hour fast balls to break his Japan record. The Swallows beat the Tigers 4 to 3.
On Sept 21 the Dragons succumbed to its 3rd straight loss. It was against the Swallows. But it won the next day 3 to 0. On Sept 23, Atsuya Furuta joined the Swallows late due to negotiations with officials of pro baseball. The negotiations went well to sign a agreement. He played from the middle of the game and helped the Swallows beat the Dragons 5 to 1. The Giants, meanwhile, lost all 3 games from Sept 21 to the BayStars.
On Sept 26, the Dragons beat the Swallows 5 to 2, and Kenshin Kawakami earned his 16th win. The Giants meanwhile lost to the Carp 2 to 4. THe Giants the next day played its final game at the Tokyo Dome. Tuffy Rhodes homered and so did Kazuhiro Kiyohara, satisfying fans. Koji Uehara also pitched to earn his 13th win in a 4 to 2 game.
Standing as of end of September
1. Chunichi Dragons
2. Yakult Swallows
3. Tokyo Yomiuri Giants
4. Hanshin Tigers
5. Yokohama Bay Stars
6. Hiroshima Toyo Carp
August
The Tigers Tomoaki Kanemoto achieved a feat on Aug 1. He's recorded his 701th straight game of full appearance,
breaking the 42 year old record.
The Tigers, however, lost 1 to 3 to the Giants.
The Dragons clinched the game in the 11th inning on Masahiro Kawai's RBI. It was 4 to 3 against the Swallows.
On Aug 3, the Dragons' Kenshin Kawakami clinched his 11th win in a 7 to 2 game against the BayStars. The Giants on 2 homers by Tuffy Rhodes and a homer by Roberto Petagine beat the Swallows 12 to 3. Both top teams won the next day. The Dragons clobbered the BayStars Kazuhiro Sasaki in the 11th inning to win 7 to 2. The Giants Kimiyasu Kudo won his career 199th win. On Aug 5, the Dragons did not play, and the Giants finished the game a tie against the Swallows 2 to 2.
On Aug 6, the Dragons won its 4th straight game defeating the Carp 9 to 6. The Giants lost 4 to 9 against the Tigers. Kei Igawa at last won his 8th game. The Dragons lost the next day 0 to 9. The Giants played a 12 inning game and finished it a draw. On Aug 8, the top 2 teams both won.
The Dragons and the Giants faced eachother from Aug 10. The Giants was shut out by Kenshin Kawakami who earned his 12th win.Then on Aug 11, the Giants again lost 1 to 5. By the way, that day, the BayStars Tyrone Woods grand slammed to finish the game 8 to 7 over the Tigers. On Aug 12, the Giants on Hiroki Kokubo's home run was able to defeat the Dragons 3 to 1.
A surprise news for pro baseball on Aug 13. It was announced that the Giants owner Tsuneo Watanabe has resigned along with other senior officials. The reason is, they've violated scouting procedure, that is, they've offered cash to a Meiji University student. That day, the Giants, nevertheless won by defeating the BayStars 7 to 1. The Dragons meanwhile lost to the Swallows 3 to 6. But the next day, the result was the other way around for the top 2 teams. Then on Aug 15, the Giants lost despite Tuffy Rhodes 2 run homer. The Dragons lost 5 to 8.
The Giants Kimiyasu Kudo marked his 200th career win on Aug 17 in a 4 to 2 game against the Swallows. He celebrated wit his first ever home run too. But the leader won too 9 to 8 over the Tigers. The Dragons beat the Tigers the next day too.
On Aug 20 the Giants lost to the Carp in a 12 inning game, 6 to 7. But the next game it won 13 to 6, halting its losing streak at 3. Then on Aug 22, the Giants lost 4 to 5. Perhaps the fact that Shinnosuke Abe's out from the previous day is hurting the team. The Dragons meanwhile won 5 to 4 against the BayStars on Aug 20, but lost 5 to 10 the next day. On Aug 22, it finished the game a tie.
On Aug 24, the Giants and the Dragons tied in a 12 inning game, 1 to 1. The next day, the Giants clinched the game 5 to 4. On Aug 26, the Giants won with Hisanori Takahashi's shut out pitch. It was 2 to 0.
From Aug 27, the Giants lost 2 games in a row to the Swallows and fell to 3rd place while the Swallows replaced it for 2nd place. The Dragons beat the BayStars on Aug 27 4 to 0, but lost the next day, 2 to 3.
