Japan national baseball team
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| Japan national baseball team | |
| Country |  Japan |
|---|---|
| Federation | Baseball Federation of Japan |
| Confederation | Baseball Federation of Asia |
| Manager | Tatsunori Hara |
| World Baseball Classic | |
| Appearances | 2 (First in 2006) |
| Best result | 1st (2006, 2009) |
| Olympics | |
| Appearances | 5 (First in 1992) |
| Best result | 2nd (1996) |
| World Cup | |
| Appearances | 15 (First in 1972) |
| Best result | 2nd (1982) |
| Intercontinental Cup | |
| Appearances | 15 (First in 1973) |
| Best result | 1st (1973, 1997) |
| Olympic medal record | ||
| Men’s Baseball | ||
|---|---|---|
| Silver | 1996 Atlanta | Team |
| Bronze | 1992 Barcelona | Team |
| Bronze | 2004 Athens | Team |
The Japan national baseball team is the national baseball team representing Japan in international competitions. They are one of the more successful baseball teams in the world, having won the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009/ The team is currently ranked 4th in the world according to the International Baseball Federation.[1]
The team has participated in every Summer Olympic Games since the first demonstration tournament in 1984. Until 2000, the team was made up exclusively of amateur players. Since the 2000 Summer Olympics, the team has been comprised of players from Nippon Professional Baseball. The team playing in the 2006 World Baseball Classic included Japanese players from Major League Baseball as well. In the Classic, the team played in Pool A and placed second, advancing to round two. They went on to win the Classic. They played at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, as they had qualified through the Asian Baseball Championship in 2007. Unlike the WBC roster, the Olympic team was exclusively formed by NPB players (but included one amateur player, who was drafted during the tournament's progress).
Like other national teams in Japan, the nickname is usually prefixed with the surname of the manager. However, in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, the team used Samurai, a symbol of Japan's history, instead of Hara, the surname of their manager.
The team will also compete in the 2009 Baseball World Cup.
Contents |
[edit] Uniforms
Home
Away
[edit] Regional Competition
[edit] Asian Baseball Championship
Japan have dominated the Asian Baseball Championship since its inception, and have competed in every year. Japan have never missed out on placing in the top 3 in any tournament.
[edit] Asian Games
In all 4 Asian Games to include baseball, Japan have placed in the top 3 in every tournament.
[edit] International Competition
[edit] World Baseball Classic
[edit] 2006
Japan won the inaugural World Baseball Classic, defeating Cuba in the final. This led to controversy over the regulations of the WBC concerning the fact that Korea had to face Japan three times and that it was Japan that was allowed to go to the finals, when it had four victories and three losses up to that point, two of those losses to Korea, while the Korean team, which had only one loss and had already beaten Japan twice, was eliminated from the finals.
[edit] 2009
Japan also won the 2009 World Baseball Classic, hosting the Pool A games in the Tokyo Dome. Japan started the tournament opener with a 4-0 win over China. Japan then secured advancement into the second round with a 14-2 win in seven innings over rival South Korea. The game was shortened due to the WBC's mercy rule. Japan then played South Korea again to determine seeding for the second round. In the rematch, the Koreans shut out Japan 1-0, making Japan advance as the Pool A runner-up. In Pool 1 of the WBC, the Quarter finals, Japan destroyed Cuba 6-0, but lost to Korea again 4-1. In the elimination match that followed, Japan secured a spot in the Semi finals with a 5-0 win over Cuba. Japan defeated South Korea in the finals 5-3 partly because of an Ichiro Suzuki base hit in the 10th inning.
[edit] Olympic Games
[edit] Baseball World Cup
[edit] Intercontinental Cup
[edit] Placings
- 1984 :
1st (demonstration sport) - 1988 :
2nd (demonstration sport) - 1992 :
3rd - 1996 : 2nd
- 2000 : 4th
- 2004 : 3rd
- 2008 : 4th
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Japan national baseball team |
- ^ "IBAF World Rankings". http://www.ibaf.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Files_-_world_rankings/world_rankings_09.htm. Retrieved on 2009-03-15.
| Preceded by Asashōryū Akinori |
Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize Winner 2006 |
Succeeded by Urawa Red Diamonds |
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National sports teams of Japan
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