| 2005: Yakult signs pitcher Masao Kida. |
| 2005: Former Hanshin pitcher Takayuki Kato is arrested for securities
law violations. |
| 2000: Yomiuri infielder Norio Tanabe retires. |
| 2000: Orix signs former Hanshin pitcher Tsutomu Tamura, Ex-Hiroshima
pitcher Shintaro Yamazaki, one time Hiroshima infielder Tomotaka Tamaki,
and erstwhile Yokohama catcher Yoshifumi Kawasaki. |
| 2000: Hanshin pitcher Kurt Miller didn't reup with the club and
catcher Daiki Katayama retired. |
| 1998: Kintetsu pitcher Katsuhiko Maekawa missed his contract negotiation
due to not knowing the date for it. This angered team officials, who refused
to schedule another session until the moundsman apologized. |
| 1997: Yokohama pitcher Koki Morita is traded to Kintetsu in exchange
for outfielder Hitoshi Nakane. |
| 1995: Daiei acquires former Nippon Ham pitcher Motofumi Nishimura. |
| 1995: Thanks to his success during his rookie year with L.A., Hideo
Nomo's last name is named one of the new words of the year. |
| 1992: Former Daiei infielder Katsunori Tomari becomes an umpire.
Tomari, while with Hanshin, took the throw on the final out of their 1985
pennant clincher at Meiji Jingu Stadium in 1985 while stationed at first
base. |
| 1991: An all star game of retired MLB and NPB players was held,
billed as "the Nichibei OB Dream Game." |
| 1989: Taiyo announces the additions of former Daiei pitcher Yoshinobu
Nakajo, ex-Swallows catcher Shinji Fujieda, and onetime Lotte catcher Akiyoshi
Koyama. |
| 1989: Lotte announces the signing of infielder Jim Traber. |
| 1976: Seibu pitcher Hsu Ming-chieh is born. |
| 1975: Kintetsu and outfielder Shinji Shimoyama is born. |
| 1974: Yomiuri Giants pitcher Yoshiyuki Nakamura is born. |
| 1974: Seibu pitcher Hsu Ming-chieh is born. |
| 1970: Hiroshima pitcher Koji Kobayakawa is born. |
| 1970: Daiei, Chunichi and Hiroshima pitcher Koji Kobayakawa is born. |
| 1969: Orix catcher Takashi Miwa is born. |
| 1969: Hiroshima pitcher Koichi Ashizawa is born. |
| 1958: Lotte and Yomiuri pitcher Sogen Miyake is born. |
| 1956: Hankyu hires Sadayoshi Fujimoto as its manager. |
| 1951: The first common agreement that all players have to sign was
promulgated. |
| 1948: Yomiuri signs pitcher Kaoru Bessho. |
| 1944: Lotte pitcher Soroku Yagizawa is born. |
| 1939: Kokutetsu pitccher Takashi Onogi is born. |
| 1938: Toei outfielder Chiaki Hagiwara is born. |
| 1936: Hiroshima outfielder Kyozo Kinoshita is born. |
| 1935: Hankyu infielder Yuji Kobayashi is born. |
| 1934: Hankyu outfielder Mamoru Tanaka is born. |
| 1932: Daiei Stars catcher Koji Kawamoto is born. |
| 1928: Hiroshima outfielder Kenshi Zenimura is born. |
| 1921: Chunichi and Kintetsu infielder Shizuo Yamamoto is born. |
| 1919: Yomiuri pitcher Hiroshi Nakao is born. |
| 1916: Chunichi, Tokyu, Taiyo and Hiroshima infielder Nobuo Osawa
is born. |
| 2005: Former Hiroshima infielder Greg LaRocca will sign with Yakult,
it is learned. |
| 2005: Softbank announces that it won't re-sign third baseman Tony
Batista. Batista later signed with Minnesota. |
| 1999: Orix announces the acquisition of infielder George Arias. |
| 1999: Orix announces the signing of infielder Tokitaka Minamibuchi. |
| 1999: Nippon Ham announces the signing of former Lions pitcher Hiroshi
Shintani. |
| 1998: Allegations of the Daiei Hawks using illegal means to steal
signs come to public attention and a committee is formed to investigate. |
| 1998: Yokohama announces the acquisition of former Kintetsu pitcher
Seiichi Ikegami and |
| 1997: Daiei announces the acquistion of former Hiroshima infielder
Luis Lopez. |
| 1993: Seibu announces the signing of infielder Mike Pagliarulo. |
| 1993: Orix announces the signings of former Yomiuri outfielder Terumitsu
Kumano and ex-Kintetsu outfielder Tadami Nakatani. |
| 1992: Kintetsu catcher Kazuhiko Harada retires. |
| 1991: Orix announces the signing of infielder Kelvin Torve. |
| 1991: Taiwanese L,otte pitcher Katsuo So takes Japanese citizenship. |
| 1991: Chunichi catcher Kiyoshi Yamanaka is traded to Nippon Ham
in exchange for pitcher Akira Igarashi and cash. |
| 1989: Yomiuri sends infielder Akihiro Yamazaki to Nippon Ham for
no compensation. |
| 1989: Yakult signs pitcher Floyd Bannister. |
| 1980: Yokohama pitcher Naoki Mitsuhashi is born. |
| 1955: Kintetsu infielder Terry Lee is born. |
| 1949: The Taiyo (not the company that later owned the Whales) Robins
linked up with Shochiku to become the Shochiku Robins. |
| 1948: At an all star game played at Chunichi Stadium, which had
just opened after being built in only 45 days, pieces of the stadium fell
off. |
| 1944: Tokyo Giants ace Eiji Sawamura dies in combat during WWII.
