Before we jump into the new decade, we thought it would be appropriate to go over the best games of 2019. We have to admit, it was a pretty darn exciting season. Obviously it did not end in victory, but it definitely gave fans some hope that Akihiro Yano’s brand of baseball could very well be successful in 2020 and beyond. I thought it would be fun to sit down with my boy (and yours), Zorny, and we would chat this one through.
T-Ray: Hey man, good to be chatting with you. Ready to put the 10s in the rearview mirror? I’ve really enjoyed the decade, and as a Tigers fan, 2019 might be the second-best year (after 2014)…
Zorny: Same to you man. Let’s break this year down which to me was one of the most exciting in recent years (besides 2014 of course).
T-Ray: Before we get started, I want to say that none of my favorite games were in the final six-game winning streak, although that was highly impressive. Crazy stretch… Nishi gave up two runs in the first two innings against Hiroshima in Game 138, then we blanked them the rest of the way. And we only allowed runs in ONE more inning the rest of that streak: Kyuji giving up 3 runs when we were up 6 in the next-to-last game of the year. So in the six-game streak, we gave up runs in 1 of the final 52 innings. INSANE.
Zorny: Since you started with a side note, I gotta say that it was really hard to rank these games since some of them were just too good to even be ranked. Somehow they all have their own magic so please don’t judge me in case you don’t agree with me.
T-Ray: No worries, man. We are bound to differ in our opinions a bit – that’s why I called you to join me! OK, let’s get started, man. We’ll count down the top 10, with each of us taking turns naming a game. You can start with your #10 — that way I get to name the Game of the Year, haha!
Zorny: Alright! My number 10 of this countdown is Shinnosuke Abe last game at Koshien (September 24). I ranked this one just because on that day it was supposed to be Toritani’s “farewell” game, which was one of the reasons I traveled to Japan in the first place, but because two games had to be rescheduled due to rainouts, I ended up watching this one. Nonetheless, it was a pretty dominant game, especially on relief and I had you, T-Ray, right next to me. This was one of those 6-winning-streak games that took us to the Climax Series.
T-Ray: If I remember correctly, Abe came pretty close to hitting a home run in his final at-bat against Kyuji Fujikawa, but it went foul. Am I right?
Zorny: Yes sir! A very long foul ball passing down pretty close to the right-field pole.
T-Ray: That was a pretty fun game to be at, sitting next to Scott Mathieson’s buddy and trying to explain to him some of the differences between NPB and MLB. Nice to end the year against the Giants with a dominant 5-0 W.
Zorny: That too! We had the opportunity to share some of our Hanshin knowledge with the Giants “fan”. A very fun game.
T-Ray: Well my #10 is quite different from yours. Probably you have this one listed a lot higher on the list, but I am going with Game 2 of the All-Star Game in the pouring rain at Koshien (July 13).
Zorny: Wow, that’s way lower than mine for sure and yes, I did choose this one.
T-Ray: I mean, what happened in the game makes it worthy of #1, aside from the fact that it didn’t count. Koji Chikamoto hits for the cycle, Umeno and Haraguchi with back-to-back jacks, and all three pitchers (Aoyagi, Johnson, Kyuji) throwing shutout innings. The Chikamoto cycle was called into question because of how he got the triple, but hey, play stands!
Zorny: I can’t think of a better All-Star performance by a Hanshin squad than this one. Not just Chikamoto stole the show but also earned the MVP award. Pretty remarkable.
T-Ray: Yep. OK, I go with my #9 first. I have to say, this was one of the most electric debuts ever. We tend to get too high on the imports too quickly, but dude… Yangervis Solarte strutting into town, three days later heading to Tokyo, still jet-lagged, but hits a game-winning home run at Tokyo Dome on July 26. Tell me you weren’t on Cloud 9 after this one.
Zorny: What a way to make a statement! I was definitely in awe at that moment! Unbelievable debut at Tokyo Dome to win it all! After that, I was pretty hopeful that we were to do just fine with him on the lineup but eventually, things didn’t go our way, again. My #9 goes to one more of the final games down the stretch. This time, it goes to Chikamoto’s CL breaking rookie record for hits in a season (September 19 vs. Yakult). Not much to say about this game, only that this was a pretty impressive feat by the rookie. Well done Chika-san!
