March

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2005: Nippon Ham announces the acquisition of pitcher Brad Thomas. 
2005: Former Nankai outfielder Tamotosu Kimura dies of a cardiac embolism at age 70. 
2001: The Pacific League approves allowing the sticker logos of team sponsors on batting helmets. 
2001: Ichiro Suzuki makes his MLB exhibition debut against San Diego and cracks his first hit of the spring. 
1999: Hanshin pitcher Kazunori Nishimura dies at age 63. 
1998: Yomiuri outfielder Tadahiko Mizuno dies at age 71.
1997: Seibu outfielder Seiji Tomashino injures his right index finger. 
1996: An arbitration committee decides in favor of a 39 million yen offer made by Orix to pitcher Takahito Nomura.
1994: Former Orix pitcher Akira Nishimoto joins Yomiuri. 
1989: Former Hanshin owner Ryuzo Tanaka dies. 
1989: Seibu catcher Tsutomu Itoh suffers a sprain of right ankle and will miss a month. 
1988: Pacific League chairman commissioner Hori forbids suspended pitcher Osamu Higashio from playing in instructional league games. 
1987: Hiroshima infielder Yoshitaka Kosaka dies at age 51.
1985: Yakult Swallows player report to their spring camp in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. 
1976: Korakuen Stadium gets artificial turf. 
1975: The Yomiuri Giants arrive in Vero Beach for spring training with the Dodgers. They would leave on March 15th. 
1972: Hiroshima outfielder Jimmy Hurst is born. 
1970: Yomiuri pitcher Chung Min-tae is born. 
1969: Hanshin pitcher Doug Creek is born. 
1967: The Yomiuri Giants arrive in Vero Beach to train with the Dodgers. They would then leave on March 23rd.
1960: Nishitetsu Lions outfielder Hiroshi Oshita has his retirement game.
1957: Daiei outfielder Hideki Takayanagi is born. 
1957: Yakult infielder Johnny Ray is born. 
1956: Taiyo outfielder Shigeru Nishiyama is born. 
1955: The Western League, a minor league circuit, forms. 
1951: Seibu outfielder Takuji Ota is born. 
1947: Nippon Ham pitcher Terry Ley is born.
1944: Kintetsu and Hanshin pitcher Shigemasa Yamamoto is born. 
1940: Toei pitcher Sadayoshi Yoshida is born. 
1939: Nankai pitcher Masatoshi Haraikawa is born. 
1938: The Japanese pro league  decides to go to a one season format.
1938: Catcher Masayoshi Yoshiwara and infielders Shigeru Chiba and Tetsuharu Kawakami join the Tokyo Giants. All three men would eventually be be named to the Japanese basebal hall of fame, Yoshiwara posthumously. 
1932: Toei infielder Shigeru Hayashi is born. 
1932: Hanshin pitcher Osamu Nishimura is born. 
1928: Daimai pitcher Toshihide Yamane is born. 
1908: Hanshin and Mainichi pitcher Tadashi Wakabayashi is born. 
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2002: Yakult pitcher Ryuji Miyade is converted into an outfielder.
1992: Orix decides to sign Carmelo Martinez after a tryout to a one year contract. 
1987: Central League owners express opposition to free agency at a meeting. 
1974: Yokohama outfielder Anthony Sanders is born. 
1971: Yomiuri leaves for its spring camp in Vero Beach, Florida. 
1967: Chunichi infielder Leo Gomez is born.
1963: Daiei, Hiroshima and Lotte pitcher Yuji Inoue is born. 
1961: The Yomiuri Giants arrive in Vero Beach to train with the Dodgers. They would conclude it on the 29th. 
1959: Hanshin Tigers great Fumio Fujimura has his retirement game. 
1956: Hanshin and Nippon Ham pitcher Masashi Fujiwara is born. 
1953: Kintetsu outfielder Larry Wolfe is born. 
1947: Nankai infielder Jim Nettles is born. 
1942: Yomiuri outfielder Toshimitsu Suetsugu is born. 
1936: Taiyo and Kintetsu infielder Kazuhiko Kondo is born. 
1935: At the suggestion of Lefty O'Doul, the Dai Tokyo Yakyuu Club adopts the nickname of the Giants. 
1925: Tokyu outfielder Shoshichi Kataoka is born. 
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2005: Rakuten announces the acquisition of former Daiei reliever Matt Skrmetta. 
2005: Former Seibu owner Yoshiaki Tsutsumi is indicted on securities charges. 
1999: Yomiuri pitcher Cho Sung-min, who had suffered a torn elbow ligament, will have surgery. 
1999: To avoid the illegal stealing and relaying of signs, an executive committee of the Central League lays down rules forbidding contact between players in the dugout and anybody not taking part in the actual game. Also, television stations mush have camera positions approved by the umpires and the ballclubs. 
1999: Seattle indicates to the MLB commissioner's office interest in opening the 2000 season in Japan. 
1998: Central League chairman Hiromi Kawashima is named NPB commissioner. 
1998: Former Chunichi outfielder Larry Doby is named to the MLB Hall of Fame. 
1997: Orix outfielder Yoshitomo Tani hurts a ligament in his left middle finger and is taken off the roster. 
1993: Former Hanshin, Hiroshima and Nippon Ham pitcher Yutaka Enatsu is arrested for possession of speed. 
1987: Noriyuki Fujimoto and his younger brother Masahiro Kodera will work contemporaneously as Pacific League umpires. In addition, the circuit hires Minoru Nakamura in that position as well. As a historical footnote to that, Nakamura had been famous for slugging a sayonara homer off of future Seibu ace Kimiyasu Kudoh in high school to win it in 12 innings for his squad at the Koshien High School Baseball Tournament. Kudoh had struckout 21 in that game but got saddled with the loss. 
1983: Yokohama catcher Masahiro Watanabe is born. 
1983: Hiroshima pitcher Tomohiro Umetsu is born. 
1977: An NPB committe forbids the signing of any player who had chosen to go from high school to the industrial leagues before three years had elapsed. 
1972: Hiroshima pitcher Mike Romano is born. 
1967: Nippon Ham, Chunichi and Hiroshima pitcher Takeshi Shimazaki is born.
1960: Yomiuri pitcher Chuck Carey is born. 
1951: Lotte and Yakult outfielder Yasushi Date is born. 
1950: Osaka's Tsugio Goto slugs three homers and adds a pair of doubles in a game against Taiyo at Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture for 16 total bases. 
1938: Hankyu, Hanshin and Kintetsu pitcher Tetsuya Yoneda is born. 
1936: Mainichi infielder Keiichi Ikeda is born. 
1914: Chunichi, Kyuei and Daiei Stars infielder Shoji Kato is born. 
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2001: Nishitetsu, Hiroshima and Nankai outfielder Akira Owada dies at age 66. 
1999: Nippon Ham outfielder Nigel Wilson is diagnosed with a knee injury that will  require 1-2 months to heal. 
1999: Orix outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and pitcher Nobuyuki Hoshino, who have been allowed to go to spring training with Seattle, appeara in a game against San Diego. 
1998: Hiromi Kawashima's ascension to NPB Commissioner is formally approved. 
1998: Central League owners are against regular season interleague play, so instead they propose a cup series to be held during the exhibition season. 
1998: Sumiko Takasu is approved as Central League chairman by the owners. 
1997: Yomiuri announces that its minor league team will have an armband with sponsor's logo on the left uniform sleeve. 
1994: Hanshin catcher Katsuhiko Yamada breaks his left wrist. 
1993: Yomiuri, Chunichi, Hankyu and Hiroshima outfielder Akira Iwamoto dies at age 72. 
1991: The arbitration committee meets for a second time to discuss the salary dispute between the Chunichi Dragons and infielder Hiromitsu Ochiai. 
1987: Yakult pitcher Akimitsu Itoh suffers a hariline fratcure of his tenth rib and will be out three weeks. 
1987: Hiroshima infielder Kazuyuki Shirai suffers a broken right middle finger and will be out six weeks. 
1987: Hanshin pitcher Akihiro Shimada undergoes surgery on his right shoulder to remove cartilage. 
1981: Yomiuri pitcher Junya Sakai is born. 
1971: The Yomiuri Giants arrive in Vero Beach to train with the Dodgers. They would leave on March 16th. 
1969: Nippon Ham, Hiroshima and Yakult pitcher Yasukatsu Shirai is born. 
1968: Seibu pitcher Giovanni Carrara is born. 
1963: An orientation session for rookies is held. 
1951: Yakult infielder Sam Perlozzo is born. 
1948: Lotte outfielder Leron Lee is born. 
1943: Hankyu infielder Teruhito Tachibana is born. 
1940: Toei infielder Koichi Iwashita is born. 
