Valentine's Marines win Japan Series

Japanese Pro Yakyu 2005

Toshiaki Imae sets a Japan Series record with his eighth hit in as many at-bats in the 8th inning on Sunday (Photo Source: Nikkan Sports)

Interleague games Lotte vs Hanshin 3-0 || 4-1 || 0-3 || 7-10 || 4-3 || 1-1 Statistics: CLM || HT

Mainichi Daily News -- South Korean slugger Lee Seung-yeop drove in all three runs Wednesday, leading Bobby Valentine's Chiba Lotte Marines to a 3-2 win over the Hanshin Tigers and their first Japan Series title in 31 years.
"I feel wonderful," said Valentine, who became the first foreign manager to win a Japan Series. "We started in spring training with a dream to be here for the last game. We wanted to win the last game and we did."
October 26: Full Story
Kyodo: Lotte wins first Japan Series in 31 years
Stephen Ellsesser: Marines sweep Tigers to clinch series
Daily Yomiuri: Marines sweep past Tigers
John E. Gibson: MVP Imae leads Lotte to promised land
Also: Champs did it with foreign substance
Jim Allen: Mild exteriors mask Lotte's hearts of steel
Japan Times: Valentine sets his sights on a real World Series title
Related: Valentine says time for true World Series has come
Photo coverage: Yahoo! Japan || Sankei Sports
More: Chiba Lotte Marines photo gallery
Pitch-by-pitch: Lee Seung-yeop had six hits, including two doubles and three home runs, in 11 Japan Series at-bats.

Lotte a win away from Japan Series title
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Bobby Valentine's Lotte Marines are one victory from their first Japan Series title in 31 years while the Hanshin Tigers had another nightmare night, this time in their own backyard.
Kazuya Fukuura hit a grand slam in a seven-run explosion in the seventh inning as Lotte stomped Hanshin 10-1 in Game 3 to take a 3-0 advantage in the series Tuesday.
October 25: Full Story
Stephen Ellsesser: Three down, one to go
John E. Gibson: Marines maul Tigers again
Also: Valentine's magic numbers

Tigers hoping to turn tide at Koshien
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- The Hanshin Tigers have gotten off to embarrassing start after dropping the first two games in the Japan Series to the Lotte Marines.
"I was concerned about our batting more than our pitching before the Japan Series started, and my worst fears have been realized," Hanshin manager Akinobu Okada said.
October 24: Full Story
Jim Allen: Marines have Hanshin on run
Daily Yomiuri: Tigers need executive action
Stephen Ellsesser: Tigers learning a tough postseason lesson
Asahi Shimbun: PL pitchers, swing that lumber!
Matt Franco: Koshien a real gas
Photos: Game Three starters Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi (left photo) and Hiroyuki Kobayashi getting themselves ready at Koshien Stadium on Monday.
JapaneseBaseball.com thread: Tigers fan needs some consolation
Asahi Shimbun: Hopes still high in Tigers nation

Watanabe blanks Tigers in Game Two
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Shunsuke Watanabe pitched a four-hitter over the distance, while Saburo Omura, Matt Franco and Lee Seung Yeop each homered in a five-run six inning as the Lotte Marines trounced the Hanshin Tigers 10-0 Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Japan Series.
Lotte became the first team to score double-digit runs in back-to-back Japan Series games.
October 23: Full Story
Stephen Ellsesser: Marines batter toothless Tigers -- The Marines keep losing bodies, but the Tigers keep losing games.
Jim Allen: M's remain on offensive -- If this keeps up, the next flags raised by the Hanshin Tigers rabid supporters may be white ones.
Daily Yomiuri: Foggy bayside breakdown
Photos: Shunsuke Watanabe delivers; Saburo Omura breaks the game open with a two-run homer in the 6th.
Pitch-by-pitch: Kanemoto and Imaoka go 0-for-6 again; M's put together six straight hits in the five-run sixth inning.

Imae leads Marines' 15-hit attack in Japan Series opener
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- Toshiaki Imae homered and went 4-for-4 and drove in two key runs while Tomoya Satozaki, Lee Seung Yeop and Benny Agbayani all went deep as the Lotte Marines clobbered the Hanshin Tigers 10-1 in Game 1 of the Japan Series on Saturday.
For the first time in the history of the Japan Series, a game was called due to a dense fog, which descended on the ballpark making it virtually impossible to continue play with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning.
"It was a great win and too bad we didn't get to play nine innings. The guys came out swinging and Shimizu Naoyuki was fantastic," said Lotte manager Bobby Valentine.
October 22: Full Story
Jim Allen: Recap of Game One
Japan Times: M's open fire on hapless Tigers
Photos: Lotte third baseman Toshiaki Imae opens the scoring with a solo homer in the first inning; the play is stopped at 8:31 pm with one out in the bottom of the 7th; a view from the Marines' dugout; the umpiring crew calls the game following a 34-minute wait.
Mainichi Daily News: Lotte Marines fans gear up for Japan Series extravaganza
Wayne Graczyk: With satellite, cable TV you can get your fill of pro baseball
Pitch-by-pitch: Igawa tagged for five extra-baggers; Marines score five runs against reliever Hashimoto in the 7th; Kanemoto and Imaoka held hitless.

Igawa, Shimizu get starting nods in Game One
By Jim Allen, Daily Yomiuri -- A day many Chiba Lotte Marines fans doubted would ever come is here.
After 31 years of futility, the newly minted Pacific League champs take on the Central League champion Hanshin Tigers in Game 1 of the 2005 Japan Series.
October 21: Full Story
John E. Gibson: Mission finally possible
Daily Yomiuri: Series matchups
Valentine: Japan Series excitement matches that of 2000 Mets-Yankees showdown
Chiba Lotte Marines: Diary from abroad
Photo: Hanshin Tigers manager Akinobu Okada and Lotte Marines skipper Bobby Valentine shake hands at Chiba Marine Stadium on Friday
Also: Rakuten's TBS move takes hit
Kyodo: Jojima eyes major league move

Tigers, Marines look to end droughts
JapanBall.com/Kyodo -- When the Japan Series kicks off between the Hanshin Tigers and Lotte Marines on Saturday, it will likely boil down to a duel between the best pitchers in the Central and Pacific leagues.
October 20: Full Story
Related: Kanemoto heads into Series at full speed
Japan Times: M's ready to tackle some unfinished business in Japan Series
Andrew Mitchell: Bobby Valentine works his magic and Marines win it all
Dave Wiggins: Kanemoto, Tigers have last laugh on curse of the Colonel
Also: Solid Sheets perfect fit for pennant-winning Tigers