Hanshin Tigers

Japanese baseball team

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Hanshin Tigers

阪神タイガース
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Team logo | Cap insignia
Information
League| Nippon Professional Baseball

Central League (1950–present)
Japanese Baseball League (1936–1949)
Location| HQ in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan
Ballpark| Hanshin Koshien Stadium (1936–present)
Kyocera Dome Osaka (interim)
Founded| December 10, 1935; 89 years ago (1935-12-10)
Nickname(s)|

* Tora (トラ, tigers)
* Mōko (猛虎, fierce tigers)

Japan Series championships| 2 (1985, 2023)
JBL championships| 4 (1937 Fall, 1938 Spring, 1944, 1947)
CL pennants| 6 (1962, 1964, 1985, 2003, 2005, 2023)
Playoff berths| 12 (2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Former name(s)|

* Osaka Tigers (1946–1960)
* Hanshin Club (1940–1944)
* Osaka Tigers (1935–1940)

Colors| Yellow, Black, White

Mascot| To-Lucky, Lucky, and Kita
Retired numbers|

* 10
* 11
* 23

Ownership| Takaoki Fujiwara
Management| Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
Manager| Kyuji Fujikawa
Current uniforms

The Hanshin Tigers (阪神タイガース, Hanshin Taigāsu) are a Nippon Professional Baseball team playing in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, next to their main stadium, Hanshin Koshien Stadium.

The Tigers are owned by Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc.

The Hanshin Tigers are one of the oldest professional clubs in Japan. They played their first season in 1936 as the Osaka Tigers and assumed their current team name in 1961.

## History

[edit]

Kōshien Stadium in 2009

The Hanshin Tigers, the second-oldest professional club in Japan, were founded on December 10, 1935, with the team being formed in 1936.[1] The team was first called Ōsaka Tigers. In 1940, amid anti-foreign sentiment and the Tojo government's ban on English nicknames, the Tigers changed the name to simply Hanshin. In 1947, the team reverted to Ōsaka Tigers after the JPBL permitted use of English nicknames. The current team name was assumed in 1961 due to the team playing in the suburb of Nishinomiya, which is not in Osaka Prefecture.

The Tigers won four titles before the establishment of the two-league system in 1950. Since the league was split into the Central League and Pacific League, the Tigers have won the Central League pennant six times (1962, 1964, 1985, 2003, 2005, 2023) and Japan Series twice (1985, 2023).

When the 2004 Major League Baseball season began in Japan, the Tigers played an exhibition game against the New York Yankees at the Tokyo Dome on March 29. The Tigers won 11–7.[2]

The 2025 Major League Baseball season kicked off with two games at the Tokyo Dome between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs. Prior to the series, the Tigers played exhibition games against each of these major league clubs, winning both on consecutive shutouts.

In 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009, more than three million people attended games hosted by the Tigers, the only one of the 12 Nippon Professional Baseball teams to achieve this. In 2011, the Hanshin Tigers drew an average home attendance of 40,256.[3]

The home field, Koshien Stadium, is used by high school baseball teams from all over Japan for the national championship tournaments in spring and summer. The summer tournament takes place in the middle of the Tigers' season, forcing the Tigers to go on a road trip and play their home games at Kyocera Dome Osaka. Fans call this "The Road of Death".

Famous players in Hanshin Tigers history include Fumio Fujimura, Masaru Kageura, Minoru Murayama, Yutaka Enatsu, Masayuki Kakefu, Randy Bass, Taira Fujita, and many others.

## Koshien Stadium

[edit]

The home field of the Tigers, Hanshin Koshien Stadium, is one of three major natural grass baseball stadiums in Japan. The others are the Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima (Hiroshima Toyo Carp), and Hotto Motto Field Kobe (part-time home of the Orix Buffaloes). Of the three, only Koshien has an all-dirt infield (the other two have an American-style infield). There are numerous smaller grass field ballparks around the country; Japanese baseball teams frequently play games in small cities.[citation needed]

Koshien Stadium is the oldest ballpark in Japan; built in 1924, the stadium was once visited by American baseball legend Babe Ruth on a tour of Major League stars in 1934.[4] There is a monument commemorating this visit within the stadium grounds, in an area called Mizuno Square.

Koshien is revered as a "sacred" ballpark, and players traditionally bow before entering and before leaving its hallowed field. The stadium hosts the annual Japanese High School Baseball Championship in the summer and Japanese High School Baseball Invitational Tournament in the spring. The losing team in any high school baseball game played at the ballpark is allowed to scoop up handfuls of Koshien infield dirt, stuffing holy soil into their cleat bags as hordes of Japanese media snap photos at arm's length.

## Curse of the Colonel

[edit]

Main article: Curse of the Colonel

As with many other underachieving baseball teams, a curse was believed to lurk over the Tigers.[5] In 1985, when the Tigers had just clinched the Central League pennant, fans celebrated by having people who looked like Tigers players jump into the Dōtonbori Canal. According to legend, because none of the fans resembled first baseman Randy Bass, fans grabbed a life-sized statue of the KFC mascot, Colonel Sanders, and threw it into the river (like Bass, the Colonel had a beard and was not Japanese). After this the Tigers managed to defeat the Seibu Lions in the 1985 Japan Series four games to three. After many seasons after the incident without a pennant win, the Tigers were said to be doomed never to win the season again until the Colonel was rescued from the river.