1922: Chunichi and Hankyu outfielder Seizo Furukawa is born. 
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1999: The Kintetsu Buffaloes put "Osaka" in front of their name. 
1999: Hiroshima announces it has received the money that the Cincinnati Reds bid for outfielder Alejandro Quezada after he was posted. 
1999: Orix pitcher Nobuyuki Hoshino, who was allowed to spend part of spring training with Seattle, makes an appearance against the Cubs.
1997: Former Chunichi catcher Yutaka Hasebe, who was serving as the team's bullpen catcher, decides to unretire. 
1992: NPB Commissioner Ichiro Yoshikuni is given another term. 
1985: The renovation of Koshien Stadium is finished. 
1973: Yomiuri infielder Felipe Crespo is born.
1968: Daiei, Yakult and Orix pitcher Yasutaka Hironaga is born. 
1965: Hanshin and Mainichi pitcher Tadashi Wakabayashi dies at age 57. 
1962: Nishitetsu pitcher Tokujiro Kawasaki is born. 
1956: Seibu shortstop Ryuzo Yamamoto is born. 
1953: Hiroshima outfielder Shigeki Morioka is born. 
1952: Yokohama infielder Daisuke Yamashita is born. 
1947: The Kinki Great Ring club reverts back to the Nankai moniker and adopts the Hawks as its nickname. 
1946: : Taiyo infielder Hiroshi Yamada is born. 
1945: Nippon Ham and Yakult first baseman Katsuo Osugi is born.
1941: Jiro Morioka becomes chairman of the Japanese league. Atsushi Kono, a former Waseda University pitcher who helped organized one of Japan's first pro teams earlier in the century, is named head of the league office. 
1941: Hanshin pitcher Shokichi Morimitsu is born. 
1939: Nishitetsu and Yakult infielder Norifumi Kido is born. 
1936: Yomiuri outfielder Tatsuyoshi Yasuhara is born. 
1931: Nishitetsu and Kintetsu pitcher Mamoru Otsu is born. 
1927: Tokyu pitcher Masao Dezawa is born. 
1926: Goldstar outfielder Masayoshi Ezaki is born. 
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2003: Orix pitcher Katsunobu Okubo has elbow  surgery to remove bone spurs and transplant a nerve. 
2003: Daiei Hawks third baseman Hiroki Kokubo suffers a knee injury. 
2001: In a meeting of Central League owners, they agree to change their schedule around the soccer World Cup and also decide to help Japan shoot for an olympic gold medal at Athens. 
1999: Mainichi, Toei and Chunichi pitcher Joshichi Itoh dies at age 80. 
1998: NPB commissioner Ichiro Yoshikuni steps down. His three terms and nine years are the most in Japanese history for any commissioner. 
1998: Daiei outfielder Motoi Okoshi suffers a leg fracture and will be out three months. 
1997: Hanshin outfielder Mike Greenwell is diagnosed with a hernia. 
1995: Yomiuri sells pitcher Ryujiro Matsutani to Kintetsu. 
1995: Daiei infielder Brian Traxler retires. 
1980: Roy White joins Yomiuri. 
1971: Chunichi pitcher Shinji Imanaka is born. 
1967: Orix and Yokohama infielder Hirofumi Ogawa is born. 
1958: Diet member Masashi Akamine calls for hearings over what rookies are being signed for.
1958: Kintetsu and Yomiuri catcher Motokuni Sano is born. 
1957: The Takahashi Unions are dissolved.
1935: Hiroshima and Toei outfielder Sachio Himoto is born. 
1921: Kokutetsu outfielder Toshio Iwahashi is born. 
1920: Nagoya pitcher Yukio Muramatsu is born. 
1912: Hankyu infielder Fujio Ueda is born. 
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2003: Yomiuri infielder Takayuki Saito is diagnosed with a fracture of his right pinky finger. 
2000: Former Nankai hall of fame manager and third baseman Kazuto Tsuruoka dies at age 83. 
2000: The Japan High School Baseball Federation reprimands Tsuruga Keji High School for an incident in which one of its players was caught getting into an accident even though he didn't have a license. In addition, the school is forbidden from participating in that year's spring Koshien Tournament. Instead, Takaoka Number One High School will compete in Tsuruga Kehi's place. 
1998: Orix outfielder Manabu Satake breaks a finger on his right hand and is expected to be out three weeks. 
1998: In a rookie all star game, the Central League and Pacific League tie at three all.
1996: Orix sells outfielder Katsuhiro Hiratsuka to Hanshin. 
1993: Yakult outfielder Hideki Hashigami dislocates his left shoulder and will be out two months. 
1992: In the first all star game between amateurs and pros in 43 years, the pros eek out a 10-9 victory. 
1991: In an NPB developmental committee meeting, they have a discussion on how to keep signing bonuses for top draft picks down. 
1989: Ichiro Yoshikuni assumes the post of NPB commissioner. 
1975: Hiroshima and Orix pitcher Tsuyoshi Kikuchihara  is born. 
1965: Yokohama outfielder Futoshi Miyazato is born. 
1954: Yomiuri and Lotte catcher Tomoharu Fukushima is born. 
1951: Nishitetsu catcher Ippei Kasuga is born. 
1936: Nishitetsu outfielder Takara Hiratsuka is born. 
1930: Nagoya infielder Takeo Kanno is born. 
1924: Chunichi, Kyuei, Daiei Stars and Nishitetsu outfielder Masaaki Noguchi is born. 
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1999: Joe Dimaggio, who had honeymooned in Japan with marilyn Monroe and who was in Japan when the Yankees called him back home to release him, dies. 
1997: Central League rookies beat their Pacific League counterparts 12-8. 
1991: An arbitration committee rules in favor of the 270 million yen offer by Chunichi to slugger Hiromistu Ochiai.
1988: Daiei outfielder Jun Hatakeyama is diagnosed with a hairline fracture and will be out a month. 
1984: Orix pitcher Yoshihisa Hirano is born. 
1981: Hiroshima outfielder Ryuzo Yamazaki collides with the fence at Fujisakidai Stadium and suffers a complex fracture of the knee. He is expected to be out two months. There is also a call by some quarters of the press to put padding on the fences of  ballparks out in the smaller localities. Yamazaki would recover fully and have a prductive career with the Carp. 
1980: Yomiuri and Hiroshima infielder Makoto Osuga is born. 
1969: Lotte and Chunichi pitcher Koji Mori is born. 
1965: Yokohama pitcher Manabu Tanabe is born. 
1954: Kintetsu pitcher Kenji Tachibana is born. 
1954: Yakult pitcher Hiroshi Kamizuru is born. 
1952: Hankyu pitcher Keiji Kunioka is born. 
1950: It is decided to hold the Japan Series. At the time, they called it the Nihon World Series. 
1943: Kintetsu infielder Juan Tejada is born. 
1939: Hanshin and Kintetsu infielder Minoru Kamata is born. 
1938: Sankei pitcher Yoshimi Moritaki is born. 
1927: Yomiuri and Hanshin pitcher Koji Nagahara is born. 
1924: Chunichi, Kyuei, Daiei Stars, Shochiku and Hiroshima infielder Isao Mimura is born. 
1902: Tokyo Giants outfielder Eiichiro Yamamoto is born. 
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2010: Former Chunichi outfielder Willie Davis dies at age 69. 
2003: Daiei Stars and Tokyo Orions outfielder Takao Yato dies at age 68.
2003: Smoking in the seated areas is banned at Koshien Stadium. 
2002: Yakult pitcher Ryu Kawabata is diagnosed with an elbow inflammation. 
1998: Yomiuri pitcher Eric Hillman is diagnosed with a shoulder joint injury. 
1997: Yomiuri catching coach Kazuhiro Yamakura is injured when he is hit in the face by a ball during batting practice. 
1997: Daiei first baseman Nobuhiko Matsunaka hits his shoulder on the fence and injures it.
1995: Orix wins its fourth exhibition game in a row by shutout.
1994: Orix outfielder Ty Gainey has surgery to remove cartilage from his knee. 
1989: Yakult signs pitcher Juan Eichelbarger. 
1978: Lotte infielder Ryosuke Sawai is born. 
1973: Softbank pitcher C.J. Nitkowski is born. 
1950: Hanshin infielder Doug Ault is born. 
1933: Kokutetsu outfielder Tetsuro Iwasaki is born. 
1930: Hankyu infielder Larry Raines is born.
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2003: A cookie company that included baseball cards in its assortments without the permission of the NPB ballclubs (it did, though, have a deal with the players union) is sent a warning to cease and desist, as is the players union. 
2001: Yakult catcher Shigeki Abe retires to become the team's bullpen catcher.
1998: It is discovered that shadows created by the roof of Seibu Dome have an impact on players ability to see the ball. 
