The possibility is remote, but it is there.
The Four Lions Asia Series (official site – Japanese).
Let’s take a look at the 4 leagues that participate in this Asian club baseball championship and how their Lions are faring as this post is being written.
The Tianjin Lions have won the championship series 3-1 over the Beijing Tigers, thus being the first Lions team to clinch their spot in the 2008 Asia Series. In 2008, the CBL is being represented for the first time by a club team instead of the China Stars selects team, thus enabling the possibility of this Lions Battle Royale.
The match fixing scandal tainted league’s 2008 regular season 1st place team is the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions. The Lions must win the upcoming Taiwan Series against the Brother Elephants – LaNew Bears (1-0 right now in the best-of-5 series) semifinal winner.
The Samsung Lions defeated the Lotte Giants in the first round of the playoffs, and are now tied 1-1 against the Doosan Bears in the best-of-7 semifinals. The Lions must win this series first before challenging the powerful SK Wyverns in the Korea Series.
The Saitama Seibu Lions are currently leading the Pacific League championship series (or Climax Series stage 2) by a margin of 2-0 in a best-of-7 game series with the 10-3 thrashing of the 3rd place Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters yesterday. The series can only go maximum 6 games due to the first place Lions having entered the series with a 1-0 advantage. The Lions must defeat the Darvish-armed Fighters by winning 2 of the next 5 games, then win agaist the Central League champions (reigning Japan Series champs Chunichi Dragons, slumping Hanshin Tigers, or red hot Yomiuri Giants) in the Japan Series.
Now, if you’re a neutral baseball fan, or a Lions fan, or your team’s already out of the playoff picture in any of these countries, how could you not cheer for the King of the Jungle Royal Rumble Asia Series? Now seriously, it would be so much fun. Oh the possible headlines, in all these languages! 😛
