Rakuten Eagles Origin Story - The Tohoku Team Born from Baseball's Restructuring Crisis
The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles' journey from 2004 expansion through a 38-97 inaugural season, the 2011 earthquake, to their first championship in 2013.
Articles tagged with rakuten
2013 Rakuten Japan Series - Tanaka Masahiro 24-0 Legend
Rakuten's 2013 championship, powered by Tanaka's unprecedented 24-0 season, culminated in his iconic Game 7 relief appearance one day after throwing 160 pitches.
Masahiro Tanaka's 24-0 Record - The Undefeated Myth Behind Rakuten's 2013 Championship
Masahiro Tanaka's unprecedented 24-0 season in 2013 that led Rakuten to their first championship, followed by seven Yankees seasons and his NPB return.
Senichi Hoshino the Fighting General - The Fiery Manager Who Led 3 Teams to Championships
Senichi Hoshino, the 'Fighting General' who led three different teams to pennants: his 146-win playing career, the 2003 Hanshin miracle, and Rakuten's first championship in 2013.
The Pacific League's Survival Crisis - Behind the Scenes of the 2004 NPB Restructuring
In 2004, the merger of Kintetsu and Orix made Pacific League dissolution and single-league transition a real possibility.
Hideto Asamura's Hitting Evolution - The Lineage of a Power-Hitting Second Baseman from Seibu to Rakuten
Hideto Asamura emerged as a hitter-second baseman with Seibu and continued as a cleanup-caliber bat with Tohoku Rakuten after signing as a free agent. In NPB, second basemen are valued for bat control and base running, and players who combine that with power hitting are scarce. Through the path Asamura traveled from Seibu to Rakuten and a comparison of his records at both franchises, we analyze the rare value of a power-hitting second baseman.
Team-Owned IT Subsidiaries' Strategy - The Digital Revenue Architecture DeNA and Rakuten Built in NPB
DeNA and Rakuten own NPB franchises while running primary businesses in IT and internet services, a rare combination. The strategic advantages this parentage delivers concentrate in the digital domain: viewing apps, ticketing, fan management, and data services. We analyze the digital revenue architecture that IT parent companies command in NPB by comparing the two against franchises with non-IT parents.