The Dragons Kosuke Fukudome had a 2 run homer, and Kenshin Kawakami clinched his 14th game in a 9 to 3 win against the Tigers on Aug 31. The Giants that day won over the BayStars, 2 to 1. The Swallows lot to the Carp 9 to 10, thus the Giants regained 2nd place.
Standing as of end of August
1. Chunichi Dragons
2. Tokyo Yomiuri Giants
3. Yakult Swallows
4. Hanshin Tigers
5. Yokohama Bay Stars
6. Hiroshima Toyo Carp
July
On July 1, the Giants had a devasting lost against the Tigers 11 to 0 which cost the team its 2nd place and
was replaced by the Tigers.
The Dragons was defeated by the BayStars on Jul 2, with good relief by Kazuhiro Sasaki in a 2 to 5 game, and lost again the next day. It managed to win 6 to 5 on Jul 4. The Giants Hiroki Kokubo's grand slammed and Tuffy Rhodes blasted a 2 run homer the same day. Despite shaky pitching by relief pitchers the Giants won 8 to 7 win over the Carp. The next day the Giants had a devastating defeat of 5 to 7 even though its ace pitcher Koji Uehara started. On Jul 4, the Giants managed to win with 2 homers by Yoshinobu Takahashi, and homers each by Roberto Petagine, and Tuffy Rhodes, 9 to 5.
The Giants' Hiroki Kokubo is hitting well. His 2 run on Jul 6 contributed to a 6 to 5 win over the BayStars. The next day he slammed 2 homers, But the Giants lost 5 to 6. He homers agains on Jul 8, and this time, the Giants won 10 to 4. The Dragons continue to do well. Kosuke Fukudome blasted 2 homers to beat the Swallows 6 to 2 on Jul 7. It won agains the next day 4 to 1.
The later half of the season was resumed on July 16, after an all star break. The leader, the Dragons won, defeating the Tigers 4 to 3. The runner up, the Giants beat the Swallows 5 to 4. The BayStars Kazuhiro Sasaki helped the team win and himself earning his 19th save in a 7 to 4 bame against the Carp. But the Dragons lost the next 2 games, while the Giants won them all.
The top 2 teams faced eachother on Jul 19. The Giants veteran starter Kimiyasu Kudo could not hold on and his team lost 3 to 4 to the Dragons. The next day, the Giants won on Ruffy Rhodes, and Tomohiro Nioka's 3 run homer each, 9 to 7. On Jul 21, the game went the Dragons. It was 5 to 3.
On Jul 23, the Dragon beat the Carp 10 to 2, and the next day it won 2 to 1, but lost on Jul 25, 6 to 10. The Giants meanwhile faced the BayStars, and on Jul 23, lost 4 to 10. Then the next day it shut out the BayStars with 2 homers by Hiroki Kokubo. On Jul 25, the Giants caught up a game it was losing by 8 runs, and in the 10th inning, clinched the lead with Hiroki Kokubo's home run. But in the 11th inning, the BayStars Tatsuhiko Kinjo slammed a 2 run homer, to take the BayStars to a 11 to 9 win.
The Dragons beat the Tigers 6 to 2 on Jul 27. The Giants tied with the Carp in the 8th inning, and Tuffy Rhodes slammed a go ahead homer, to take his team to a 5 to 4 win. On Jul 28, the Dragons beat the Tigers in an 11 inning game 10 to 9. The Giants, with Ruffy Rhodes 2 run and Toshihisa Nishi's 3 run homers won 13 to 3. The next day, the Dragons again played a long game, but this time, the Tigers clinched it to stop is losing streak at 5. The Giants won again 6 to 4 that day.
The Dragons lost to the Swallows on Jul 30, 1 to 5 and also the next day 2 to 4. The Giants beat the Tigers 8 to 1 on Shinnosuke Abe's homerun, but the nest day lost 3 to 4.
Standing as of end of July
1. Chunichi Dragons
2. Tokyo Yomiuri Giants
3. Yakult Swallows
4. Hanshin Tigers
5. Hiroshima Toyo Carp
6. Yokohama Bay Stars
June
The Dragons first scored, with Kosuke Fukudome's 3 run homer, but the Giants Kazuhiro Kiyohara blasted a 2 run, and
his team beat the Dragons in the end 4 to 5 on June 1.
