Friday, March 29, 2019

Play Ball! (2019)

I was inspired last year by something Night Owl Cards has been doing for a while now for Opening Day each year - he does a post that shows a baseball card from the last year that each of the 30 MLB teams last won the World Series (not including the seven that have never won one).  I decided that I could steal the idea and do it for NPB.  After doing it for the first time last year I decided I would make a tradition out of it.  So here's the 2019 version:

The last time the HAWKS won the Nippon Series, cards looked like this:

2018 Epoch NPB #26
The last time the FIGHTERS won the Nippon Series, cards looked like this:

2016 BBM 1st Version #029
The last time the EAGLES won the Nippon Series, cards looked like this:

2013 BBM Classic #057
The last time the GIANTS won the Nippon Series, cards looked like this:

2012 Calbee #195
The last time the MARINES won the Nippon Series, cards looked like this:

2010 Bandai Owners League 04 #115
The last time the LIONS won the Nippon Series, cards looked like this:

2008 BBM 1st Version #385
The last time the DRAGONS won the Nippon Series, cards looked like this:

2007 Konami Baseball Heroes 3 Black Edition #B07B138
The last time the SWALLOWS won the Nippon Series, cards looked like this:

2001 BBM #342
The last time the BAYSTARS won the Nippon Series, cards looked like this:

1998 Future Bee Baystars #9
The last time the BUFFALOES* won the Nippon Series, cards looked like this:

1996 Takara BlueWave #6 (So Taguchi)
The last time the TIGERS won the Nippon Series, cards looked like this:

1985 Calbee #6 (Masayuki Kakefu)
The last time the CARP won the Nippon Series, cards looked like this:

1984 Mizuno (Yoshihiko Takahashi)

*The Buffaloes were called the BlueWave in 1996

All 12 current NPB teams have won the Series at least once so there are no "Photo Not Found" teams.

3 comments:

GCA said...

Is it rude that I think Masayuki Kakefu is saying "De plane! De plane!"?

Zippy Zappy said...

Thank goodness the Dragons won in 2007, otherwise you would've had to dig deep for 1954 menkos or bromides.

NPB Card Guy said...

@Zippy Zappy - Seriously. That three year stretch from 2005 to 2007 when the three longest Championship droughts (Lotte since 1974, Fighters since 1962 and Dragons since 1954) really helped me out here. My issue now is that I only have six Tigers cards from 1985 so Hanshin better win again soon or I'll be repeating cards..