2011 Nippon Professional Baseball season

The 2011 Nippon Professional Baseball season is the 62nd season since the NPB was reorganized in 1950. The season was delayed by the Tohoku earthquake. The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, based in northern Japan, and coached by Senichi Hoshino, were particularly affected by the quake, as the Miyagi Baseball Stadium was badly damaged.

This article is about the 2011 Nippon Professional Baseball season only. For information on all of baseball, see 2011 in baseball.
2011 NPB season
LeagueNippon Professional Baseball
SportBaseball
DurationApril 12 – November 20, 2011
Central League Pennant
League championsChunichi Dragons
  Runners-upTokyo Yakult Swallows
Season MVPTakuya Asao (CHU)
Pacific League Pennant
League championsFukuoka SoftBank Hawks
  Runners-upHokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
Season MVPSeiichi Uchikawa (SOF)
Climax Series
CL championsChunichi Dragons
  CL runners-upTokyo Yakult Swallows
PL championsFukuoka SoftBank Hawks
  PL runners-upSaitama Seibu Lions
Japan Series
ChampionsFukuoka SoftBank Hawks
  Runners-upChunichi Dragons
Finals MVPHiroki Kokubo (SOF)

Because of energy concerns following the earthquake, NPB also imposed restrictions on games during the regular season. A three-hour-thirty-minute rule was imposed. If a game went past the 3:30 mark, regardless of inning, the inning in question would be the last inning. A game would be called should any blackout occur during the game. The 3:30 clock starts at the first pitch of the game and continues in case of any delay.

At the season's end, the Yokohama BayStars was renamed as Yokohama DeNA BayStars as the owner changes.

Regular season standings
Central League regular season standings
Team G W L T Pct. GB
Chunichi Dragons 144755910.560—
Tokyo Yakult Swallows 144705915.5432.5
Yomiuri Giants 144716211.5343.5
Hanshin Tigers 14468706.4939.0
Hiroshima Toyo Carp 14460768.44116.0
Yokohama BayStars 144478611.35327.5
Pacific League regular season standings
Team G W L T Pct. GB
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 144884610.657—
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 14472657.52617.5
Saitama Seibu Lions 14468679.50420.5
Orix Buffaloes 14469687.50420.5
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles 14466717.48223.5
Chiba Lotte Marines 144547911.40633.5

Climax Series
Main articles: 2011 Central League Climax Series and 2011 Pacific League Climax Series

Note: All of the games that are played in the first two rounds of the Climax Series are held at the higher seed's home stadium. The team with the higher regular-season standing also advances if the round ends in a tie.

  First Stage     Final Stage     Japan Series
                           
  Central League     1 Chunichi Dragons 4  
  2 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2     2 Tokyo Yakult Swallows 2    
  3 Yomiuri Giants 1         CL1 Chunichi Dragons 3
      PL1 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 4
  Pacific League     1 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 4    
  2 Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters 0     3 Saitama Seibu Lions 0  
  3 Saitama Seibu Lions 2  

First stage

The regular season league champions, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (PL) and the Chunichi Dragons (CL), received byes to the championship round.

Central League

Tokyo Yakult Swallows (2) vs. Yomiuri Giants (1)

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance 
1October 29Yomiuri Giants – 2, Tokyo Yakult Swallows – 3Meiji Jingu Stadium3:2832,339[1] 
2October 30Yomiuri Giants – 6, Tokyo Yakult Swallows – 2Meiji Jingu Stadium3:2432,148[2] 
3October 31Yomiuri Giants – 1, Tokyo Yakult Swallows – 3Meiji Jingu Stadium2:5131,687[3]

Pacific League

Saitama Seibu Lions (2) vs. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (0)

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance 
1October 29Saitama Seibu Lions – 5, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters – 2Sapporo Dome3:5542,063[4] 
2October 30Saitama Seibu Lions – 8, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters – 1Sapporo Dome3:1541,926[5]

Final stage

The regular season league champions, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (PL) and the Chunichi Dragons (CL), received a one-game advantage.

Central League

Chunichi Dragons (4) vs. Tokyo Yakult Swallows (2)

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance 
1November 2Tokyo Yakult Swallows – 1, Chunichi Dragons – 2Nagoya Dome3:0534,689[6] 
2November 3Tokyo Yakult Swallows – 3, Chunichi Dragons – 1Nagoya Dome2:5338,414[7] 
3November 4Tokyo Yakult Swallows – 2, Chunichi Dragons – 1Nagoya Dome3:5037,599[8] 
4November 5Tokyo Yakult Swallows – 1, Chunichi Dragons – 5Nagoya Dome3:0838,342[9] 
5November 6Tokyo Yakult Swallows – 1, Chunichi Dragons – 2Nagoya Dome2:5138,252[10]

Pacific League

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (4) vs. Saitama Seibu Lions (0)

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance 
1November 3Saitama Seibu Lions – 2, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 4Yahoo Dome2:5737,025[11] 
2November 4Saitama Seibu Lions – 2, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 7Yahoo Dome3:1035,021[12] 
3November 5Saitama Seibu Lions – 1, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 2Yahoo Dome4:0037,025[13]

Japan Series
Main article: 2011 Japan Series

PL Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (4) vs. CL Chunichi Dragons (3)

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance 
1November 12Chunichi Dragons – 2, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 1Fukuoka Dome3:3134,457[14] 
2November 13Chunichi Dragons – 2, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 1Fukuoka Dome3:4434,758[15] 
3November 15Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 4, Chunichi Dragons – 2Nagoya Dome3:2238,041[16] 
4November 16Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 2, Chunichi Dragons – 1Nagoya Dome3:4038,041[17] 
5November 17Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 5, Chunichi Dragons – 0Nagoya Dome3:4938,051[18] 
6November 19Chunichi Dragons – 2, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 1Fukuoka Dome3:0734,927[19] 
7November 20Chunichi Dragons – 0, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 3Fukuoka Dome3:3034,737[20]

League leaders

Central League

Pacific League

See also

References
  1. "Saturday, October 29, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
  2. "Sunday, October 30, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
  3. "Monday, October 31, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
  4. "Saturday, October 29, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  5. "Sunday, October 30, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  6. "Wednesday, November 2, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
  7. "Thursday, November 3, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
  8. "Friday, November 4, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
  9. "Saturday, November 5, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
  10. "Sunday, November 6, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
  11. "Thursday, November 3, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  12. "Friday, November 4, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  13. "Saturday, November 5, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  14. "Saturday, November 12, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
  15. "Sunday, November 13, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
  16. "Tuesday, November 15, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
  17. "Wednesday, November 16, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
  18. "Thursday, November 17, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
  19. "Saturday, November 19, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
  20. "Sunday, November 20, 2011". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
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