One wonders what would have happened to him had he signed that contract
offered to him by St. Louis in 1934. |
| 1938: Chunichi pitcher Hiroshi Gondo was born. |
| 1938: The Osaka Tigers sweep the Tokyo Giants in four straight to
win the championship. |
| 1938: Chunichi pitcher Hiroshi Gondo is born. |
| 1937: Hankyu outfielder Koji Hamada is born. |
| 1936: Toei pitcher Toru Terashima is born. |
| 1936: Daiei Stars infielder Fumio Kiyoshi is born. |
| 1934: Taiyo infielder Andre Rodgers is born. |
| 1921: Pacific League umpire Isao Dobutsu is born. |
| 1920: Mainichi and Kintetsu infielder Hajime Okuda is born. |
| 1999: Former Seibu pitcher Kiyotaka Koishizawa signed with Daiei. |
| 1999: Seibu announced the formal signing of former Yokohama infielder
Shoichi Kida and ex-Chunichi pitcher Kenichiro Idemoto. |
| 1999: Chunichi announced the acquisition of pitcher Melvin Bunch
from Seattle. |
| 1999: Former Yomiuri outfielder Katsumi Hirosawa signed with Hanshin. |
| 1999: The Japan High School Baseball Federation announced that 15
innings would be the cutoff for extra inning contests. |
| 1997: Yakult announced the acquisition of former Yomiuri catcher
Shigeki Abe. |
| 1996: Daiei announced the signings of former Hiroshima pitcher Hidetsugu
Mochizuki and ex-Nippon Ham outfielder Yoshihiro Suzuki. |
| 1996: Hanshin outfielder Kazuhiko Ishimine holds a press conference
to announce his retirement. |
| 1995: Kintetsu promises number one draft choice Kosuke Fukudome
that they would trade him to the team he really wants to play for after
three years if he signs with them. However, that idea was later quashed
by the commissioner's office. |
| 1994: Former Orix free agent pitcher Yukihiko Yamaoki signs with
Hanshin. |
| 1993: Yokoham outfielder Kaname Yashiki signs with Yomiuri. |
| 1992: Kintetsu signs former Taiyo outfielder R.J. Reynolds. |
| 1992: Orix sells pitcher Masami Ninomiya to Chunichi. |
| 1992: Former Yomiuri pitcher Hiroo Fujioka signs with Nippon Ham. |
| 1991: A preliminary general meeting of the Japanese players association
approves the right to strike over the question of free agency. |
| 1991: Orix announces the formal signing of former Lotte pitcher
Masashi Sugimoto and ex-Chunichi pitcher Ayumi Kaneko. |
| 1990: Yakult announced the acquisition of former Orix infielder
Kenji Yamanaka. |
| 1980: Seibu rookie infielder Mineo Itazawa suddenly dies of cardiac
arrest at the age of 19. He never got a chance to even play for the team
before passing away. |
| 1976: Yomiuri pitcher Gary Glover is born. |
| 1964: Orix infielder Kazuhiro Sato is born. |
| 1962: Taiyo pitcher Fumio Kubo is born. |
| 1957: Nankai infielder Yuji Kanei is born. |
| 1953: Nippon Ham infielder Pat Putnum is born. |
| 1948: Construction of Chunichi Stadium was finished. |
| 1947: Yomiuri, Nankai and Hanshin pitcher Shinichi Yamauchi is born. |
| 1947: Chunichi infielder Wayne Garrett is born. |
| 1942: Kintetsu catcher Yasuo Ochi was born. |
| 1938: Chunichi catcher Shinichi Shikita is born. |
| 1933: Nishitetsu pitcher Nagahisa Abe was born. |
| 1926: Hiroshima and Shochiku pitcher Kyoitsu Ishikawa was born. |
| 1922: Nishitetsu and Toei infielder Kumeo Chikami is born. |
| 2000: Seibu announces the formal signings of former Orix pitcher
Yoshitake Mizuo and ex-Nippon Ham catcher Yuichi Komaki. |
| 2000: Orix announces the acquisition of pitcher Koo Dae-sung. |
| 2000: Orix' number one draft choice Tetsuya Utsumi, a pitcher, refuses
to sign and heads for the industrial leagues instead. |
| 1999: Orix formally announces the signing of former Hiroshima pitcher
Shinichi Kato. |
| 1999: Yakult catcher Atsuya Furuta is voted chairman of the Japanese
players association. |
1999: The Japan High School Baseball Federation prohibits the relaying
of pitch types and/of location to hitters by baserunners or coaches.
God forbid you should help your teammates out. |
| 1997: Hanshin announces the signing of pitcher Doug Creek. |
| 1996: Hanshin pitcher Kiyooki Nakanishi decides to retire. |
| 1996: Pitcher Robinson Checo concludes a two year deal with Hiroshima. |
| 1992: Nagoya and Sangyo infielder Saburo Kosaka dies at age 77. |
| 1990: Yakult outfielder Hideki Kuriyama retires. |
| 1990: Taiyo signs former Daiei outfielder Jun Hatakeyama. |
| 1990: Taiyo signs former Samsung pitcher Mitsukuni Takeda. |
| 1989: Yomiuri trades pitcher Yoshitaka Katori to Seibu for outfielder
Yoshihiro Nishioka. |
| 1984: Seibu pitcher Takayuki Kishi is born. |
| 1982: Osaka prefectural police arrests Kintetsu infielder Masahiro
Hayashi and two other players for illegal gambling via a game machine.
Hayashi was suspended, fined and confiend to his home as punishment. |
| 1981: Yokohama Kazuya Takamiya is born. |
| 1981: Nippon Ham outfielder Yohei Kaneko is born. |
| 1977: Seibu catcher Kosuke Noda is born. |
| 1976: Kintetsu and Rakuten pitcher Hisashi Aikyo is born. |
| 1976: Rakuten infielder Daisuke Kusano is born. |
| 1975: Orix pitcher Ed Yarnall is born. |
| 1974: Daiei infielder Tadahito Iguchi was born. |
| 1970: Nankai submariner Tadashi Sugiura retired. |
| 1965: Chunichi, Lotte, Nippon Ham and Hanshin pitcher Tsuyoshi Yoda
is born. |
| 1963: Yomiuri outfielder Shane Mack was born. |
| 1963: Nippon Ham outfielder Bernardo is born. |
| 1960: Kintetsu outfielder David Green is born. |
| 1955: The Japan High School Baseball Federation rules that any player
with the barest of relationships with pro baseball is ineligible. This
stupid, shortsighted regulation stood until 2004. |
| 1954: The Takahashi Unions ownership group brings in the Tombo pencil
company and so changes its name to the Tombo Unions. |
| 1953: The Pacific League makes a rule that any team that wins less
than 35% of their games would be fined five million yen. |
| 1952: Lotte infielder Leon Lee is born. |
| 1942: Kintetsu pitcher Yuko Abe was born. |
| 1939: Nankai outfielder Hiroyuki Nakajima is born. |
| 1939: Hanshin infielder Goro Toi is born. |
| 1933: Osaka Tigers, Toei and Nankai infielder Kenichi Kawazu is
born. |
| 2006: Yokohama traded outfielder Hitoshi Tamura to Softbank in exchange
for pitcher Hayato Terahara. |
| 2006: Lotte sells pitcher Hiroshi Tobe to Rakuten. |
| 2005: Former Hiroshima pitcher Tom Davey signs with Orix. |
| 2005: Nippon Ham releases pitcher Yusaku Iriki so that he can pursue
a job in MLB. |
| 2000: Lotte gives up on trying to sign former Yakult pitcher Jason
Jacome. |
| 2000: Sumiko Takahara quits as Central League chairman. |
| 2000: The Japan Players Association proposes 12 interleague games
and a 142 game schedule. The proposal was later rejected. |
| 1999: Nippon Ham third baseman Atsushi Kataoka is diagnosed with
a dislocated shoulder that he suffered during a players association event.
