It¡¯s not October yet, but NPB teams will have to be mindful of ghosts as the season prepares to enter the stretch run.?
As NPB clubs jockey for playoff positions, there is a little extra intrigue this year with the possibility of the league champions in the Central and Pacific League finding their paths to the Japan Series a little clearer than usual.?
Since 2008, the league champions not only received a bye in the first round of the playoffs but also began the six-game final stage of the Climax Series, which determines who goes to the Japan Series, with an automatic one-game advantage as a reward for winning the regular-season title.?
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.