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 railway company Hanshin Denki tetsudō under the name Osaka Tigers (大阪 タイガース, Osaka taigāsu ) founded as a second professional club in Japan. During the Second World War between 1940 and 1944 it was called Hanshin (阪神). 1946 named back again and since 1961, the team reflects the new name.

The community of fans of the Tigers is one of the largest in Japan, especially since the team in recent years has become one of the strongest. The fans are also valid as - by Japanese standards - rabidly. So it came to the last league championships in each of the team in Osaka at the bridge Ebisu -bashi riots involving injuries and property damage.

Achievements

In recent years, the Hanshin Tigers have twice (2003, 2005) to decide the championship of the Central League for themselves. However, as early as 1962 and 1964 was subsequently lost through the Japan Series. Therefore, the Japanese championship handed it has only happened once, in 1985, when the Seibu Lions could be beaten.

Stadiums

Unlike the other professional clubs in Japan, the Hanshin Tigers two stages. Main stadium is the venue of the annual high-school Championship of Japan, Koshien. The stadium holds up to 50,454 spectators. Since it is not covered and also not centrally located, there is a second stadium, covered Osaka Dome, which, however, only holds 36,477 spectators.

Player

When the great stars of the Hanshin Tigers are currently the batter Tomoaki Kanemoto and Makoto Imaoka, with Imaoka now plays in the 2nd team the Tigers. Among the pitchers is mainly the so-called JFK Trio ( Jeff Williams, Fujikawa Kyūji and Tomoyuki Kubota ) call that could bring as relief pitcher ( Einwechsel pitcher ) almost every leader of the Tigers sure about the time.

The end of 2006 obliged the New York Yankees pitcher Kei Igawa and the price paid for him 26 million U.S. dollars to the Tigers.