Central League Information & Central League Links at HealthHaven.com

This article is about the Japanese baseball league. For the English association football league, see Central League (football). For the defunct Scottish association football leagues, see Central Football League. For the defunct United States baseball league, see Central League (baseball).

Logo of the Central League

The Central League (セントラル・リーグ, Sentoraru Rīgu^?) or Ce League (セリーグ, Se Rīgu^?) is one of Japan's two major professional baseball leagues, the winner of which plays the Japan Series against the winner of the other league, the Pacific League.

The Central League was founded in 1949 with eight teams. Designated hitters are not used during Central League home games.

In 2007 a new Climax Series was introduced. This is a play off series inspired by the stepladder playoff used in Pacific League for the top three teams of the league to determine who progresses to the Japan Series. Under the previous system, there was no post-season playoff and the winner of the pennant automatically qualified for the Japan Series.

[edit] Current teams

Team	Japanese Name	Place	Sponsor
Chunichi Dragons	中日ドラゴンズ Chūnichi Doragonzu	Nagoya	Chunichi Shimbun
Hanshin Tigers	阪神タイガース Hanshin Taigāsu	Nishinomiya	Hanshin Electric Railway
Hiroshima Toyo Carp	広島東洋カープ Hiroshima Tōyō Kāpu	Hiroshima	Matsuda family (founding family of Mazda)
Tokyo Yakult Swallows	ヤクルトスワローズ Tōkyō Yakuruto Suwarōzu	Tokyo	Yakult
Yokohama BayStars	横浜ベイスターズ Yokohama Beisutāzu	Yokohama	TBS
Yomiuri Giants	読売ジャイアンツ Yomiuri Jaiantsu	Tokyo	Yomiuri Shimbun

[edit] Central League pennant winners

2009 Yomiuri Giants
2008 Yomiuri Giants
2007 Yomiuri Giants
2006 Chunichi Dragons
2005 Hanshin Tigers
2004 Chunichi Dragons
2003 Hanshin Tigers
2002 Yomiuri Giants
2001 Yakult Swallows
2000 Yomiuri Giants
1999 Chunichi Dragons
1998 Yokohama BayStars
1997 Yakult Swallows
1996 Yomiuri Giants
1995 Yakult Swallows
1994 Yomiuri Giants
1993 Yakult Swallows
1992 Yakult Swallows
1991 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
1990 Yomiuri Giants
1989 Yomiuri Giants
1988 Chunichi Dragons
1987 Yomiuri Giants
1986 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
1985 Hanshin Tigers
1984 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
1983 Yomiuri Giants
1982 Chunichi Dragons
1981 Yomiuri Giants
1980 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
1979 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
1978 Yakult Swallows
1977 Yomiuri Giants
1976 Yomiuri Giants
1975 Hiroshima Toyo Carp
1974 Chunichi Dragons
1973 Yomiuri Giants
1972 Yomiuri Giants
1971 Yomiuri Giants
1970 Yomiuri Giants
1969 Yomiuri Giants
1968 Yomiuri Giants
1967 Yomiuri Giants
1966 Yomiuri Giants
1965 Yomiuri Giants
1964 Hanshin Tigers
1963 Yomiuri Giants
1962 Hanshin Tigers
1961 Yomiuri Giants
1960 Taiyo Whales
1959 Yomiuri Giants
1958 Yomiuri Giants
1957 Yomiuri Giants
1956 Yomiuri Giants
1955 Yomiuri Giants
1954 Chunichi Dragons
1953 Yomiuri Giants
1952 Yomiuri Giants
1951 Yomiuri Giants
1950 Shochiku Robins

[edit] Central League Climax Series winners

2008 Yomiuri Giants
2007 Chunichi Dragons

[edit] Central League statistics

Team	Pennants	Runners-up
Yomiuri Giants	30	10
Chunichi Dragons	7	21
Hiroshima Toyo Carp	6	6
Yakult Swallows	6	3
Hanshin Tigers	5	14
Yokohama BayStars	2	4
Shochiku Robins	1	0

[edit] See also

Nippon Professional Baseball

[edit] External links