It’s been a year, hasn’t it? Without getting into too many details about any of these stories (which have been discussed on the podcast, in the TTT sessions, and in other articles we’ve written), here are the 20 things that defined this year for your Hanshin Tigers.
20. Fourth-string catcher Kenya Nagasaka started his season with a home run (and a 5.000 OPS) for the second straight year.
19. No Tigers were named to the Central League’s Best Nine (for the fifth straight year).
18. The team got off to a historically bad 2-10 start, scoring just 24 runs in those games.
17. The team successfully signed the 2020 KBO MVP (Mel Rojas Jr) and its Outstanding Pitcher Award winner (Raul Alcantara).
16. Pitcher Yuki Nishi became the first Tiger to hit a homer this year (Opening Day).
15. The team hit a total of 110 home runs (0.92/game), its second highest total in 10 years.
14. High school draftee Kota Inoue made his top-squad debut and hit an RBI double in his first PA at Koshien.
13. The Tigers led NPB in errors again, the third straight season they wear this badge of shame.
12. For the first time in 5 years, the Tigers won a draft lottery pick, choosing slugger Teruaki Sato.
11. Justin Bour and Jerry Sands became the first import combo to hit grand slams in the same game in 42 years.
10. Robert Suarez led the league in saves with 25 despite starting the season as set-up man.
9. Ryutaro Umeno won a Golden Glove Award for the third straight season.
8. Koji Chikamoto won the stolen base title for the second straight season.
7. Yusuke Ohyama was in the running for HR King (which has not been a Hanshin player since 1986) but fell just short.
6. Yuki Nishi recorded double-digits in wins for the second straight season with Hanshin and posted a career-best 2.26 ERA.
5. The team finished in second place for the first time in 3 seasons, but failed to take home a pennant for the 15th straight year.
4. Veterans Kosuke Fukudome (43, Chunichi) and Atsushi Nohmi (41, Orix) will end their careers elsewhere.
3. Covid-19 infected 8 Tigers over two separate occasions (March, September).
2. Shintaro Fujinami set a club record by throwing 162 km/h, showed promising signs of returning to dominance.
1. Kyuji Fujikawa announced his retirement and finished his career with 243 NPB saves, 1220 strikeouts.