It would keep him out of commission for a month. |
| 1997: Yokohama infielder Yasuo Nagaike is traded to Yomiuri in exchange
for pitcher Hideyuki Awano. |
| 1997: Yakult annoounces the acquisition of former Seibu pitcher
Hisanobu Watanabe. |
| 1997: Yokohama signs Kintetsu outfielder Yukio Arai. |
| 1996: Hanshin announces the signings of former Hiroshima pitcher
Kiyotoshi Katase, ex-Yokohama pitcher Atsunori Itoh, erstwhile Nippon Ham
pitcher Kojiro Sakai, onetime Kintetsu infielder Ryoji Nakamura, and ex-Kintetsu
outfielder Shunji Hatayama. |
| 1995: Former Lotte infielder Julio Franco is signed by Cleveland. |
| 1995: Hanshin outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo is heard to say that he
wants to retire. |
| 1994: Yomiuri announces the acquisitions of former Yakult infielder
Katsumi Hirosawa and ex-Hiroshima pitcher Kazuhisa Kawaguchi. |
| 1992: Former Hanshin outfielder Masayasu Kaneda dies at age 72. |
| 1991: The teardown process on the old so-called "Lucky Zone" in
Koshien Stadium begins. |
| 1991: Seibu trades pitcher Hirokazu Okada to Yomiuri for pitcher
Yasushi Matsubara. |
| 1989: Hanshin acquires outfielder Richard Wieligman. |
| 1987: Kintetsu pitcher Mitsuro Sawafuji dies at age 68. |
| 1987: Yomiuri pitcher Takanobu Tsujiuchi is born. |
| 1979: Rakuten catcher Hisashi Kawata is born. |
| 1974: Taiyo outfielder Koji Kobayashi is arrested and charged with
breaking and entering and attempted assault. That was the end of his career,
as he was banned from baseball for life. |
| 1968: The Central and Pacific League players associations merge
to create the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association. |
| 1968: Yakult infielder Katsuyuki Dobashi is born. |
| 1965: Yomiuri outfielder Hector Delacruz is born. |
| 1963: Yomiuri catcher Shinichi Murata is born. |
| 1960: Mitsuo Uno is named Lotte's manager. |
| 1953: Nishitetsu, Hanshin, Taiyo and Nippon Ham catcher Yoshiharu
Wakana is born. |
| 1941: Hanshin infielder Yukitoshi Noda is born. |
| 1936: Mainichi, Lotte and Nishitetsu infielder Kihachi Enomoto is
born. |
| 1935: Takahashi and Kintetsu pitcher Fumio Ozawa is born. |
| 1935: Toei pitcher Masayuki Dobashi is born. |
| 2001: Hanshin manager Katsuya Nomura resigns after three straight
last place finishes and his wife Sachi's tax evasion scandal. |
| 2000: Yakult announces the formal signing of former Yomiuri
pitcher Satoshi Iriki and ex-Yokohama pitcher Naoya Shimada. |
| 2000: Lotte announces the formal signing of ex-Seibu pitcher Hisanori
Yokota and former Hiroshima pitcher Atsushi Kobayashi. |
| 1999: The Central League announces the schedule for the coming season
and reveals that Opening Day will be in March for the first time since
1930. |
| 1999: Yomiuri announces the signing of Hiroshima free agent infielder
Akira Etoh. |
| 1999: Hiroshima announces the acquisition of pitcher Chris Cumberland. |
| 1996: Yakult formally announces the signings of outfielder Dwayne
Hosey and pitcher Luis Ortiz. |
| 1995: Yakult announces the signing of former Seibu shortstop Hatsuhiko
Tsuji. |
| 1995: Hiroshima says that it was slandered by Alfonso Soriano agent
Dan Nomura. |
| 1994: Former Seibu pitcher Kimiyasu Kudoh signs with Daiei. |
| 1994: Hiroshima pitcher Koji Maeda signs with Orix. |
| 1993: Yakult pitcher Hikaru Takano is shipped off to Daiei in exchange
for Shikato Yamagita. |
| 1993: Lotte announces the signing of former Seibu outfielder Ken
Hirano. |
| 1993: Chunichi announces the signing of former Daiei infielder Kei
Ichihara. |
| 1993: Former umpire Shinichiro Miura is arrested. |
| 1991: Chunichi catcher Tsuguhiro Hattori dies at age 71. |
| 1990: Taiyo sells outfielder Mitsugu Ishibashi to Yakult. |
| 1990: Fighters infielder Hideo Furuya is sold to Hanshin. |
| 1981: Yakult pitcher Masaru Sato is born. |
| 1981: Yokohama pitcher Shigeki Ushida is born. |
| 1979: Nippon Ham pitcher Yoshitaka Hashimoto is born. |
| 1972: Lotte and Rakuten infielder Rick Short is born. |
| 1971: Softbank outfielder Adam Hyzdu is born. |
| 1968: Chunichi and Hanshin catcher Akihiro Yano is born. |
| 1959: Nankai, Daiei Stars, Takahashi, Daiei Stars and Toei catcher
Keizo Tsutsui dies at age 36. |
| 1959: Taiyo outfielder Larry Sheets is born. |
| 1957: Nankai infielder Mitsuo Tateishi is born. |
| 1950: Nishitetsu catcher Yuichi Kawano is born. |
| 1942: Kintetsu infielder Elijah Johnson is born. |
| 1936: The Osaka Tigers work a total of 19 walks/HBP in a single
game against Nagoya, a record that still stands. |
| 1935: Hiroshima pitcher Kaoru Kanda is born. |
| 1934: Nishitetsu outfielder Takao Ogi is born. |
| 1930: Shochiku pitcher Kazuo Shimamoto is born. |
| 1913: The first ever game played on Japanese soil between two MLB
teams takes place, as the Chicago White Sox, who were in the midst of a
worldwide barnstorming tour, and the New York Giants faced off. |
| 1999: Hanshin announces the signing of former Orix pitcher Nobuyuki
Hoshino. |
| 1996: Yomiuri welcomes former Seibu first baseman Kazuhiro Kiyohara
into the fold |
| 1993: Chunichi announces the acquisition of outfielder Dion James
and pitcher Dwayne Henry. |
| 1993: Former Yokohama pitcher Kazuhiko Daimon signs with Hanshin. |
| 1993: Orix catcher Shinji Watanabe is sold to Hiroshima. |
| 1993: Daiei announces the signing of former Yokohama outfielder
Kenichi Yamasaki. |
| 1993: Yokohama infielder Yutaka Takagi joins Nippon Ham. |
| 1993: Former Yomiuri and Hiroshima outfielder Katsuya Morinaga dies
at age 59. |
| 1992: Former Yakult infielder Rex Hudler signs with St. Louis. |
| 1992: Seibu outfielder Orestes Destrade retires. |
| 1990: Daiei announces the acquisition of Orix outfielder Hiromitsu
Kadota for no compensation. |
| 1988: Daiei acquires infielder Willie Upshaw. |
| 1973: Seibu infielder Taisei Takagi is born. |
| 1966: Daiei catcher Toru Kawagoe is born. |
| 1957: Rikkyo University slugger Shigeo Nagashima signs with Yomiuri. |
| 1953: Yakult infielder Shintaro Mizutani is born. |
| 1951: Hanshin outfielder Paul Dade is born. |
| 1943: Taiyo outfielder Masayoshi Watanabe is born. |
| 1938: Nishitetsu and Hiroshima infielder Keiichi Yamaguchi is born. |
| 1937: Osaka whips the Tokyo Giants four games to two to become that
year's champion. |
| 1931: Nagoya and Daiei Stars catcher Ikuhiko Kinoshita is born. |
| 2005: Rakuten signs former Yokohama pitcher Cedrick Bowers. |
| 1998: Former Daiei pitcher Eiji Kimura is signed by Seibu. |
| 1998: Hanshin was accused of filing an "inaccurate" tax return and
ended up owing an additional 20 million yen. |
| 1997: Yakult signed pitcher Mark Acre. |
| 1995: PL Gakuen outfielder Kosuke Fukudome announces that he will
play with Nihon Seimei in the industrial leagues rather than turn pro. |
| 1993: Hanshin signs former Orix free agent outfielder Kazuhiko Ishimine. |
| 1993: Shigeo Nagashima is made an executive with Yomiuri. |
| 1992: Former Hiroshima pitcher Shin Yamaguchi is signed by Nippon
Ham. |
| 1981: Daiei pitcher Takahiro Mahara is born. |
| 1975: Kintetsu pitcher Nobunori Tamamine is born. |
| 1972: Softbank infielder Jolbert Cabrera is born. |
| 1972: Hiroshima and Lotte pitcher Atsushi Kobayashi was born. |
| 1970: Former Tokyu manager Shinobu Ando died at age 75. |
| 1969: Yokohama infielder John Zuber is born. |
| 1962: Taiyo, Seibu and Yakult pitcher Shintaro Hirose is born. |
| 1962: Yomiuri pitcher Dave Pavlas is born. |