In 2003, when the Tigers returned to the Japan Series after 18 years with the best record in the Central League, many KFC outlets in Kōbe and Ōsaka moved their Colonel Sanders statues inside until the series was over to protect the statues from Tigers fans.

In 2005, like 2003, they clinched the pennant and made it back to the Japan Series, but lost to Bobby Valentine's Chiba Lotte Marines. They were outscored 33–4 in four games.[6]

The top half of the Colonel Sanders statue (excluding both hands) was finally recovered on March 10, 2009, and the bottom half and right hand shortly after, in the canal by construction workers while constructing a new boardwalk area as part of a beautification project. The statue is still missing its left hand and glasses. The KFC outlet where this statue once stood has since closed; the statue is now at the KFC headquarters in Yokohama. It is not viewable by the public. Since then, the Hanshin Tigers made the 2014 Japan Series, but lost to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in 5 games. The curse was finally broken, after the Hanshin Tigers managed to defeat the rival Orix Buffaloes in the 2023 Japan Series four games to three.

## Fandom

[edit]

Tigers fans at a home game at Koshien Stadium Tigers fans release balloons at the Kyocera Dome, the home stadium of the Orix Buffaloes

Tigers fans are known as perhaps the most fanatical and dedicated fans in all of Japanese professional baseball. They often outnumber the home team fans at Tigers "away" games. Tigers fans also once had a reputation for rough behavior and a willingness to brawl with other fans or with each other, although fights are rare these days.[7]

A famous Tigers fan tradition (done by other teams of NPB as well) is the release, by the fans, of hundreds of air-filled balloons immediately following the seventh-inning stretch and the singing of the Tigers' fight song. This tradition is carried out at all home and away games, except at games against the Yomiuri Giants in the Tokyo Dome due to the Giants' notoriously authoritarian and heavy-handed rules for controlling behavior by visiting fans.

The Tigers-Giants rivalry is considered the national Japanese rivalry, on par with the Dodgers-Giants and Yankees-Red Sox rivalries in Major League Baseball or El Clásico in Spanish football. The two teams have historically had a relatively close record of games with the Giants taking 1127 wins over the Tigers whereas the Tigers have taken 888 games over the Giants. 77 of the total games between the two have ended in tie.[8]

### Fight song

[edit]

"The Hanshin Tigers' Song (阪神タイガースの歌, Hanshin Tigers no Uta)", as known as "Rokko Oroshi (六甲颪, 六甲おろし; lit. The (Downward) Wind of Mount Rokko)", lyrics by Sonosuke Sato (佐藤 惣之助) and composed by Yuji Koseki (古関 裕而), is a popular song in the Kansai area. It is the official fight song of the Tigers. In Japan, wind which blows down from a mountain is known to be cold and harsh, hence the song symbolizes the Tiger's brave challenge under hardship. The song can be found on karaoke boxes.

Japanese | Romaji | English

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六甲颪（ろっこうおろし）に颯爽（さっそう）と
蒼天（そうてん）翔（か）ける日輪（にちりん）の
青春の覇気 美（うるわ）しく
輝く我が名ぞ 阪神タイガース
オウ オウ オウオウ 阪神タイガース
フレフレフレフレ

闘志（とうし）溌剌（はつらつ）起（た）つや今
熱血 既（すで）に敵を衝（つ）く
獣王の意気高らかに
無敵の我等ぞ 阪神タイガース
オウ オウ オウオウ 阪神タイガース
フレフレフレフレ

鉄腕強打幾千（いくち）度（た）び
鍛えてここに 甲子園
勝利に燃ゆる栄冠は
輝く我等ぞ 阪神タイガース
オウ オウ オウオウ 阪神タイガース
フレフレフレフレ

Rokkō oroshi ni sassō to
Sōten kakeru nichirin no
Seishun no haki uruwashiku
Kagayaku wagana zo Hanshin Tigers
Ō-ō-ō-ō Hanshin Tigers
Fure-fure-fure-fure

Tōshi hatsuratsu tatsu ya ima
Nekketsu sude ni teki o tsuku
Jūō no iki takaraka ni
Muteki no warera zo Hanshin Tigers
Ō-ō-ō-ō Hanshin Tigers
Fure-fure-fure-fure

Tetsuwan kyōda ikuchitabi
Kitaete koko ni Kōshien
Shōri ni moyuru eikan wa
Kagayaku warera zo Hanshin Tigers
Ō-ō-ō-ō Hanshin Tigers
Fure-fure-fure-fure

an official English version, not a direct translation

Dashing swiftly through the wind blowin' from Rokko
Like the big sun soaring in the clear blue sky
Mighty spirit of the youth shows the victor's grace
The name that shines in glory "Hanshin Tigers"
Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Hanshin Tigers
Go, Go, Go, Go!

Powerful hits and skillful pitch achieved a thousand times
Trained with every discipline here at Koshien
Crowned with constant victory glorious, matchless feat
Always proud, invincible "Hanshin Tigers"
Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Hanshin Tigers
Go, Go, Go, Go!

