| 2006 NPB season | |
|---|---|
| League | Nippon Professional Baseball |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | March 25, 2006 – October 26, 2006 |
| Regular Season | |
| Season MVP | CL: Kosuke Fukudome (CHU) PL: Michihiro Ogasawara (NIP) |
| League Postseason | |
| CL champions | Chunichi Dragons |
| CL runners-up | Hanshin Tigers |
| PL champions | Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters |
| PL runners-up | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks |
| Japan Series | |
| Champions | Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters |
| Runners-up | Chunichi Dragons |
| Finals MVP | Atsunori Inaba (NIP) |
In 2006 the Nippon Professional Baseball season ended with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of the Pacific League defeating the Chunichi Dragons of the Central League in the Japan Series.
| Central League | G | W | L | T | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chunichi Dragons | 146 | 87 | 54 | 5 | .617 | -- |
| Hanshin Tigers | 146 | 84 | 58 | 4 | .592 | 3.5 |
| Tokyo Yakult Swallows | 146 | 70 | 73 | 3 | .490 | 18 |
| Yomiuri Giants | 146 | 65 | 79 | 2 | .451 | 23.5 |
| Hiroshima Toyo Carp | 146 | 62 | 79 | 5 | .440 | 25 |
| Yokohama BayStars | 146 | 58 | 84 | 4 | .408 | 29.5 |
| Pacific League | G | W | L | T | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters | 136 | 82 | 54 | 0 | .603 | -- |
| Seibu Lions | 136 | 80 | 54 | 2 | .597 | 1 |
| Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks | 136 | 75 | 56 | 5 | .573 | 4.5 |
| Chiba Lotte Marines | 136 | 65 | 70 | 1 | .481 | 16.5 |
| Orix Buffaloes | 136 | 52 | 81 | 3 | .391 | 28.5 |
| Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles | 136 | 47 | 85 | 4 | .356 | 33 |
Seibu Lions (1) vs. Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2)
| Game | Score | Date | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 0, Seibu Lions – 1 | October 7 | Invoice Seibu Dome | 29,187[1] |
| 2 | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 11, Seibu Lions – 3 | October 8 | Invoice Seibu Dome | 31,338[2] |
| 3 | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 6, Seibu Lions – 1 | October 9 | Invoice Seibu Dome | 27,344[3] |
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (3) vs. Fukuoka Softbank Hawks (0) The Fighters have a one-game advantage.
| Game | Score | Date | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 1, Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters – 3 | October 11 | Sapporo Dome | 42,380[4] |
| 2 | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – 0, Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters – 1 | October 12 | Sapporo Dome | 42,380[5] |
|
Main article: 2006 Japan Series |
In the 2006 Japan Series, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters defeated the Chunichi Dragons 4 games to 1 in five games.
After the Japan Series, the Fighters moved on to the Asian Series, a series which determines the champion of the four major Asian baseball leagues.
The Eiji Sawamura Award, the award given to the top pitcher in Japan, was given to pitcher Kazumi Saito of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He had a win–loss record of 18-5, 205 strikeouts, and an ERA of 1.75 in 201.0 innings, winning the Pacific League's pitching triple crown.
Central League
Pacific League
Central League
Pacific League