Asia Series

From BR Bullpen

The Asia Series was an annual international postseason baseball competition between the domestic league champions of Asia. The tournament began with 2005 with teams representing China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. It was not held in 2009 or 2010. It resumed in 2011 with Australia replacing China as the 4th team. China was back in 2012, when it became a six-team event. For 2013, China came back out and the tournament added a third continent by adding 2013 European Cup Fortitudo Bologna of Italy. The Series was cancelled in 2014, though.

History[edit]

The first tournament, held in 2005 at the Tokyo Dome, was won by the Chiba Lotte Marines (NPB) with the Marines' Benny Agbayani as the MVP. The next year, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (NPB) won and Yu Darvish won the MVP award. In 2007, the Chunichi Dragons (NPB) won despite a stiff challenge from the SK Wyverns of the KBO. SK beat Chunichi in the first round before a close 6-5 loss in the championship game. Hirokazu Ibata was named MVP after his 9th-inning game-winning single off of former NPB hurler Mike Romano.

In the 2008 Asia Series, the three top teams all went 2-1 in the first round before the Japanese squad, the Seibu Lions, eked out a 1-0 win in the finale. The MVP was Tomoaki Sato. After 2008, the event was canceled for financial reasons. Plans were made for it to be reinstated in 2010 but these fell through. It restarted in 2011. The 2011 Asia Series marked the first champion from outside Japan, as the Samsung Lions beat the Softbank Hawks, 5-3, in the finale. The MVP was Won-sam Jang, the first pitcher to win two games in an Asia Series.

In the 2012 Asia Series, the title returned to Japan, with the Yomiuri Giants beating the CPBL's Lamigo Monkeys. The MVP was Yomiuri SS Hayato Sakamoto, who drove in 4 runs in the 3 games. Australia's Canberra Cavalry won the 2013 Asia Series, trouncing the Uni-President Lions of Taiwan in the finale, 14-4. Jack Murphy drove in 7 runs in the finale to win MVP honors.

Qualifiers[edit]

The tournament has six (6) qualifying teams based on the results of their domestic competition.

From 2005-2011, the four participants were:

In 2012, a second Korean team was added as well as China and Australia both sending entries.

Format[edit]

The format for the first 5 Cups was a single-game round-robin, followed by a single championship game between the top two teams. All games are played with a designated hitter and a 10-run mercy rule.

Results[edit]

Season Champions Score Runners-up
2005 Chiba Lotte Marines 5 - 3 Samsung Lions
2006 Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 1 - 0 La New Bears
2007 Chunichi Dragons 6 - 5 SK Wyverns
2008 Seibu Lions 1 - 0 Uni-President Lions
2011 Samsung Lions 5 - 3 Softbank Hawks
2012 Yomiuri Giants 6 - 3 Lamigo Monkeys
2013 Canberra Cavalry 14-4 Uni-President Lions