## Regular season records

[edit]

Osaka Tigers (Japanese Baseball League)

Year | Manager | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. | GB | Place
1936 – Spring/Summer Season | Shigeo Mori | 15 | 9 | 6 | 0 | .600 | N/A | (1 tournament won)
1936 – Fall Season | Shuichi Ishimoto | 31 | 24 | 6 | 1 | .774 | N/A | Runners-up (2.5 tournaments won)
1937 – Spring Season | Shuichi Ishimoto | 56 | 41 | 14 | 1 | .741 | 0.5 | 2nd (out of 8)
1937 – Fall Season | Shuichi Ishimoto | 49 | 39 | 9 | 1 | .806 | -.- | 1st (out of 8)
1938 – Spring Season | Shuichi Ishimoto | 35 | 29 | 6 | 0 | .829 | -.- | 1st (out of 8)
1938 – Fall Season | Shuichi Ishimoto | 40 | 27 | 13 | 0 | .675 | 3.5 | 2nd (out of 9)
1939 | Shuichi Ishimoto | 96 | 63 | 30 | 3 | .672 | 3.5 | 2nd (out of 9)
Hanshin (Japanese Baseball League)
Year | Manager | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. | GB | Place
1940 | Kenjiro Matsuki | 104 | 64 | 37 | 3 | .630 | 10.5 | 2nd (out of 9)
1941 | Kenjiro Matsuki | 84 | 41 | 43 | 0 | .488 | 21.0 | 5th (out of 8)
1942 | Tadashi Wakabayashi | 105 | 52 | 48 | 5 | .519 | 21.0 | 3rd (out of 8)
1943 | Tadashi Wakabayashi | 84 | 41 | 36 | 7 | .530 | 11.0 | 3rd (out of 8)
1944 | Tadashi Wakabayashi | 35 | 27 | 6 | 2 | .800 | -.- | 1st (out of 6)
1946 | Fumio Fujimura | 105 | 59 | 46 | 0 | .562 | 7.0 | 3rd (out of 8)
Osaka Tigers (Japanese Baseball League)
Year | Manager | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. | GB | Place
1947 | Tadashi Wakabayashi | 119 | 79 | 37 | 3 | .676 | -.- | 1st (out of 8)
1948 | Tadashi Wakabayashi | 140 | 70 | 66 | 4 | .514 | 17.0 | 3rd (out of 8)
1949 | Tadashi Wakabayashi | 137 | 65 | 69 | 3 | .485 | 20.5 | 6th (out of 8)
Osaka Tigers
Year | Manager | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. | GB | Place
1950 | Kenjiro Matsuki | 140 | 70 | 67 | 3 | .511 | 30.0 | 4th
1951 | Kenjiro Matsuki | 116 | 61 | 52 | 3 | .539 | 20.5 | 3rd
1952 | Kenjiro Matsuki | 120 | 79 | 40 | 1 | .663 | 3.5 | 2nd
1953 | Kenjiro Matsuki | 130 | 74 | 56 | 0 | .569 | 16.0 | 2nd
1954 | Kenjiro Matsuki | 130 | 71 | 57 | 2 | .554 | 16.0 | 3rd
1955 | Ichiro Kishi (Interim: Fumio Fujimura) | 130 | 71 | 57 | 2 | .554 | 20.5 | 3rd
1956 | Fumio Fujimura | 130 | 79 | 50 | 1 | .612 | 4.5 | 2nd
1957 | Fumio Fujimura | 130 | 73 | 54 | 3 | .573 | 1.0 | 2nd
1958 | Yoshio Tanaka | 130 | 72 | 58 | 0 | .554 | 5.5 | 2nd
1959 | Yoshio Tanaka | 130 | 62 | 59 | 9 | .512 | 13.0 | 2nd
1960 | Masayasu Kaneda | 130 | 64 | 62 | 4 | .508 | 6.0 | 3rd
Hanshin Tigers
Year | Manager | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | Pct. | GB | Place
1961 | Masayasu Kaneda (Interim: Sadayoshi Fujimoto) | 130 | 60 | 67 | 3 | .473 | 12.5 | 4th
1962 | Sadayoshi Fujimoto | 133 | 75 | 55 | 3 | .575 | -.- | 1st
1963 | Sadayoshi Fujimoto | 140 | 69 | 70 | 1 | .496 | 14.5 | 3rd
1964 | Sadayoshi Fujimoto | 140 | 80 | 56 | 4 | .586 | -.- | 1st
1965 | Sadayoshi Fujimoto | 140 | 71 | 66 | 3 | .518 | 19.5 | 3rd
1966 | Shigeru Sugishita (Interim: Sadayoshi Fujimoto) | 135 | 64 | 66 | 5 | .493 | 25.0 | 3rd
1967 | Sadayoshi Fujimoto | 136 | 70 | 60 | 6 | .537 | 14.0 | 3rd
1968 | Sadayoshi Fujimoto | 133 | 72 | 58 | 3 | .553 | 5.0 | 2nd
1969 | Tsuguo Goto | 130 | 68 | 59 | 3 | .535 | 6.5 | 2nd
1970 | Minoru Murayama | 130 | 77 | 49 | 4 | .608 | 2.0 | 2nd
1971 | Minoru Murayama | 130 | 57 | 64 | 9 | .473 | 12.5 | 5th
1972 | Minoru Murayama (Interim: Masayasu Kaneda) | 130 | 71 | 56 | 3 | .558 | 3.5 | 2nd
