As Tokyo Yakult Swallows slugger Wladimir Balentien went through his pregame stretching, he surveyed the field where the newly minted Central League champion Yomiuri Giants were wrapping up batting practice and barely suppressed a laugh while noting, "everything has gone right for them this year."
He has a point. The Giants landed big-ticket free agents Toshiya Sugiuchi, D.J. Houlton and Shuichi Murata during the offseason, won the CL's first interleague title, and added the CL pennant on Friday. The Kyojin are 43-games over .500 and won't play another meaningful contest until Oct. 17, when they'll begin the Central League Climax Series Final Stage with an automatic 1-0 advantage.
Even Yomiuri Old Boy Davey Johnson is getting in on the action, having managed the Washington Nationals into the MLB playoffs this season.