The last time there was a Yakult-Orix Japan Series played, it was 1995. The Orix team was the BlueWave, based in Kobe and led by some guy named Ichiro Suzuki. He had just completed his second full season in Japanese baseball, hitting .342 to win his second of seven consecutive Pacific League batting titles.
Americans Troy Neel & Doug (D.J.) Jennings were on that team with Ichiro, playing under the "Gambaroo Kobe" slogan months after the devastating earthquake that struck the Kansai region on Jan. 17 of that year.
Yakult won the '95 Series with Central League MVP and current Hanshin Tigers batting coach Tom O'Malley playing first base and Hensley "Bam-Bam" Meulens at third. Pitcher Terry Bross had turned in one of the best half-seasons by a foreign pitcher in Japan, going 9-0 after the All-Star break. His most impressive victory was a no-hitter against the Yomiuri Giants on Sept. 9 at Tokyo Dome.