1973 | Masayasu Kaneda | 130 | 64 | 59 | 7 | .519 | 0.5 | 2nd
1974 | Masayasu Kaneda | 130 | 57 | 64 | 9 | .473 | 14.0 | 4th
1975 | Yoshio Yoshida | 130 | 68 | 55 | 7 | .550 | 6.0 | 3rd
1976 | Yoshio Yoshida | 130 | 72 | 45 | 13 | .604 | 2.0 | 2nd
1977 | Yoshio Yoshida | 130 | 55 | 63 | 12 | .469 | 21.0 | 4th
1978 | Tsuguo Goto | 130 | 41 | 80 | 9 | .350 | 30.5 | 6th (last)
1979 | Don Blasingame | 130 | 61 | 60 | 9 | .504 | 8.0 | 4th
1980 | Don Blasingame (Interim: Futoshi Nakanishi) | 130 | 54 | 66 | 10 | .454 | 20.5 | 5th
1981 | Futoshi Nakanishi | 130 | 67 | 58 | 5 | .535 | 8.0 | 3rd
1982 | Motoo Andoh (Interim: Takao Sato) | 130 | 65 | 57 | 8 | .531 | 4.5 | 3rd
1983 | Motoo Andoh | 130 | 62 | 63 | 5 | .496 | 11.5 | 4th
1984 | Motoo Andoh | 130 | 53 | 69 | 8 | .438 | 23.0 | 4th
1985 | Yoshio Yoshida | 130 | 74 | 49 | 7 | .596 | -.- | 1st – Won Japan Series
1986 | Yoshio Yoshida | 130 | 60 | 60 | 10 | .500 | 13.5 | 3rd
1987 | Yoshio Yoshida | 130 | 41 | 83 | 6 | .338 | 37.5 | 6th (last)
1988 | Minoru Murayama | 130 | 51 | 77 | 2 | .400 | 29.5 | 6th (last)
1989 | Minoru Murayama | 130 | 54 | 75 | 1 | .419 | 30.5 | 5th
1990 | Katsuhiro Nakamura | 130 | 52 | 78 | 0 | .400 | 36.0 | 6th (last)
1991 | Katsuhiro Nakamura | 130 | 48 | 82 | 0 | .369 | 26.0 | 6th (last)
1992 | Katsuhiro Nakamura | 132 | 67 | 63 | 2 | .515 | 2.0 | 2nd/3rd (tied)
1993 | Katsuhiro Nakamura | 132 | 63 | 67 | 2 | .485 | 17.0 | 4th
1994 | Katsuhiro Nakamura | 130 | 62 | 68 | 0 | .477 | 8.0 | 4th/5th (tied)
1995 | Katsuhiro Nakamura (Interim: Taira Fujita) | 130 | 46 | 84 | 0 | .354 | 36.0 | 6th (last)
1996 | Taira Fujita (Interim: Takeshi Shibata) | 130 | 54 | 76 | 0 | .415 | 23.0 | 6th (last)
1997 | Yoshio Yoshida | 136 | 62 | 73 | 1 | .460 | 21.0 | 5th
1998 | Yoshio Yoshida | 135 | 52 | 83 | 0 | .385 | 27.0 | 6th (last)
1999 | Katsuya Nomura | 135 | 55 | 80 | 0 | .407 | 26.0 | 6th (last)
2000 | Katsuya Nomura | 136 | 57 | 78 | 1 | .423 | 21.0 | 6th (last)
2001 | Katsuya Nomura | 140 | 57 | 80 | 3 | .418 | 20.5 | 6th (last)
2002 | Senichi Hoshino | 140 | 66 | 70 | 4 | .486 | 19.0 | 4th
2003 | Senichi Hoshino | 140 | 87 | 51 | 2 | .629 | -.- | 1st
2004 | Akinobu Okada | 138 | 66 | 70 | 2 | .485 | 13.0 | 4th
2005 | Akinobu Okada | 146 | 87 | 54 | 5 | .617 | -.- | 1st
2006 | Akinobu Okada | 146 | 84 | 58 | 4 | .592 | 3.5 | 2nd
2007 | Akinobu Okada | 144 | 74 | 66 | 4 | .529 | 4.5 | 3rd
2008 | Akinobu Okada | 144 | 82 | 59 | 3 | .582 | 2.0 | 2nd
2009 | Akinobu Mayumi | 144 | 67 | 73 | 4 | .479 | 24.5 | 4th
2010 | Akinobu Mayumi | 144 | 78 | 63 | 3 | .553 | 1.0 | 2nd
2011 | Akinobu Mayumi | 144 | 68 | 70 | 6 | .493 | 9.0 | 4th
2012 | Yutaka Wada | 144 | 55 | 75 | 14 | .423 | 31.5 | 5th
2013 | Yutaka Wada | 144 | 73 | 67 | 4 | .521 | 12.5 | 2nd
2014 | Yutaka Wada | 144 | 75 | 68 | 1 | .524 | 7.0 | 2nd
2015 | Yutaka Wada | 143 | 70 | 71 | 2 | .496 | 6.0 | 3rd
2016 | Tomoaki Kanemoto | 143 | 64 | 76 | 3 | .457 | 24.5 | 4th
2017 | Tomoaki Kanemoto | 143 | 78 | 61 | 4 | .561 | 10.0 | 2nd
2018 | Tomoaki Kanemoto | 143 | 62 | 79 | 2 | .440 | 20.0 | 6th
2019 | Akihiro Yano | 143 | 69 | 68 | 6 | .504 | 6.0 | 3rd
2020  | Akihiro Yano | 120  | 60  | 53  | 7  | .531  | 7.5  | 2nd
2021  | Akihiro Yano | 143  | 77  | 56  | 10  | .579  | 1  | 2nd
2022  | Akihiro Yano | 143  | 68  | 71  | 10  | .579  | 12  | 3rd
2023 | Akinobu Okada | 143 | 85 | 53 | 5 | .616 | -.- | 1st – Won Japan Series
2024 | Akinobu Okada | 143 | 74 | 63 | 6 | .540 | 3.5 | 2nd