| 1960: Shigeru Mizuhara assumed the job of manager for Toei. |
| 1960: Nagoya pitcher Sakae Shigesato dies at age 44. |
| 1953: Nankai and Seibu pitcher Kazuhiko Natori is born. |
| 1950: Yomiuri, Lotte, Chunichi and Taiyo pitcher Masao Sato is born. |
| 1943: Former Kintetsu and Seibu infielder Masahiro Doi was born. |
| 1943: Yomiuri, Nankai, and Hanshin outfielder Yoshihiro Aiba is
born. |
| 1942: Kintetsu and Nishitetsu pitcher Toshiaki Tokuhisa is born. |
| 1938: The Tokyo Giants celebrated their fifth anniversary with a
party. |
| 1937: Hankyu outfielder Keiya Ishikawa is born. |
| 1934: Nishitetsu, Yomiuri and Yakult outfielder Teruyuki Takakura
is born. |
| 1916: Nagoya Golden Dolphins infielder Hachiro Okano is born. |
| 1916: Nankai infielder Isaburo Hirai is born. |
| 2005: Lotte signs former Softbank infielder Mizuki Tanaka. |
| 2002: Yomiuri infielder Shigeru Chiba dies at age 83. |
| 1999: Kintetsu ammounces the addition of former Yakult pitcher Hiroaki
Hirota and ex-Orix pitcher Eiji Maruo. |
| 1998: After turning down a multi-year offer from Colorado, Daiei
pitcher Kimiyasu Kudoh decides to sign with Yomiuri. |
| 1997: Seibu announces the acquistions of former Yakult pitcher Terry
Bross, Cleveland pitcher Giovanni Carrarra, and Colorado infielder Brian
Raabe. |
| 1997: Lotte catcher Hiroshi Shibahara retires. |
| 1996: Hiromitsu Ochiai meets with both Yakult and Nippon Ham and
tells the latter that he is favorably disposed to joining them. |
| 1996: Yakult announces the signings of former Chunichi pitcher Tetsuhiro
Nonaka, ex-Hiroshima pitcher Tsuyoshi Sato, erstwhile Kintetsu infielder
Hiroki Nobayashi and pitcher Makoto Itoh, who was once with Lotte. |
| 1996: Yokohama announces the additions of former Hiroshima pitcher
Ken Suzuki and ex-Kintetsu outfielder Shingo Matsukubo. |
| 1994: Yokohama announces the formal signing ofpitcher Jeff Schwarz. |
| 1993: Yokohama announces the signing of Yomiuri free agent infielder
Norihiro Komada. |
| 1993: Yomiuri pitcher Kazutaka Nishimura has right elbow surgery. |
| 1992: Chunichi announces the formal signing of infielder Brook Jacoby. |
| 1991: Daiei releases pitchers Kenichi Otsuka and Takeshi Yamada
as well as outfielder Shingo Kimura. |
| 1991: Yakult signs infielder Jack Howell. |
| 1991: Nippon Ham signs outfielder Mike Marshall. |
| 1981: Number one Kintetsu draft choice Yoshiaki Kanemura signs for
a then rookie record of 55 million yen. |
| 1977: Yomiuri pitcher Hiroshi Nakao dies at age 58. |
| 1974: Orix catcher Ryoji Fukatani is born. |
| 1973: Softbank infielder Tony Bautista is born. |
| 1971: Nippon Ham pitcher Hiroyuki Sekine is born. |
| 1971: Kintetsu pitcher Brad Tweedlie is born. |
| 1970: Hanshin Tigers outfielder Tony Tarrasco is born. |
| 1969: Lotte pitcher Mike Fyhrie is born. |
| 1966: Daiei pitcher Eiji Hamanaka is born. |
| 1960: Orix, Chunichi and Hanshin outfielder Toyozo Minamimure is
born. |
| 1953: Lotte, Chunichi, Yomiuri, and Nippon Ham infielder Hiromitsu
Ochiai is born. |
| 1936: Daiei Stars pitcher Hirokazu Kawanishi is born. |
| 1935: Taiyo and Kokutetsu outfielder Kenji Tomokawa is born. |
| 1933: Mainichi pitcher Tetsuro Fujikawa is born. |
| 1931: Yomiuri, Kokutetsu and Kintetsu infielder Morimichi Iwashita
is born. |
| 1930: Daiei Stars infielder Shinjiro Sugiyama is born. |
| 1928: Chunichi outfielder Billy Klaus is born. |
| 1920: Hankyu, Nishi Nihon and Nishitetsu outfielder Yukichi Nagatoshi
is born. |
| 1999: Yakult announces the formal signing of former Orix pitcher
Hirotsugu Maeda. |
| 1999: Hanshin formally announces the signing of pitcher Greg Hansell. |
| 1998: Hanshin hannounces the formal signing of ex-Kintetsu pitcher
Masao Teramae and former Lotte infielder Kazunori Higuchi. |
| 1997: Chunichi makes a deal with Haitai of the KBO to buy infielder
Jong-beom Lee, who was billed as Korea's Ichiro. |
| 1997: Daiei first baseman Nobuhiko Matsunaka is named MVP of the
Hawaiian Winter League. |
| 1996: Nippon Ham announces the signings of outfielders Jerry Brooks
and Nigel Wilson. |
| 1996: Orix sells infielder Hironori Suguro to Kintetsu. |
| 1991: Daiei announces the formal signing of ex-Hankyu infielder
Greg "Boomer" Wells. |
| 1991: Daiei releases infielder Eddy Williams. |
| 1991: Yomiuri outfielder Junki Kono is traded to Taiyo for infielder
Yuji Ono. |
| 1983: Yakult infielder Shinichi Takeuchi is born. |
| 1974: Yomiuri outfielder Shinobu Takano is born. |
| 1962: Yakult pitcher Kazuya Yano is born. |
| 1943: Nishitetsu catcher Hiroyuki Ikenaga is born. |
| 1938: Taiyo outfielder Akira Tanino is born. |
| 1937: Chunichi infielder Akira Hirata is born. |
| 1936: Hanshin pitcher Minoru Murayama is born. |
| 1936: Taiyo infielder Heitaro Kobayashi is born. |
| 1935: The Osaka Tigers (currently known as the Hanshin Tigers) are
founded. |
| 1932: Mainichi and Takahashi pitcher Kazuo Miyazaki is born. |
| 1930: Chunichi outfielder Takashi Suzuki is born. |
| 1929: Toei outfielder Kenji Hanabusa is born. |
| 1923: Goldstar and Daiei Stars pitcher Iwao Koba is born. |
| 1901: Hankyu pitcher Shinji Hamasaki is born. |
| 2005: Hanshin signs infielder Naoto Ishibashi. |
| 2000: Hanshin free agent outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo decides to sign
with the New York Mets. |
| 2000: Yomiuri, Pacific and Hiroshima infielder Katsumi Shiraishi
dies at age 82. |
| 1999: A Pacific League committee says it can't find evidence of
Daiei using illegal methods to steal opposition signs. |
| 1999: Seibu formally announces the signings of pitcher Barry Manuel,
outfielder Greg Blosser and infielder Archi Cianfrocco. |
| 1996: Pitcher Robinson Checo claims he is a free agent. |
| 1995: Orix outfielder Ichiro Suzuki becomes the youngest player
ever to 200 million yen. |
| 1994: Yomiuri releases outfielder Henry Cotto. |
| 1992: Nippon Ham formally announces the signing of infielder Rick
Schu. |
| 1986: Osaka Tigers and Tokyu infielder Sadayuki Minagawa dies at
age 67. |
| 1977: Lotte infielder Yugo Amano, who was originally signed as a
pitcher, is born. |
| 1969: Hiroshima and Hanshin infielder Kojiro Machida is born. |
| 1965: Daiei and Hanshin pitcher Toyotoshi Chikada is born. |
| 1964: Chunichi pitcher Hideto Teranishi is born. |
| 1963: Nippon Ham infielder Minoru Nakamura is born. |
| 1961: Yomiuri and Kintetsu pitcher Masaru Yamaoka is born. |
| 1959: Hankyu outfielder Noboru Aota announces his retirement. |
| 1956: Hankyu infielder Saburo Miyatake dies at age 49. |
| 1955: Taiyo Whales manager Tairiku Watanabe dies at age 54. |
| 1954: Taiyo Fisheries takes over sole ownership of the Taiyo Shochoku
Robins and they became the Taiyo Whales. They also decide to make Kawasaki
Stadium their home ballpark. |
| 1943: Yamato will be dissolved, it is announced. |
| 1939: Chunichi infielder Jun Takenaka is born. |
| 1936: The Tokyo Giants win the Japan pro baseball championship in
the third game of a best of three series over the Osaka Tigers 4-2. |
| 1935: The Osaka Baseball Club is formed. The would subsequently
be known as the Osaka Tigers and then the Hanshin Tigers. |
| 1926: Goldstar catcher Isao Tsuji is born. |
| 1920: Nagoya Golden Dolphins, Nishitetsu and Hiroshimaoutfielder
Yoshiaki Ueno is born. |
| 1999: Newspapers report on a statement made by a former Daiei employee
confessing to using illegal tactics to steal the signs of opposing teams.
