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Japanese baseball legend Nagashima dies at 89

File photo taken Nov. 1, 1994, shows Yomiuri Giants manager Shigeo Nagashima (R) and Orix BlueWave outfielder Ichiro Suzuki attending a Matsutaro Shoriki award ceremony. Nagashima, who was a key player on the Giants team that won nine consecutive Central League and Japan Series titles from 1965 to 1973 and later managed the club, died on June 3, 2025, aged 89.

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Baseball: Ichiro Suzuki hits 200th of season

Orix BlueWave outfielder Ichiro Suzuki celebrates after picking up his 200th hit of the season at Green Stadium Kobe in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on Sept. 20, 1994. Ichiro set a Japanese single-season record with 210 hits in the 1994 season, becoming the first player ever to reach the 200 mark in a single season.

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Baseball: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Seibu Lions pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka faces off Orix BlueWave's Ichiro Suzuki in 1999.

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AFC Futsal Club Championship

NAGOYA, Japan - Players of Thailand's Chonburi Bluewave celebrate after winning the AFC Futsal Club Championship in Nagoya, central Japan, on Sept. 2, 2013.

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AFC Futsal Club Championship

NAGOYA, Japan - Players of Thailand's Chonburi Bluewave celebrate after winning the AFC Futsal Club Championship in Nagoya, central Japan, on Sept. 2, 2013.

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Former baseball player Shozo Doi dies at 67

TOKYO, Japan - This file photo taken in December 1991 shows Orix BlueWave manager Shozo Doi (R, front) at a news conference to introduce Ichiro Suzuki (L, in back) and So Taguchi (L, front), who are now major leaguers, and the team's other rookies at a hotel in Kobe. Doi's family said Sept. 25, 2009, that he had died aged 67. A member of the Yomiuri Giants team that won nine consecutive Japan Series titles from 1965-73, Doi underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer in March 2007.

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Pro baseball season begins with PL games

TOKOROZAWA, Japan - Turin Olympic figure skating gold medalist Shizuka Arakawa is about to throw the first ball at the start of a game between the Seibu Lions and the Orix BlueWave at Invoice Seibu Dome on March 25. Japan's 2006 pro baseball season began with three Pacific League games.

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Pro baseball season begins with PL games

TOKOROZAWA, Japan - Turin Olympic figure skating gold medalist Shizuka Arakawa waves at fans after her ceremonial first pitch at the start of a game between the Seibu Lions and the Orix BlueWave at Invoice Seibu Dome on March 25. Japan's 2006 pro baseball season began with three Pacific League games.

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Yakult outfielder Aoki joins Ichiro in 200-hit club

TOKYO, Japan - Yakult Swallows outfielder Norichika Aoki responds to fans after hitting a leadoff single to right in the first inning of the tream's 5-0 win over the Yokohama BayStars on Oct. 11, making him the second player in Japanese baseball history to reach 200 hits in a single season. Aoki, who went 2-for-4 with a walk on the night, became the first player in the Central League and the second overall to reach the milestone after Ichiro Suzuki collected 210 hits in 1994, when he was with the Pacific League's Orix BlueWave.

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(1)Ichiro visits Orix camp, takes batting practice

HIRARA, Japan - Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki (L) chats with Akira Ogi (R), his mentor and manager of the Orix Buffaloes, a new team created through the merger of the Orix BlueWave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, on the Okinawa Prefecture island of Miyako on Feb. 6. Ichiro returned to his old spring training stomping grounds for the first time in five years since leaving the Orix BlueWave for a career in the major leagues.

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(2)Ichiro visits Orix camp, takes batting practice

HIRARA, Japan - Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki (front) practices batting on the island of Miyako, Okinawa Prefecture, on Feb. 6 as a number of fans look on. Ichiro returned to his old spring training stomping grounds for the first time in five years since leaving the Orix BlueWave for a career in the major leagues.

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Fujiidera Stadium quietly shut down after 77 years

OSAKA, Japan - Fujiidera Stadium, which had been used as the Kintetsu Buffaloes' home stadium for nearly half a century, was shut down on Jan. 31. With the team's merger with the Orix BlueWave, there was no team to use it since the controlling stake went to the new team -- the Orix Buffaloes.

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Ichiro takes part in open training session

OSAKA, Japan - Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki takes part in an open training session at the Orix BlueWave's indoor facility in Kobe on Jan. 19. Suzuki, the 31-year-old former BlueWave star, enjoys his batting practice.

