Background
The Asia Series is played among the annual champions of the Nippon Professional Baseball's (NPB) Japan Series, the Korea Baseball Organization's (KBO) Korean Series, the Chinese Professional Baseball League's (CPBL) Taiwan Series, and the China Baseball League's (CBL) championship series. Prior to 2008, China Stars, an all-star team of China Baseball League participated in the series instead of the champion from China.
The Asia Series was placed on hold due to financing issues following the withdrawal of Konami, reducing 2009's pan-Asian postseason to a single Club Championship game between the Japanese and Korean champions at Nagasaki, with the Yomiuri Giants defeating the Kia Tigers, 9–4. A potential 2010 revival was then cancelled due to a conflict with the 2010 Asian Games, and replaced with another round of club championship games. The Korean champion SK Wyverns split a two-game series with CPBL champion Brother Elephants in Taiwan, before being defeated by the NPB's Chiba Lotte Marines at the Tokyo Dome, 3–0.
The subject of re-introducing the event for 2011 was discussed in a November 2010 meeting between the heads of the NPB, KBO, CPBL, and Australian Baseball League (ABL). The CPBL offered to host the event in November 2011. The Perth Heat announced on May 18, 2011 that they would participate in the tournament. The ABL had a bye week built into the season to accommodate this. The champion of 2011 is Samsung Lions, which defeated Fukuoka Softbank Hawks with score of 5–3.
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