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."
The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno,California,and play their home games at Chukchansi Park,which was opened in 2002 in downtown Fresno. They previously played at Fresno State's Pete Beiden Field from 1998 to 2001.
Alvin Glenn Davis,nicknamed "Mr. Mariner",is an American former Major League Baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He played eight of his nine seasons for the Seattle Mariners and won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1984.
Francis Joseph "Lefty" O'Doul was an American professional baseball player and manager. Though he spent eleven seasons in Major League Baseball,most notably for the New York Giants and Philadelphia Phillies,he is best known for his career in the Pacific Coast League,where he was a star player and a successful manager.
Jerry Austin Narron is an American professional baseball manager,coach,and former player. He is the current catching coach for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He recently served as a major league instructor for the Chicago White Sox. Narron played in MLB,primarily as a catcher,for three teams during 1979–87. He has served as manager for the Texas Rangers (2001–02) and the Cincinnati Reds (2005–07).
Charles Fuqua Manuel Jr. is an American former professional baseball player,coach,and manager. During his playing career,he appeared over parts of six Major League Baseball seasons for the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers,before playing another six seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball with the Yakult Swallows and Kintetsu Buffaloes. Over four successive seasons in NPB,Manuel hit at least .312 with 37 home runs each season and won the 1979 Pacific League Most Valuable Player Award.
Scott Michael McClain is a former Major League Baseball third baseman who is a scout in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Rex Allen Hudler is an American former Major League Baseball utility player and color commentator for the Kansas City Royals. He played a total of 14 seasons after being a first round draft pick of the New York Yankees in 1978.
John Truman Wasdin is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1995 to 2007,and also played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Andrew Jason Lorraine is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1994 to 2002 for the California Angels,Chicago White Sox,Oakland Athletics,Seattle Mariners,Chicago Cubs,Cleveland Indians,and Milwaukee Brewers. He was born in Los Angeles,California. He also played for the La New Bears in Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League.
Dennis Scott Sarfate is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Milwaukee Brewers,Houston Astros,and Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Hiroshima Toyo Carp,Saitama Seibu Lions,and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). While an average reliever in MLB,Sarfate became one of the greatest closers in NPB history after moving his career overseas. Sarfate holds several NPB records,including most saves in a season and most by a foreign-born pitcher. As of 2020,his 234 career saves rank fifth-most in NPB history. He is a 3×NPB All-Star,a 3×Pacific League saves leader,a 5×Japan Series Champion,won the Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award,won the Pacific League MVP Award,and won the Matsutaro Shoriki Award.
Thomas Harold Gamboa is an American professional baseball coach and manager.
Lawrence Kyle Abbott is an American former professional baseball pitcher. In a five-year career,Abbott played four seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the California Angels and Philadelphia Phillies,as well as one season for the Kintetsu Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He was officially listed as standing 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) and weighing 200 pounds (91 kg).
Brandon J. Laird,nicknamed "Sushi Boy",is an American professional baseball third baseman who plays for the Mumbai Cobras of Baseball United. He has played for the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB),and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Efrén Navarro is a Mexican-American professional baseball first baseman and left fielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim,Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs,and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hanshin Tigers. He also plays on the Mexico national baseball team.
Matthew Terry Clark is an American former professional baseball first baseman and outfielder. He played for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Chunichi Dragons and Orix Buffaloes (NPB). Prior to beginning his professional career,he played college baseball at UC Santa Barbara and Louisiana State University. Clark also competed for the United States national baseball team and the Mexico national baseball team.
The Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs was an independent baseball league based in Northern California. The league was founded in 2013 by four former North American League teams.
Alexander Brady Verdugo is an American professional baseball outfielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox.
Susumu Aoyagi was a professional baseball player from Japan. He played for Chiba Lotte Marines in the Japan Pacific League and the Yakult Swallows in the Japan Central League.
Yukio Arai is a former Japanese professional baseball player. He played for the Yakult Swallows in the Japan Central League. He later played for the Kintetsu Buffaloes of the Japan Pacific League. He ended his career playing with the Yokohama BayStars of the Japan Central League.
