2011 Nippon Professional Baseball season


The 2011 Nippon Professional Baseball season is the 62nd season since the NPB was reorganized in 1950. The season was delayed by the Tohoku earthquake. The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, based in northern Japan, and coached by Senichi Hoshino, were particularly affected by the quake, as the Miyagi Baseball Stadium was badly damaged.
Because of energy concerns following the earthquake, NPB also imposed restrictions on games during the regular season. A three-hour-thirty-minute rule was imposed. If a game went past the 3:30 mark, regardless of inning, the inning in question would be the last inning. A game would be called should any blackout occur during the game. The 3:30 clock starts at the first pitch of the game and continues in case of any delay.
As the season ends, the Yokohama BayStars was renamed as Yokohama DeNA BayStars as the owner changes.

Regular season standings

TeamGWLTPct.GB
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks144884610.657—
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters14472657.52617.5
Saitama Seibu Lions14468679.50420.5
Orix Buffaloes14469687.50420.5
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles14466717.48223.5
Chiba Lotte Marines144547911.40633.5

Climax Series

Note: All of the games that are played in the first two rounds of the Climax Series are held at the higher seed's home stadium. The team with the higher regular-season standing also advances if the round ends in a tie.

First stage

The regular season league champions, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and the Chunichi Dragons, received byes to the championship round.

Central League

Pacific League

Final stage

The regular season league champions, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and the Chunichi Dragons, received a one-game advantage.

Central League

Pacific League

Japan Series

League leaders

Central League

StatPlayerTeamTotal
Batting averageHisayoshi ChonoYomiuri Giants.316
Home runsWladimir BalentienTokyo Yakult Swallows31
Runs batted inTakahiro AraiHanshin Tigers93
RunsNorichika AokiTokyo Yakult Swallows73
HitsMatt MurtonHanshin Tigers180
Stolen basesDaisuke FujimuraYomiuri Giants28

StatPlayerTeamTotal
WinsTetsuya Utsumi
Kazuki Yoshimi		Yomiuri Giants
Chunichi Dragons		18
LossesKentaro TakasakiYokohama BayStars15
Earned run averageKazuki YoshimiChunichi Dragons1.65
StrikeoutsKenta MaedaHiroshima Toyo Carp192
Innings pitchedKenta MaedaHiroshima Toyo Carp216
SavesKyuji FujikawaHanshin Tigers41

Pacific League

StatPlayerTeamTotal
Batting averageSeiichi UchikawaFukuoka SoftBank Hawks.338
Home runsTakeya NakamuraSaitama Seibu Lions48
Runs batted inTakeya NakamuraSaitama Seibu Lions116
RunsTakeya NakamuraSaitama Seibu Lions97
HitsTomotaka SakaguchiOrix Buffaloes175
Stolen basesYuichi HondaFukuoka SoftBank Hawks60

StatPlayerTeamTotal
WinsD. J. Houlton
Masahiro Tanaka		Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles		19
LossesYoshihisa Naruse
Masaru Takeda
Hideaki Wakui		Chiba Lotte Marines
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
Saitama Seibu Lions		12
Earned run averageMasahiro TanakaTohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles1.27
StrikeoutsYu DarvishHokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters276
Innings pitchedYu DarvishHokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters232
SavesHisashi TakedaHokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters37