As of 2018, how many teams currently compete in the highest level of 'Nippon Professional Baseball'?

Nippon Professional Baseball, or NPB, is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation of the "Greater Japan Tokyo Baseball Club" in Tokyo, founded 1934 and the original circuit for the sport in the Empire two years later - Japanese Baseball League (1936-1949), and you can see that they continued to play through the dark years of total warfare.

The new NPB for Japan was formed when that sports organization reorganized in 1950, with the combination of its two leagues with six teams each of the Central League and the Pacific League. The annual season ends with the Japan Series championship play-off series of games starting that year for the JPB being modelled along the lines of the American World Series tournament.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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12 Comments

JayJay

2018 and the word 'currently' make absolutely NO SENSE. The question is obsolete. All questions like this should be updated or scrapped.

johnbheymann

Oh come on ... we are now in 2024 .. update from 2018 PLEASE !

James Parrillo, with Christine

Fred Keogh, I like baseball, because I can see the players' faces. The ball usually moves among only a few players at a time, as from the pitcher to the batter or catcher and the shortstop player to the first baseman. When the score is low, the pitching is great. What sports do keep you entertained? Christine, James' wife

earlepg

I warily chose 12 since I know that the game is very popular in Japan although there aren't as many large cities as there is in the U.S.. I remember reading that at least a couple of Japan's star players came to play in the U.S..

Chris Braid

Thanks majority. No clue and the same amount of interest!

Elsy O. Stromberg

Keith Richard Mears, I agree- a little presumptuous to limit it to U.S. teams.

jack patti go

Got through this one!

John W Shreve

Fred Keogh, That's part of the game. If that bored you, try watching it on TV. Unless you have a real understanding of baseball, televised baseball is awful. I enjoy it, but then I'll stop my car just to watch a Little League game. There's no clock in baseball, giving the game its leisurely pace.

Fred Keogh

I sat through a game of baseball in New York, years ago, and was bored! Occasionally the batsman hit the ball. From where I was sitting most people were chatting to each other rather than watch the game.