1997: Daiei infielder Tadahito Iguchi injures his right ankle while running the bases. 
1992: Hankyu pitcher Mamoru Kubo dies at age 63.
1989: Former Taiyo manager and umpire Nobuyoshi Hasegawa dies at age 84.
1988: Taiyo break off negotiations with sixth round draft choice Manabu Tanabe. 
1988: The Central League decides to forbid trumpets to be used inside Tokyo Dome during games. 
1987: Taiyo loses the rights to its second round draft choice, catcher Akio Ishii,  when he takes part in an industrial league tournament game.
1986: Yomiuri adds pitcher Keith Comstock to its roster. 
1985: Chunichi outfielder Robert Nieman dies at age 58. 
1972: Hiroshima pitcher Rob Stanifer is born. 
1970: Yakult, Orix, Chunichi and Daiei pitcher Taira Suzuki is born. 
1963: Daiei, Nippon Ham and Yakult infielder Chisen Sakaguchi is born. 
1961: Yokohama pitcher Mike Birkbeck is born. 
1957: Yomiuri and Seibu pitcher Yoshitaka Katori is born. 
1952: NPB commissioner Fukui turns down Hiroshima pitcher Ryohei Hasegawa's request to be declared a free agent. 
1950: The Central League schedule kicks off with Opening Day double headers at Shimonoseki and Heiwadai Stadium. At Shimonoseki, Taiyo and Kokutetsu faceoff in the early match while Chunichi and Hanshin squared off in the second game. At Heiwadai, the Nishi Nihon Pirates met the Hiroshima Carp in game one while the Shochiku Robins battled Yomiuri in the second bill. It is Hiroshima's first ever regular season game and Akira Iwamoto collects the first hit in club annals in the first while Shiraishi strikes out the first man ever by a Carp hurler. Iwamoto steals second in the third for the team's first ever bag theft. But Nishi Nihon wins it 6-5. Yomiuri shut Shochiku out 4-0. 
1948: Hanshin infielder Kazuo Ohara is born. 
1947: Pacific beomces the Taiyo Robins. 
1946: Nankai, Nippon Ham and Lotte catcher Hiroshi Takahashi is born. 
1944: Lotte outfielder John Briggs is born. 
1941: Yomiuri infielder Tadaomi Nishino is born. 
1940: Hankyu pitcher Mitsuhiro Adachi is born. 
1939: Chunichi pitcher Eiji Takaoka is born. 
1934: Nankai and Toei pitcher Shigetaka Egami is born. 
1932: Chunichi and Tombo pitcher Yoshiyuki Nakanishi is born. 
1916: Nagoya Golden Dolphins infielder Kiyoshi Sei is born. 
1916: Nagoya and Hiroshima outfielder Shigeru Takagi is born. 
1906: Tokyo Senators and Eagles outfielder Ken Onuki is born. 
1906: Tokyo Senators outfielder Shiro Yokozawa is born. 
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2003: Chunichi infielder Kazuyoshi Tatsunami loses his driver's license after being caught speeding again. 
1998: Former Yomiuri pitcher Yuji Mizuno fails to catch on with Sanb Diego after being invited to spring training with them. 
1997: Daiei infielder Nobuhiko Matsunaka is diagnosed with a muscle injury and will miss three weeks. 
1989: Lotte infielder Norifumi Nishimura is diagnosed with a fracture of his right hand and will be out a month.
1989: Seibu infielder Norio Tanabe dislocates his right shoulder. 
1987: Former Dodgers and Yankees reliever Steve Howe, who had been invited to spring training with Seibu, decides to return to the U.S. after NPB commissioner Takeuchi says that he would prefer that Howe not play in Japan due to his past drug problems. 
1987: Taiyo infielder Yoshiro Hino suffers a tendon injury and will miss ten days. 
1986: Representatives of the Japanese players union visits the commissioner's office and submits a demand that players be allowed to use agents to negotiate their contracts.
1985: Hanshin batting practice pitcher Seikyoku Masuyama decides to unretire as an active player. 
1976: Daiei pitcher Koji Mise is born.
1971: Chunichi pitcher Lee Sang-hoon ("Samson" Lee) is born. 
1970: Yomiuri infielder Pedro Castellano is born. 
1967: Yakult outfielder Dwayne Hosey is born. 
1959: Yomiuri outfielder Phil Bradley is born. 
1953: Lotte pitcher Steve McNulty is born. 
1952: Hankyu and Yomiuri outfielder Koji Minoda is born.
1950: It is the Pacific League's first ever Opening Day. Mainichi outfielder Katsuki Tokura cranks the first homer ever in Pacific League history at Nishinomiya Stadium. Even more interestingly, it was his first pro at bat, making him the second man in Japanese pro history to go yard in his debut at the plate and the first since the two league system was introduced. 
1950: Shochiku outfielder Yoshiyuki Iwamoto belts the first homer in Central League history. 
1950: The Kokutetsu Swallows win their first game ever against Hiroshima at Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture 3-2. 
1947: Nankai infielder Minoru Ichihara is born. 
1933: Daiei Stars pitcher Hideki Hayashi is born. 
1918: Hankyu infielder Yasuzo Yoshikawa is born. 
1912: Nankai, Taiyo, Shochiku, Taiyo Whales and Toei outfielder Yoshiyuki Iwamoto is born. 
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2007: Former Toei first baseman Norm Larker dies at age 76 of cancer. 
2002: Kintetsu outfielder Tuffy Rhodes is expelled from a game during an argument with an umpire.
1998: Kintetsu owner Yoshinori Ueyama resigns.  Shigeichiro Kanamori is named his successor. 
1997: Daiei infielder Tadahito Iguchi is diagnosed with an injury to an ankle ligament and is expected to be out three weeks. 
1997: Yokohama outfielder Takanori Suzuki injures his shoulder and neck during a play at the plate. 
1989: Pitcher Hisashi Yamada and outfielder Yutaka Fukumoto play in their last game for Hankyu. 
1987: Chunichi sends infielder Hidetoshi Kurioka to Seibu for pitchers Kazuo Murai and Tomonori Kawamoto. 
1987: Chunichi announces that it has signed former Lotte pitcher Tetsuo Nishii after a tryout. 
1987: Chunichi catcher Takeshi Yamasaki and infielder Tetsuo Arakawa retire. 
1987: Chunichi pitcher Yujiro Miyako has left shoulder surgery. 
1985: Softbank pitcher Yoshiaki Fujioka is born. 
1981: Hiroshima infielder Takamitsu Io is born. 
1976: Former Chunichi manager Shunichi Amachi dies at age 72.
1974: Kintetsu and Rakuten outfielder Koichi Isobe is born. 
1972: Orix and Hanshin third baseman George Arias is born. 
1971: Hanshin pitcher Greg Hansell is born. 
1968: Yokohama infielder Kazuaki Kawabata is born. 
1965: Kintetsu infielder Shawn Gilbert is born. 
1961: Hankyu pitcher Toshiyuki Ota is born. 
1959: At an NPB meeting, it is decided to limit rookie signing bonuses to a maximum of 10 million yen. 
1955: Hanshin outfielder Rupert Jones is born. 
1953: Hankyu files a complaint with the commissioner's office that pitcher Minoru Suzuki has illegally signed contracts with both it and the team Suzuki joined, Yomiuri. 
1944: Taiyo and Kintetsu infielder Tomoo Sekine is born. 
1937: Kenji Hirose is appointed as the Japanese league's first official statistician. 
1936: Kokutetsu infielder Hiroaki Inagaki is born. 
1936: Kokutetsu pitcher Kiyoshi Onuma is born. 
1917: Tokyo Giants catcher Yasushi Uchibori is born.
1917: Osaka Tigers infielder Muneyoshi Okada is born. 
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2003: Yakult infielder Ken Suzuki is diagnosed with an injury to the cartilage in his right elbow. 
2002: The Pacific League office reprimands Kintetsu outfielder Tuffy Rhodes after he was tossed the night before for arguing a call. 
2001: Kintetsu concludes a working agreement with L.A. In addition, Tommy Lasorda is made a special adviser to the club. 
1998: Kintetsu and Nishitetsu pitcher Toshiaki Tokuhisa dies at age 55. 
1996: Kintetsu trades outfielder Akihiro Shimada to Chunichi for infielder Shunsuke Kitamura. 
1995: Daiei formally signs Cincinatti outfielder Kevin Mitchell. 
1995: The Central League erases the rule that dictates instant ejection for a pitcher who hits a batter in the head. They then propose that only when it is a fastball that could cause possible death the pitcher would be immediately sent to the showers. 
1990: Hankyu infielder Junichi Fukura suffers a broken wrist when hit by a pitch from Taiyo's Hiroaki Nakayama in an exhibition game. He is expected to miss three weeks. 