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(2)Ichiro sings praises of Ogi's Hall of Fame induction

OSAKA, Japan - Orix Buffaloes player Yoshitomo Tani (2nd from L) and wife Ryoko (L), a six-time world champion judoka, offer congratulations to former Orix BlueWave manager Akira Ogi at the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony held for the 69-year-old newly appointed manager of the Orix Buffaloes at an Osaka hotel on Dec. 7.

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(1)Ichiro sings praises of Ogi's Hall of Fame induction

OSAKA, Japan - Seattle Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki (L) poses with former Orix BlueWave manager Akira Ogi at the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony held for the 69-year-old newly appointed manager of the Orix Buffaloes at an Osaka hotel on Dec. 7. ''This is the one and only man I can call my mentor. I would not be here if it weren't for manager Ogi,'' said Suzuki, who won seven straight Pacific League batting titles from 1994 while playing for the BlueWave. (MLB)

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Steady progress seen in 'Independent League' plans

MATSUYAMA, Japan - Hiromichi Ishige, former Orix BlueWave manager and now president of Tokyo-based company IBLJ, speaks of his plans to establish a new baseball league in the four prefectures on Shikoku at a press conference in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, on Dec. 1. He said the plans are making steady progress as advisers and coaching staff have been shortlisted and more than 900 players have applied for tryouts.

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Ogi keen on helping 'Orix Buffaloes' build history

OSAKA, Japan - Akira Ogi, who has been named manager of the new team created by the merger between the Orix BlueWave and Kintetsu Buffaloes, smiles at a press conference at an Osaka hotel on Oct. 12. Ogi said he will help build the foundation and history of the ''Orix Buffaloes.''

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Ogi to skipper Orix Buffaloes in 2005 season

KOBE, Japan - Akira Ogi (in file photo), former manager of the Orix BlueWave and Kintetsu Buffaloes, will serve as the manager of the new team to be created after the Orix-Kintetsu merger in the off-season, Orix officials said on Sept. 30.

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Plans to form new baseball league set to be revealed

TOKUSHIMA, Japan - Former Orix BlueWave manager Hiromichi Ishige speaks about a plan to establish a new baseball league in the four prefectures of Shikoku Island at the Tokushima prefectural government in Tokushima on Sept. 29 after talks with Tokushima Gov. Kamon Iizumi.

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(1)Players' strike averted for this weekend

OSAKA, Japan - Baseball club managers and players meet at Osaka International Convention Center in Osaka's Kita Ward on Sept. 10 to discuss a merger between the Orix BlueWave and Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes and planned walkouts by players. The Japan Professional Baseball Players Association decided to avert a strike set for Sept. 11 and 12 having planned to go on strike every weekend in September.

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Baseball management, players hold crucial talks

OSAKA, Japan - Japan's professional baseball management (L) and representatives of the players association hold talks Sept. 9 over the planned merger between the Orix BlueWave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes. The talks ended inconclusively and will resume Sept. 10. The owners of the 12 ballclubs have approved the merger, while the players association has threatened to walk on all games scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays in September unless the merger is shelved for one year.

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(5)Owners keep 2 leagues, OK Orix-Kintetsu merger

OSAKA, Japan - Japan's professional baseball players association head Atsushi Furuta is surrounded by reporters Sept. 8 at Koshien Stadium after the owners of the 12 professional ball clubs approved the merger between the Orix BlueWave and Kintetsu Buffaloes and decided to keep the two-league system.

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(4)Owners keep 2 leagues, OK Orix-Kintetsu merger

OSAKA, Japan - Orix BlueWave fans carry banners opposing the merger of the BluWave and Kintetsu Buffaloes at Yahoo BB Stadium in Kobe on Sept. 8. The owners of Japan's 12 professional baseball clubs approved the merger and decided to keep the two-league system the same day.

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(2)Owners keep 2 leagues, OK Orix-Kintetsu merger

OSAKA, Japan - Kintetsu Buffaloes players association president Koichi Isobe answers reporters' questions Sept. 8 at Osaka Dome after the owners of Japan's 12 professional ballclubs approved the merger between the Orix BlueWave and Buffaloes and decided to keep the two-league system at an extraordinary meeting.

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(1)Owners keep 2 leagues, OK Orix-Kintetsu merger

TOKYO, Japan - The owners of the 12 professional ball clubs hold an extraordinary meeting in Tokyo on Sept. 8. They approved the merger between the Orix BlueWave and Kintetsu Buffaloes and decided to keep the two-league system.

