Play Ball (2022)

I'm continuing my Opening Day tradition of doing a post showing a baseball card from the last year that each of the 12 NPB teams won the Nippon Series which was inspired by (or stolen from) the series of posts that Night Owl Cards has been doing for a while now for MLB teams.  This is the fifth year I've done this and the first time the Hawks aren't the defending champions so this was a nice change of pace.

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

2021 Epoch NPB #404

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

2020 Epoch One #288/SH-029

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

2016 Pro Yakyuu AI #42

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

2013 Calbee #216

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

2012 Giants Victory #5

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

2010 BBM Marines #M17

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

2008 Lions Fan Club #11

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

2007 BBM Climax Series Dragons #D21

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

1998 Calbee East Special #E-41

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

1996 BBM All Stars #A43

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

1985 Calbee #203 (Masayuki Kakefu)

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

1984 Takara Carp #24 (Yutaka Ohno)

*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.