A few seasons ago, in 2012, the Yomiuri Giants won the Japan Series just a few days after the San Francisco Giants clinched the World Series title. While the two teams already shared a nickname and color scheme, it was the first time they'd reached the pinnacle of their respective leagues in the same season.
Another similarity was that both teams featured catchers with uncanny offensive ability. Yomiuri's Shinnosuke Abe won the Central League batting title, and nearly the Triple Crown, on his way to the 2012 CL MVP Award, while San Francisco's Buster Posey won the National League batting title and was named NL MVP after the season.
That's a commonality that will end this year because while there have been murmurs of moving Posey to first base more often, Abe will actually make the transition this year, trading his catcher's mask for a first baseman's mitt.
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