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(2)Players strike looms as merger nears reality

TOKYO, Japan - Hajime Toyokura, chairman of the professional baseball Central League, speaks to reporters at a hotel in Tokyo on Sept. 6 after a meeting of representatives of the 12 baseball clubs in Japan's two professional leagues. A merger plan by the Orix BlueWave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, both in the Pacific League, was approved at the meeting.

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(1)Players strike looms as merger nears reality

TOKYO, Japan - Atsuya Furuta, a catcher for the Central League baseball club Yakult Swallows who serves as head of the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association, speaks to reporters at a hotel in Kobe on Sept. 6 about a plan for players to go on strike over the planned merger between two Pacific League clubs -- the Orix BlueWave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes.

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Furuta speaks at FCCJ, ass'n to continue the fight

TOKYO, Japan - Professional baseball players' association president Atsuya Furuta responds to questions Sept. 2 at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan. He said the association will continue its fight against the merger of the Kintetsu Buffloes and Orix BlueWave and switching to one league from the current two-league format.

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Orix, Kintetsu sign merger agreement

OSAKA, Japan - Orix BlueWave President Takashi Koizumi speaks to reporters after signing a basic merger agreement with Kintetsu Buffaloes President Tetsuya Kobayashi in Kobe on Aug. 10. The merger agreement between the two Pacific League clubs came amid fierce opposition from players and fans.

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(2)Lawmakers form groups to oppose one-league pro baseball

TOKYO, Japan - Lawmakers of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party hold an inaugural session of their group aimed to oppose a one-league professional baseball system prompted by the planned merger between the Orix BlueWave and Kintetsu Buffaloes in the Pacific League.

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(1)Lawmakers form groups to oppose one-league pro baseball

TOKYO, Japan - Lawmakers of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan hold a meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 4 to oppose a one-league professional baseball system prompted by the planned merger between the Orix BlueWave and Kintetsu Buffaloes in the Pacific League.

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Yomiuri players launch signature drive against merger

TOKYO, Japan - Members of the Yomiuri Giants players association, led by association president and Giant outfielder Yoshinobu Takahashi (L), conducted a signature drive July 29 at Tokyo Dome to oppose a move to a one-league format for Japanese baseball and a planned merger between the Orix BlueWave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes of the Pacific League.

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Baseball players suggest walkout as last resort against merger

NAGOYA, Japan - Members of the Japanese baseball players association, a labor union, attend an extraordinary meeting in Nagoya on July 10, reaffirming their opposition to the planned merger between the Orix BlueWave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes with a resolution calling for a possible walkout as the last resort.

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(3)Another merger between PL baseball clubs in works

TOKYO, Japan - (From L to R) Kintetsu Buffaloes owner Kazu Tashiro, Yomiuri Giants owner Tsuneo Watanabe and Japanese baseball commissioner Yasuchika Negoro meet reporters at a Tokyo hotel July 7 after a meeting of owners of the 12 Japanese professional baseball clubs. It was disclosed the same day that a merger between Pacific League professional baseball clubs is in the works in addition to the ongoing merger talks between the Orix BlueWave and Kintetsu Buffaloes.

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(2)Another merger between PL baseball clubs in works

TOKYO, Japan - Seibu Lions owner Yoshiaki Tsutsumi tells reporters in Tokyo on July 7 that a merger between Pacific League professional baseball clubs is in the works in addition to the ongoing merger talks between the Orix BlueWave and Kintetsu Buffaloes.

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(1)Another merger between PL baseball clubs in works

TOKYO, Japan - Owners of the 12 Japanese professional baseball clubs meet in Tokyo on July 7. It was disclosed that a merger between Pacific League professional baseball clubs is in the works in addition to the ongoing merger talks between the Orix BlueWave and Kintetsu Buffaloes.

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17,800 Orix fans say no to Osaka move after merger

KOBE, Japan - Taichiro Nozawa (L), leader of a support group for baseball's Pacific League club Orix BlueWave, hands to Orix President Takashi Koizumi in Kobe on June 29 a petition signed by 17,800 fans who are in favor of maintaining the club's base in Kobe after the probable merger with the Kintetsu Buffaloes next season.

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Kintetsu, Orix agreed on merger in May

OSAKA, Japan - Masanori Yamaguchi (foreground), president of Kinki Nippon Railway Co. which owns the rights to the Kintetsu Buffaloes, and Tetsuya Kobayashi, president of the Pacific League baseball club, speak at a press conference at a hotel in Osaka on June 13 about a merger between the Buffaloes and the Orix BlueWave, another baseball club in the Pacific League.

