Climaxing

While the baseball playoffs are well underway back in the States, this weekend brings the beginning of the Japan baseball league playoffs. Better known here as the "Climax Series."

There are a total of twelve professional baseball teams here in Japan, and much like the US's Major League Baseball there is an American League and a National League. Only they are called the Pacific League and the Central League (six teams in each). Each year, these teams battle to reach their climax. Sorry, to reach the Climax Series.

The top three teams in each league's standings by year's end move on. In the first round of the Climax Series, the 2nd and 3rd place teams fight in a three-game series for the right to move on to round two where the 1st place team is waiting. Round two is a six-game series, which seems odd because usually you need an odd even of games to determine a series winner. But not in Japan. For winning your league during the regular season, not only do you get an automatic pass to round two, but you start with an automatic one game lead in the six-game series. The winner is the first to four wins. Confusing, but fun nonetheless, especially with all the climaxing.

Finally, the winner of the Pacific League Climax Series moves on to face the winner of the Central League Climax Series in the Japan Series best of seven. The winner is the champion of Japan.

This weekend we'll be rooting for our hometown boys, the Nagoya Dragons. They finished second to the Tokyo Giants (aka. Yankees of Japan), which means they will face the third place Yakult Swallows in the first round of the Central League Climax Series. Go Dragons!

I'm hoping a Japan Series playoff run by our adopted Japan team will make up for the void left by our precious Detroit Tiger's late-season collapse back in the States. But enough moping, it's time to Climax!!!