Pacific League chairman Kazuo Harano orders a new investigation. For its
part, the Hawks say the matter is over and done with. |
| 1996: Nippon Ham formally signs infielder Hiromitsu Ochiai. |
| 1996: Daiei acquires infielder Greg Pirkl. |
| 1996: Yakult signs former Hiroshima infielder Takehiko Kobayakawa. |
| 1992: Seibu formally anmounces the signing of outfielder Jose Tolentino. |
| 1992: Daiei announces the signing of former Yakult pitcher Shigeki
Sasaki. |
| 1991: Lotte shows off their new uniforms. |
| 1990: Seibu first baseman Kazuhiro Kiyohara becomes the youngest
player ever to 100 million yen at 23 years and three months. |
| 1985: Seibu announces the signing of PL Gakuen High School first
baseman Kazuhiro Kiyohara. |
| 1972: Daiei and Orix outfielder Arihito Muramatsu is born. |
| 1969: Seibu pitcher Rafael Diaz is born. |
| 1968: Seibu, Hanshin, Kintetsu and Yokohama pitcher Kento Sugiyama
is born. |
| 1964: Chunichi and Hanshin outfielder Alonzo Powell is born. |
| 1958: Hankyu catcher Hiroyuki Nagamura is born. |
| 1950: Nippon Ham outfielder Katsumi Omuro is born. |
| 1938: Yomiuri infielder Yukinobu Kuroe is born. |
| 2007: Chunichi, Nankai and Hanshin outfielder Ikuo Shimano dies
at age 63 of stomach cancer. |
| 2007: Former Nishitetsu infielder Tadayuki Inoue dies of a heart
attack at age 72. |
| 2005: Former Nishitetsu Lions second baseman and Kintetsu and Orix
manager Akira Ogi dies of respiratory arrest. As a manager, developed Hideo
Nomo, Masato Yoshii, Ichiro Suzuki and So Taguchi, thereby improving theimage
of Japanese baseball and helping to set the stage for MLB's penetration
into the Japanese market. |
| 2005: Yomiuri signs former Orix pitcher Jeremy Powell. |
| 2004: Kintetsu free agent infielder Naoyuki Omura decides to sign
with Softbank. |
| 2004: Rakuten announces the acquisition of pitcher Gary Rath and
infielder Damon Minor. |
| 2004: Yomiuri manager Tsuneo Horiuchi has a cancerous polyp removed
from his intestine. |
| 2002: Taiyo infielder Dick Stuart dies at age 70. |
| 2000: Former Nippon Ham pitcher Erik Schullstrom signs with Hiroshima. |
| 1999: Hiroshima signs outfielder Jeff Ball. |
| 1995: Katsnori Nomura, son of Hall of Fame backstop Katsuya Nomura,
signs with Yakult and will play under his father, the third such father
manager son player duo in Japanese history. |
| 1994: Seibu announces the acquisition of outfielder Orestes Destrade. |
| 1993: Chunichi announces the signing of former Daiei infielder Kei
Ichihara. |
| 1992: Former Hanshin outfielder Eiji Kanamori signs with Yakult. |
| 1992: Hanshin catcher Munehiko Shimada retires. |
| 1992: Seibu outfielder/DH Orestes Destrade is signed by Florida. |
| 1989: Yomiuri acquires outfielder Mike Brown. |
| 1979: Tokyo Giants outfielder Eiichiro Yamamoto dies at age 77. |
| 1964: Kokutetsu pitcher Masaichi Kaneda signs with Yomiuri. |
| 1964: Hankyu pitcher Isamu Tomita is born. |
| 1963: Lotte outfielder Kazuhiro Yamauchi is traded to Hanshin for
pitcher Masaaki Koyama. |
| 1958: Hanshin outfielder Kenjiro Tamiya retires. |
| 1952: Hankyu pitcher Tadashi Onishi is born. |
| 1949: A meeting of the organization that would form the Central
League occurs and approves the addition of the Nishi Nihon Pirates, the
Hiroshima Carp and the Taiyo Whales to the infant circuit. The CL began
play in 1950. |
| 1937: Mainichi pitcher Kakuzo Mukai is born. |
| 1934: Hiroshima pitcher Shunichi Kimura is born. |
| 1926: Kintetsu and Yomiuri pitcher Junzo Sekine is born. |
| 1922: Tokyu and Nishitetsu outfielder Hiroshi Oshita is born. |
| 1922: Hanshin infielder Takeshi Oshima is born. |
| 1920: Hanshin infielder Eiji Hirabayashi is born. |
| 2000: Chunichi announces the signing of Yakult free agent pitcher
Kenjiro Kawasaki after Kawasaki turned down a three year offer from Boston.