The next day, 2 days the Giants won against the Dragons and replaced the team for first place.
On June 4, Kazuhiro Kiyohara had his career 2000th hit. He homered too. But the Giants lost 4 to 7 to the Swallows. The next day, the Giants with a grand slam by Roberto Petagine, won 12 to 8.
The Giants took the lead, but in the 9th inning the Dragons clinched the game on June 8, 6 to 5. The next day, the Giants won 2 to 1. That day the BayStars and the Swallows played a messy game. The Swallows' manager Tsutomu Wakamatsu was force out after attacking an umpire. The game was halted in the 8th inning due to heavy rain, at 5 to 5. The rainy season is on.
The Giants lost on June 11 5 to 8 against the Carp. It won the next day 7 to 2 on Hiroki Kokubo's 2 run homer. The day after that it clinched a see saw game 13 to 10.
It's the first time in more than 40 years the Giants played an official game in Shizuoka on June 15. The BayStars won it, 4 to 2 with Kazuhiro Sasaki earning his 15th save. The Dragons won its 3rd straight game, 12 to 3,against the Carp, staying closely behind the Giants. The next day, the Dragons won again 5 to 3. The Giants lost again, 4 to 14. Their positions reversed. The Dragons earned first place. However, they traded places again on June 16 since the Giants beat the BayStars on Masami Kuwata's 2nd win. The Dragons lost 2 to 3 to the Carp.
The Giants veteran pitcher Kimiyasu Kudo helped his team win 1 to 0 over the Tigers on June 18. On the same day, the Dragons won too 2 to 0 with a good pitching performance by Masa Yamamoto. The next day, the Giants won on a walk, 1 to 0. On June 20,the Giants lost 3 to 7.
On June 22 the Dragons beat the Giants 4 to 2 and won first place. The Dragons won the next 2 games too to secure its top position.
The Dragons winning streak went to 5 on June 26, defeating the Tigers on Kazuyoshi Tatsunami's 3 run homer 9 to 1. The Giants that day finally ended its losing streak at 5 in a 8 to 2 game against the Swallows. Koji Uehara pitched well.But it lost the next day 4 to 6. The Dragons clinched its 6th straight win in a 4 to 0 game.
On June 29, the Dragons' catcher Motonobu Tanishige's 3 run homer triggered the team to win more runs, to defeat the Carp 10 to 2. The Giants despite a surprise start by Masumi Kuwata lost to the Tigers 5 to 8. The next day, the Dragons winning streak stopped at 7 losing 5 to 6. The Tigers clinched the game in the 9th inning 6 to 5.
Standing as of end of June
1. Chunichi Dragons
2. Tokyo Yomiuri Giants
3. Hanshin Tigers
4. Yakult Swallows
5. Hiroshima Toyo Carp
6. Yokohama Bay Stars
May
With Tuffy Rhodes homer on May 1, the Giants broke the consecutive game home run record which began
on opening day of this season. And it clinched the game with Shinnosuke Abe's homer in the 11th inning,
to win 5 to 3 against the Carp.
The next day, Rhodes recorded his 300th homer in Japan--the most for a foreign player.
But the Giants lost in the 10th inning 3 to 4.
The Dragons that day surged to first place beating the BayStars 3 to 1, and Kenshin Kawakami earning his 4th win.
Shinnosuke Abe homered on May 3 to help the Giants win over the BayStars 8 to 4, but the Giants lost the next day, 3 to 4. Then on May 5, in the 10th inning, Kazuhiro Kiyohara blasted a 3 run to tkae his team to a 10 to 7 victory. The Dragons lost on May 3 to the Swallows in a whooping 7 to 20 game, and the Tigers which did not play replaced the Dragons for first place. The Tigers kept its position on May 4, by defeating the Carp 14 to 1 but lost the next day 8 to 10.
The Giants had homeruns by Tuffy Rhodes and Yoshinobu Takahashi on May 7 to defeat the Carp 7 to 1. It won the next day with Roberto Petagine's 3 run homer in a 9 to 7 game. But it lost on May 9, 1 to 2 despite Toshihisa Nishi's homer. The Tigers lost to the Dragons' Masa Yamamoto on May 7, but on May 8 Tomoaki Kanemoto finished the game with a home run to win 1 to 9. The Tigers had a whooping win on May 9, 16 to 5 with 2 homers by Makoto Imaoka, and a homer by George Arias.
