Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks |
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| 福岡ソフトバンクホークス | |||||
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| Information | |||||
| League | Nippon Professional Baseball
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| Location | Chūō-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan | ||||
| Ballpark | Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka | ||||
| Year founded | February 22, 1938 | ||||
| Nickname(s) | Taka (鷹, hawk) | ||||
| PL pennants | 20 (1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1959, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1973, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2024) | ||||
| Japan Series championships | 11 (1959, 1964, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) | ||||
| JBL championships | 2 (1946, 1948) | ||||
| Former name(s) |
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| Former ballparks |
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| Colors | Revolution Yellow, Black, White, Grey |
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| Mascot | Harry Hawk and the Hawk Family | ||||
| Playoff berths | 19 (1973, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024) | ||||
| Ownership | Masayoshi Son, Yoshimitsu Goto | ||||
| Management | SoftBank Group, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Corp. | ||||
| Manager | Hiroki Kokubo | ||||
| President | Sadaharu Oh | ||||
| Website | softbankhawks.co.jp | ||||
| Uniforms | |||||
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The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (福岡ソフトバンクホークス) are a professional baseball team from Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. They play in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), which is Japan's top baseball league. The Hawks are part of the Pacific League.
The team started on February 22, 1938, as the Nankai Club in Osaka. Over the years, the team changed its name a few times. In 1947, they became the Nankai Hawks. In 1988, the team got a new owner and moved to Fukuoka in 1989. They were then known as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks until 2005. That's when SoftBank Group bought the team, and they became the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Since 1993, the Hawks have played at Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka, a large stadium that can hold 40,000 people.
The Hawks are known as one of the most successful teams in the Pacific League. Many people also see them as the richest baseball team in Japan. They have won the Japan Series 11 times, including seven championships between 2011 and 2020. They have also won the Pacific League 20 times. Their most recent league win was in 2024, and their last Japan Series win was in 2020.
Contents
Team History: How the Hawks Began
Early Years in Osaka (1938–1988)
The team was founded on February 22, 1938, by the Nankai Electric Railway company. It was first called the Nankai Club and was based in Osaka. The team joined the Japanese Baseball League (JPBL) in late 1938. They played their first games at Sakai Ohama Stadium. In 1939, they moved to Nakamozu Stadium.
During World War II, the team's name changed to Kinki Nippon in 1944. After the war, in 1946, they were called Kinki Great Ring. They even won the JPBL championship that year! In 1947, the team changed its name again to Nankai Hawks. This name came from the Nankai company's logo, which showed a winged wheel.
After the JPBL became Nippon Professional Baseball in 1950, the Hawks joined the Pacific League. Under their player-manager Kazuto Tsuruoka, they became very successful. They won two Japan Series championships in 1959 and 1964. They also won the Pacific League 10 times during this period.
In 1964, a Hawks pitcher named Masanori Murakami became the first Japanese player to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States. He played for the San Francisco Giants. This was a big moment for Japanese baseball.
From 1978 to 1988, the team had a tough time. They often finished in the bottom half of the league. This made fewer fans come to games. In 1988, the Nankai Electric Railway company decided to sell the team. It was bought by the Daiei Corporation.
Moving to Fukuoka: The Daiei Hawks (1988–2004)
After being bought by Daiei, the team moved to Fukuoka. This was because Fukuoka had not had a baseball team for a decade. Also, Daiei wanted to become more well-known in the Kyushu region. The team was renamed the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks.
For their first four seasons in Fukuoka, the Hawks played at Heiwadai Stadium. In 1993, they moved to a brand new stadium called the Fukuoka Dome. This stadium is now known as Mizuho PayPay Dome Fukuoka. It was the first stadium in Japan with a roof that could open and close! However, because of the weather in Fukuoka, the roof is usually only opened on special sunny days.
The Hawks started to get better in the late 1990s. They focused on finding and training young players. They also signed some important free agents. A big change came in 1995 when Sadaharu Oh, a famous home run hitter, became their manager. Under his leadership, the team became very strong.
