The is a baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 league on the islands of Shikoku

Shikoku

is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...

 in Japan. Neither the Central

Central League

The or is one the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country,The Central League...

 nor the Pacific League

Pacific League

The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...

 has a team based in Shikoku.

IBLJ Inc. operates the league. IBLJ (which chose its name as an abbreviation of "Independent Baseball League of Japan"), founded by commentator and former professional baseball player Hiromichi Ishige

Hiromichi Ishige

Hiromichi Ishige is a retired Japanese professional baseball player and manager in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball....

, initially held all the rights to the teams, leadership, and players, but in 2006 established separate corporations for the teams. The company has its headquarters in Takamatsu

Takamatsu, Kagawa

is a city located in central Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku in Japan, and is the seat of the prefectural government. It is designated a core city by the Japanese Government. It is a port city located on the Seto Inland Sea, and is the closest port to Honshu from Shikoku island...

.

Prior to December 2007, the league was known as the Shikoku Island League. On December 1, 2007, it expanded to include franchises in Kyūshū, and changed its name accordingly, .

Teams

The league has five teams.

Team	Founded	City
Ehime Mandarin Pirates Ehime Mandarin Pirates The are a semi-professional baseball team in the Shikoku Island League of Japan. Established in 2005, the Mandarin Pirates mainly play their home games at Botchan Stadium in Matsuyama, the capital city of Ehime Prefecture.-External links:*...	2005	Ehime Prefecture Ehime Prefecture is a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...
Kagawa Olive Guyners Kagawa Olive Guyners The is a baseball team in the Shikoku Island League of Japan. Established in 2005, the Guyners play at Olive Stadium in the Kagawa Prefectural Baseball Complex in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture....	2005	Kagawa Prefecture Kagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is Takamatsu.- History :Kagawa was formerly known as Sanuki Province.For a brief period between August 1876 and December 1888, Kagawa was made a part of Ehime Prefecture.-Battle of Yashima:...
Kochi Fighting Dogs Kochi Fighting Dogs The are a semi-professional baseball team in the Shikoku-Kyūshū Island League of Japan. Established in 2005, the Fighting Dogs play their home games mainly at Kōchi Stadium in Kōchi city of Kōchi Prefecture....	2005	Kōchi Prefecture Kochi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...
Mie Three Arrows	2009	Mie Prefecture Mie Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....
Tokushima Indigo Socks Tokushima Indigo Socks The are a semi-professional baseball team in the Shikoku Island League of Japan. Established in 2005, the Indigo Socks mainly play their home games at Naruto General Athletics Park in Naruto, Tokushima Prefecture....	2005	Tokushima Prefecture Tokushima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on Shikoku island. The capital is the city of Tokushima.- Tokushima Prefecture and Myodo Prefecture :Long ago, Tokushima City belonged to a region known as Myōdō-gun...

Former Teams

Team	Founded	City
Nagasaki Saints Nagasaki Saints The were a semi-professional baseball team in the Shikoku-Kyūshū Island League of Japan that played out of Nagasaki Prefecture. The team was established as part of an expansion of the league in 2008. Following the 2010 season, the team announced that it would not be participating in the league's...	2008	Nagasaki Prefecture Nagasaki Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. The capital is the city of Nagasaki.- History :Nagasaki Prefecture was created by merging of the western half of the former province of Hizen with the island provinces of Tsushima and Iki...
Fukuoka Red Warblers Fukuoka Red Warblers The are a semi-professional baseball team in the Shikoku-Kyūshū Island League of Japan. The team was established as part of the expansion of the league. They started league play during the season.The team's home is Fukuoka Prefecture...	2008	Fukuoka Prefecture Fukuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....

Each team has 22 players, two coaches, and one manager.

League play

Each team plays 90 games annually, 45 at home and 45 away. With the 2008 expansion, each team's schedule changed to 80 games a year, 40 at home and 40 away, so the season consists of 240 games. Teams attempt to schedule games for Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Except in Kōchi

Kochi, Kochi

is the capital city of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku island of Japan.Kōchi is the main city of the prefecture with over 40% of its population. As of May 31, 2008, the city had an estimated population of 340,515 and a density of...

, which lacks the necessary lighting equipment, Friday games are nighters.

The Shikoku Island League uses designated hitter

Designated hitter

In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...

s.

One technique the league uses to strengthen its ties to the locales where it plays is to have those players who come from Shikoku play for their home teams. Even if they are not regulars, they often appear as designated hitters, pinch hitters, relief pitchers, and substitutes.

Sponsors

The Shikoku Island League has two principal sponsors. They are the Shikoku Railway Company

Shikoku Railway Company

, commonly known as , is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group . It operates intercity rail services in the four prefectures on the island of Shikoku in Japan. The company is headquartered in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture.- Lines :...

 (JR Shikoku) and the Shikoku Coca Cola Bottling Company. Other sponsors include Taiyo Oil Company, Shikoku Meiji Dairies

Meiji Dairies

is the trade name of a food company in Japan, , until March 31, 2011.It was a major dairy industry company established in 1917. Apart from dairy products like milk, ice cream, and cheese, their lineup includes sports drinks, pizza, chocolate bars and food supplements like "Toromeiku", described as...

, Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines

is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...

, sporting goods maker Mizuno Corp.

Mizuno Corp.

is a Japanese sports equipment and sportswear company, founded in Osaka in 1906 by Rihachi Mizuno. Today, Mizuno is a global corporation which makes a wide variety of sports equipment and sportswear, for golf, tennis, baseball, volleyball, football, running, rugby, skiing, cycling, judo, table...

, Internet service provider

Internet service provider

An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...

 Biglobe

BIGLOBE

is one of the leading internet service providers in Japan, operated by NEC BIGLOBE, Ltd., a 2006 spin-off from NEC.-References:...

, convenience store

Convenience store

A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...

 chain FamilyMart

FamilyMart

is a convenience store franchise chain first opened in Japan on September 1, 1981. FamilyMart is Japan's third largest convenience store chain, behind 7-Eleven and Lawson, and the largest chain store in South Korea. FamilyMart is owned and overseen by FamilyMart Company, Limited...

, and Nihon McDonald's

McDonald's

McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...

.

History

The first game in the league took place on April 29, 2005. On November 10, 2005, the Kochi Fighting Dogs won the first league championship.

External links

• Shikoku Island League plus Official Site (in Japanese)
• Shikoku Island League Information Bureau (in Japanese)