1976: The first ever game to be played in Japan on artificial turf occurs. 
1975: An NPB committee is setup to study how to prevent injuries from flying broken bats. 
1963: Yomiuri infielder Mariano Duncan is born. 
1957: Hiroshima, Lotte and Hanshin infielder Yoshihiko Takahashi is born. 
1954: Hanshin infielder Randy Bass is born.
1949: Taiyo outfielder Yoshikazu Takagi is born. 
1942: Kintetsu catcher Hiroyoshi Kodama is born. 
1936: Tokyo Orions pitcher Mitsuaki Kurimoto is born. 
1933: Hankyu and Kintetsu infielder Roberto Barbon is born. 
1927: Hankyu and Takahashi infielder Takehito Ueda is born. 
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2004: In an exhibtion game against Yakult, Kintetsu first baseman Yuji Yoshioka suffers a severed Achilles tendon while rounding first and is gone for the year.
2003: Hiroshima pitcher Tetsuto Tomabechi is diagnosed with a joint problem in a finger of his right hand. 
2000: Taiyo infielder Masatake Nagatomi dies at age 76. 
1996: More than 6.1 million yen in admission money is stolen from Toyohashi Municipal Stadium. 
1990: For the first tme in 26 years, an orientation session for rookies is held.
1979: Chunichi pitcher Yuichi Hisamoto is born.
1973: Nippon Ham pitcher Pat Fluhry is born. 
1969: Nishitetsu pitcher Kazuo Usami dies of shock after being hit in the chest with a batted ball during a spring training game.
1964:The Pacific League's regular season opens. 
1963:Yakult pitcher Mike Rochford is born. 
1953: Hiroshima infielder Tim Ireland is born. 
1950: Hiroshima creams Kokutetsu at Hiroshima Sogo Stadium 16-1 for its first ever win in front of 10,000. Kozo Naito is credited with the victory. 
1944: Chunichi infielder John Miller is born. 
1940: All of the pro players, managers and team officials go to Kashiwara Jingu Shrine to pray for victory in the war against China.
1935: Hankyu pitcher Hisakazu Yoshikawa is born. 
1932: Nankai and Tokyo Orions outfielder Keiji Ozawa is born. 
1925: Hanshin infielder Eiichi Kobayashi is born. 
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2003: It is revealed that Kintetsu shortstop Masahiro Abe has a broken rib. 
2003: Nippon Ham infielder Shigeyuki Furuki is diagnosed with a fracture. 
2003: Seattle signs former Hiroshima outfielder Tomoshi Aoki to a minor league deal. 
2002: Former Lotte pitcher Hidekazu Yoneyama is formally added to Yokohama's roster. 
1998: Former Hankyu and Daiei infielder Hiromi Matsunaga fails a tryout with Oakland. He then announces his retirement. 
1998: Cuba national baseball team pitcher Omar Ajete joins Isuzu Motors' industrial league team. 
1997: Osaka Tigers, Kinki Nihon, Taiyo Robins and Nishitetsu pitcher Isamu Kinoshita dies at age 76. 
1995: Yomiuri and Lotte catcher Tomoharu Fukushima dies at age 41. 
1990: Chunichi outfielder Benny DiStefano goes ballistic at being hit by a pitch and throws the bat at Seibu pitcher Yoshitaka Katori. He also punches catcher Tatsuo Omiya and is ejected. 
1985: Yokohama pitcher Ryuichiro Iida is born.
1983: Rakuten infielder Tatsuya Shiokawa is born. 
1982: Mainichi outfielder Hajime Shirakawa dies at age 59.
1981: The wife of Yomiuri pitcher Akira Nishimoto is badly burned in a propane gas explosion at his house, which is totally destroyed. Nishimoto returns home from Vero Beach, where the Giants are training. 
1977: Yomiuri and Chunichi catcher Kohei Oda is born. 
1976: Taiheiyo Club coach Masakazu Kito is named manager. 
1969: Nippon Ham pitcher Junichiro Muto is born. 
1967: Yokohama infielder Bobby Rose is born. 
1964: The Pacific League opens its regular season. 
1964: Hankyu and Nishitetsu are involved in the first ever suspended game. 
1961: Taiyo and Nippon Ham catcher Tetsushi Okamoto is born. 
1960: Seibu infielder Mike Pagliarulo is born. 
1958: Kintetsu infielder Shinichi Tani is born. 
1952: Hanshin outfielder Steve Stroughter is born. 
1950: Akira Iwamoto singles off of Hanshin reliever Tadayoshi Kajioka for Hiroshima's first sayonara victory.
1949: Nippon Ham, Nankai and Hiroshima pitcher Hisao Sugita is born. 
1948: Hiroshima and Yomiuri outfielder Kazutomi Kawauchi is born. 
1947: Chunichi pitcher Tetsuo Tani is born. 
1945: Crown Lighter and Hanshin infielder Masashi Takenouchi is born. 
1940: Taiyo pitcher Yoshiro Sasaki is born. 
1938: A game at Suzuki Stadium is called when the ocean tide comes in much higher than usual, creating a flood.
1935: Chunichi infielder Shinji Hayakawa is born. 
1926: Daiei Stars and Daimai infielder Bunjiro Sakamoto is born. 
1923: Asahi infielder Akio Kanemitsu is born. 
1922: Yomiuri pitcher Shuichi Hirose is born. 
1921: Taiyo catcher Mitsuo Okamoto is born. 
1920: Eagles, Yamato, Goldstar and Hankyu outfielder Tadayoshi Tamakoshi is born. 
1914: Kokutetsu infielder Kazuo Usami is born.
16
 
2010: Former Yomiuri and Hankyu pitcher Hachiro Maekawa dies at age 97 of respiratory arrest. 
2006: Yokohama announces the signing of pitcher Shawn Sonnier. 
2003: Lotte first baseman suffers bruises to the area between his left wrist and the base of his pinky finger.
2002: Kintetsu catcher Hirotoshi Kitagawa is diagnosed with a ligament injury to his right index finger and has surgery that day to fix it. 
2002: Kintetsu reliever Akinori Otsuka is still hurting from an oblique strain and is unlikely to make Opening Day. 
1999: NPB approves the registration of Chunichi outfielder Kazuaki Yamano as a player-coach.
1989: Kintetsu infielder Yoshiaki Kanemura makes a pitching appearance. He was allowed to do it as a lark, apparently. He had been a pitcher in high school. 
1988: Hanshin first baseman Randy Bass returns to the U.S. for his son's surgery. He returned to Japan on the 24th.
1987: Chunichi pitcher Yujiro Miyako retires.
1986: Kintetsu pitcher Keishi Suzuki has his retirement game in an exhibition faceoff with Hanshin. He strikes out Tigers third baseman Masayuki Kakefu swingingafter getting behind to him 3-0.
1985: Chunichi infielder Masaru Uno suffers a chest injury.
1985: Former Lotte pitcher Masayuki Kanei signs with the Lotte Giants of the KBO. 
1984: NPB Commissioner Takezo Shimoda lays down three rules to govern private oendan behavior at games. Moreover, if an oendan gets out of hand, they will be ejected. 
1981: Hiroshima announces that they won't discipline infielder Toshiyuki Mimura after Mimura had earlier hit a child with his car. It was said that the child would be fine after a month.
1979: It is decided to hire Takezo Shimoda as NPB commissioner. 
1973: Hiroshima pitcher Yasuyuki Yamauchi is born.
1970: Lotte pitcher Yusuke Satomi is born.
1968: Hanshin pitcher Kazuya Shibata is born.
1968: Yakult pitcher Mark Acre is born. 
1955: Yomiuri returns from a tour of Central and South America. They went 8-18. 
1950: Nishitetsu Clippers shortstop Zenzo Hasegawa sets a new record by committing five errors in a game against Tokyu that ends with the Lions winning 21-14, the most total runs scored by both sides in a single contest. 
1950: Hanshin pitcher Kenjiro Tamiya misses throwing a perfect game when the 27th man collects a hit. 
1950: Shiraishi homers off of Chunichi pitcher Shigeru Sugishita in the fourth inning at Fukuyama Mitsubishi Stadium for Hiroshima's first ever homer. 
1946: Yomiuri pitcher Takeshi Ueda is born. 
1932: Nankai infielder Don Blasingame is born. 
17
 
2010: Former Chunichi and Shochiku infielder Isao Mimura dies of liver cancer at age 86. 
2003: In a meeting between the Japanese players association and NPB ownership, a demand to shorten the time necessary for free agency is rejected, but the amount of compensation paid to a team who loses a free agent is reduced. In addition, the trading deadline is extended to July 31st. 
1998: New ground rules for Seibu Dome are issued. Any ball that hits the roof in foul territory is merely a foul ball. Any ball that strikes the roof in fair territory is a home run. 