T-Ray: Too bad the Tigers got spanked 8-0! But yeah, to take down “Mr. Baseball” himself, Shigeo Nagashima… amazing. Chikamoto was so steady in September when most rookies start to really feel the wear and tear of the long season.
Zorny: Just a reminder that this is the Central League record. The Pacific League record is 180!
T-Ray: Now that’s just stupid. A HUNDRED EIGHTY? Anyhow, good on Chika-pon. What’s your #8 now bro?
Zorny: #8 is Yusuke Ohyama‘s 3-run sayonara bomb against Hiroshima at Kyocera (August 10). I think all of us, at that point during the season were feeling very frustrated about Ohyama’s at-bats in general. Every time that he had the opportunity to capitalize with runners in scoring position, he just wouldn’t but on this day, he proved all of us wrong. Bottom of the 9th, no outs and runners on 1st and 2nd and finally a must-needed power shot to right-center to defeat the Carp at Kyocera! What a finish by the Big Mountain!
T-Ray: That was the day he got dropped out of the #4 slot at long last, right? I was not watching Hanshin that month, but my wife turned the TV on about 2 minutes before his homer. I was pretty happy for him. Well, my #8 is one that you also probably have higher on your list. Forgive me for jumping the gun on this one, but June 9 at Koshien against the Nippon-Ham Fighters, when Fumihito Haraguchi hit a walk-off single in front of a sold-out crowd that absolutely lost it. Yano lost it, too. His postgame interview was a tear-jerker.
Zorny: If I’m not mistaken, yes! Finally, Yano made up his mind and decided to drop the guy. Totally worth it!
T-Ray: Well then we will see that one again. OK my #7 is another game we were at together. Bro that May 5 (Children’s Day) game against the BayStars, with Haruto being victimized by sloppy defense (4 errors on the day, including two in the same inning from Kinami) but the team still hanging in there, and then Kosuke Fukudome crushing a walk-off home run at the end… that was crazy exciting. (Great to be there with family as well, wasn’t it?)
Zorny: Boy, that game almost brought me into tears and you know why? Because for the first time ever, after all my attempts of seeing the Tigers win at Koshien, they finally did it and in very dramatic fashion. Once they started playing Rokko Oroshi after the game, I had to hold a little bit back otherwise I would have just crumbled. Most definitely a wonderful afternoon along with our families. I’ll never forget it.
T-Ray: The Dome’s homer was the 50,000th in CL history, too. OK, what you got for your #7?
Zorny: My #7 is exactly the same as yours my friend! Such a thriller! I really thought we were to lose that game but fortunately, we were able to tie in the bottom of the 7th and then seal the deal on the 9th.
T-Ray: See, something about the BayStars brings out the best in us. Anyhow, you can go first on #6.
Zorny: My number #6 might have been the one that Yano started to show more and more his true self once Shun Takayama, in the bottom of the 12th, against the Giants at Koshien in a tie game (May 29), hit the biggest SALAMI in Kyojin’s face that year to walk-it-off big! Not just Takayama fell at home plate due to the amount of water being poured at him, but also he got that big hug from Yano that we so vividly remember.
T-Ray: As some of you know, I was at that game and Facebook Live’d the coup de gras. Goosebumps and euphoria. I ranked this one much higher, as you’ll see. My #6 takes us back to Solarte. His first home game was absolutely memorable and historic and has the best walk-off call I’ve ever heard in Japan. July 30 at Koshien Stadium against the Dragons. Early in the game, Solarte hit the 8000th homer in team history. Then, in the bottom of the 9th with the team down a run and Chikamoto on first, he smokes the first pitch he sees off the left-field foul pole for the W.
Zorny: This one goes way higher on my list just because was such an unforgettable moment and as you said, it was one of the most unbelievable calls that I’ve heard as a Tigers fan. “Soraaaaaateeee, Soraaaaaateeee!” Goosebumps for sure. If you don’t recall, you can listen again on the link below: