2014 MLB Japan All-Star Series

2014 MLB Japan All-Star Series

Format	Best-of-5 series plus 3 exhibition games
Dates	November 10–20
Locations	Japan (Nishinomiya, Osaka, Tokyo, Sapporo, Okinawa)
Teams	MLB All-Stars Samurai Japan For exhibition purposes NPB Hawks–Fighters Union NPB Tigers–Giants Union
Result	Samurai Japan wins 3–2–0

The 2014 MLB Japan All-Star Series was the eleventh edition of the championship, a best-of-five series between the All-Star team from Major League Baseball (MLB) and, for the first time in series history, the national team Samurai Japan.^[1][2] The then-new Commissioner of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) saw in this championship a big opportunity for their Japanese team to gain hugely useful experience for the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

The series also celebrated the 80th anniversary of the establishment of Japan's professional baseball by holding an exhibition game of a joint team of Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants against the MLB All-Stars at the Koshien Stadium on November 11, 2014.

Samurai Japan won the series by 3–2–0 and Yuki Yanagita was named MVP.^[3]

Results

Exhibition (1)

Game	Date / Time (JST)	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Duration	Location	Ref
1	November 10 / 6pm	Samurai Japan	0–1	NPB Hawks–Fighters Union	2:43	Fukuoka Dome	[4]
2	November 11 / 6pm	NPB Tigers–Giants Union	7–8	MLB All-Stars	3:36	Koshien Stadium	[5]

Championship

Game	Date / Time (JST)	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Duration	Location	Ref
1	November 12 / 6pm	Samurai Japan	2–0	MLB All-Stars	2:42	Osaka Dome	[6]
2	November 14 / 6pm	MLB All-Stars	4–8	Samurai Japan	3:02	Tokyo Dome	[7]
3	November 15 / 6pm	Samurai Japan	4–0	MLB All-Stars	2:35	Tokyo Dome	[8]
4	November 16 / 6pm	MLB All-Stars	6–1	Samurai Japan	3:01	Tokyo Dome	[9]
5	November 18 / 7pm	Samurai Japan	1–3	MLB All-Stars	2:58	Sapporo Dome	[10]

Exhibition (2)

Game	Date / Time (JST)	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Duration	Location	Ref
3	November 20 / 6pm	MLB All-Stars	4–6	Samurai Japan	3:27	Okinawa Cellular Stadium	[11]

Rosters

MLB All-Stars roster
Active roster				Coaches/Other
Pitchers 38 Jeff Beliveau 13 Jerry Blevins 26 Chris Capuano 36 Randy Choate 11 Jeremy Guthrie 29 Tommy Hunter 18 Hisashi Iwakuma 35 Mark Melancon 56 Franklin Morales 53 Hector Santiago 52 Matt Shoemaker 41 José Veras 67 Tsuyoshi Wada 47 Rob Wooten		Catchers 13 Salvador Pérez 19 Erik Kratz 31 Drew Butera Infielders 27 José Altuve 22 Robinson Canó 44 Anthony Rizzo  2 Alcides Escobar 41 Carlos Santana  3 Evan Longoria 33 Justin Morneau  9 Eduardo Núñez 18 Ben Zobrist Outfielders 23 Chris Carter 21 Dexter Fowler 66 Yasiel Puig 34 Bryce Harper		Manager 53 John Farrell Coaches 13 Brian Butterfield 17 Terry Francona 20 DeMarlo Hale 31 Mike Maddux 47 Juan Nieves Disabled list ‡ Inactive list § Suspended list  updated November 9, 2014

Samurai Japan roster
Active roster				Coaches/Other
Pitchers 17 Shintaro Fujinami 15 Shoichi Inoh 47 Minoru Iwata 19 Chihiro Kaneko 18 Kenta Maeda 35 Kazuhisa Makita 12 Takahiro Matsuba 21 Yuki Nishi 26 Yuji Nishino 14 Takahiro Norimoto 16 Shohei Otani 30 Shota Takeda 43 Tomomi Takahashi		Catchers 22 Hikaru Ito 10 Seiji Kobayashi 37 Motohiro Shima Infielders 33 Ginji Akaminai  2 Kenta Imamiya  4 Ryosuke Kikuchi  3 Nobuhiro Matsuda 13 Sho Nakata  6 Hayato Sakamoto 23 Tetsuto Yamada Outfielders  7 Yoshio Itoi  9 Yoshihiro Maru 25 Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh  1 Seiichi Uchikawa 44 Yuki Yanagita		Manager 90 Hiroki Kokubo Coaches 41 Atsunori Inaba 89 Yoshitaka Katori 83 Arihito Muramatsu 73 Hiroshi Narahara 87 Toshihisa Nishi 88 Akihiro Yano Disabled list ‡ Inactive list § Suspended list  updated November 9, 2014

Live broadcasting

• Nippon Television, TBS, TV Asahi, Fuji TV (Japan)
• MLB Network (United States)

References

1. Paul Casella (August 21, 2014). "MLB stars commit to 'All-Star Series' in Japan". Major League Baseball. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
2. "Japan Series". Major League Baseball. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
3. Ben Cosman (November 18, 2014). "Japan Series MVP Yuki Yanagita swings so hard his batting helmet pops off". Major League Baseball. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
4. "Samurai Japan loses warm-up game". The Japan Times. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
5. "MLB takes nail-biter in Japan showcase". Major League Baseball. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
6. "Kenta Maeda blanks MLB All-Stars to help Japan win 2-0". ESPN. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
7. "Japan knocks around MLB countrymen". Major League Baseball. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
8. "Perfect Norimoto leads combined no-no vs. MLB". Major League Baseball. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
9. Adam Berry (November 16, 2014). "Morneau helps MLB get back on track in Tokyo". Major League Baseball. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
10. Joey Nowak (November 18, 2014). "MLB follows Shoemaker to victory over Japan". Major League Baseball. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
11. Adam Berry (20 November 2014). "Longoria's third homer isn't enough in Japan finale". Major League Baseball. Retrieved 20 November 2014.

External links

• "All-Star Series in Japan History". MLB.com.