Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (東北楽天ゴールデンイーグルス, Tōhoku Rakuten Gōruden Īgurusu), often shortened as the Rakuten Eagles (楽天イーグルス, Rakuten Īgurusu), are a baseball team based in Sendai, in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It has played in Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League since the team's formation in 2005. The team is owned by the Internet shopping company Rakuten.[1]

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
Team logo Cap insignia
Information
LeagueNippon Professional Baseball
Pacific League (2005–present)
LocationMiyagino-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
BallparkRakuten Seimei Park Miyagi
Year founded2005
Nickname(s)Inuwashi (イヌワシ, golden eagles)
Pacific League championships1 (2013)
Japan Series championships1 (2013)
ColorsCrimson, Gold
         
MascotClutch, Clutchina, and Switch
Playoff berths4 (2009, 2013, 2017, 2019)
Retired numbers
OwnershipHiroshi Mikitani
ManagementRakuten, Inc.
ManagerHajime Miki
General ManagerKazuhisa Ishii
Uniforms

History

2004: Origins and formation

In June of Nippon Professional Baseball's 2004 season, the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes and the Orix BlueWave announced that, due to financial difficulties, the two teams planned to merge into one for the start of the 2005 season. Both teams were in the Pacific League (PL), and a merger between the two would result in a team imbalance with the PL's opposing league, the Central League (CL). As a large number of players were expected to lose their jobs when the merger was finalized, the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association organized a players' strike in an attempt to force the postponement of the merger for at least one year. When team officials definitively announced that a one-year freeze on the merger was impossible, the players conducted a two-day strike on September 18–19, 2004. With the threat of further strikes looming, team representatives agreed to ease the rules of entry for new teams into NPB and that one would be allowed to join the following season.

That same month, Takafumi Horie, president of the Internet services company Livedoor, established a new professional baseball team and applied for team ownership with NPB, hoping to fill the void left by the merger of the BlueWave and the Buffaloes. Horie intended the team to be composed of players who were left jobless after the merger and planned for it to be based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture.[2] One week later a second Internet services company, Tokyo-based Rakuten, also submitted a formal application to Japanese professional baseball to form a team. Like Horie, Rakuten president Hiroshi Mikitani also expressed a desire to locate his new team in Sendai.[3]

In early October, the public screening process to select one of the two companies and allow them form a new NPB team began. Both Livedoor and Rakuten were given an hour and a half to discuss their team and budget propositions before a panel of five Japanese baseball executives. The panel consisted of Central League chairman Hajime Toyokura and the head officials of the Yomiuri Giants, the Yokohama BayStars, the Seibu Lions and the Chiba Lotte Marines. The screening standards include the adequacy of the applications, the prospective continuity and stability of the planned baseball teams, the prospective financial standings of the applicants and planned teams, and their planned baseball facilities.[4]

As screenings were held weekly through October,[4] more details about each potential new team emerged. Livedoor announced that their baseball club would be named the "Sendai Livedoor Phoenix", with former MLB and NPB player Tom O'Malley attached as manager and Katsunori Kojima as general manager.[5][6][7] Rakuten, likewise, announced Marty Kuehnert and Yasushi Tao as general manager and manager, respectively, of their newly named "Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles" baseball club.[8][9][5]

A telephone survey conducted by Kyodo News during the selection period of 300 people living in the Tōhoku region indicated that Livedoor was the early fan favorite to win the right to start a new team in Sendai. In the survey, forty percent of the respondents supported Livedoor's bid compared to only seven percent supporting Rakuten.[10] Rakuten, however, was considered the more likely of the two companies to be chosen by NPB. Rakuten president Mikitani had extensive connections in established Japanese business circles and already operated another sports team, the soccer club Vissel Kobe in Japan's J.League. On November 2, NPB selected Rakuten over Livedoor to create a new Pacific League team to be based in Sendai. It was the first time a new team, excluding cases of mergers or acquisitions, joined NPB since the creation of the now-defunct Takahashi Unions in the Pacific League in 1954.[9]

2005-2010: Debut and early years

After posting losing records in their first four seasons, the team finished second behind the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in the 2009 pennant race under the leadership of manager Katsuya Nomura, the oldest manager in NPB history. In the Climax Series Final the Eagles lost the six-game series against the Fighters 1–4 and Nomura announced his retirement. In 2010 the team was managed by American Marty Brown, the former manager of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Brown was fired after a single season after the team had slumped back to last place.

2011-2012: Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and aftermath

Hall of Fame pitcher Senichi Hoshino was brought in to replace Brown as manager for the 2011 season.

On March 11, 2011, The Tōhoku Region of Japan was struck by a massive earthquake and tsunami. The Eagles' home stadium in Sendai was severely damaged as a result. The start of the NPB season was postponed until April 12, and the Eagles had to move their season opener against the Chiba Lotte Marines to QVC Marine Field. The team finished the regular season fifth in the Pacific League and missed the playoffs. The next year The Eagles finished the regular season in fourth place with a .500 record, but again did not advance to the postseason.

2013: Japan Series champions

The Eagles had a breakthrough year in 2013. Led by ace pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, who posted a record-setting 24-0 regular season record, the Eagles emerged as the top team in the Pacific League. They swept the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in the Climax Series Final to advance to the Japan Series, where they faced the Yomiuri Giants. The series went seven games, with the Eagles winning the deciding game on their home field for the franchise's first-ever championship. Tanaka got the final three outs for the save, and the Japan Series MVP was awarded to starting pitcher Manabu Mima.

2014-present

Following the 2013 season, Masahiro Tanaka signed a seven-year, $155 million-dollar contract with Major League Baseball's New York Yankees.