1998: Yomiuri holds its last practice session ever at Tamagawa Stadium. 
1997: Yokohama outfielder Takanori Suzuki is diagnosed with a herniated disk in his back. 
1995: Lotte GM Tatsuro Hirooka is named an executive with the team. 
1981: Yakult pitcher Shohei Tateyama is born. 
1978: The Central League decides to allow tv cameras to shoot from the outfield. 
1970: Kintetsu pitcher Naoya Shimada is born. 
1967: Chunichi, Yokohama and Rakuten catcher Takeshi Nakamura is born. 
1966: Yomiuri, Chunichi and Taiyo pitcher Shigeharu Kamogawa is born. b
1949: Yakult pitcher Katsutoshi Oki is born. 
1938: Taiyo outfielder Hideki Tsukazaki is born. 
18
 
2003: MLB Announces the cancellation of a scheduled Mariners-A's opener in Japan due to security concerns. Instead exhibition games are scheduled fro those dates at Tokyo Dome. 
2002: Chunichi pitcher Kenjiro Kawasaki is unlikely to open the season on the team due to an ongoing  shoulder problem. He would miss that season, the second full slate he sat out since signing as a free agent with the Dragons.
2000: Seibu announces teh signing of pitcher Rafael Diaz.
1998: Lotte announces the acquisition of pitcher Scott Davison. 
1997: It is announced that Yokohama pitcher Takashi Saito will have surgery to remove bone chips in his right elbow. 
1996: Hiroshima pitcher Felix Ramirez retires. 
1994: The Pacific League orders that starting pitchers be announced before the game.
1988: The first ever game is played at Tokyo Dome and is highlighted by pitcher Suguru Egawa's retirement ceremony. 
1985: Yomiuri moves infielder Kazumi Nishimoto to Nippon Ham in exchange for outfielder Katsuya Yamamoto. 
1985: Renovation of Meiji Jingu Stadium's lighting system is finished. 
1976: Yokohama pitcher Tomokazu Ohka is born. 
1969: Kintetsu, Chunichi and Rakuten pitcher Hideo Koike is born. 
1960: Nippon Ham outfielder Brian Winters is born. 
1946: Kintetsu catcher Yasuro Iwaki is born. 
1940: Eagles pitcher Tadashi Kameda tosses a no hitter in a game in which he walked or hit nine batters. 
1939: Mainichi pitcher Keishi Umeno is born. 
1937: Chunichi pitcher Kenji Kataoka is born.
1933: Chunichi pitcher Hiroshi Kimura is born. 
1927: Hankyu infielder Koichi Akashi is born. 
1923: Hankyu, Goldstar, Taiyo, Shochiku and Taiyo Whales pitcher Takashi Eda is born. 
1923: Osaka Tigers infielder Kunio Inui isborn. 
1922: Hanshin infielder Noboru Noguchi is born. 
1906: Osaka Tigers manager Shigeo Mori is born. 
19
 
2003: Milwaukee announces the addition of former Yomiuri pitcher Takahito Nomura. 
2003: Tokyo Orions, Taiyo and Chunichi pitcher Shoichi Ono dies at age 69.
2003: Daiei third baseman Hiroki Kokubo is diagnosed with a severed knee ligament that will require surgery and he will be miss the rest of the season. 
2002: Lotte manager Koji Yamamoto says the magic word to an umpire during an argument over a call in an exhibition game and is run. He becomes the first manager to get tossed in the pre-season since 1982. 
2002: Hideo Nomo, Hideki Irabu and Makoto Suzuki pool their resources and buy controlling intertest in the independent minor league Elmira Pioneers. The move both saved minor league baseball in Elmira and it will be used as a way for Japanese players to gain exposure in the U.S.
2001: The 21st Asia Baseball Tournament opens with Japan clocking the Phillipines 8-1. 
2000: Detroit manager Phil Garner announces that Hideo Nomo will be his Opening Day pitcher, making Nomo the first Japanese so honored. 
1998: The parent company of the Yakult Swallows sustains red ink totalling a reported 100 billion yen for the past year , it is revealed.
1997: Yomiuri comes to an agreemnt with the New York Mets to send pitcher Takashi Kashiwada to that club.
1986: Yutaka Enatsu is deemed the winning pitcher in an MLB exhibition game. 
1985: Yomiuri infielder Fujio Nagasawa dies at age 80.
1974: NPB decides to adopt a Comeback Player of the Year award. 
1971: Nippon Ham outfielder D.T. Cromer is born.
1968: Kintetsu and Hanshin infielder Kunji Yonesaki is born. 
1960: Hiroshima pitcher Jun Kawabata is born. 
1959: Hiroshima, Orix and Daiei pitcher Kozo Mori is born. 
1956: Taiyo Outfielder Kazuaki Mori is born. 
1947: The Kokumin League comes into being as a four team circuit featuring the Otsuka Athletics, the Udaka Red Sox, the Yuki Braves and the Karasaki Crowns. However, it would survive just the one season. 
1947: Nippon Ham and Taiyo infielder Gerry Jestadt is born. 
1926: Asahi pitcher Seizo Morimoto is born. 
20
 
2008: Nippon Ham starter Yu Darvish tosses a 1-0 four hit Opening Day shutout while striking out ten against Lotte at Sapporo Dome, thus becoming the first man to attain double figures in strikeouts during a 1-0 complete game victory on the season's first day ever. 
2008: Softbank rightfielder Hiroshi Shibahara cracks a three run walkoff homer off of Rakuten righthander Domingo Guzman in the ninth inning in a 4-3 win at Fukuoka Dome, thus becoming only the second man ever to connect for a sayonara bomb with his side behind in his club's first match of a regular season schedule ever.
2006: Japan defeats Cuba in the inagural World Baseball Classic final 10-6 to win the world championship. Pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka is named MVP. 
2005: Lotte manager Bobby Valentine announces that the number 26 will be retired as a saulte to the fans. 
2002: Yomiuri trades pitcher Naoki Uchizono to Seibu for infielder Tetsushi Kuroda. 
2002: It comes to light that Nippon Ham intends to move to Sapporo starting with the 2004 season.
2002: Lotte manager Koji Yamamoto is reprimanded after being ejected the day before for arguing with an umpire. 
2001: Nippon Ham and Yakult infielder Kenichi Oyamada dies at age 50. 
2001: The Asian Baseball Tournament opens with Japan crushing Indonesia 17-1. 
1999: Daiei announces the acquisition of outfielder Melvin Nieves. 
1998: Nippon Ham pitcher Kip Gross feels discomfort in his elbow and will leave for the states on the 21st to have it looked at. 
1995: Yakult trades pitcher Ryuji Nishimura to Kintetsu for pitcher Masato Yoshii. 
1985: Seibu batting practice pitcher Tomonori Kawamoto unretires.
1985: Seibu pitcher Akemi Goto retires. 
1985: Yakult pitchers Akira Ogawa and Takao Obana combine for a no hitter. 
1980: Chunichi and Softbank catcher Hidenori Tanoue is born. 
1979: Yomiuri catcher Shinnosuke Abe is born. 
1978: Orix pitcher Atsushi Ota is born. 
1973: Miyagi Prefectural Stadium finishes installing lights for night games. 
1972: Hanshin outfielder Naoki Sogabe is born. 
1970: The San Francisco Giants arrive in Japan.
1964: Yokohama pitcher Jeff Schwarz is born. 
1962: Seibu pitcher Taigen Kaku is born.
1960: Chunichi catcher Tsuguhiro Hattori has his retirement game. 
1960: Hiroshima outfielder Mike Young is born. 
1955: Nankai and Lotte catcher Yoshinori Tsutsui is born. 
1952: The Central League regular season schedule opens. 
1944: Chunichi and Hanshin outfielder Bobby Taylor is born. 
1940: Toei and Taiyo outfielder Tsuneyoshi Yamamoto is born. 
1938: Taiyo pitcher Minoru Toyoda is born. 
1933: Lotte and Hanshin infielder George Altman is born. 
1920: Hiroshima and Yomiuri outfielder Kazuo Higasa is born. 
1919: Osaka Tigers and Chunichi outfielder Teiichi Kinoshita is born. 
1918: Mainichi, Toei and Chunichi pitcher Joshichi Itoh is born. 
1907: Hankyu and Nagoya outfielder and umpire Minoru Yamashita is born. 
21
 
2006: Former Kintetsu and Yomiuri outfielder Tuffy Rhodes retires. Rhodes was released by Yomiuri after the 2005 season and was invited to Cincinnati's spring camp. However, he didn't make the team out of spring training and decided to retire. He is the all time leader in homers by a foreign player in Japanese history. 
