Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally,it is often called Puro Yakyū,meaning simply Professional Baseball;outside of Japan,NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball".
Alexander Alberto Cabrera is a Venezuelan former first baseman and right-handed batter who played in 2000 for the Arizona Diamondbacks in Major League Baseball (MLB) and for 12 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He also played several seasons in the Mexican League and the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP).
The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters is a Japanese professional baseball team based in Kitahiroshima,Hokkaidō,in the Sapporo metropolitan area. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball,playing the majority of their home games at ES CON Field Hokkaido. The Fighters also host a select number of regional home games in cities across Hokkaidō,including Hakodate,Asahikawa,Kushiro,and Obihiro. The team's name comes from its parent organization,Nippon Ham,a major Japanese food-processing company.
Bradley Ross Eldred is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates,Colorado Rockies,and Detroit Tigers and in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. His nickname is "Big Country".
Terrmel Sledge,also known as Terrence Melvin Sledge is an American former professional baseball outfielder and the former assistant hitting coach of the Chicago Cubs. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and the Yokohama BayStars. Prior to being hired by the Cubs,he was the hitting coach for the Tulsa Drillers in the Texas League.
Jerome Cardell White is an American former professional baseball outfielder and coach. Born in Shirley,Massachusetts,White was listed at 5' 10",164 lb.,White was a switch hitter and threw right handed. He spent 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB),including stints with the Montreal Expos,Chicago Cubs,and St. Louis Cardinals. Additionally,White played two seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with the Seibu Lions and Yokohama Taiyo Whales. He later worked as the bench coach in the 1995 season then as the first base coach of the Minnesota Twins in a span of 14 seasons from 1998–2012.
Julio Ernesto Zuleta Tapia is a Panamanian former professional baseball player. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball,from 2000 to 2001,for the Chicago Cubs,and six seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball from 2003 to 2008,primarily as a first baseman.
Nobuhiko Matsunaka is a former left fielder and designated hitter for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He is currently the hitting coach for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league.
Masato Yoshii,nicknamed "Oiyan",is a retired Japanese professional baseball player,former pitching coach and current manager for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He pitched in Major League Baseball from 1998 to 2002.
Sherman Omar Obando Gainor is a former major league baseball player who played for the Baltimore Orioles and Montreal Expos. His main position was outfield,but often played as a first baseman or designated hitter. He is currently the first base coach for the Charleston RiverDogs.
Hiromichi Ishige is a retired Japanese professional baseball player and manager in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He played most of his career for the Seibu Lions.
JoséMayobanex Fernández Rojas is a retired third baseman in Major League Baseball,the KBO League,Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB),and the Dominican Winter Baseball League. He played eleven years in the NPB,compiling a .282 batting average with 206 home runs and 772 runs batted in.
Takashi Toritani is a Japanese former professional baseball shortstop,commentator,critic,and coach.
Takahiro Okada,playing as T-Okada (T-岡田),is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman who spent his 19–year career with the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) from 2006 to 2024.
Kensuke Kondoh is a Japanese professional baseball catcher,outfielder,and third baseman for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has previously played in NPB for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
American expatriate baseball players in Japan have been a feature of the Japanese professional leagues since 1934. American expatriate players began to steadily find spots on Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) rosters in the 1960s. More than 600 Americans have played NPB,although very few last more than a single season in Japan.
Fumikazu Kimura is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Saitama Seibu Lions and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
JoséGregorio Osuna is a Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder and first baseman for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The 2022 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 73rd season of professional baseball in Japan since Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) was reorganized in 1950. There are 12 NPB teams,split evenly between the Central League and Pacific League.
On April 10,2022,Rōki Sasaki of the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball's (NPB) Pacific League threw a perfect game against the Orix Buffaloes at Zozo Marine Stadium in Chiba City. It was the 16th perfect game in NPB history. Sasaki tied a NPB single-game record with 19 strikeouts and set an NPB record with 13 consecutive strikeouts.