Kawasaki then blew his shoulder out and hasn't pitched a regular season
inning for the Dragons. |
| 1999: Yomiuri announces the formal signing of pitcher Darrell May. |
| 1998: Yomiuri infielder Hiroyuki Sato is traded to Kintetsu for
pitcher Satoshi Iriki. |
| 1997: NPB Commissioner Ichiro Yoshikuni suspends nine players caught
up in a tax evasion scheme for the first three weeks of the regular season. |
| 1996: Lotte catcher Masahiko Jozume is sent to Hanshin in exchange
for infielder Yoshifumi Ayukawa. |
| 1996: Lotte announces the formal signing of outfielder Mark Carreon
and pitcher Mike Fyhrie. |
| 1994: Yakult signs former Hanshin infielder Tom O'Malley. |
| 1993: Orix releases pitcher Akira Nishimoto. |
| 1992: Orix sells pitcher Minori Yano to Daiei. |
| 1989: Nankai pitcher Tokumi Nomo dies at age 59. |
| 1982: Hanshin catcher Keisuke Kano is born. |
| 1976: Nippon Ham pitcher Takeshi Itoh is born. |
| 1975: Hiroshima and Seibu infielder Kazuki Fukuchi is born. |
| 1973: Nippon Ham decides on Fighters as their nickname. |
| 1969: Seibu outfielder Rudy Pemberton is born. |
| 1968: Yakult pitcher Mitsuhiro Saito is born. |
| 1967: The Hiroshima Carp change their name to Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
Rikuo Nemoto is named the club's new manager. |
| 1967: Yakult pitcher Shinji Matsuda is born. |
| 1965: Yakult infielder Takahiro Ikeyama is born. |
| 1962: Central League umpire Atsushi Kittaka is born. |
| 1959: Seibu and Taiyo outfielder Michio Aoyama is born. |
| 1959: Hanshin outfielder Marvell Wynne is born. |
| 1950: There is a rule put in place that no team may sign an amateur
player between April 1st and November 30th. |
| 1946: Lotte outfielder Michiyo Arito was born. |
| 1937: Taiyo and Sankei outfielder Saneo Aso is born. |
| 1936: Hankyu infielder Jerry Adair is born. |
| 1934: Nankai infielder Kent Hadley is born. |
| 1933: Nankai pitcher Shinichi Kobukata is born. |
| 1933: Daimai catcher Kakuya Yamamoto is born. |
| 1927: Toei and Nishitetsu pitcher Yasuo Yonekawa is born. |
| 1922: Chunichi, Kyuei, Daiei Stars, Shochiku and Hiroshima outfielder
Makoto Kozuru is born. |
| 1918: Hanshin, Hankyu and Taiyo infielder Takeshi Miyazaki is born. |
| 2001: Hanshin hires Senichi Hoshino as its manager. |
| 2000: Tsuyoshi Shinjo signs with the New York Mets. |
| 1999: Yokohama free agent closer Kazuhiro Sasaki decides to sign
with Seattle. |
| 1998: Hiroshima announces the formal signing of infielder Eddy Diaz. |
| 1998: Nippon Ham announces the signing of outfielder Micah Franklin
and pitcher Shannon Withem. |
| 1997: Hiroshima announces the signing of pitcher Nathan Minchey. |
| 1997: Daiei announces the signing of pitcher Brian Williams. |
| 1996: Chunichi announces the acquisition of infielder Leo Gomez. |
| 1996: Hanshin signs outfielder Mike Greenwell. |
| 1991: Contract talks between infielder Jim Traber and Kintetsu break
off. |
| 1984: Chunichi catcher Daisuke Tanaka is born. |
| 1983: Yakult infielder Yusuke Kajimoto is born. |
| 1980: Yakult Brazilian-Japanese outfielder Yuichi Matsumoto is born. |
| 1977: Chunichi and Goldstar infielder Michio Nishizawa dies at age
56. |
| 1975: Yakult infielder Yasuhiro Usami is born. |
| 1974: Orix pitcher Lance Carter is born. |
| 1972: Nippon Ham pitcher Chris Seelbach is born. |
| 1970: Yokohama infielder Mike Gulan is born. |
| 1968: It is decided that ties will not be replayed and that the
schedule will be 130 games. |
| 1968: Yokohama catcher Yoshinobu Yamane is born. |
| 1966: Hankyu outfielder Rick Alzola is born. |
| 1965: Lotte catcher Toshio Suzuki is born. |
| 1958: Taiyo, Nippon Ham, Yakult and Lotte pitcher Tsugio Kanazawa
is born. |
| 1944: Kintetsu and Yakult infielder Takao Ise is born. |
| 1939: Toei pitcher Kazuhiko Takano is born. |
| 1939: Tokyo Giants leave from the port of Nagasaki to go on their
second tour of the Phillipines, playing against local teams. |
| 2002: Hiroshima announced the formal signing of outfielder Jimmy
Hurst and shortstop Andy Sheets. |
| 2002: It was announced that nobody had bid for Kintetsu pitcher
Akinori Otsuka when he was posted. Suspicion by Otsuka that Kintetsu had
somehow sabotaged the auction lead to him holding out during spring training
and he was eventually traded to Chunichi. |
| 2001: The rule that had limited foreign players to a maximum of
two pitchers and two position players was withdrawn in favor of one that
allowed any combination of four foreigners per club. |
| 2000: Lotte pitcher Toshihide Narimoto was moved to Hanshin. |
| 1996: Yakult pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii had shoulder surgery. |
| 1995: Seibu outfielder Yoshinari Uenaka retired and was given simultaneous
positions of helping to run the team dormitory and working in the player
personnel department. |
| 1995: Hanshin outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo announced that he was going
to retire. He then changed his mind later on. |
| 1992: Hiroshima signed infielder Yuichi Furukawa, who held dual
U.S.-Japan citizenship, outside the draft. |
| 1991: Kintetsu infielder Jim Traber retired. |
| 1990: Yakult announced the acquisition of former Angel and Pirate
Johnny Ray. |
| 1990: Chunichi outfielder Takeshi Yamasaki goes into a burning building
to help save a victim. He is later given a commendation for that act. |
| 1973: Daiei outfielder Kazuhito Moriyama is born. |
| 1973: Yomiuri infielder Mototsugu Kawanaka is born. |
| 1965: Yomiuri pitcher Mitsuru Ogihara is born. |
| 1962: Seibu and Kintetsu outfielder Osamu Abe is born. |
| 1961: Daiei catcher Nobuyuki Kagawa is born. |
| 1955: Shochiku and Takahashi outfielder Minoru Nishikura dies at
age 26. |
| 1953: The ownership of the Nagoya Dragons passes from a combination
of Meitetsu and the Chubu Nihon Shimbun to solely the latter. |
| 1951: NPB reaches agreement with the industrial leagues over player
status. |
| 1949: Taiyo, Hankyu and Hanshin pitcher Kazuyoshi Takemura is born. |
| 1943: Nippon Ham outfielder Walt Williams is born. |
| 1943: Chunichi catcher Hiroshi Shintaku is born. |
| 1934: Toei and Yomiuri pitcher Osamu Kubota is born. |
| 1933: Hankyu outfielder Gordon Windhorn is born. |
| 1916: Nishi Nihon and Nishitetsu outfielder Teruo Tabe is born. |
| 2005: Former Yomiuri first baseman Kazuhiro Kiyohara reveals that
he will sign with Orix. |
| 2004: The NPB board formally approves the sale of the Daiei Hawks
to Softbank. |
| 2002: The Yankees formally announce the signing of outfielder Hideki
Matsui. |
| 2001: Nippon Ham announces that it will allow infielder Atsushi
Kataoka to go to another team. |
| 2001: Anaheim announces that it will cut pitcher Shigetoshi Hasegawa
loose. |
| 2001: TheDodgers announce the re-signing of pitcher Hideo Nomo. |
| 2000: Nippon Ham announces the acquisition of pitcher Scott Sanders. |
| 1999: Third year Yomiuri outfielder Yoshinobu Takahashi reups for
100 million yen |
| 1995: It is decided that Haitai Tigers pitcher Sun Dong-yeol will
go to Chunichi. |
| 1995: Hiroshima pitcher Robinson Checo informs agent Dan Nomura
that he is firing him. |
| 1983: Hiroshima pitcher Takayuki Oshima is born. |
| 1974: The Pacific League decides to adopt the DH. |
| 1971: Hanshin and Chunichi pitcher Marc Valdes is born. |
| 1965: Lotte outfielder Fumio Itoh is born. |
| 1960: Chunichi and Lotte pitcher Shigeru Kuwata is born. |
| 1955: Hankyu pitcher Koji Yamashita is born. |
| 1954: Nippon Ham and Taiyo pitcher Masami Takahashi is born. |
| 1951: Yakult catcher Hiroshi Takahashi is born. |
| 1949: Taiheiyo Club and Yomiuri pitcher Hajime Kato is born. |
| 1947: Yakult catcher Akihiko Oya is born. |
| 1944: With most of the ballclubs broken up due to the war and the
canceling of the coming season, Yomiuri tries to hold on to its players
by designating them as company employees who have taken time off. |
| 1943: Hiroshima infielder Makio Sano is born. |
| 1940: Nankai pitcher Thad Tillotson is born. |
| 1940: Hanshin, Kintetsu and Taiyo catcher Yoshinori Tsuji is born. |
| 1936: Tokyo Senators infielder Hisanori Karita laces a drive to
right center against Osaka and goes for three. However, third base umpire
Nobuaki Nidegawa rules that the relay beat him. While protesting the call,
Karita bumps Nidegawa and is ejected, the first man ever to be given
the gate in Japanese pro history. |
| 1933: Kokutetsu infielder Ichiro Ohashi is born. |
| 1932: Kokutetsu pitcher Kozo Koyama is born. |
| 1920: Nishitetsu and Nankai pitcher Kenji Ozaki is born. |
| 1904: Pacific, Taiyo, Goldstar, Daiei Stars, Hankyu and Hanshin
manager Sadayoshi Fujimoto is born. |
| 1903: Former Chunichi manager Shunichi Amachi is born. |
| 2005: Lotte sells infielder Makoto Kosaka to Yomiuri. |
| 2005: Orix signs third baseman Norihiro Nakamura. |
| 2004: Former Lotte pitcher Hiroshi Ogawa is arrested by Saitama
Prefecture police for a murder he committed during a strong arm robbery.
