Though the Dragons have always been strong, they've usually succeeded by putting together a well-rounded team. Though they have seldom relied on one player to carry the ball club, Chunichi still has employed a few all-time greats.

Shigeru Sugishita: The greatest pitcher ever to appear with the Dragons, Shigeru Sugishita won the Sawamura Award three times. Pitching from 1949 to 1958 with Chunichi (Sugishita also pitched the 1961 season for the Daimai Orions), the be-spectacled right hander compiled a lifetime 215-123 record, with 1,761 strikeouts and a 2.23 ERA.

Leading the Dragons to their first and only Japan Series championship in 1954, Central League MVP Sugishita had his best season pitching an incredible 395 1/3 innings and posting a 32-12 record with 273 strikeouts and a 1.39 ERA.

On May 10 the following year, Sugishita came within one walk of pitching a perfect game, no-hitting the Kokutetsu Swallows in Kawasaki while striking out 13 batters. Sugishita was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.

Michiyo Nishizawa: One of the top Japanese batters of the early 1950s, Michiyo Nishizawa earned two crowns in 1952, leading the Central League with both a .353 average and 98 RBIs.

Except for two years as the Second World War wound down (1945-46) and another two with the Kinsei Stars (1947-48), Nishizawa played his entire career (1937-58) with the Dragons franchise. In 1950, the Chunichi first baseman set two team records with 46 home runs and 135 RBIs. Neither mark has yet been broken.

A career .286 batter, Nishizawa clubbed 212 home runs with 940 RBIs. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977--and died the same year.

Shinichi Eto: Playing for four clubs in eighteen seasons, Shinichi Eto clubbed 268 home runs for the Dragons (1959-69) and 367 during his entire career (1959-76). Earning two Central League batting crowns (1964-65) and one Pacific League title (1971), the right-handed outfielder compiled a career .287 average with 1189 RBIs.

Senichi Hoshino: Current manager Senichi Hoshino pitched his entire career (1969-82) with the Dragons. Though best known now as the hot-headed skipper who slaps error-prone players, Hoshino won the 1974 Sawamura Award for pitching excellence by posting a 15-9 record with 137 strikeouts and a 2.87 ERA as he led the Dragons to their first pennant in twenty years. Over a fourteen year career, Hoshino won 146 games, lost 121 and finished with a lifetime 3.60 ERA.

Kenichi Yazawa: One of the best Japanese batters of all time, Kenichi Yazawa is one of only fifteen players to finish their career above the .300 plateau. Hitting .302 exclusively with the Dragons (1970-86), the left-handed first-baseman won two batting crowns, with a .355 average in 1976 and .369 in 1980. In his seventeen year career, Yazawa also stroked 273 home runs with 2,062 hits, 348 doubles and 969 RBIs.

Yasunori Oshima: Currently tied at fourteenth place on the all-time list, Yasunori Oshima pounded 382 home runs in his twenty-four year career (1971-94). Hitting 321 homers for Chunichi until 1987, the right-handed first-baseman spent his last seven years with the Nippon Ham Fighters. Though only winning one home run (1983), Oshima collected 2,204 career hits and 1,234 RBIs with a .272 batting average in 2,638 games.

Masaru Uno: Hitting 334 of his 338 lifetime home runs with the Dragons, Masaru Uno earned his only home run crown in 1984. A career .262 batter with 936 RBIs, the Dragons backstop played eighteen seasons (1977-94) and finished his career with the Chiba Lotte Marines.

Hiromitsu Ochiai: Perhaps the greatest Japanese hitter of all time, Hiromitsu Ochiai earned three triple crowns and belted 242 home runs for the Lotte Orions before joining the Dragons in 1987. Seven years later, Ochiai joined the Yomiuri Giants with 452 home runs and a .319 career average. The first baseman currently plays for the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Alonzo Powell: Setting a team record for career batting (.323) while winning three straight batting titles, Alonzo Powell played for the Dragons from 1992-1997. Chunichi's regular right fielder those six years, the San Francisco native belted 107 home runs with 369 RBIs for the team. In 1997, when his average dropped to .253, the last-place team panicked and gave Powell his release a month before the end of the season. In October of that year, the Hanshin Tigers signed Powell to play for 1998.