Ishikawa Million Stars

The Ishikawa Million Stars (石川ミリオンスターズ, Ishikawa Mirion Sutāzu) are a semi-professional baseball team in the Baseball Challenge League of Japan. The team was established in 2007. Their home is Ishikawa Prefecture. Former Major League Baseball star Julio Franco was the team's player-manager.[1][2][3] The team is also notable for having female knuckleball pitcher Eri Yoshida on their roster.

Ishikawa Million Stars
Information
LeagueBaseball Challenge League
  • Advance—West
BallparkKanazawa Municipal Baseball Stadium
Year established2007
Division championships6 (2007, 2009–2011, 2013, 2016)
4 championships2007, 2010, 2011, 2013
ColorsBlue, White, Gold
              
OwnershipIshikawa Million Stars Co., Ltd.
ManagerEiji Kanamori (2007-2008)
Shinji Mori (2009–2014)
Julio Franco (2015)
Masato Watanabe(2016- )

Franchise history

The team has won four Baseball Challenge League championships, in 2007, 2010, 2011, and 2013.

Ishikawa Infielder Kensuke Uchimura led the BC League in steals in 2007, which led to him being drafted by Nippon Professional Baseball's Rakuten Golden Eagles, In 2008, he became the first player to reach NPB after playing in the BC League.

Former Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) player Kazuaki Minami pitched for the Million Stars in 2008, leading to a tryout with the Chiba Lotte Marines.[4] (Minami did not end up playing for the Marines.)

In 2009, former NPB pitcher Shinji Mori joined the Million Stars as a pitcher-coach. Retiring from playing, he took over as full-time manager in 2010, staying through the 2014 season. He returned to active duty as a player in 2013, and was the Million Stars' player-manager in 2013–2014.

Pitcher Kazuaki Minami returned to the Million Stars for the 2013 season.[5] Former Boston Red Sox/New York Mets player Chris Carter also played for the team in 2013.[5] In 2013, the Million Stars were one of two Baseball Challenge League teams to play interleague games against the two Hawaii-based teams of the shirt-lived Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs.[6]

Masao Kida, who also played MLB and NPB, pitched for the Million Stars in 2013–2014. The team held a retirement ceremony for Kida on September 14, 2014. He struck out the side, and his uniform number 12 was retired by the team.[7]

Current roster

In addition to player-manager Julio Franco, the team's pitching staff includes pitcher-coach Kazuhito Tadano, who previously played both Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball.[2] Female knuckleballer Eri Yoshida also pitches for the Million Stars.[2]

Retired numbers

References
  1. "Julio Franco, 56, Joins Semi-Pro Team in Japan as Player-Manager," CBS Sports.
  2. Jun Hongo, "Julio Franco, 56 Years Old, Joins a Japan Team as Player-Manager," Wall Street Journal, February 9, 2015.
  3. Israel Fehr, "Ishikawa Million StarJulio Franco is still playing baseball at age 56," Yahoo! Sports, February 9, 2015.
  4. Gen. "Around the NPB Horn: Lions meet with Kudo, Marines invite three players for a tryout," Yakyubaka.com (Nov.13, 2009).
  5. Jakahi, Kevin. "Stars’ bats suffer burnout in loss," Archived 2017-10-19 at the Wayback Machine Hawaii Tribune-Herald (June 3, 2013).
  6. Collias, Robert. "Na Koa Ikaika Maui sets up new format for 2013: Bald-Headed Truth," The Maui News (April 5, 2013).
  7. Gen. "BC League Final Standings, Playoff Schedule, Updates; Gunma wins League Championship," Yakyubaka.com (9/16/2014).
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