According to Hochi Sports, Ogawa, who was working for an industrial waste
disposal company at the time of the killing, had accumulated debts upwards
of 800,000 yen (about $8,000 at the time) to a consumer loan firm (probably
yakuza-run, one would assume) and, on November 18, 2004, demanded
a loan from coworker Kazuko Nishiuchi, 67, at her home in Ageo, Saitama
Prefecture. She refused and he pushed her down and took an estimated 1.75
million yen (approximately $17,000) from her, loaded her into a car, drove
1.8 miles to the Arakawa River and dumped her in it, whereupon she drowned.
Her body was found two days later. |
| 2002: Kintetsu third baseman Norihiro Nakamura announces that he
won't be joining the Mets after earlier having agreed to a contract with
them. |
| 1995: Daiei decides to sign pitcher Jose Nunez. |
| 1993: Chunichi free agent Hiromitsu Ochiai signs with Yomiuri, as
manager Shigeo Nagashima really turned on the charm to bring him into the
fold. |
| 1991: Yomiuri outfielder Tadahiro Sakaemura was sent to Orix without
compensation. |
| 1978: Yakult pitcher Akira Itoh is born. |
| 1978: Yakult pitcher Dicky Gonzalez is born. |
| 1977: Hanshin pitcher Buddy Carlyle is born. |
| 1973: Lotte's request to have its home field moved from Tokyo to
Miyagi Prefecture (???) was provisionally approved. |
| 1970: Yokohama and Chunichi cather Motonobu Tanishige is born. |
| 1965: Former Swallows infielder Tokuji Iida was named manager of
the team. |
| 1958: Chunichi infielder Takao Yanagisawa is born. |
| 1947: Former Nankai and Seibu catcher Masahiro Kuroda is born. |
| 1944: Eagles and Yamato infielder Fukuyoshi Okada dies at age 27
of illness in WWII. |
| 1935: Daimai, Chunichi and Hanshin infielder Takao Katsuragi is
born. |
| 2005: Seibu signs infielder Jeff Liefer. |
| 2004: Daiei manager Sadaharu Oh tells the press that his team is
negotiating with former Baltimore and Montreal third baseman Tony Batista. |
| 2004: Former Hanshin infielder Doug Ault commits suicid at age 54. |
| 2004: Orix sells pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma to Rakuten after Iwakuma
had refused to join the newly merged club. |
| 2002: Taiyo Whales outfielder Junichi Yano dies at age 83. |
| 2000: Hiroshima announced the acquisition of former Chunichi pitcher
Yasuyuki Sato. He retired at the end of the 2001 season. |
| 1999: Hiroshima announces the addition of infielder Perez Brito
form its Dominican academy. |
| 1999: Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu is moved to Montreal. |
| 1996: Hiroshima concludes a working agreement with Boston. |
| 1992: Yakult Swallows third baseman Kazushige Nagashima is sold
to Yomiuri, where father Shigeo is the manager. They thus became the second
father-son manager-player pair in Japanese history. |
| 1992: Orix trades infielder Hiromi Matsunaga to Hanshin for pitcher
Koji Noda. |
| 1991: Chunichi infielder Mitsuhisa Fujino dies at age 66. |
| 1981: Orix outfielder Yuichiro Mukae is born. |
| 1976: Orix pitcher Wes Obermueller is born. |
| 1967: Hiroshima and Seibu outfielder Yusuke Kawada is born. |
| 1965: Former Hanshin pitcher Masashi Kageura is inducted into the
Japanese baseball hall of fame. |
| 1961: Nankai pitcher Yukio Otsubo was born. |
| 1958: Daiei outfielder George Wright is born. |
| 1955: Yakult infielder David Denton is born. O |
| 1950: Seibu catcher Toru Kusuki is born. |
| 1946: Lotte and Seibu infielder Hiroyuki Yamazaki is born. |
| 1940: Kintetsu infielder Mamoru Ono is born. |
| 1938: Taiheiyo Club outfielder Matty Alou is born. |
| 1931: Taiyo pitcher Hisaharu Kitagawa is born. |
| 1927: Daiei Stars catcher Toyohiro Tokiguchi is born. |
| 1923: Kokutetsu catcher Tadasu Fukazawa is born. |
| 1918: Hankyu infielder Shinichiro Hayashi is born. |
| 2004: Former Central League umpire Toru Suzuki died at age 68
of pneumonia. Before becoming an arbiter, he had been in the Taiyo Whales
minor league system. |
| 1998: Boston signs former Yokohama pitcher Tomokazu Ohka to a minor
league contract. |
| 1998: Former Orix pitcher Shigetoshi Hasegawa, then pitching with
Anaheim, acquires permanent U.S. residency status. |
| 1990: Lotte's number one draft choice, picther Hideo Koike, rejects
the selection and decides to play in the industrial leagues. |
| 1986: Lotte infielder Hiromitsu Ochiai is traded to Chunichi for
pitcher Kazuhiko Ushijima, pitcher Sadaharu Hiranuma, pitcher Shigeru Kuwata
and infielder Seiji Kamikawa, all of whom had respectable careers, but
nothing like Ochiai's. |
| 1955: Yomiuri pitcher Keith Comstock is born. |
| 1940: Hanshin pitcher Koichi Ota is born. |
| 1933: Toei infielder Akio Takashima is born. |
| 1927: Nishitetsu and Kintetsu infielder Tony Roig is born. |
| 1917: Chunichi outfielder Ryoichi Mizuno is born. |
| 2004: Hanshin acquires pitcher Jamie Brown. |
| 2001: Chunichi announces the formal signing of free agent Yokohama
catcher Motonobu Tanishige. Tanishige had tried out for some MLB teams,
but garnered no interest due to his weak bat, so he stayed in Japan. |
| 1998: Pacific League umpire Yoichi Igarashi was arrested after an
unspecified incident for "causing bodily harm." |
| 1998: The agreement between MLB and NPB that setup the posting system
went into effect. |
| 1993: Hanshin outfielder Akihiro Shimada was traded to Kintetsu
for infielder Kunji Yonesaki. |
| 1992: News comes out of Orix infielder Akiyoshi Sasaki being involved
in a traffic accident. |
| 1991: Yomiuri announces the acquisitions of pitcher Yorkis Perez
and outfielder Chuck Carey. |
| 1990: Yomiuri decides to release outfielder Warren Cromartie. |
| 1990: Yomiuri signs outfielder Phil Bradley. |
| 1989: Taiyo catcher Hidetaka Horiba signs with Yomiuri. |
| 1982: Hiroshima pitcher Kenta Tamayama is born. |
| 1981: NPB Commissioner Shimoda expresses a desire to impose standard
criteria for ballpark dimensions. |
| 1980: Hiroshima pitcher Katsuhiro Nagakawa is born. |
| 1977: Kintetsu infielder Kota Yoshida is born. |
| 1971: Seibu infielder Alex Cabrera is born. |
| 1962: Kintetsu and Chunichi pitcher Takaaki Ishimoto is born. |
| 1954: Hiroshima outfielder Eikyu Kiyama is born. |
| 1937: Nishitetsu and Chunichi pitcher Takayuki Hata is born. |
| 1934: Chunichi, Takahashi and Daiei Stars infielder Mokuo Sakamoto
