over 1,000,000 fans for the first time since 1993, ranking second in the P.L. after the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Also in 2005, a previously unknown manager, Shigeru Takada, became the club's first general manager. On April 27, owner Yoshinori Ohkoso died. The Fighters retired the number 100 in his honor, a first in club history (also the first retired number for owners in NPB; in North American Major League Baseball, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Gene Autry, 26) and St. Louis Cardinals (August A. Busch Jr., 85) have retired numbers, and in Minor League Baseball, the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (Dale Earnhardt Sr., 3) are the most notable team owners with retired numbers). Yukio Tanaka reached a career 1,000 RBI total, and Makoto Kaneko joined the 1,000 hit club in the same year. On September 20 the Lions smashed the Fighters at home, crushing the Fighters’ hopes of making the playoffs for the second year in a row. In the offseason, the Fighters acquired Major League veteran José Macías, and as former number one starter Yusaku Iriki tried his luck in America the club attempted to sign Kazuhisa Ishii, but failed. In the draft, the team selected pitchers Tomoya Yagi and Masaru Takeda. And, before the 2006 season Shigeyuki Furuki and Kazunari Sanematsu were traded to the Giants for pitcher Hideki Okajima. The 2006 season would turn out to be a monumental one for the Fighters. After defeating the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on the final day of interleague play, the Fighters went on an eleven-game winning streak, the best such streak for the franchise in over 45 years and tying the team record. After achieving the feat, the team had a six- and a seven-game winning streak, demonstrating to the rest of the P.L. that they were a dangerous club. A fierce struggle for first place developed between the Fighters, Lions and Hawks. On September 27, the Fighters emerged in first place, earning the title "Regular Season Champions." They also boasted the best team ERA (3.05) and the best team home run total (135) in the NPB. Yu Darvish had an especially impressive year, winning 12 games and posting an ERA of 2.89, establishing himself as the ace of the Fighters’ staff. The Fighters swept the Hawks in the second stage of the P.L. playoffs to earn their third pennant. In the Japan Series, the team won their first Japanese