Chiba Lotte Marines facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chiba Lotte Marines |
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| 千葉ロッテマリーンズ | |||||
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| Information | |||||
| League | Nippon Professional Baseball
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| Location | Mihama-ku, Chiba, Chiba, Japan | ||||
| Ballpark | ZOZO Marine Stadium | ||||
| Year founded | November 26, 1949 | ||||
| Nickname(s) | Kamome (鴎, seagulls) | ||||
| PL pennants | 5 (1950, 1960, 1970, 1974, 2005) | ||||
| Japan Series championships | 4 (1950, 1974, 2005, 2010) | ||||
| Former name(s) |
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| Former ballparks |
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| Colors | Black, Grey, White |
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| Mascot | Mar-kun, Rine-chan, and Zu-chan | ||||
| Playoff berths | 14 (1974, 1977, 1980, 1981, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024) | ||||
| Retired numbers | |||||
| Ownership | Katsumi Kawai | ||||
| Management | Lotte Holdings | ||||
| Manager | Masato Yoshii | ||||
| President | Shunsuke Kosaka | ||||
| Uniforms | |||||
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The Chiba Lotte Marines (千葉ロッテマリーンズ) are a professional baseball team in Japan. They play in the Pacific League, which is part of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team is based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. They are owned by Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd.
The Marines were one of the first teams in the Pacific League when it started in 1950. Back then, they were called the Mainichi Orions. They won the very first Japan Series in 1950. Since 1992, the Marines have played their home games at ZOZO Marine Stadium. This stadium is located in the Mihama Ward of Chiba and can hold over 30,000 people.
The team's name, "Marines," comes from their stadium. It's officially called Chiba Marine Stadium because it's right by the water. As of 2024, the team has won more games than they've lost in their history.
Contents
Discover the Chiba Lotte Marines' Journey
How the Team Started
The Marines team began in 1950 as the Mainichi Orions. They were one of the first teams in the Pacific League. The Mainichi Shimbun newspaper owned them. The team was named after the Orion constellation. They won the first-ever Japan Series in 1950.
In 1958, the team joined with another team, the Daiei Unions. They changed their name to the Daimai Orions. This new name showed that both Daiei and Mainichi owned half of the team. Later, in 1964, they became the Tokyo Orions. Then, in 1969, they changed their name again to the Lotte Orions.
Moving Around Japan
The team played in central Tokyo until 1972. From 1973 to 1977, the Lotte Orions played in Sendai, a city in northern Japan. In 1974, they won the Japan Series again! They beat the Chunichi Dragons. This was a big deal because another team, the Yomiuri Giants, had won the previous nine titles.
After winning in 1974, the team's owners decided to have their victory parade in Tokyo. This surprised their fans in Sendai. Because of this, fewer fans came to their games in Sendai. Their attendance dropped a lot in their last few years there.
In 1978, the team moved back to the Tokyo area. They settled in Kawasaki at Kawasaki Stadium.
Choosing the "Marines" Name
In 1992, the team moved to Chiba City. They started playing at Chiba Marine Stadium. The team asked fans to vote for a new name. "Dolphins" was a popular choice, but it wasn't picked. "Pirates" was also popular, but it was used by a team in a baseball comic book. The team didn't want to be linked to a comic book team that was not very good.
Finally, "Marines" was chosen. The team thought it meant "heroes of the sea." The letter "M" was also available for their logo. So, the team became the Chiba Lotte Marines. Their first logo had pink, blue, and white colors. It showed a pirate ship, a seagull, and waves. In 1995, the logo changed to its current design. It now uses red, black, and white (red was removed in 2019). The current logo shows a baseball with a seagull flying and the team's name around it.
Recent Successes and Key Moments
The Marines didn't reach the Japan Series again until 2005. In the 2005 season, they started strong with American manager Bobby Valentine. They won the Pacific League championship by beating the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Then, they went on to the Japan Series. This was their first time there in 31 years! The Marines easily beat the Hanshin Tigers in four games. They scored ten runs in each of the first three games. After this, they also won the Konami Cup Championships against South Korea's Samsung Lions.
In 2010, the Marines made it to the Climax Series playoffs. They became the first third-place team to win the Climax Series. They then faced the Chunichi Dragons in the 2010 Japan Series. The Marines won the series in seven games, earning their second Japan Series title in less than ten years.
The team continued to make the playoffs in later years. In 2013, they reached the final stage of the Climax Series but lost. They also made the playoffs in 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, and 2023.
A special moment happened on April 10, 2022. Pitcher Rōki Sasaki threw a perfect game. This was the first perfect game in Japan's league in 28 years! Sasaki also tied a record by striking out 19 batters. He set a new record by striking out 13 batters in a row.
In 2023, the Marines finished second in their league. They made it to the final stage of the playoffs but lost to the Orix Buffaloes. That season was also the last for their long-time public address announcer, Emi Taniho. She had announced over 2,100 games for the team.
Who Manages the Team?
The Chiba Lotte Marines have had many managers throughout their history. These managers lead the team and make important decisions during games.
The current manager is Masato Yoshii. He started managing the team in 2023. Managers play a big role in how well a team performs each season.
Meet the Mascots!
The Chiba Lotte Marines have fun mascots who entertain fans at games.
- Mar-kun (マーくん) is the main mascot. He is a seagull.
- Rine-chan (リーンちゃん) is Mar-kun's girlfriend.
- Zu-chan (ズーちゃん) is Mar-kun's younger brother.
Their names come from the team name, "Ma-rine-s." They often wear the team's uniforms. Rine-chan used to wear a pink visor, but now she wears a baseball cap like Mar-kun. Zu-chan wears his cap backward and an apron.
There was also a mascot called Mysterious Fish (謎の魚) who joined in 2017. He was a strange fish with legs! He was retired after the 2021 season.
Another mascot, Cool-kun (かっこいいくん), was a penguin known for his amazing stunts. He was retired in 2016.
Honoring the Fans
The Chiba Lotte Marines have a special way to honor their fans. They retired the number 26 in 2005. This number is for the fans! It's like how some other sports teams retire the number 12 for the "12th man" (the fans). The Marines believe their fans are the "26th player" on the team.
Minor League Team
The Marines also have a minor league team. This team helps younger players develop their skills. They play in the Eastern League. The minor league team was first known as the Mainichi Glitter Orions in 1950.
Images for kids
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Chiba Lotte Marines logo
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Chiba Lotte Marines cap logo
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Chiba Lotte Marines uniforms
See also
- Lotte Giants
- Lotte Group