NOTE: The 1944 Japanese Baseball League season was cut-short, the 1945 season was cancelled due to the ongoing war (World War II) with many players being enlisted to fight, and the 2020 Nippon Professional Baseball season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

## List of managers

[edit]

Name  | Term  | Regular Season

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GC  | W  | L  | T  | Win%
Osaka Tigers and Hanshin Tigers
Shigeo Mori | 1936 (Spring – Summer)  | 15  | 9  | 6  | 0  | .600
Shuichi Ishimoto | 1936 (Fall)-1939  | 307  | 223  | 78  | 6  | .736
Kenjiro Matsuki | 1940–1941 & 1950–1954  | 824  | 460  | 352  | 12  | .565
Tadashi Wakabayashi | 1942–1944 & 1947–1949  | 620  | 334  | 262  | 24  | .558
Fumio Fujimura | 1946 & 1956–1957  | 365  | 211  | 150  | 4  | .584
Ichiro Kishi | 1955  | 130  | 71  | 57  | 2  | .554
Yoshio Tanaka | 1958–1959  | 260  | 134  | 117  | 9  | .533
Masayasu Kaneda | 1960–1961 & 1973–1974  | 520  | 245  | 252  | 23  | .493
Sadayoshi Fujimoto | 1962–1965 & 1967–1968  | 822  | 437  | 365  | 20  | .544
Shigeru Sugishita | 1966  | 135  | 64  | 66  | 5  | .493
Tsuguo Goto | 1969 & 1978  | 260  | 109  | 139  | 12  | .442
Minoru Murayama | 1970–1972 & 1988–1989  | 650  | 310  | 321  | 19  | .491
Yoshio Yoshida | 1975–1977, 1985–1987 & 1997–1998  | 1051  | 484  | 511  | 56  | .487
Don Blasingame | 1979–1980  | 260  | 115  | 126  | 19  | .479
Futoshi Nakanishi | 1981  | 130  | 67  | 58  | 5  | .535
Motoo Andoh | 1982–1984  | 390  | 180  | 189  | 21  | .488
Katsuhiro Nakamura | 1990–1995  | 784  | 338  | 442  | 4  | .434
Taira Fujita | 1996  | 130  | 54  | 76  | 0  | .415
Katsuya Nomura | 1999–2001  | 411  | 169  | 238  | 4  | .416
Senichi Hoshino | 2002–2003  | 280  | 153  | 121  | 6  | .557
Akinobu Okada | 2004–2008 & 2023–2024  | 1004  | 554  | 423  | 27  | .567
Akinobu Mayumi | 2009–2011  | 432  | 213  | 206  | 13  | .508
Yutaka Wada | 2012–2015  | 575  | 273  | 281  | 21  | .493
Tomoaki Kanemoto | 2016–2018  | 429  | 204  | 216  | 9  | .486
Akihiro Yano | 2019–2022  | 143  | 274  | 248  | 27  | .525
Kyuji Fujikawa | 2025–  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | .000

## Current roster

[edit]

Hanshin Tigers roster

* view
* talk
* edit

First team | Second team

Pitchers

* 13 Suguru Iwazaki
* 14 Yuta Iwasada
* 18 Takato Ihara
* 27 Masashi Itoh
* 29 Haruto Takahashi
* 35 Hiroto Saiki
* 37 Masaki Oyokawa
* 41 Shoki Murakami
* 42 Nick Nelson
* 47 Takuma Kirishiki
* 54 Rito Kinoshita
* 65 Atsuki Yuasa
* 69 Daichi Ishii
* 85 Rafael Dolis

Catchers

* 2 Ryutaro Umeno
* 12 Seishiro Sakamoto
* 39 Yuki Sakaeda
* 68 Hayato Nakagawa

|  |

Infielders

* 0 Seiya Kinami
* 3 Yusuke Ohyama
* 4 Takahiro Kumagai
* 8 Teruaki Sato
* 38 Ryūhei Obata
* 51 Takumu Nakano
* 62 Kai Ueda
* 67 Nozomu Takatera
* 95 Ramon Hernández

