2001 Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes season

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2001 Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes
Pacific League champions
Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes insignia.png
League Pacific League
Record78-58-6 (.567)
League place1st
Team information
Parent company Kintetsu Railway
Manager Masataka Nashida
Ballpark Osaka Dome

The 2001 Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes season was the 51st season of the franchise in Nippon Professional Baseball, the team's 4th season at Osaka Dome, and the team's 51st season under Kintetsu Railway. This was also the team's second season under manager Masataka Nashida. For another year, the Buffaloes were led offensively by star tandem Norihiro Nakamura and Tuffy Rhodes. For the first time since 1989, the Buffaloes won the Pacific League pennant, and in stunning fashion, with Hirotoshi Kitagawa hitting a grand slam walk-off home run against the Orix BlueWave to secure the pennant. Had they lost, they still had to win a series against the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks to win the pennant. They however, would lose to the Yakult Swallows in the Japan Series in 5 games. [1] This season would also be Kintetsu's last Pacific League pennant win.

Regular season

The Buffaloes finished in first place, with a 78-58-6 record, with a .567 winning percentage.

Pacific League [2] GWLTPct.GB
Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes 14078602.565-
Fukuoka Daiei Hawks 14076631.5472.5
Seibu Lions 14073670.5216.0
Orix BlueWave 14070664.5157.0
Chiba Lotte Marines 14064742.46414.0
Nippon-Ham Fighters 14057803.41620.5

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References

  1. ↑ 2001: An Osakan Odyssey - The Story of the Kintetsu Buffaloes , retrieved 2022-03-23
  2. ↑ 一般社団法人日本野球機構. "年度別成績 2001年 パシフィック・リーグ | NPB.jp 日本野球機構". Npb.jp. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
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