On May 11, the Tigers managed to defeat the Giants 7 to 6, despite home runs by Tuffy Rhodes and Shinnosuke Abe. George Arias batted in a winning run. Then the next day the Giants, with another home run by Shinnosuke Abe, Tuffy Rhodes, and in addition,by Kazuhiro Kiyohara won 8 to 2. On May 13, the Tigers clinched a see-saw game 4 to 3.
The Tigers faced defeat May 14. The Carp's new pitcher Tony Davey hurled over the distance in a game he helped his team clinch 3 to 1. Buth the next day, the Tigers clinched the game in the 12th inning, 5 to 4. The Giants' 41 year old pitcher Kimiyasu Kudo pitched well, and helped his team win 7 to 3 over the Swallows on May 14. But the Giants lost the following game 2 to 5 in which 36 year old Masami Kuwata faced his first ever grand slam. The Dragons Kenshin Kawakami stood out on May 15. He not only shut out the BayStars. He slammed a 2 run homer to take his team to a 2 to 0 win.
The Tigers lost to the Swallows 10 to 13 on May 18, and so did the 2nd ranking Giants lose to the BayStars 5 to 9.
On May 21, the Giants Kimiyasu Kudo earned his 5th win by hurling over the distance against the Tigers. It was a 9 to 4 game. The next 2 days,however, the Giants lost. The Dragons' Kenshin Kawakami threw 8 innings and won his 6th victory in a 6 to 3 game against the BayStars on May 21. The Dragons won again the next day 8 to 2.
The Tigers lost on May 25, 2 to 8 to the BayStars, and again the next day 0 to 4. The Dragons took over the first spot by winning 2 straight games from the Swallows. But on May 27, the Dragons lost 4 to 6. The Tigers won 12 to 5 and regained first place. That day, the Giants veteran pitcher Masumi Kuwata clinched his first win of the season in a 9 to 2 game against the Carp.
The top 2 teams faced eachother from May 28. The Dragons relayed its pitchers well to shut out the Tigers 2 to 0 and clinched again first place. On May 29 the Dragons won again 2 to 3. And again the next day 1 to 0. And due to the number of losses, the Tigers gave up its 2nd place to the Giants on May 30. The Giants tied with the BayStars with Hiroki Kokubo's home run and thereafter with hits after hits defeat the team 7 to 5 on May 28, won again the next day 6 to 1. Then on May 29, Kazuhiro KIyohara homered twice. The Giants replaced the Tigers for 3rd place.
Standing as of end of May
1. Chunichi Dragons
2. Tokyo Yomiuri Giants
3. Hanshin Tigers
4. Hiroshima Toyo Carp
5. Yokohama Bay Stars
6. Yakult Swallows
April
Last year's champion opened the season at the Tokyo Dome on Apr 2.
That's because its home stadium was booked by the High School Baseball Invitational Tournament.
The Hanshin-Giants game was ceremoniously opened by former Giants great Tetsuharu Kawakami who's 86 years old.
Starting for the Giants, Koji Uehara. Uehara lost an RBI in the first inning, but Daisuke Motoki's slammed
a 2 run homer from the Tigers Kei Igawa.
Then George Arias of the Tigers singled a homer to equalize while in the 5th inning,
Toshihisa Nishi homered. But in the 8th inning, the Tigers clobbered Giants pitchers to win 8 to 3.
The Dragons, under new skipper Hiromichi Ochiai was in trouble in the beginning as its starter
Kenjiro Kawasaki could not last even 2 innings. But in the end the Dragons won 8 to 6 over the Carp.
The Swallows with 2 homers defeated the BayStars 3 to 1.
The Tigers clinched the next 2 games from the Giants.
The Dragons too defeated the Carp in all 3 games.
The BayStars finally won its first game on Apr 4.
The Giants won its first game of the season on Apr 6. The starter, Kimiyasu Kudo contributed by batting in 2 runs. Tuffy Rhodes slammed his first homer of the season. Hiroki Kokubo homered too to beat the Dragons 8 to 3. Meanwhile the Tigers lost their first game that day. In the 9th inning, former Seattle Mariners' Kazuhiro Sasaki was on the mound for the BayStars. And he closed the game smoothly to win his first save in 5 years. Then the next day, the BayStars had a whooping victory over the Tigers 17 to 0. And on Apr 8, clinched its 4th win in a row with a 4 to 0 win. The Giants that day won with a 3 run by Hiroki Kokubo and a homer by Roberto Petagine, after a sour loss the previous day to the Dragons. It won 7 to 4.