In 1999, the Daiei Hawks finally won the Japan Series! It was their first championship since 1964. They beat the Chunichi Dragons in five games. The next year, they made it to the Japan Series again but lost to the Yomiuri Giants. In 2003, they won their second Japan Series as the Daiei Hawks, beating the Hanshin Tigers.
The SoftBank Era Begins (2005–Present)
In 2005, the Daiei company sold the team to SoftBank Group. The team was renamed the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Under SoftBank's ownership, the Hawks became one of the richest teams in baseball. They continued to be a very strong team.
In 2011, the Hawks had an amazing season and won the Pacific League. They then went on to win the Japan Series again, beating the Chunichi Dragons.
A Decade of Dominance (2010s)
The 2010s were a golden age for the Hawks. They won the Japan Series in 2014 and 2015 under manager Kimiyasu Kudo. In 2015, outfielder Yuki Yanagita had an incredible season, winning the Pacific League MVP award.
After losing in 2016, the Hawks came back strong. They won the Japan Series in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020! This was an amazing streak of four championships in a row. They were the first team to do this since the Yomiuri Giants in the 1960s and 70s. During this time, pitcher Kodai Senga became a star. He even threw the team's first no-hitter since 1943 in 2019.
Recent Seasons (2020s)
In 2020, the Hawks won their fourth straight Japan Series, sweeping the Yomiuri Giants. This made them the first team in NPB history to sweep the same opponent in back-to-back Japan Series.
The 2021 season was tougher for the Hawks, and they missed the playoffs. Manager Kimiyasu Kudo stepped down. In 2022, Hiroshi Fujimoto became the new manager. The team started strong but lost the Pacific League pennant on the very last day of the season.
Before the 2023 season, the Hawks signed some big new players like Kensuke Kondoh and Roberto Osuna. However, they still finished third in the Pacific League and lost in the first round of the playoffs. After this, Fujimoto stepped down, and Hiroki Kokubo became the new manager.
In 2024, the Hawks had a fantastic season. They won their 20th Pacific League pennant, leading the league for most of the year. They won 91 games, which was the most wins by an NPB team since 2017. However, they lost the 2024 Japan Series to the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. This ended their record-breaking 14-game Japan Series winning streak.
Team Mascots
The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks have many mascots! They have twelve active mascots in total. Nine of them are part of the Hawk Family:
- Harry Hawk – He is a yellow hawk, 23 years old, and wears the number 100. Harry is the main mascot for the team.
- Honey Hawk – She is a pink female hawk, 18 years old. Honey is Harry's girlfriend and the name behind the Hawks' cheerleading team, the Honeys.
- Herculy Hawk – A brown hawk, 23 years old, wearing the number 200. Herculy is Harry's teammate and friendly rival.
- Honky Hawk – A 57-year-old brown hawk. Honky is Harry's uncle and the mayor of Hawks Town.
- Helen Hawk – A 55-year-old female hawk, and Honky's wife.
- Hack Hawk – Harry's 7-year-old nephew. He is the oldest of three hawk brothers.
- Rick Hawk – Harry's 5-year-old nephew. He is the middle brother and wears glasses.
- Hock Hawk – Harry's 3-year-old nephew. He is the youngest of the hawk brothers.
- Homer Hawk – He was the original mascot from 1989 to 2004. He is Harry's older brother.
The Hawks also have a special mascot named Fu-san. He looks like a jet balloon, which fans release during the "Lucky 7" inning. In 2023, for the team's 85th anniversary, they introduced a new mascot called Barikata-kun. This mascot is inspired by Fukuoka's famous tonkotsu ramen noodles.
Hawks Players Who Played in MLB
Some players who played for the Hawks also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States:
- Masanori Murakami (1964–1965)
- Tadahito Iguchi (2005–2008)
- Kenji Johjima (2006–2009)
- Munenori Kawasaki (2012–2016)
- Tsuyoshi Wada (2014–2015)
- Kohei Arihara (2021–2022)
Currently, Kodai Senga (2023–present) is an active MLB player who used to play for the Hawks.
Images for kids
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Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks team logo.
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Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks cap logo.
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Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks uniforms.
See also
In Spanish: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks para niños
