In 10 seasons with the Yokohama Bay Stars (formerly the Taiyo Whales), he was a Central League all-star six times and saved a record 229 games.
Matsui played for the Yankees from 2003-09 and announced his retirement in December after 10 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's Central League and 10 in the major leagues.
Can you imagine the Houston Astros deciding on their own to move from the National League Central to the American League West to join the Texas Rangers?
They're moving from the National League Central, a relatively weak division, to the American League West, one of baseball's toughest.
Its baseball team has won two straight American League Central titles and made it to the World Series last year.
Braun, 28 years old, won the MVP this year after leading the Milwaukee Brewers to the National League Central division crown.
Minnesota, with a firm grip on first place in the American League Central, has drawn 39, 757 fans per game to Target Field.
This is aided of course by playing in the National League Central.
Kauffman, of course, is home to the current American League Central leaders, the Kansas City Royals, a team that hasn't made the playoffs since 1985.
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The count would change if the low-budget Minnesota Twins, two games out of first place, knock off the Detroit Tigers (fifth-highest payroll) in the American League Central.
The team is cruising to the American League Central crown with a 90-60 record, and may even wind up as the top seed in the AL playoff bracket.
The Orioles or the Blue Jays would be given the opportunity to compete in the American League Central for a season and end their decade plus postseason droughts.
As of today, the Indians had a 2.5 game lead in the American League Central yet ranked 30th among 30 MLB teams with an average attendance of 15, 872.
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After a brief stint in the American League West (1970-1971), the Brewers had called the American League East home for 22 years (1972-1993) before a temporary relocation to the American League Central (1994-1997).
Besides the brilliance of throwing his second career no-hitter in May, Verlander is the primary reason why the Detroit Tigers are on the verge of winning their first American League Central title since realignment in 1998.
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Just as the National League Central is enjoying a resurgence of prominence in 2011 with the Milwaukee Brewers and the St Louis Cardinals facing off in the league championship series, the happy-go-lucky Chicago Cubs just got a lot happier with the addition of ex-Boston Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein.
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Only four years ago, the Bank of England could hold its head high in the premier league of central banks.
Polish striker Robert Lewandowski has been linked with a move to the English Premier League and central defender Mats Hummels is routinely mentioned as a potential target for Barcelona.
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One of the worst teams in the NL Central has one of the league's best rotations.
If human judgment were indeed so central to the game, why has Major League Baseball invested millions of dollars putting cameras everywhere in each stadium so they can track every play and every movement with programs like PitchFX and HitFX?
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With David Dunn sidelined for up to four months with an Achilles injury, Rovers manager Paul Ince's central midfield options are limited for Saturday's Premier League trip to Bolton.
The signing comes after Andy O'Brien departed to Leeds on 1 January and could also be seen as a contingency plan if Trotters central defender Gary Cahill, who has been linked with several Premier League clubs, leaves.
Albrighton was a threat on the right flank, while the central midfield pairing of Bannan and Jonathan Hogg, the latter making his league debut, showed plenty of youthful zest.
Gilberto has been kept out of the side because Cesc Fabregas and Mathieu Flamini have formed an impressive central midfield partnership to help steer Arsenal to the top of the Premier League.
They didn't call the old NFC Central Division the "black and blue division" for nothing, back before the league realigned into eight divisions.
Gannon picked out youngsters Shaun Hutchinson and Steven Saunders, who formed the central defence in Craigan's absence, for particular praise after the Scottish Premier League victory.
Instead, the Liverpool manager has opted to use regular central defender Daniel Agger on the left side of defence in the club's league games and Fabio Aurelio in Europa league matches.
Projects such as these are the wife's territory and I could not be happier to be in live text central for what promises to be a very busy day of tip-top Premier League action.
Jones only has teenager Aaron Wildig, who made his league debut earlier this month, and summer signing Solomon Taiwo as fit central midfielders - but neither are ready to become first-team regulars for the Championship play-off contenders .
However, where it differs from the NFL's competing showcase is that the central contest is essentially meaningless, save for the bragging rights, the opportunity to publicise the league's new generation and to prove that there is life after Michael Jordan.
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