Outfielders

* 1 Shota Morishita
* 5 Kōji Chikamoto
* 53 Kairi Shimada
* 61 Hiroshi Toyoda

Manager

* 22 Kyuji Fujikawa

Coaches

Head coach

* 74 Atsushi Fujimoto

Pitching chief

* 88 Yuya Andoh

Pitching

* 73 Satoru Kanemura

Battery

* 87 Katsunori Nomura

Hitting

* 71 Hiroki Uemoto
* 83 Eiichi Koyano

Infield defense/Base running

* 70 Shuta Tanaka

Outfield defense/Base running/Analytical

* 96 So Tsutsui

First squad/Second quad batting coordinator

* 86 Yutaka Wada

|  | Pitchers

* 00 Javy Guerra
* 15 Junya Nishi
* 16 Yuki Nishi
* 19 Kaito Shimomura
* 20 Jon Duplantier
* 24 Taisei Kudo
* 26 Tsuyoshi Shiiba
* 28 Yuki Kesamaru
* 30 Keito Mombetsu
* 31 Daiki Hayakawa
* 34 Taisei Urushihara
* 36 Seishu Hatake
* 46 Hiroya Shimamoto
* 48 Hidetoshi Ibaragi
* 49 Kotaro Otake
* 50 Ren Tomida
* 63 Yuya Ishiguro
* 64 Hidetaka Okadome
* 66 Junya Tsuda
* 82 Grant Hartwig
* 92 Riku Kawahara
* 98 Ren Satoh
* 99 Jeremy Beasley

Catchers

* 43 Hayato Machida
* 57 Kenya Nagasaka
* 59 Kento Fujita

|  | Infielders

* 25 Ryo Watanabe
* 33 Kento Itohara
* 44 Reiji Toi
* 45 Taiyo Sano
* 52 Shuya Yamada
* 56 Aoi Momosaki
* 94 Fumihito Haraguchi

Outfielders

* 32 Kouta Inoue
* 40 Hinase Itsubo
* 55 Taishi Kusumoto
* 58 Ukyo Maegawa
* 60 Dan Onodera
* 97 Kyosuke Noguchi

Manager

* 78 Katsuo Hirata

Coaches

Pitching chief

* 90 Tomoyuki Kubota

Pitching

* 72 Hirotaka Egusa
* 89 Ryo Watanabe

Battery

* 84 Takeshi Hidaka

Hitting/Analytical

* 91 Hirotoshi Kitagawa

Hitting

* 77 Eishin Soyogi

Defense/Base running

* 81 Toshifumi Baba

Infield defense/Base running

* 75 Noriharu Yamazaki

Outfield defense/Base running

* 76 Takahito Kudo

Batter

* 79 Shunsuke

Development Players

* 120 Daichi Moriki (P)
* 121 Yuto Suzuki (P)
* 122 Ippei Ogawa (P)
* 123 Kai Matsubara (P)
* 125 Ryo Itoh (P)
* 126 Kein Fukushima (OF)
* 128 Rinshiro Shimamura (C)
* 130 Toshiaki Kawasaki (IF)
* 131 Jose Betances (P)
* 132 Anthony Martinez (P)
* 133 Jean Arnaez (IF)
* 134 Stanley Consuegra (OF)

Updated July 31, 2025  | → All NPB rosters

## Players of note

[edit]

### Former players

[edit]

