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2006 in EAB

After seeing their playoff streak snapped the prior year, 2003 and 2004 Japan League champ Niigata had the top seed in 2006 at 101-61. They rolled to the North Division as Saitama fell to 75-87. The Green Dragons picked up their fifth division title in six years. They were one game ahead of Hiroshima for the top overall seed.
The Hammerheads extended their West Division streak to eight seasons, but it did not come easy. Hiroshima was 100-62, two games better than 98-64 Kumamoto and five better than 95-67 Fukuoka. With no wild card spots in the JL, the Monsters and Frogs are both stuck at home again despite having 10+ more wins than the other two division champs. Fukuoka has the longest active playoff drought in East Asia Baseball at 26 seasons.
Tokyo won the Capital Division at 84-78 for a second berth in three years. Chiba, who won 97 games the prior year, was a distant second at 74-88. Defending JL champ Osaka narrowly won the Central Division at 84-78, edging Nagoya by one game. The Orange Sox picked up their fifth division title in six years.
Despite Chiba’s struggles, their two-way star Junichi Muto was Japan League MVP. The 29-year old lefty on the mound led in innings (283.2), and complete games (18), adding a 15-13 record, 2.95 ERA, 309 strikeouts, and 8.6 WAR. At the plate and in the outfield he had 123 games and 108 starts with 5.4 WAR, a .312/.335/.577 slash, 171 wRC+, and 29 home runs. Muto played one more year for Chiba, then was traded to Tokyo.
Kawasaki’s Soo Moon became a four-time Pitcher of the Year winner. He led in wins (20-7), strikeouts (356), WHIP (0.81), K/BB (14.2), FIP- (44), and WAR (10.3). The 29-year old also had a 2.23 ERA over 241.2 innings. Moon had two more years with the Killer Whales before leaving for MLB and a five-year, $63,000,000 deal with Toronto. Injury would knock him out of the game after the 2011 campaign.
Niigata downed Osaka 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs, while Tokyo upset Hiroshima 3-2. The bad times continued for the Hammerheads with no pennants and six first round exits in their eight-year playoff streak. The Tides hadn’t gotten to the Japan League Championship Series since 1995. They couldn’t keep the upset magic going against the Green Dragons, as Niigata took the JLCS 4-2. The Green Dragons won their third pennant in four years and their fifth overall (1990, 1991, 2003, 2004, 2006).

Last year’s Korea League runner-up Yongin again had the top overall seed and the South Division title. The Gold Sox were 100-62, 14 games better than second place Changwon. Incheon won the North Division at 94-68, earning their fifth playoff berth in six years. Two-time defending EAB champ Seoul was one back at 93-69, picking up a third straight wild card.
For the second wild card, Changwon (86-76) edged out Busan (85-77), Gwangju (85-77), Ulsan (83-79), Daegu (82-80), and Suwon (82-80). Entering the season, the Crabs were tied with the JL’s Fukuoka for the longest active playoff drought, dating back to 1980. This was only the third winning season in the last 20 years for Changwon. Seongnam was 79-83, which ended their playoff streak at five seasons.
Incheon 1B Kyu-Seong Lee won his second Korea League MVP. The 29-year old led in runs (116), total bases (392), slugging (.658), OPS (1.049), and WAR (8.5). Lee added 51 home runs, 121 RBI, and a .332 average. Like many others, the allure of MLB money would be too great for Lee, as he’d leave the Inferno in the offseason. He would ink a seven-year, $84,900,000 deal to join the Detroit Tigers.
Seoul’s Dan-U Lim won Pitcher of the Year honors. The 28-year old righty led in quality starts (23) and innings (264). Lim had a 19-10 record, 2.59 ERA, 240 strikeouts, and 5.3 WAR. This effort earned him a nice six-year, $33,400,000 extension in the offseason with the Seahawks, although he’d be merely mid throughout that run.
Changwon shocked top seed Yongin 3-1 in the first round, sending the Crabs to the Korea League Championship Series for the first time since 1965. Seoul outlasted Incheon 3-2 to earn a third straight KLCS berth. The Seahawks completed the three-peat, downing Changwon 4-2. They’re the first team to win three straight Korean titles since Daegu in the 1970s. Notably unique for Seoul is that they’ve done it as a wild card each year. It was their seventh title overall.

The 86th East Asian Championship was a rematch of 2004, which saw Seoul win 4-3 in dramatic fashion over Niigata. The Seahawks were now looking to win a third straight title, but the Green Dragons ended up spoiling that hope in six games. This was Niigata’s second title, joining their 1991 sweep over Goyang. 2B Jae-Min Hwang was finals MVP in his ninth season for the Green Dragons. In 16 playoff starts, he had 23 hits, 9 runs, 4 doubles, 2 home runs, and 11 RBI.

Other notes: SS Tokuei Kato won his 12th and final Gold Glove, holding the EAB record for the position.
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