Chunichi Dragons
| Chunichi Dragons | |||||
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| League |
Nippon Professional Baseball (1950–present)
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| Ballpark |
Nagoya Dome (1997–present)
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| Year established | 1936 | ||||
| Nickname(s) | Ryu (竜?, dragon) | ||||
| Central League pennants | 8 (1954, 1974, 1982, 1988, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2011) | ||||
| Japan Series championships | 2 (1954, 2007) | ||||
| Former name(s) |
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| Former league(s) | Japanese Baseball League (1936–1949) | ||||
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| Colors | Navy, White |
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| Retired numbers | 10, 15 | ||||
| Ownership | Bungo Shirai (Chunichi Shimbun Co.) | ||||
| Manager | Shigekazu Mori | ||||
| Uniforms | |||||
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Nippon Professional Baseball (1950–present)
The Chunichi Dragons (中日ドラゴンズ Chūnichi Doragonzu?) are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chūbu region region of Japan. The team is in the Central League, and although they have had little success in the playoffs, they are still known as one of the most respected teams in Nippon Professional Baseball. They have won Central League pennant 8 times (most recently in 2011) and the Japan Series twice in 1954 and 2007. They were also champions in the 2007 Asia Series.
The Chunichi Dragons were formed in 1936 as the Nagoya Club. The franchise was acquired by Chunichi Shimbun in 1946. They became the "Dragons" in 1947, but experimented with a number of variations on their team name before settling on Chunichi Dragons in 1954.
The Dragons' most famous player toiled for the team from 1936–1958. Michio Nishizawa entered the league as a 15-year-old pitcher. He, developed into a 20-game winner by 1939. Nishizawa's most memorable pitching feats occurred in 1942. On May 24 of that year, Nishizawa pitched a remarkable twenty-eight complete innings, totalling 311 pitches in a 4-4 tie against the Taiyō Whales at Korakuen Stadium. Later that year, he tossed his first and only no-hitter, accomplishing the feat against the Hankyu team. Despite a career ERA of 2.22, the heavy workload combined with injuries sustained during two years of service in World War II forced him to switch positions to first base, and later the outfield. After early struggles with the bat, Nishizawa developed into a feared hitter. He swatted a then-league record 46 home runs in 1950. His best season came in 1952, when he led the league in both batting average and runs batted in. Altogether, Nishizawa appeared in five All Star Games and won the Best Nine Award three times.
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