is born. |
| 1932: Toei pitcher Dick Maibauer is born. |
| 1930: Osaka Tigers infielder Chugo Kawauchi is born. |
| 1922: Mainichi pitcher Masao Morita is born. |
| 2004: Hiroshima deals pitcher Shigeo Tamaki to Rakuten for no compensation. |
| 2002: Yomiuri announces the signing of former Dodgers and Doosan
Bears pitcher Gary Rath and pitcher Matt Randel. |
| 2001: Hanshin signs infielder George Arias and formally releases
infielder Ivan Cruz. |
| 2000: Tadashi Nakauchi becomes owner of the Daiei Hawks, replacing
Isao Nakauchi. |
| 2000: Yomiuri outfielder Hideki Matsui signs for 500 million yen. |
| 2000: Yomiuri, Lotte and Nankai pitcher Isao Tamura dies at age
43 of liver disease. |
| 1997: Hiroshima catcher Satoshi Nakajima signs with Seibu. |
| 1995: Seibu Lions pitcher Katsuhiro Maeda retires and later signs
with the New York Yankees. |
| 1993: Taiyo, Hanshin and Hiroshima pitcher Takao Fujimura dies at
age 73. |
| 1991: Yokohama pitcher Hiroaki Nakayama is arrested and eventually
released by the ballclub. |
| 1991: Orix catcher Hiromasa Fujita is traded to Yomiuri in exchange
for catcher Makoto Takada. |
| 1989: Former Hankyu pitcher Kozo Mori and ex-Samsung pitcher Tatsuo
Ota formally join Daiei. |
| 1980: Hanshin pitcher Naohisa Sugiyama is born. |
| 1978: Yomiuri pitcher Yuhei Ueno is born. |
| 1975: Yomiuri and Nippon Ham pitcher Hideki Okajima is born. |
| 1974: Seibu infielder Masahide Kaizuka is born. |
| 1973: Yokohama pitcher Daisuke Miura is born. |
| 1973: Hiroshima pitcher Sadaharu Sato is born. |
| 1970: Hiroshima outfielder Shoshi Chiyomaru is born. |
| 1968: Chunichi outfielder Scott Bullett was born. |
| 1968: Hiroshima outfielder Koichi Ogata is born. |
| 1960: Orix outfielder Ty Gainey is born. |
| 1960: Yakult and Hanshin infielder Tom O'Malley is born. |
| 1951: Yomiuri and Lotte outfielder Koji Yamamoto is born. |
| 1948: Lotte outfielder Kenichi Abe is born. |
| 1932: Kokutetsu outfielder Shozo Hayashida is born. |
| 2005: Softbank signs pitcher D.J. Carrasco. |
| 2001: As compensation for Yomiuri signing Chunichi pitcher Yukinaga
Maeda, the Giants sent the Dragons pitcher Kazuhiro Hiramatsu. |
| 1999: Yokohama announces the formal signing of free agent pitcher
Satoru Komiyama, pitcher Rafael Bettancourt, and infielder Lou Merloni. |
| 1997: Yomiuri announces the acquisition of former Dodgers infielder
Mariano Duncan. |
| 1996: Pitcher Francisco DeLaCruz is signed by the Yankees. However,
Hiroshima objects to MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, saying that DeLaCruz is
under contract to them, as he is part of the squad from the team's Dominican
academy and pitched for their Western League affiliate. |
| 1995: Nagoya Golden Dolphins outfielder Hidenosuke Shima dies at
age 87. |
| 1995: Kintetsu announces the signing of former Daiei outfielder
Kazunori Yamamoto. |
| 1993: Former Hanshin pitcher Takao Fujimura dies at age 73. |
| 1986: Hanshin outfielder Jun Togashi dies at age 62. |
| 1979: Former Kokumin League chairman and Nishitetsu scout Isao Udaka
dies. |
| 1979: Hankyu, Taiyo, Nishitetsu, Goldstar and Nishi Nihon pitcher
Michio Shigematsu dies at age 63. |
| 1975: Nippon Ham reliever Yoshinori Tateyama is born. |
| 1974: Nippon Ham pitcher Corey Lee is born. |
| 1973: Daiei Hawks first baseman Nobuhiko Matsunaka is born. |
| 1973: Yakult Atoms become the Yakult Swallows. |
| 1971: Kintetsu Buffaloes pitcher Carlos Valdez is born. |
| 1970: Taiyo infielder Takashi Arakawa signs with the Yakult Atoms.
He is then not permitted by the Central League to play until one month
into the regular season. |
| 1969: Chunichi infielder Shinichi Etoh retires. |
| 1967: Lotte catcher Goichi Inokubo is born. |
| 1963: Hanshin pitcher Masaaki Koyama is traded to Daimai in exchange
for outfielder Kazuhiro Yamauchi. |
| 1961: Chunichi and Lotte infielder Toru Nimura is born. |
| 1961: Kintetsu infielder Jim Traber is born. |
| 1960: Yomiuri pitcher Akihito Kaneishi is born. |
| 1954: Taiyo outfielder Kyoichi Kikuchi is born. |
| 1940: Taiyo infielder Julio Linares is born. |
| 1935: Kintetsu pitcher Sadatoshi Tsujinaka is born. |
| 1934: The Dai Nihon Tokyo Yakyu Club forms, eventually becoming
the Tokyo and then Yomiuri Giants. |
| 2005: Rakuten signs infielder Rick Short. |
| 2001: Chunichi catcher Takeshi Nakamura is sold to Yokohama. |
| 2000: Chunichi announces the formal signing of outfielder Ozzie
Timmons. |
| 1999: To accomodate Japan's participation in the olympics, the Pacific
League announces changes to its schedule. |
| 1999: Nankai and Toei outfielder Hiroshi Minohara dies at
age 70. |
| 1999: Yakult announces the formal signing of pitcher Don Lemon. |
| 1998: Yoichi Igarashi, the assistant chief of umpires, is let go
by thr Pacific League. |
| 1998: The Taiwan Major League announces a draft for Japanese players.
Hiroshima pitcher Koji Kobayakawa is one of those taken. |
| 1995: Sadaharu Oh is given an honorary degree by the Chinese Cultural
University (Chuuka Bunka Daigaku). |
| 1994: Yakult announces the acquisition of former Daiei Hawks pitcher
Chikafusa Ikeda. |
| 1990: Chunichi infielder Koju Hirohashi is traded to Daiei in exchange
for pitcher Koji Kobayakawa. |
| 1980: Yokohama infielder Shuichi Murata is born. |
| 1976: Hanshin pitcher Shinobu Fukuhara is born. |
| 1971: Daiei outfielder Melvin Nieves is born. |
| 1971: Lotte outfielder Benny Agbayani is born. |
| 1970: Nippon Ham pitcher Kazutoshi Yamahara is born. |
| 1969: Daiei and Yomiuri pitcher Rodney Pedraza is born. |
| 1968: Seibu pitcher Taketo Kamei is born. |
| 1958: Yomiuri pitcher Motoyoshi Itoh is born. |
| 1955: Spring Koshien Tournament winning Naniwa Shogyo High School
pitcher Hachiro Yamamoto signed contracts with both Nankai and Toei. But
Nankai decided to not press the issue and so Yamamoto signed with Toei. |
| 1953: Taiyo outfielder Sixto Lezcano is born. |
| 1949: Kintetsu outfielder Kyosuke Sasaki is born. |
| 1949: Taiyo outfielder Hiroshi Tsuji is born. |
| 1938: Kokutetsu pitcher Toshio Koya is born. |
| 1934: Kintetsu and Nankai pitcher Noboru Yamashita is born. |
| 1931: Takahashi outfielder Hidekyuki Kawaguchi is born. |
| 1916: Tokyo Giants infielder Kentaro Itoh is born. |