2006: Hanshin announces that it has concluded a working aggreement with Atlanta. They also say that they will continue a smilar earlier agreement with Detroit. 
2001: In the Asia Baseball Tournament, Japan beats Korea 5-1.
1998: Chunichi infielder Teruyoshi Kuji gets stung by a bee during a game and has to leave. 
1994: Toei, Yakult, Kintetsu and Taiyo outfielder Hideaki Miyahara dies at age 51. 
1989: Lotte outfielder Yoshio Mizukami gets hit in the face with a pitch and suffers a broken cheekbone,  putting him out for two months. 
1985: As part of a celebration for its 50th anniversary of existence, Hanshin opens a hall withink Koshien Stadium with team memorabilia on display. 
1970: Hiroshima pitcher Rich DeHart is born. 
1965: Nippon Ham infielder Tim McIntosh is born. 
1956: Both the Central and Pacific Leagues hold their Opening Day on the same day for the first time in history. 
1956: Nankai rookie infielder Yoshio Anabuki blasts a sayonara homer. 
1953: The Pacific League regular season opens. 
1952: The Pacific League regular season opens. 
1944: Kintetsu infielder Masashi Ino is born. 
1938: Lotte, Taiyo and Nippon Ham pitcher Katsuji Sakai is born. 
1936: Kintetsu catcher Yoshihiro Kawaradani is born. 
1935: Toei, Yomiuri and Nishitetsu outfielder Katsutoyo Yoshida is born. 
1934: Nankai outfielder Akira Owada is born. 
1934: Mainichi infielder Kenichi Nakano is born.
22
 
2007: Nippon Ham infielder Mitsuo Sugano dies at age 54 of cardiac arrest.
2006: The Japanese WBC team arrives back in Japan to a crowd of 1,000 fans and a huge press throng at Narita Airport. Among those is Yomiuri owner Takuo Takihana, who later reveals that pitcher Koji Uehara and first baseman Seung-yeop Lee will each be given a ten million yen bonus for what they did during the tournament. It is also announced that the game ball from that game will be put on exhibit at the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. Manager Sadaharu Oh inscribed, "Sekaiichi Saiko (being number on ein the world is the best)."
2006: The commissioner of the Korean Baseball Organization proposes on a Korean radio broadcast that the Japan and Korea WBC teams play each other again after the regular season ends. 
2006: The tv ratings for the Japan-Cuba game are announced and they are spectacular, as it drew a nationwide share of 43.4% with a momentary peak of 56.0%. It is the third largest audience for a baseball broadcast in Japanese history.
2005: Former Kokutetsu outfielder Takao Sato dies at age 73 of a cerebral hemmorhage. 
1997: Ymjiuri pitcher Eric Hillman leaves for the states to have his ailing left shoulder looked at. 
1994: Seibu announces the acquisition of outfielder Rod Brewer.
1989: Female umpire Perry Lee Barber works at second base during a game between Daiei and Hankyu. 
1976: Hanshin and Hiroshima outfielder Masanobu Yamaguchi dies at age 59.
1974: Orix pitcher Jason Phillips is born. 
1973: Yomiuri Second year pitcher Toshihiko Yuguchi, a 1970 first round draft choice, suddenly dies in hospital at age 20. He never appeared in a regular season game with the top club. 
1972: Orix catcher Nobuo Takahashi is born. 
1966: Yokohama pitcher Nobuhiko Watanabe is born. 
1964: The Central League opens its regular season.
1963: Chunichi pitcher Rich Monteleone is born. 
1962: Hiroshima, Chunichi and Taiyo infielder Mitsuhiro Kataoka is born. 
1960: Nippon Ham pitcher Osamu Ogiwara is born. 
1957: Yomiuri, Lotte and Nankai pitcher Isao Tamura is born. 
1956: Yakult outfielder Mark Brouhard is born. 
1953: Hanshin catcher Yuji Kasama is born. 
1926: Kinki Nihon infielder Wataru Noguchi is born. 
1917: Nankai infielder Kazuharu Murakami is born. 
1915: Nagoya Golden Dolphins, Taiyo, Nishitetsu and Goldstar infielder Wataru Nonin is born. 
23
 
2006: Hiroshima trades infielder Kazuki Fukuchi to Seibu for pitcher Hayato Aoki.
2006: Yomiuri pitcher Koji Uehara rear ends a garbage truck at an intersection in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. Nobody is hurt. 
2003: Hanshin pitcher Tadayoshi Kajioka dies at age 82. 
2002: Daiei outfielder Pedro Valdez argues with an umpire and is ejected. 
2001: Hanshin bullpen catcher Akihiro Honda unretires. 
2001: Chunichi pitcher Kenjiro Kawasaki feels discomfort in his upper arm and is likely to be out for sometime, it is announced. 
2001: Japan loses to Taiwan in the Asian Baseball Tournament 3-1.
1999: Yakult outfielder Tetsuya Iida is diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder. 
1999: Hanshin outfielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo is diagnosed with a quadracep pull. 
1998: Chunichi pitcher Hiroshi Yamada claims that one reason for his attemtp to evade income tax was payment he made to a team scout and his high school and industrial league managers after he got signed. The scout is then reprimanded by the team for bringing an air of suspicion to the Dragons. 
1997: In the Osaka Dome exhibition tournament, Yomiuri edges Seibu 3-2 to win it all.
1997: An industrial league all star team from Osaka abuses Kintetsu's minor league squad 11-3. 
1988: Daiei pitcher Yoshiaki Nishikawa throws a no hitter. 
1988: Chunichi outfielder Ryosuke Hirata is born. 
1987: It is revealed that Hanshin third baseman Masayuki Kakefu was arrested for drunken driving. 
1986: Chunichi moves pitcher Norio Ichimura to Seibu for infielder Yasutomo Suzuki. 
1985: MLB commissioner Peter Uberoth arrives in Japan. 
1981: Yomiuri catcher Ken Kato is born. 
1975: Yomiuri manager Tetsuharu Kawakami had his retirement game, actually putting on his old uniform and flying out to right after gettingin the batter's box in the sixth 
inning. 
1974: Chunichi pitcher Kazuhiro Hiramatsu is born.
1967: Nippon Ham outfielder Jerry Brooks is born. 
1965: Nishi Kyogoku Stadium is outfitted with lights to hold night games. 
1964: Nankai, Chunichi and Taiyo pitcher Hideo Shimizu dies at age 45.
1938: Nankai infielder Shigeo Ishigami is born. 
1930: Kokutetsu pitcher Teruo Owaki is born. 
1927: Nankai infielder Johnny Logan is born. 
1920: Yomiuri infielder Tetsuharu Kawakami is born. 
24
 
2006: It is announced that Yomiuri will trade reliever Hideki Okajima to Nippon Ham in exchange for infielder Nariyuki Furuki and catcher Kazunari Sanematsu
2003: Lotte announces the acquisition of infielder Jose Fernandez.
2003: The exhibition schedule ends with Chunichi displaying the best record. 
2002: On a 3-2 count, umpire Minoru Nakamura calls a ball, but fails to inform the batter that he just walked. 
2002: Yomiuri announces the acquisition of utilityman Felipe Crespo.
2002: Daiei outfielder Pedro Valdez is reprimanded after being ejected the previous day arguing an umpire's call. 
2001: The Pacific League's regular season opens. All three games are held in domes and attract a record aggregate turnout of 136,000. 
2001: Kintetsu and Nippon Ham combine for eight Opening Day homers, tying a Japan record. 
2001: The Pacific League debuts its official homepage.
2001: Japan is squashed by Korea in the semifinals of  the Asian Baseball Tournament 10-2. 
1999: After being put on outright waivers, no team claims NY Mets pitcher Hideo Nomo and he decides to go to the team's AAA Norfolk affiliate.
1998: Seibu infielder Yoshiaki Kanemura is diagnosed with a severed left elbow ligament. 
1993: Yokohama trades infielder Yoshiyuki Shimizu to Seibu for pitcher Ryoji Moriyama and infielder Hideo Nakamura. 
1993: Yakult pitcher Hiroto Kato will need surgery on his left shoulder, it is announced. 
1988: Randy Bass returns to Japan after going back to the U.S. for his son's surgery. 
1987: Officials from thePR departments of the 12 pro teams meet tl discuss what can be done about the invasions of players personal lives by the weekly tabloid magazines. 
1987: Randy Bass' experience is the subject of an article in Sports Illustrated. 
1985: Seibu Lions catcher Koichi Tabuchi has his retirement game. He grounds into a double play in his final at bat.
1984: Yakult infielder Katsuo Osugi has his retirement game.
1983: Central League chairman Suzuki announces that he is withdrawing the lifetime bans issued to Hanshin coaches Ikuo Shimano and Takeshi Shibata for their actions in beating up an umpire during a game.
