Barring a meeting with the Yomiuri Giants in the Japan Series, Hokkaido Nippon Ham's Yukio Tanaka played his final game at Tokyo Dome on Wednesday night against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and he went out with a bang.

News photoYukio Tanaka of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters acknowledges the crowd at Tokyo Dome on Wednesday night following his final regular-season game at the Big Egg. Tanaka is retiring at the end of the season after 22 years with Nippon Ham. KYODO PHOTO

Tanaka drove in a critical run to help spark a four-run inning, and got a standing ovation from both Nippon Ham and Rakuten supporters after the Fighters clinched a spot in the postseason with a 6-0 win.

Nippon Ham manager Trey Hillman admitted afterward that he was looking for a chance to get Tanaka in the game.

"As a manager when you're in a situation like that you want to get the guy in," Hillman said. "No doubt. He's a valuable asset to our team and he has a lot of history. But the bottom line is to win the game. In that situation we needed that third run and I liked his chances of being successful."

Tanaka was drafted by the Fighters in 1985 and has spent 22 seasons with the team. The Miyazaki native has made nine All-Star teams, won five Golden Gloves, and has been named to the Pacific League's Best Nine squad four times.

"I've been happy to be surrounded by great fans, teammates and staff," Tanaka said. "I want to thank all of them."

A testament to his longevity, Tanaka is the only current player on the Fighters to have been with the team during the club's years at Korakuen Stadium before the move to Tokyo Dome in 1988.

He caught fire after the move and finished with a .277 average, 16 home runs, 57 RBIs, won a Gold Glove at shortstop and made the PL Best Nine in his first season at Tokyo Dome.

"Starting from Korakuen Stadium, then Tokyo Dome and Sapporo Dome, I have had a happy 22 years of playing time," Tanaka said.

Nineteen years later, Tanaka recorded his 2,000th hit (which coincidentally also came against Rakuten at Tokyo Dome and fell in the same area as his RBI on Tuesday) on May 17 to become the 35th player in Japanese baseball history to reach the plateau.

"Achieving the 2,000-hit mark was a longtime goal for me," Tanaka said.

Hillman was also making his final Tokyo Dome appearance after announcing in early September that he was leaving the team after the season.

The 44-year-old manager won the Japan Series in 2006, his fourth season with the team, and managed the Fighters at Tokyo Dome in 2003.

"There's a lot of memories here," Hillman said. "I remember the first year here very well and we continue to play home games here so I've got fond memories of here."

Hillman saluted the Tokyo fans following the game but said his heart was in Sapporo.

"My fondest memories are in the Sapporo Dome because that's where we won the championship and that's where we've had sold out, packed crowds," he said. "But it doesn't negate fond memories of here. It's just the excitement of the island and what we've done up there.

"This is Giants country," Hillman said. "It doesn't mean we don't love our Tokyo fans because we do, but the Giants own this dome and they always will."

Depending on how the postseason works out, Tanaka and Hillman may have to go through the Giants in the Japan Series to leave Japanese baseball with the title as Tsuyoshi Shinjo did last season.

"Last year we were able to win the championship," Tanaka said. "This year I'll make every effort to help this team win again for the rest of the season. Let me ask for more support from the fans for the championship."