The are a professional
baseball team in the Japanese
Central League. Home field is the
Yokohama Stadium, located in central
Yokohama. The clubhouse is located near the stadium.
The team mascot is
Hossy, the character with the star-shaped head seen on the team
logo.
The minor league team is named the
Shonan Searex, and plays in the
Eastern League. The minor league home field is
Yokosuka Stadium, located in
Yokosuka, Kanagawa.
The team's name has changed from: (1950–1952), (1953), (1954), (1955–1977), (1978–1992) to the current name,
Yokohama BayStars, adopted in 1993.
History
Origin (1930s-1949)
The team originated from the amateur team of the
Taiyo Fishing Company (current
Maruha Corporation). The amateur team began to appear in national tournaments in the 1930s, and won the
National Sports Festival in 1948 to obtain national recognition. In the 1949 off-season, the Japanese professional baseball league drastically expanded itself, and many players from the Taiyo amateur team were recruited to join the professional leagues. The owner of the Taiyo company decided to enter the amateur team into the newly expanded
Central League, which was established in 1950. The team officially became professional as the
Maruha Team, and the franchise was based in
Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi.
Taiyo Whales (1950-1952)
The team name was changed to
Taiyo Whales, shortly after the start of the 1950 season. The Whales received several veteran players from the
Yomiuri Giants to...
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