2011 Nippon Professional Baseball season

2011 NPB season
LeagueNippon Professional Baseball
SportBaseball
DurationApril 12 – November 20
Central League Pennant
League championsChunichi Dragons
  Runners-upTokyo Yakult Swallows
Season MVPTakuya Asao (Chunichi)
Pacific League Pennant
League championsFukuoka SoftBank Hawks
  Runners-upHokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
Season MVPSeiichi Uchikawa (SoftBank)
Climax Series
CL championsChunichi Dragons
  CL runners-upTokyo Yakult Swallows
PL championsFukuoka SoftBank Hawks
  PL runners-upSaitama Seibu Lions
Japan Series
ChampionsFukuoka SoftBank Hawks
  Runners-upChunichi Dragons
Finals MVPHiroki Kokubo (SoftBank)
NPB seasons

The 2011 Nippon Professional Baseball season is the 62nd season since the NPB was reorganized in 1950. The season was delayed by the Tohoku earthquake. The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, based in northern Japan, and coached by Senichi Hoshino, were particularly affected by the quake, as the Miyagi Baseball Stadium was badly damaged. [citation needed]

Because of energy concerns following the earthquake, NPB also imposed restrictions on games during the regular season. A three-hour-thirty-minute rule was imposed. If a game went past the 3:30 mark, regardless of inning, the inning in question would be the last inning. A game would be called should any blackout occur during the game. The 3:30 clock starts at the first pitch of the game and continues in case of any delay.

[1]

At the season's end, the Yokohama BayStars was renamed as Yokohama DeNA BayStars as the owner changes.