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Chiba Lotte Marines

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Chiba Lotte Marines
File:Chibalottemarineslogo.jpg
League Pacific League
Location Chiba
Ballpark Chiba Marine Stadium
Year Founded 1950
Nickname(s) Lotte (ロッテ), Marines (マリーンズ), Kamome (鴎, gull)
League championships 1950, 1960, 1970, 1974, 2005
Japan Series championships 1950, 1974, 2005
Former name(s) Mainichi Orions (1950-1957), Mainichi Daimai Orions (1958-1963), Tokyo Orions (1964-1968), Lotte Orions (1969-1991)
Colors Red and black
Manager Bobby Valentine
Uniforms
Team colors
File:Kit left arm blackpinstripes.png File:Kit right arm blackpinstripes.png
File:Kit trousers pinstripesonwhite.png
Team colours
　
Home
Team colors
File:Kit left arm drkredhoop.png
Team emblem
Team colors
File:Kit right arm drkredhoop.png
Team colors
Team colours
　
Away

The Chiba Lotte Marines (千葉ロッテマリーンズ Chiba Rotte Marīnzu?) are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League, based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region.

Contents

[edit] History

The Chiba Lotte Marines franchise began in 1950 with the birth of the Pacific League. The Marines were founded as the Mainichi Orions, and they won the inaugural Japan Series in 1950. In 1958, they were renamed the Daimai Orions; the Tokyo Orions in 1964; the Lotte Orions in 1969; and finally, since 1992, they have been the Chiba Lotte Marines. The franchise was slow to duplicate its initial success: the Orions made the Japan Series in 1960 and 1970, only to lose both years. In 1974, they beat the Chunichi Dragons, becoming the first Pacific League team to win the Series in 10 years as the Yomiuri Giants had claimed the prior nine titles behind the Oh-Nagashima attack. After that the team failed to reach the Japan Series again until 2005. They had started the 2005 season in first place, then fell behind the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks as the year progressed, but came back to beat SoftBank 3 games to 2 in the Pacific League championship. In the final game, they trailed 2-1 entering the 8th inning. After a thirty-one year absence, the team returned to the Japan Series for the first time as the Chiba Lotte Marines, after 14 seasons with that name. In a one-sided series the Marines swept the more popular Hanshin Tigers in four games, including scoring ten runs in each of the first three games. The apparent ease with which the Marines defeated the Tigers added fuel to the ongoing debate concerning the need for a playoff system in the Central League, which was finally added in 2007.[citation needed] The Marines went on to defeat South Korea's Samsung Lions in the finals of the Konami Cup Championships.

[edit] Players of note

[edit] Current manager

[edit] Current players

[edit] Former players

[edit] Retired numbers

none

[edit] Honored number

  • 26 - This number is considered the number of the fan, the 'twentysixth player' on the bench. (NPB teams were having 25 players on their active roster)

The team is currently managed by Bobby Valentine.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://baseball.wikia.com/wiki/Chiba_Lotte_Marines"