1978: Yokohama pitcher Takeharu Kato is born. 
1969: Hanshin pitcher Tateuo Kakuri is born. 
1965: Nippon Ham outfielder Rob Ducey is born.
1951: The conflict revolving around the signings of former Nishi Nihon Pirates outfielder Yugo Minamimura and infielder Saburo Hirai is resolved with a monetary payment. 
1950: Taiyo and Lotte outfielder Yasukazu Yasuda is born. 
1946: Hanshin changes its name back to the Osaka Tigers. 
1943: Kintetsu and Yakult pitcher Toshio Kanbe is born. 
1942: Yomiuri outfielder Nobuyuki Okuma is born. 
1932: Hiroshima outfielder Shuzo Konda is born. 
1926: Taiyo outfielder Toshikazu Kanki is born. 
25
 
2006: Seibu rookie catcher Ginjiro Sumitani becomes the first backstop right out of high school to start on Opening Day in 51 years when he did it against Orix at Seibu Dome. The last one to do that was Daiei Stars receiver Minoru Tanimoto in 1955.  Sumiya singled in three at bats in that game. 
2003: Oru\ix pitcher Masahiko Kaneda is diagnosed with a calf pull. 
2002: The exhibition schedule ends with Hanshin having the best record. 
2002: For a bad call he made the previous day, umpire Minoru Nakamura is reprimanded. 
2002: The spring Koshien High School Baseball Tournament opens. 
2001: The exhibition schedule ends with Daiei having the best record.
2001: A Hiroshima Carp workout facility at Aki Minato suffers damage in an earthquake. 
2001: The deciding game of the Asian Baseball Tournament is rained out and Taiwan, based on its overall record, is named the winner of the event. 
2001: The spring Koshien High School Baseball Tournament opens. 
2000: The spring Koshien High School Baseball Tournament opens. 
1999: The spring Koshien High School Baseball Tournament opens. 
1998: Hanshin announces the addition of pitcher Darrell May. 
1998: The spring Koshien High School Baseball Tournament opens. 
1997: The Japan High School Baseball Federation shortens the period with which a former pro player would have to teach in order to coach at the scholastic level to two years. 
1997: NPB and the Japanese players association reach agreement on shortening the years necessary to qualify for free agency to nine.
1996: Seibu sells infielder Yoshiyuki Shimizu to Hanshin. 
1995: The Central League beats the Pacific League 7-0 in the DHL Rookie Game at Tokyo Dome. 
1987: Lotte outfielder Hideaki Takazawa is diagnosed with a left hand ligament injury and is expected to be out three weeks. 
1981: Rakuten pitcher Lin En-yu is born.
1975: Yokohama outfielder Kohei Kanemura is born. 
1972: Hanshin infielder Howard Battle is born. 
1969: Hiroshima catcher Terunobu Seto is born. 
1969: Nippon Ham pitcher Erik Schullstrom is born. 
1969: Nippon Ham pitcher Scott Samders is born. 
1959: Chunichi infielder Michio Nishizawa has his retirement game. 
1956: Yomiuri outfielder Kazuo Higasa slugs the first pinch hit come from behind sayonara grand slam in Japanese history when he connects off of Shigeru Sugishita of Chunichi in the bottom of the ninth at Korakuen Stadium in a 4-3 victory. 
1942: Hanshin's first owner, Masao Matsukata, dies at age 74. 
1941: Taiyo catcher Isao Ohashi is born.
1940: Nankai infielder Kiyoshi Yamasaki is born. 
1940: Hankyu and Kokutetsu infielder Hideichi Sakano is born. 
1936: Kokutetsu catcher Tsugio Hiraiwa is born. 
1930: Hiroshima pitcher Ryohei Hasegawa is born.
1926: Chunichi, Kyuei and Hiroshima outfielder Yoshihiro Inoue is born.
1923: Mainichi and Toei pitcher Shigeo Ueno is born. 
1917: Kintetsu outfielder Haruo Kato is born. 
1916: Nagoya Golden Dolphins, Asahi, Goldstar, Hankyu and Hiroshima pitcher Kozo Naito is born. 
26
 
2005: The newly admitted Rakuten Golden Eagles touch off their initial season in the Pacific League by downing the Chiba Lotte Marines 3-1 behind a complete game five hitter from starter Hisashi Iwakuma. 
2003: Yakult announces the addition of pitcher Jason Beverlin. 
2003: In a rookie all star game, the Central League and the Pacific League deadlock at 6-6. 
2002: St. Louis outfielder So Taguchi is demoted to the team's AAA affiliate in Memphis. 
2002: The Japanese players association names Central Leage umpire Hiroshi Tani and Pacific League arbiter Osamu Tachibana as Umpires of the Year. 
2001: Yakult first baseman Roberto Petagine is diagnosed with a Knee sprain. 
2000: Orix wins the Suntory Cup pre-season tournament with a 4-1 record. 
2000: The last game ever played at Kawasaki Stadium occurs. 
1999: NY Mets pitcher Hideo Nomo is demoted to the minors. He then asks to be released and is put on waivers. 
1998: Nippon Ham outfielder Jerry Brooks has surgery to remove a polyp from his colon.
1997: The Nagoya Dome Tournament opens. 
1994: Orix outfielder Satoshi Takahashi sustains a ligmanet injury and will be out three weeks. 
1990: Taiyo sends infielder Koichi Muraoka and outfielder Yasuhiko Kawano to Seibu for catcher Kosaku Akimoto and outfielders Michio Aoyama and Koichi Komazaki. 
1986: Yakult pitcher Hiroshi Matsuoka has his retirement game. 
1982: Yomiuri infielder Shigeru Mizuhara dies at age 73. 
1979: Chunichi infielder Keiji Kamata is born. 
1971: Daiei pitcher Katsumasa Ota is born. 
1970: Nishitetsu pitcher Masayuki Nagai is connected with a game fixing scandal in what became know as the "Black Mist Incident."
1969: Hanshin rookie catcher Koichi Tabuchi slugs his first homer in exhibition play in his 60th at bat. 
1963: Hiroshima infielder Luis Medina is born. 
1963: Lotte infielder Yukihiko Kanazawa is born. 
1955: The Pacific League regular season opens. 
1939: Tokyo Senators infielder Tsuruo Otsuka strikes out and yet still reaches first base twice in one game. 
1939: Hanshin catcher Tsutomu Tanigawa is born.
1937: The spring schedule opens.
1937: Nishitetsu outfielder Hiromi Wada is born. 
27
 
2005: The Chiba Lotte Marines absolutely destroy the fledgeline Rakuten Golden Eagles 26-0 at Chiba Marine Stadium. Lotte amasses 24 hitsto go along with the scoring, both new team records. This one was over in the second inning after Lotte posted 11 tallies, highlighted by rightfielder Val Pascucci's grand slam off of reliever Hisashi Ogura, his first roundtripper since coming to Japan. To add to the humiliation, Rakuten was limited to a lone sixth inning single as Lotte starter Shunsuke Watanabe cruised to his second pro shutout. It was also the first time in 18 years that Lotte had pushed 20 runners across the plate in a game. Pascucci finished 4-5 with seven RBIs while second baseman Tsuyoshi Nishioka chipped in a six spot with a 4-7 effort. 
2005: Yomiuri sends pitcher Junichi Kawahara to Seibu in exchange for pitcher Mitsutaka Goto. 
2003: Carlos Mirabal becomes the first ever foreigner to start on Opening Day for Nippon Ham. 
2001: Seibu rookie pitcher Kazuyuki Hoashi rings up the first win by any first year hurler that season. 
2001: Nippon Ham outfielder Sherman Obando suffers a foot fracture and will be out at least a month. 
2001: As part of a treatment to help rectify a shoulder problem for Hiroshima pitcher Yasuhiro Oyamada, he has a rib removed on his right side. 
2001: Colorado puts pitcher Masato Yoshii on waivers. 
2000: Orix outfielder So Taguchi is named MVP of the Suntory Cup exhibition tournament. 
2000: The exhibition schedule concludes with Orix showing the best record at 9-2-1. 
2000: Yakult sends pitcher Kazuya Tabata to Kintetsu in exchange for outfie\lder Takenori Daita and catcher Yukio Kinugawa. 
2000: In exhibition action, the NY Mets swamp Seibu 8-1 while Yomiuri deals a 6-0 shutout over the Chicago Cubs. 
1999: The Eastern League opens its regular season. 
1998: It is announced that Yokohama pitcher Kazuo Fukumori has a dislocated elbow and wll require surgery. 
1998: Seibu outfielder Yusuke Kawada is diagnosed with a broken rib.
1997: Hiroshima signs pitcher Antonio Guzman from its Dominican academy. 