*   * Shinjiro Hiyama (桧山 進次郎) – OF
*   * Norihiro Akahoshi (赤星 憲広) – OF
*   * Kenji Johjima (城島 健司) – C
*   * George Altman – OF
*   * Sohachi Aniya (安仁屋 宗八) – P
*   * George Arias – IF
*   * Scott Atchison – P
*   * Gene Bacque – P
*   * Randy Bass – IF
*   * Kaoru Betto (別当 薫) – OF
*   * Oh Seung-hwan (吳 昇桓) – P
*   * Mike Blowers – IF
*   * Jamie Brown – P
*   * Darnell Coles – IF, OF
*   * Doug Creek – P
*   * Iván Cruz – IF
*   * Glenn Davis
*   * Rob Deer – OF
*   * Yutaka Enatsu (江夏 豊) – P
*   * Tom Evans – IF
*   * Cecil Fielder – IF
*   * Lew Ford – OF
*   * Atsushi Fujimoto (藤本 敦士) – IF
*   * Fumio Fujimura (藤村 富美男) – P, IF
*   * Taira Fujita – IF (藤田 平)
*   * Rich Gale – P
*   * Mike Greenwell – OF
*   * Shosei Go (呉 昌征) – OF
*   * Dave Hansen – IF
*   * Jason Hardtke – IF
*   * Phil Hiatt – IF
*   * Katsumi Hirosawa (広澤 克実) – IF, OF
*   * Trey Hodges – P
*   * Osamu Hoshino (星野 修, 星野 おさむ) – IF
*   * Nobuyuki Hoshino (星野 伸之) – P
*   * Makoto Imaoka (今岡 誠) – IF
*   * Kei Igawa (井川 慶) – P
*   * Atsunori Itoh (伊藤 敦規) – P
*   * Mark Johnson – IF, OF
*   * Masaru Kageura (景浦 將) – OF, IF, P
*   * Masayuki Kakefu (掛布 雅之) – IF
*   * Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi (下柳 剛) – P
*   * Tsutomu Kameyama (亀山 努, 亀山 つとむ) – OF
*   * Tomoaki Kanemoto (金本 知憲) – OF
*   * Atsushi Kataoka (片岡 篤史) – IF
*   * Tetsuro Kawajiri (川尻 哲郎) – P
*   * Kozo Kawato (川藤 幸三) – PH, OF
*   * Matt Keough – P
*   * Katsuhiko Kido (木戸 克彦) – C
*   * Mike Kinkade – IF
*   * Willie Kirkland – OF
*   * Masaaki Koyama (小山 正明) – P
*   * Kuo Lee Chien-Fu (郭李 建夫) – P
*   * Kojiro Machida (町田 公二郎) – OF
*   * Kenjiro Matsuki (松木 謙治郎) – IF
*   * Darrell May – P
*   * Akinobu Mayumi (真弓 明信) – IF, OF
*   * Susumu Mikoshiba (御子柴 進) – P
*   * Kurt Miller – P
*   * Toyozo Minamimure (南牟礼 豊蔵) – IF, OF
*   * Takao Misonoo (御園生 崇男) – P
*   * Trey Moore – P
*   * Ramón Morel – P
*   * Minoru Murayama (村山 実) – P
*   * Rodney Myers – P
*   * Yutaka Nakamura (中村 豊) – OF
*   * Kiyooki Nakanishi (中西 清起) – P
*   * Toshihiro Noguchi (野口 寿浩) – C
*   * Atsushi Nomi (能見 篤史) – P
*   * Satoru Nakano (中野 佐資) – OF
*   * Akinobu Okada (岡田 彰布) – IF
*   * Tom O'Malley – IF
*   * Curtis Olsen – P
*   * Chris Oxspring – P
*   * Eduardo Pérez – IF
*   * Larry Parrish – IF
*   * Alonzo Powell – OF
*   * Mike Reinbach – OF
*   * Jerrod Riggan – P
*   * Bienvenido Rivera – OF
*   * Tsuyoshi Shinjo (新庄 剛志) – OF
*   * Shane Spencer – OF
*   * Kento Sugiyama (杉山 賢人) – P
*   * Koichi Tabuchi (田淵 幸一) – C
*   * Yasuaki Taiho (大豊 泰昭, 陳 大豐)) – IF
*   * Yasushi Tao (田尾 安志) – OF
*   * Shuta Tanaka (田中 秀太, 秀太) – IF
*   * Tony Tarasco – OF
*   * Katsunori Tomari (渡真利 克則) – IF, OF
*   * Shoji Toyama (遠山 奬志) – P
*   * Tomochika Tsuboi (坪井 智哉) – OF
*   * Marc Valdes – P
*   * Ryan Vogelsong – P
*   * Yutaka Wada (和田 豊) – IF
*   * Tadashi Wakabayashi (若林 忠志) – P
*   * Jeff Williams – P
*   * Craig Worthington – IF
*   * Marvell Wynne – OF
*   * Keiichi Yabu (藪 恵壹) – P
*   * Hiroshi Yagi (八木 裕) – IF, OF, PH
*   * Kazuyuki Yamamoto (山本 和行) – P
*   * Kazuhiro Yamauchi (山内 一弘) – OF
*   * Akihiro Yano (矢野 輝弘, 矢野 耀大) – C
*   * Hiroshi Yoshida (吉田 浩) – OF
*   * Yoshio Yoshida (吉田 義男) – IF
*   * Toshiro Yufune (湯舟 敏郎) – P
*   * Kōyō Aoyagi (青柳 晃洋) – P
*   * Kyuji Fujikawa (藤川 球児) – P
*   * Takumi Akiyama (秋山 拓巳) – P
*   * Sheldon Neuse – OF

### Retired numbers

[edit]

*   * 10 Fumio Fujimura (藤村 富美男)
*   * 11 Minoru Murayama (村山 実)
*   * 23 Yoshio Yoshida (吉田 義男)

### MLB players

[edit]

* Kenji Johjima (2006–2009)
* Ryan Vogelsong (2000–2006, 2011–2017)
* Tsuyoshi Shinjo (2001–2003)
* Keiichi Yabu (2005, 2008)
* Masanori Murakami (1964–1965)
* Cecil Fielder (1989)
* Glenn Davis (1984–1993)
* Chris Oxspring (2005)
* Kei Igawa (2007–2010)
* Marvell Wynne (1983–1990)
* Craig Worthington (1988–1992, 1995–1996)
* Jeff Williams (1999–2002)
* Marc Valdes (1995–1998, 2000–2001)
* Tony Tarasco (1993–1999, 2002)
* Jerrod Riggan (2000–2003)
* Alonzo Powell (1987, 1991)
* Matt Murton (2005–2009)
* Leon McFadden (1972)
* Oh Seung-hwan (2016–2019)
* Kyuji Fujikawa (2013–2015)
* Pierce Johnson (2020–present)
* Robert Suarez (2022–present)
* Shintaro Fujinami (2023–2025)
* Koyo Aoyagi (2025–present)

## Media relating to the Tigers

[edit]

### Mascots

[edit]

To Lucky (トラッキー, Torakkii) is a mascot character of the Tigers. With his girlfriend Lucky, he entertains spectators at team games. His uniform number is 1985, because his first appearance was in 1985. His name is a combination of two separate Japanese words, Tora (トラ), meaning tiger and Rakkii (ラッキー) meaning lucky. His name therefore means "lucky tiger" in Japanese.

