The Tokyo Yakult Swallows were disappointed to fall short in the Japan Series against the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, but weren't crushed by the defeat.

While it's possible the disappointment over the way the series ended, with the Hawks winning in five games, may never fade, it also means everything that came before, highs that hadn't been reached in years, won't either. First-year manager Mitsuru Manaka understood that, and his players left the clubhouse and headed into the offseason on Thursday night knowing it as well.

"He (Manaka) said, 'Don't hang your heads, guys, we had a great year,' " said Swallows closer Tony Barnette, who set a franchise record with 41 saves during the regular season. "We had a great year. We won the Central League, we won first place, and we won the Climax Series. We just ran into a buzz saw. The buzz saw called the Softbank Hawks. They're a good team.