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(1)Ichiro gets 2,000th career hit

SEATTLE, United States - Seattle Mariners leadoff batter Ichiro Suzuki hits a single, his 2,000th in his career in Japan and the United States, to center off Detroit Tigers starter Nate Robertson in the fifth inning of a game at Safeco Field in Seattle on May 21. Suzuki marked the record in his career 1,465th game since he joined the Orix BlueWave of Japan in 1992 and left Japan after producing 1,278 hits. (MLB)

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(2)Pacific league baseball tourney opens

FUKUOKA, Japan - Defending Pacific League baseball champion Daiei Hawks fans cheer as the team battles the Orix BlueWave in a season opening game at Fukuoka Dome on March 27. The Hawks beat the BlueWave 4-3.

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(1)Pacific League baseball tourney opens

FUKUOKA, Japan - Members of the defending Pacific League baseball champion Daiei Hawks celebrate a 4-3 victory over the Orix BlueWave in a Pacific League season opening game at Fukuoka Dome on March 27.

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Tani receives 6th honorary sports award

FUKUOKA, Japan - Ryoko Tani (R), who captured her sixth consecutive title in the 48-kilogram weight division at the World Championships last September, receives a Fukuoka City honorary sports award from Fukuoka Mayor Hirotaro Yamazaki at the city office on March 10. Tani, formerly known as Ryoko Tamura before her marriage to Orix BlueWave outfielder Yoshitomo Tani, received the accolade for a record sixth time.

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Japanese women's judo team begins training

HONOLULU, United States - Ryoko Tani (C) begins training with other Japan judo team members in Honolulu on Jan. 6. The Sydney Olympics 48-kilogram judo gold medalist changed her last name from Tamura after marrying Orix BlueWave outfielder Yoshitomo Tani last December.

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Tamura, Tani hold wedding party in Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan - Sydney Olympic 48-kilogram judo gold medalist Ryoko Tamura (R) and Orix BlueWave outfielder Yoshitomo Tani speak to reporters at a hotel in Tokyo on Dec. 20 before their wedding party there. Tamura and Tani held a wedding ceremony at an American church in Paris on Dec. 11.

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Tani gets big salary boost from Orix BlueWave

KOBE, Japan - Newly wed Yoshitomo Tani is all smiles at a news conference after getting a 70 million yen salary boost in re-signing with the Orix BlueWave for an eighth season. Tani, who recently got married to six-time world champion judoka Ryoko Tamura in Paris, will be making a maximum 310 million yen in 2004

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Tamura, Tani return to Japan after wedding events

OSAKA, Japan - Sydney Olympics 48-kilogram judo gold medalist Ryoko Tamura (R) and Orix BlueWave outfielder Yoshitomo Tani show their wedding rings on arriving at Kansai international airport on Dec. 15 after their wedding ceremony in Paris and honeymoon.

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Tamura, Tani hold wedding ceremony in Paris

PARIS, France - Sydney Olympics 48-kilogram judo gold medalist Ryoko Tamura (R) and Orix BlueWave outfielder Yoshitomo Tani hold a wedding ceremony at an American church in Paris on Dec. 11. Only family members and relatives attended the ceremony. (Pool photo)

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Tani, Tamura leave for Paris

OSAKA, Japan - Sydney Olympic gold medalist Ryoko Tamura and Orix BlueWave outfielder Yoshitomo Tani leave Kansai International Airport on Dec. 3 for Paris, where they will hold a wedding ceremony on Dec. 11. They filed for their marriage license at the Nishinomiya City Office in Hyogo Prefecture on Dec. 1.

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Tamura, Tani file for marriage license

NISHINOMIYA, Japan - Sydney Olympic judo gold medalist Ryoko Tamura (R) and Orix BlueWave outfielder Yoshitomo Tani (L) smile after filing for their marriage license on Dec. 1 at the Nishinomiya City Office in Hyogo Prefecture. The couple will hold a wedding ceremony with only family members in attendance in Paris on Dec. 11, and will honeymoon in Italy and other spots in Europe. They will have a large wedding reception in Tokyo on Dec. 20.

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Ex-Seibu manager Ihara appointed skipper for Orix

TOKYO, Japan - Haruki Ihara (file photo), who recently stepped down as manager of the Seibu Lions, accepted a position as the new skipper of the Orix BlueWave on Oct. 7. Ihara will sign a contract with the Pacific League club after the completion of the regular season.