Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally,it is often called Puro Yakyū (プロ野球),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 Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP).
Karl Derrick "Tuffy" Rhodes is a retired American professional baseball player. He played six years in Major League Baseball in the US,and thirteen years in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. Rhodes is the all-time NPB home run leader among foreign-born players,and he is 13th overall with 464 home runs in Japan. He hit 55 home runs in 2001,tying the NPB single-season mark set by Sadaharu Oh in 1964.
The Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes were a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) team based in Osaka,Japan,which was in the Pacific League. In 2005 the team was merged with the Orix BlueWave to become the team now known as the Orix Buffaloes. The team played in Fujiidera Stadium,and later in Osaka Dome.
The Orix Buffaloes are a Nippon Professional Baseball team formed as a result of the 2004 Nippon Professional Baseball realignment by the merger of the Orix BlueWave of Kobe,Hyōgo Prefecture,Japan,and the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes of Osaka,Osaka Prefecture,Japan. The team plays in the Pacific League and is under ownership by Orix,a financial services company founded in Osaka.
Norihiro Nakamura is a Japanese former professional baseball third baseman. Nakamura spent almost all of his professional career in Japan with the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes. Nakamura had a .266 career batting average,404 home runs and 1348 RBI,and was an eight-time All-Star and four-time Golden Glove winner. Nakamura is one of only 16 players to have hit 400 or more home runs in NPB.
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.
Daryl Dean Spencer was an American professional baseball player and infielder who played shortstop,second base and third base in Major League Baseball between 1952 and 1963 for the New York / San Francisco Giants,St. Louis Cardinals,Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds. He played for the Hankyu Braves of Nippon Professional Baseball between 1964 and 1972. On April 15,1958,he hit the first home run in San Francisco Giants' history in an 8–0 victory over the Dodgers. He threw and batted right-handed and was listed as 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and 185 pounds (84 kg).
JoséDaniel Ortiz Santos is a Dominican former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics and Colorado Rockies and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Orix Buffaloes,Chiba Lotte Marines,Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks,and Saitama Seibu Lions.
Takashi Toritani is a Japanese former professional baseball player,baseball commentator,baseball critic,coach.
Yoshio Itoi is a Japanese former professional baseball player who played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters,the Orix Buffaloes,and the Hanshin Tigers. Itoi bats left-handed and throws right-handed. He played for team Japan in WBC 2013,and hit for Japan in games against Brazil and China.
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.
Stefen Daniel Romero is an American professional baseball right fielder for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and Orix Buffaloes.
Rangel Ravelo is a Cuban professional baseball first baseman and outfielder for the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Orix Buffaloes.
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.
Masataka Yoshida is a Japanese professional baseball designated hitter and left fielder and for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He started his professional career with the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Joey Meneses Ramírez is a Mexican professional baseball first baseman and outfielder in the Washington Nationals organization of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Orix Buffaloes. He was the 2018 International League MVP.
The 2021 Japan Series was the championship series of Nippon Professional Baseball's 2021 season. The 72nd edition of the Japan Series,it was a best-of-seven playoff between the Orix Buffaloes and Tokyo Yakult Swallows,the winners of the Pacific and Central League's Climax Series,respectively. Both teams were the winners of their respective league's regular season championship.
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.