1994: Hankyu infielder Kozo Kawai dies at age 66. 
1992: At an executive committee meeting of the Central League, measures are announced to try to prevent illegal sign stealing incidents. One, an appeal can be made to the league office anytime devices that would aid the illegal behavior are found; two, if charges of illegal conduct are found to be true, penalties including a lifetime ban will be leveled against the team's manager, executives and others involved.
1992: NPB comes to agreemtn with NHK and five other broadcasting outfits over the exploitation of the likenesses of players. 
1992: Hiroshima signs infielder Luis Lopez out of its Dominican Academy. 
1991: Yakult owner Naomi Matsuzono is named Chairman Emeritus of the team while his assistant is named the club's new owner. 
1990: Chunichi trades pitcher Manabu Saito to Daiei for catcher Kiyoshi Yamaoki. 
1987: Hanshin infielder Randy Bass is caught speeding. 
1986: Kintetsu pitchers throw the fourth exhibition no hitter in Japanese history. 
1969: Seibu and Nippon Ham catcher Satoshi Nakajima is born.
1965: Seibu pitcher Sadaharu Hiranuma is born.
1960: Chunichi and Lotte infielder Seiji Kamikawa is born. 
1956: Hanshin pitcher Masaaki Koyama strikes out the first seven men he sees in a game against Hiroshma at Yamaguchi to set a pro yakyu record. 
1956: Nankai first baseman Dave Hostetler is born. 
1954: The Pacific League regular season opens. 
1954: Kintetsu pitcher Masato Kagawa is born. 
1950: Kintetsu outfielder Vic Harris is born. 
1949: Nankai pitcher Takehiko Bessho's joining Yomiuri is a fait accompli. 
1947: Taiyo, Yomiuri and Kintetsu outfielder Narihiro Abe is born. 
1946: The first regular season since 1944 begins. 
1935: Takahashi infielder Junji Tanaka is born. 
1932: Taiyo-Shochiku Robins pitcher Itsuro Ukida is born.
28
 
2006: Rakuten loses its 100th game in its history, becoming the quickest ever to that mark at 139 games. The old record was 145 by Hiroshima.
2002: Hideki Irabu, who had been signed to a minor league deal with Texas, is added to the major league roster. 
2001: Seibu shortstop Kazuo Matsui ties a Pacific League record with an 18 pitch at bat. 
2001: Daiei rookie Akichika Yamada wins his first career game in his first pro appearance and first start. 
2001: Yokohama infielder Seiichi Uchikawa is the only rookie right out of high school to open the 2001 regular season with the big club. 
2000: In exhibition action, the NY Mets lose to Yomiuri 9-5 and the Chicago Cubs edge Seibu 6-5.
1999: Yomiuri wins the Suntory Cup Tournament (a pre-season interleague tournament) with a 5-1 record. 
1998: The Eastern League regular season schedule opens. 
1998: Yomiuri and Taiyo Whales outfielder Kikuji Hirayama dies at age 89.
1997: The Eastern League's regular season opens. 
1995: Shochiku and Taiyo Whales catcher Haruo Metoki dies at age 70. 
1990: The World Baseball Hall of Fame inducts 12 players, with Japan's contingent being comprised of Yomiuri infielders Sadaharu Oh and Shigeo Nagashima as well as Russian refugee pitcher Victor Starfin. 
1981: Yomiuri pitcher Masami Ishikawa is born. 
1977: Yokohama and Softbank outfielder Hitoshi Tamura is born.
1977: Chunichi pitcher Claudio Galva is born. 
1975: Daiei and Lotte infielder Julio Zuleta is born. 
1972: Yomiuri pitcher Chung Min-chul is born. 
1969: Kintetsu and Chunichi pitcher Hideo Koike is born. 
1961: Hanshin infielder Glenn Davis is born. 
1957: Signing bonuses for rookies are set at a maximum of 800,000 yen for a player out of high school and 1.2 million yen for one out of college. In addition, it is decided to hold orientation sessions for the former high schoolers. 
1936: Mainichi infielder Fumio Yanase is born. 
1935: Toei infielder Tsuneo Fukuoka is born. 
1912: Shochiku infielder Torao Ooka is born. 
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2006: Seibu catcher Ginjiro Sumitani slugs a grand slam in his fourth pro game off of Softbank's D.J. Carrasco at Kita Kyushu Stadium to become the fastest of any rookie out of high school ever to do that and the fifth first year former high schooler to do it since 1950. In addition, he became the first rookie right out of high school to pound two homers in a game since Hideki Matsui in 1993. 
2006: Orix pitcher Masato Yoshii os credited with a win over Rakuten. That gives him at least one victory for his career against each of the existing 12 teams in NPB, the fifth man in history to do that. 
1985: Kokutetsu pitcher Keiji Narita dies at age 66.
1979: Hiroshima outfielder Jun Hirose is born. 
1977: Osaka Tigers infielder Yoshio Kobayashi dies at age 57. 
1976: Chunichi pitcher Shunyo So is born. 
1972: Chunichi and Hiroshima outfielder Alex Ochoa is born. 
1969: Yomiuri, Chunichi and Orix catcher Kosuke Yoshihara is born. 
1942: Tokyo Orions pitcher Noboru Sagano is born. 
1939: Taiyo, Nishitetsu and Hankyu infielder Francis Agcaoili is born. 
1938: Nankai is brought into the league's fold. However, it would not begin play until the fall of that year.
1936: Takahashi infielder Tsuneto Okazaki is born. 
1935: Nishitetsu pitcher Sadamu Tajima is born. 
1927: Nankai pitcher Katsumi Noguchi is born.
1916: Nagoya Golden Dolphins and Tsubasa outfielder Shigeta Kobayashi is born. 
1896: Nagoya Golden Dolphins catcher Genzaburo Okada is born. 
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2007: The Central League regular season opens. 
2007: Lotte sells pitcher Kosuke Kato to Orix.
2007: Yomiuri rightfielder Yoshinobu Takahashi smacks the first pitch he sees in the top of the first at Yokohama Stadium from Yokohama starter Daisuke Miura into the rightcenterfield seats, the first time ever in the Central League that someone has done that on Opening Day and the second time overall in NPB annals. 
2005: The Rakuten Golden Eagles go homerless in their first five games in existence. 
2005: Nippon Ham sells pitcher Masashi Date to Yomiuri. 
2004: Seibu first baseman Alex Cabrera has surgery to put a plate in his forearm in a procedure done in Birmingham. He will miss the first half of the season.
2002: It is Opening Day for both the Central and Pacific Leagues, each playing a 140 game schedule. It is the first time in eight years that the two leagues have started the regular schedule on the same day. 
2002: The first ever Opening Day game ever played in Sapporo is played at Sapporo Dome with a faceoff between the Seibu Lions and the Chiba Lotte Marines. 
2002: The Eastern and Western Leagues open the regular season. 
1984: Chunichi, Kyuei, Daiei Stars, Shochiku and Hiroshima infielder Jiro Kanayama dies at age 61. 
1982: Kintetsu and Orix pitcher Yasunari Takagi is born. 
1981: Nippon Ham pitcher Takahito Kudoh is born. 
1976: Chunichiu outfielder Tokuzo Harada dies at ag 56.
1969: Seibu infielder Hiroaki Ueda is born. 
1966: Yakult and Seibu pitcher Terry Bross is born. 
1944: Chunichi, Nankai and Hanshin outfielder Ikuo Shimano is born. 
1942: Chunichi infielder Yozaburo Chihara is born. 
1940: Yomiuri infielder Akira Shiobara is born. 
1936: Chunichi pitcher Sotaro Tahara is born. 
1928: Toei and Hankyu outfielder Noboru Tsunemi is born. 
1927: Shochiku infielder Kazufumi Deguchi is born. 
1924: Hanshin catcher Shigeru Tokuami is born. 
1920: Hankyu infielder Jinkichi Itoh is born. 
1908: Hankyu and Tokyu catcher Toshiharu Inokawa is born. 
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2006: It is Opening Day in the Central League and Hiroshima, in new manager Marty Brown's debut, wins 2-0. Yakult beats Hanshin 4-3 in Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta's debut as the team's player-manager and Yomiuri, lead by returning skipper Tatsunori Hara, slams Yokohama 12-2. What is significant about all this is that all three winners finished in the second division in 2005. The last time the three second division teams rebounded to grab their next Opening days was back in 1979. It was also the first time in 29 years that a player-manager had been victorious in Japan as well. 
1982: Chunichi infielder Shigeo Yanagida is born. 
1977: Hanshin pitcher Jamie Brown is born. 
1975: Nippon Ham pitcher Ryan Rupe is born. 
1964: Yomiuri pitcher Balvino Galvez is born. 
1937: Takahashi pitcher Hiroshi Oba is born.