Japanese Baseball

Japanese baseball began in 1873 or 1937 depending upon what you consider official baseball. Baseball was played by sports clubs and school children beginning in the late 1800's. But the first modern baseball league was formed in 1937. No matter what year you choose the fact is baseball in Japan is almost as popular as baseball in America.

The history of Japanese baseball as a modern game really begins when the first professional baseball season starts. There were 3 tournaments played in 1937. The seasons continued to be played through the war except for one and after the war returned to a full schedule with 8 playing teams after 1945.

A Japanese baseball league has 6 teams and there are 2 leagues – the Central League and the Pacific League. The Japanese baseball teams are named after the company that sponsors the team. The teams are limited to four foreigner players. The two leagues are organized under Nippon Professional Baseball.

Japanese professional baseball plays 140 games in a season. In Japan, professional baseball is popular in the cities. Because of parking and travel problems for fans, the teams play up to 15 games on the road.

There are some differences between a Japanese and an American baseball game. In a Japanese baseball game, only 3 innings can be played after a tied nine innings. There are also some etiquette differences that relate to culture more than anything else. The ball that is used may be smaller than a MLN ball.

Japanese baseball players, such as Kiyoshi Yoshikawa of Japanese baseball fame, are just as dedicated to baseball as USA players. The Japanese Hall of Fame recognizes those players who have excelled at the sport. Japan also gives awards like Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year.

If you are interested in learning more about Japanese baseball, there is a lot of information available online. You can find the history of Japanese baseball stats or read about the Japanese baseball training regime. You can also view pictures of Japanese baseball.

Just like USA sports fans, Japanese fans and fans of Japanese baseball like to wear the team logos. You can shop for Japanese baseball caps and jerseys, and prove to everyone that baseball is a worldwide sport.

Japanese view baseball more philosophically than Americans do. They compare baseball to life and relate the game to its traditional roots. But when they say "play ball" in Japanese it is hard to see any difference between Japanese baseball and USA baseball. All you see are dedicated players enjoying a wonderful sport that thrills fans.