2011 Nippon Professional Baseball season is the 62nd season since the NPB was reorganized in 1950 . The season was delayed by the Tohoku earthquake . The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles , based in northern Japan , and coached by Senichi Hoshino , were particularly affected by the quake , as the Miyagi Baseball Stadium was badly damaged . Because of energy concerns following the earthquake , NPB also imposed restrictions on games during the regular season . A three-hour-thirty-minute rule was imposed . If a game went past the 3:30 mark , regardless of inning , the inning in question would be the last inning . A game would be called should any blackout occur during the game . The 3:30 clock starts at the first pitch of the game and continues in case of any delay
Tohoku earthquake
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Nippon Professional Baseball season