The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. Founded on February 22, 1938, as the Nankai Club, being the first Kansai team to play in Osaka proper, the team went through a few name changes before settling on Nankai Hawks in 1947, eventually changing ownership in 1988 and moving to Fukuoka in 1989. The team subsequently became known as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks until 2005, when they were purchased by SoftBank Group, becoming the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Since 1993, the Hawks have played at Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka, which has gone under several name changes and seats 40,000 people.
Maurice Wesley Parker III is an American former first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1964 to 1972. He also played one season in Japan for the Nankai Hawks in 1974.
Masanori "Mashi" Murakami is a Japanese former professional baseball player. He is notable for being the first Japanese player to play for a Major League Baseball team. Sent over to the United States by the Nankai Hawks, Murakami saw success as a reliever for the San Francisco Giants, debuting at the age of 20 in 1964. In 1965, he struck out over one batter per inning pitched, posted an ERA under 4 and earned eight saves. Following this season, however, Murakami headed back to his original Japanese club due to contractual obligations, where his success continued for another 17 years.
John Logan, Jr. was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from 1951 to 1963, most prominently as a member of the Boston / Milwaukee Braves where, he was an four-time All-Star player and was a member of the 1957 World Series winning team. After his major league career, he played for one season in the Nippon Professional Baseball League as a member of the Nankai Hawks in 1964.
Katsuya Nomura was a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) catcher and manager. During his over 26-season playing career mostly spent with the Nankai Hawks, he became one of NPB's greatest offensive catchers. He was awarded the Pacific League MVP Award five times, became the first NPB batter to win the Triple Crown in 1965, and holds the record for second-most home runs and RBIs in NPB history.
Kent William Hadley was an American professional baseball player. A free-swinging first baseman, he played three years in Major League Baseball (1958–60) and six seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (1962–67).
James Lawrence Lyttle Jr. is an American former professional baseball player from Logan, Indiana. He played as an outfielder for the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Montreal Expos, and Los Angeles Dodgers of the Major League Baseball (MLB). He also played seven seasons of baseball in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and Nankai Hawks.
Hiromitsu Kadota was a Japanese professional baseball player for the Hawks franchise and the Orix Braves. Celebrated for his slugging ability, he ate a lot and became a strong hitter, though was later weakened by diabetes mellitus. With 567 home runs, Kadota is number three on the NPB career list.
Hideo Fujimoto was a Japanese baseball pitcher. He holds the Japanese records for lowest career ERA (1.90) and seasonal ERA (0.73), as well as best all-time winning percentage (.697). During his career, which spanned the one-league and two-league era, he played for the Tokyo Kyojin/Yomiuri Giants and the Chunichi Dragons. He was the player-manager of the Giants in 1944 and part of 1946.
Christopher Curtis Nyman is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played during two seasons at the Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox. He was signed by the White Sox as an amateur free agent in 1977. Nyman, played his first professional season with their Class A Appleton Foxes in 1978, and split his last season with their Triple-A club, the Buffalo Bisons, and the Detroit Tigers' Triple-A club, the Nashville Sounds, in 1986. In 1984 and 1985, Nyman played in Japan for the Nankai Hawks.
George De Witt Wright is an American former professional baseball player. He played five seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1982–86 for the Texas Rangers and Montreal Expos, primarily as a center fielder.
Noriyoshi Omichi is a Japanese former professional baseball Infielder, and current the third squad hitting coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Takehiko Bessho, born Akira Bessho, was a Japanese baseball player whose professional career as a player lasted from 1942 until 1960. Bessho first achieved fame as a pitcher in Japanese professional baseball; later, he served as a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) manager.
Hiroshi Ogawa is a former Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball shortstop, and current the third squad manager for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Kazuo Kageyama was a Japanese professional baseball third basemen and manager for the Nankai Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He was named manager of the Hawks in November 1965, but died of a sleeping pill overdose later that month.
Mutsuo Minagawa was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher. Listed at 5' 10" [1.82 m], 162 lb. [73 k.], Minagawa batted and threw right handed. He was born in Yonezawa, Yamagata.
Tokuji Iida was a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball first baseman. He both batted and threw right-handed.
Kazuto Tsuruoka, also known as Kazuto Yamamoto, was a Japanese former professional baseball infielder and manager in the Japan Baseball League (JBL) and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Hiroshi Fujimoto is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball infielder He played for in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Nankai/Fukuoka Daiei Hawks and the Orix Blue Wave.
Hiroyuki Mori is a Japanese former professional baseball catcher, and current the battery coordinator for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).