The Eagles struggled in the years following their championship, finishing the 2014 season last in the Pacific League. Senichi Hoshino stepped down as manager after the season and was replaced by Hiromoto Okubo. However, the Eagles again finished in last place and Okubo stepped down after just one year.

Masataka Nashida was hired as the next manager, and after a fifth-place finish in 2016, the Eagles returned to the playoffs in 2017, where they defeated the Saitama Seibu Lions in the first stage of the Climax Series. However, they were ousted by the eventual-champion Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the Climax Series Final.

After a slow start to the 2018 campaign Nashida resigned and was replaced by Yosuke Hiraishi, and the Eagles once again finished at the bottom of the Pacific League. The Eagles qualified again for the postseason in 2019, but were defeated again by the Hawks. In the offseason yet another managerial change was made, with Hajime Miki taking over as skipper.

Current players
First squad Second squad

Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders


Manager

Coaches

 Pitchers

Catchers

  • 27 Takerō Okajima
  • 65 Kengo Horiuchi
  • 67 Takahiro Shimotsuma
  • 70 Tsuyoshi Ishihara
  • 78 Kei Mizugami
 Infielders

Outfielders


Manager

Coaches

Development Players

  • 008 Ryōta Yoshimochi (IF)
  • 016 Yūdai Mori (P)
  • 017 Wang Yan-cheng (P)
  • 129 Yōsuke Minami (IF)
  • 130 Takahide Ikeda (P)
  • 131 Toshiyasu Kimura (P)
  • 133 Kyōshirō Matsumoto (IF)
  • 134 Kazuki Nakamura (OF)
  • 135 Kōtarō Seimiya (P)
  • 136 Yoshiki Norimoto (P)
  • 137 Yūto Egawa (C)
  • 138 Shinri Komine (P)
  • 140 Maaki Yamazaki (IF)
  • 141 Kiyoharu Sawano (IF)
  • 150 Akito (OF)
  • 164 Hiroyuki Fukuyama (P)

Updated June 30, 2020
→ All NPB rosters

Former players

Retired numbers
  • 10 – This number is worn by both team mascots, Clutch and Clutchina, and is considered the number of the fan, the 'tenth man' on the field. It is the first retired number in NPB involving a fan, inspired by some teams in other sports (such as football, which retires "12" for the "12th man", or basketball, which retires "6" for the "6th man"). There are ten starting players in the Pacific League as the league uses the designated hitter. The Chiba Lotte Marines has the No. 26 retired in similar fashion (MLB's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim has retired No. 26, in similar fashion, for the original owner Gene Autry).
  • 77 - Senichi Hoshino

MLB players

Active:

Retired:

Honors and records

Honors

Japan Series Championship (1): 2013

Former managers

Records
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
YearManagerGamesWinsLossesTiesPct.GBBAERAFinishPostseason
2005Yasushi Tao13638971.28151.5.2555.676th, PacificDid not qualify
2006Katsuya Nomura13647854.35633.0.2584.306th, PacificDid not qualify
2007Katsuya Nomura14467752.47213.5.2624.314th, PacificDid not qualify
2008Katsuya Nomura14465763.46111.5.2723.895th, PacificDid not qualify
2009Katsuya Nomura14477661.5385.5.2674.012nd, PacificLost in Second Stage, 1–4 (Fighters)
2010Marty Brown14462793.44015.0.2653.986th, PacificDid not qualify
2011Senichi Hoshino14466717.48222.5.2452.855th, PacificDid not qualify
2012Senichi Hoshino144676710.5007.5.2522.994th, PacificDid not qualify
2013Senichi Hoshino14482593.582-.2673.511st, PacificNippon Series champions, 4–3 (Giants)
2014Senichi Hoshino14464800.44417.0.2553.976th, PacificDid not qualify
2015Hiromoto Okubo14357833.40733.5.2413.826th, PacificDid not qualify
2016Masataka Nashida14362783.44325.0.2574.115th, PacificDid not qualify
2017Masataka Nashida14377633.55029.5.2543.333rd, PacificLost in Final Stage, 2–4 (Hawks)
2018Masataka Nashida
Yosuke Hiraishi		14358823.41415.0.2413.786th, PacificDid not qualify
2019Yosuke Hiraishi14371684.51115.0.2513.743rd, PacificLost in First Stage, 1–2 (Hawks)
Total--2139960112950.460––––-

Golden Eagles Fan Club honorary members

See also
  • Miyagi Baseball Stadium

References
  1. Rakuten Golden Eagles (Sendai) Team Information. JapanBall.com. Retrieved on 2013-09-19.
  2. Uranaka, Taiga (17 September 2004). "Livedoor establishes pro baseball club". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2017.CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
  3. "Rakuten applies to create new club". The Japan Times. Associated Press. 25 September 2004. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  4. "NPB begins hearings on Rakuten, Livedoor bids". The Japan Times. 7 October 2004. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  5. "Livedoor Phoenix". The Japan Times. 27 October 2004. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  6. "Livedoor appoints O'Malley as manager". The Japan Times. Associated Press. 15 September 2004. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  7. "Livedoor names GM". The Japan Times. Kyodo News. 14 September 2004. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  8. Armstrong, Jim (6 October 2004). "Kuehnert to head Rakuten team". The Japan Times. Associated Press. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  9. "Rakuten awarded pro baseball team". The Japan Times. Associated Press. 3 November 2004. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  10. "Livedoor emerges as early fan favorite to own new team". The Japan Times. Kyodo News. 3 October 2004. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
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