On Apr 9, the Giants sluggers blasted, including 2 homers by Tuffy Rhodes to defeat the Swallows 9 to 4. The next day it managed to win after Kazuhiro Kiyohara selected a walk with bases loaded in the 9th inning. It won 4 to 3 over the Swallows. It won again on Apr 11, with 2 homers by Shinnosuke Abe, one by Tuffy Rhodes and another by Hiroki Kokubo 7 to 5. The Tigers before a fullhouse of 53,000 in Koshien played well. On Apr 9, Kei Igawa shut out the Dragons. Then it beat the Dragons 3 to 2 the next day to win first place in the league. But lost on Apr 10 2 to 4. By the way on that day, the BayStars'Kazuhiro Sasaki earned his 3rd save by hurling the 9th inning facing the Carp. It was a 5 to 2 game.
The game on Apr 13 between the Dragons and the Giants was very competitive. Yoshinobu Takahashi homered to tie. Kosuki Fukudome's home run gave the Dragons the lead. Shinnosuke Abe had a 3 run to tie. In the 11th inning, with bases full, the Dragons walked to lead again. But in the bottom of the inning, the Giants caught up. In the bottom of the 12th inning, this time, the Giants won with a walk with bases loaded. It was a 11 to 10 win. The next day the game was again close, but the Dragons managed to win in 9 innings, 4 to 3. On Apr 15, the Carp emerged to first place by beating the Tigers 1 to 0.
The Giants Shinnosuke Abe's a wonder. On Apr 16, he slammed for the 6 game in a row, a home run. But the Carp won the game 7 to 2. The Carps won again the next day 5 to 4 with a homer in the final inning. On Apr 16, the Tigers won a tough game with Kei Igawa pitching until the 9th inning. It was 6 to 5 over the Swallows. The next day George Arias and Tomoaki Kanemoto homered to take the T7gers to a 6 to 2 win. Kazuhiro Sasaki pitched for the BayStars in the 12th inning but the game finished a tie against the Dragons. The Dragon's former ace pitcher Kenshin Kawakami clinched his 3rd win already in a 4 to 6 game on Apr 18.
The Giants on Apr 20 succumbed to its 5th straight loss in a 3 to 5 game against the BayStars and fell to the bottom. Kazuhiro Sasaki saved the game. The Giants won the next game 11 to 8 with homers by Shinnosuke Abe,Yoshinobu Takahashi, and Akira Eto. But it lost on Apr 22,3 to 5. Kazuhiro Sasaki closed the 10th inning for his 5th save. On Apr 21, good news for the Dragons. Former ace Masa Yamamoto clinched a shut out victory over the Tigers, in a 5 to 0 game
The Giants on Apr 23 knocked out the Tigers Kei Igawa taking 7 runs from him, eventually winning the game 11 to 4. But the next day it lost 3 to 6 and also on Apr 25, 4 to 5. The Giants stands last while the Tigers surged to 2nd place.
The Giants Shinnosuke Abe exploded. He had 3 homers on Apr 28. The Giants defeated the Swallows 11 to 2. The Dragons replaced the Carp for first place that day winning 6 to 3, and before that 2 to 1. On Apr 29, Shinnosuke Abe had 2 homers and tied for the monthly pro baseball record of 16 home runs. His teammate Tuffy Rhodes also had 2 homers and the Giants won 17 to 4. Hiroki Kokubo slammed 2 homers the next day to take the Giants to a 4 to 3 win. The BayStars beat the Tigers 4 to 1 and Kazuhiro Sasaki earned his 7th save on Apr 28. The BayStars for the first time in 4 years surged to first place and retained the post the next day winning 9 to 2.
Standing as of end of April
1. Yokohama Bay Stars
2. Hiroshima Toyo Carp
3. Hanshin Tigers
3. Chunichi Dragons
5. Tokyo Yomiuri Giants
6. Yakult Swallows
2003 SEASON CHAMPION: HANSHIN TIGERS
Final league standing in 2003
1. Hanshin Tigers
2. Chunichi Dragons
3. Tokyo Yomiuri Giants
3. Yakult Swallows
5. Hiroshima Toyo Carp
6. Yokohama Bay Stars
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