To Lucky's first appearance was on the screen at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in 1985. He appeared as a live-action character in 1987. His design was updated in 1992.

Aside from To Lucky, the other mascots of the Tigers are Lucky (ラッキー Rakkii), his girlfriend, and the most recent addition, Keeta (キー太), Lucky's little brother. Keeta's uniform number is 2011, because he was introduced to the Tigers in 2011. He wears a backwards cap. Lucky's cap is pink unlike her boyfriend's and his little brother's.

### Newspapers

[edit]

* Daily Sports (published by the Kobe Shimbun, except Hiroshima region)
* Nikkan Sports (affiliated company of the Asahi Shimbun, Kansai region)
* Sankei Sports (published by the Sankei Shimbun Osaka Head Office)
* Sports Nippon (affiliated company of the Mainichi Shimbun, Kansai region)

### Stations

[edit]

Broadcasting:

* Mainichi Broadcasting System, Inc.
* Asahi Broadcasting Corporation
* Kansai Telecasting Corporation
* Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation
* Television Osaka, Inc.
* SUN-TV

## See also

[edit]

* Central League
* Western League
* Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group – Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
* Tampere Tigers

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Tigers History". Hanshin Tigers. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
2. ^ Gallagher, Jack (March 30, 2004). "Tigers maul Bronx Bombers". The Japan Times. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
3. ^ https://billsportsmaps.com/?p=3780
4. ^ Kelly, William W. (2004). "Sense and Sensibility at the Ballpark: What Fans Make of Professional Baseball in Modern Japan". In Kelly, William W. (ed.). Fanning the Flames: Fans and Consumer Culture in Contemporary Japan. State University of New York Press. pp. 79–106\. ISBN 9780791485385.
5. ^ "David Vecsey: Time to exorcise baseball ghosts – 09.20.03 – SI Vault". Archived from the original on July 16, 2012.
6. ^ 一般社団法人日本野球機構. "2005年度日本シリーズ 試合結果". npb.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved June 24, 2025.
7. ^ Whiting, Robert. You Gotta Have Wa (Vintage Departures, 1989), pp. 118–120.
8. ^ "巨人 年度別チームカード別対戦成績 ～my favorite giants～". www.my-favorite-giants.net. Retrieved November 11, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hanshin Tigers.

* Official website (in Japanese)
* Suicide Spurs Reflections on Japanese Baseball – The New York Times
* Appetite for Hanshin – Hanshin Tigers English news website

* v
* t
* e

Hanshin Tigers

* Established in 1935
* Formerly the Osaka Tigers and the Hanshin Club
* Based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture

The Franchise|

* History
* Seasons
* Records
* Players
* Managers

Ballparks|

* Koshien Stadium

Culture|

* Curse of the Colonel

Rivalries|

* Yomiuri Giants

Retired numbers|

* 10
* 11
* 23

Key personnel|

* Owner: Takaoki Fujiwara
* Management: Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
* Manager: Kyuji Fujikawa

Japanese Baseball League championships (4)|

* Fall 1937
* Spring 1938
* 1944
* 1947

Japan Series championships (2)|

* 1985
* 2023

Central League championships (6)|

* 1962
* 1964
* 1985
* 2003
* 2005
* 2014
* 2023

Climax Series berths (12)|

* 2007
* 2008
* 2010
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2017
* 2019
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

Seasons (90)

1930s|

* 1930 · 1931 · 1932 · 1933 · 1934 · 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939

1940s|

* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949

1950s|

* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959

1960s|

* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969

1970s|

* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979

1980s|

* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989

1990s|

* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999

2000s|

* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009

2010s|

* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019

2020s|

* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

* v
* t
* e

Nippon Professional Baseball

2024 season

Central League|

* Chunichi Dragons
* Hanshin Tigers
* Hiroshima Toyo Carp
* Tokyo Yakult Swallows
* Yokohama DeNA BayStars
* Yomiuri Giants

Pacific League|

* Chiba Lotte Marines
* Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
* Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
* Orix Buffaloes
* Saitama Seibu Lions
* Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

Schedule|

* All-Star Series
* Interleague play
* Seasons
* World Baseball Classic

Postseason|

* Climax Series
* Japan Series

Awards|

* Eiji Sawamura Award
* Most Valuable Player
* Comeback Player of the Year
* Rookie of the Year
* Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award
* Best Nine Award
* Golden Spirit Award
* Matsutaro Shoriki Award
* Hall of Fame

Minor leagues|

* Western League
* Eastern League

Miscellaneous|

* Commissioner
* Players
* Foreign players
* Americans
* Rosters
* Stadiums
* Comparison with Major League Baseball
* Japanese Baseball League
* Black Mist Scandal
* No-hitters
* Perfect games

* Professional baseball in Japan

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Japan

Other|

* Yale LUX

*[lit.]: literal translation
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