Hanshin Tigers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hanshin Tigers |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 阪神タイガース | |||||
|
|||||
| Information | |||||
| League | Nippon Professional Baseball
|
||||
| Location | HQ in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo, Japan | ||||
| Ballpark | Hanshin Koshien Stadium (1936–present) Kyocera Dome Osaka (interim) |
||||
| Year founded | December 10, 1935 | ||||
| Nickname(s) |
|
||||
| CL pennants | 6 (1962, 1964, 1985, 2003, 2005, 2023) | ||||
| Japan Series championships | 2 (1985, 2023) | ||||
| JBL championships | 4 (1937 Fall, 1938 Spring, 1944, 1947) | ||||
| Former name(s) |
|
||||
| Colors | Yellow, Black, White |
||||
| Mascot | To-Lucky, Lucky, and Kita | ||||
| Playoff berths | 12 (2007, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) | ||||
| Retired numbers |
|
||||
| Ownership | Takaoki Fujiwara | ||||
| Management | Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd. | ||||
| Manager | Kyuji Fujikawa | ||||
| Uniforms | |||||
|
|||||
The Hanshin Tigers (阪神タイガース, Hanshin Taigāsu) are a professional baseball team in Japan. They play in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Their main stadium, Hanshin Koshien Stadium, is right next door. The Hanshin Electric Railway Company owns the team.
The Hanshin Tigers are one of the oldest professional baseball clubs in Japan. They started playing in 1936 as the Osaka Tigers. In 1961, they changed their name to the Hanshin Tigers.
Contents
Team History
The Hanshin Tigers were founded on December 10, 1935. They are the second-oldest professional club in Japan. The team first played in 1936 and was called the Ōsaka Tigers.
During World War II, in 1940, the team changed its name to Hanshin. This was because the government at the time did not want English nicknames. In 1947, they went back to being the Ōsaka Tigers. Finally, in 1961, they became the Hanshin Tigers. This was because their home stadium is in Nishinomiya, which is not in Osaka Prefecture.
The Tigers won four championships before 1950. That year, the league split into two parts: the Central League and the Pacific League. Since then, the Tigers have won the Central League six times. They also won the Japan Series twice, in 1985 and 2023.
In 2004, the Tigers played an exhibition game against the New York Yankees. This game was in Japan at the Tokyo Dome. The Tigers won the game 11–7. From 2005 to 2009, over three million fans came to watch the Tigers play. No other Japanese baseball team achieved this.
The Tigers' home field is Koshien Stadium. High school baseball teams from all over Japan use this stadium. They play their national championship tournaments there in spring and summer. The summer tournament happens during the Tigers' season. This means the Tigers have to play their home games at Kyocera Dome Osaka. Fans sometimes call this period "The Road of Death."
Many famous players have played for the Hanshin Tigers. Some of them include Fumio Fujimura, Minoru Murayama, and Randy Bass.
Hanshin Koshien Stadium
Hanshin Koshien Stadium is the Tigers' home field. It is one of Japan's three major natural grass baseball stadiums. Koshien is special because it has an all-dirt infield. The other two stadiums have American-style infields.
Koshien Stadium is the oldest ballpark in Japan. It was built in 1924. Famous American baseball player Babe Ruth visited the stadium in 1934. There is a monument at the stadium to remember his visit.
Fans and players see Koshien as a "sacred" (holy) ballpark. Players often bow before they go onto the field and when they leave it. The stadium hosts two big high school baseball tournaments every year. Losing teams in these tournaments can scoop up dirt from the infield. They put this dirt into their bags as a special memory.
The Curse of the Colonel
Some people believe a "curse" has affected the Tigers. This is a common belief for teams that don't win championships often. In 1985, the Tigers won the Central League championship. Fans celebrated by having people who looked like players jump into the Dōtonbori Canal.
However, no one looked like the team's first baseman, Randy Bass. So, fans grabbed a life-sized statue of KFC's mascot, Colonel Sanders. They threw it into the river because the Colonel also had a beard and was not Japanese. After this, the Tigers won the 1985 Japan Series. But for many years after, they did not win another championship. People said the Tigers would not win again until the Colonel's statue was found.
In 2003, the Tigers played in the Japan Series again. Many KFC restaurants in the area moved their Colonel Sanders statues inside. They wanted to protect them from excited Tigers fans. In 2005, the Tigers won the pennant again but lost the Japan Series.
The top part of the statue was found on March 10, 2009. Construction workers found it in the canal. The bottom half and one hand were found later. The statue is still missing its left hand and glasses. The KFC store where the statue used to be is now closed. The statue is kept at KFC headquarters in Yokohama.
The Tigers played in the 2014 Japan Series but lost. The curse was finally broken in 2023. The Hanshin Tigers defeated the Orix Buffaloes to win the 2023 Japan Series.
Hanshin Tigers Fans
Tigers fans are known for being very passionate and loyal. They often have more fans at "away" games than the home team. In the past, Tigers fans sometimes had a reputation for rough behavior. However, fights are rare these days.
A famous tradition for Tigers fans is releasing hundreds of air-filled balloons. They do this after the seventh-inning stretch. This happens at all home and away games. But they do not do it at games against the Yomiuri Giants in the Tokyo Dome. This is because the Giants have strict rules for visiting fans.
The rivalry between the Tigers and the Giants is a big deal in Japan. It is like other famous sports rivalries around the world. The Giants have won more games against the Tigers over time.
Team Song
The Hanshin Tigers have an official fight song. It is called "The Hanshin Tigers' Song (阪神タイガースの歌, Hanshin Tigers no Uta)". It is also known as "Rokko Oroshi (六甲颪)". This song is very popular in the Kansai area of Japan. The song talks about the wind blowing from Mount Rokko. This symbolizes the Tigers' brave spirit even when things are tough. You can even find the song in karaoke boxes!
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
|
鉄腕強打 |
Rokkō oroshi ni sassō to Tōshi hatsuratsu tatsu ya ima Tetsuwan kyōda ikuchitabi |
an official English version, not a direct translation Dashing swiftly through the wind blowin' from Rokko Powerful hits and skillful pitch achieved a thousand times |
Team Mascots
The Hanshin Tigers have three mascots. Their main mascot is To Lucky (トラッキー, Torakkii). He entertains fans at games with his girlfriend, Lucky. To Lucky's uniform number is 1985. This is because he first appeared in 1985. His name combines "Tora" (tiger) and "Rakkii" (lucky) in Japanese. So, his name means "lucky tiger."
To Lucky first appeared on the screen at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in 1985. He became a live character in 1987. His look was updated in 1992.
Lucky (ラッキー Rakkii) is To Lucky's girlfriend. She wears a pink cap. The newest mascot is Keeta (キー太), who is Lucky's little brother. Keeta's uniform number is 2011, as he joined the team in 2011. He wears his cap backwards.
See also
In Spanish: Hanshin Tigers para niños
- Central League
- Western League
- Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group – Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
- Tampere Tigers
