Saitama Seibu Lions

Saitama Seibu Lions
Saitama Seibu Lions
Information
League	Nippon Professional Baseball Pacific League (1950–present)
Location	Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan
Ballpark	MetLife Dome
Year founded	1950
Nickname(s)	Shishi (獅子, lion)
Pacific League championships	23 (1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1963, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2018, 2019)
Japan Series championships	13 (1956, 1957, 1958, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2004, 2008)
Former name(s)	Saitama Seibu Lions (2008–present); Seibu Lions (1979–2007); Crown Lighter Lions (1977–1978); Taiheiyo Club Lions (1973–1976); Nishitetsu Lions (1951–1972); Nishitetsu Clippers (1950);
Former ballparks	MetLife Dome (1979–present); Heiwadai Stadium (1950–1978);
Colors	Blue, White, Red;
Mascot	Leo and Lina
Playoff berths	12 (, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019)
Retired numbers	24;
Ownership
Management	Seibu Railway
Manager	Hatsuhiko Tsuji
Uniforms

The Saitama Seibu Lions (埼玉西武ライオンズ, Saitama Seibu Raionzu) are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Prince Hotels, which in turn is owned by the Seibu Group. The team experienced a recent period of financial difficulty, but the situation brightened when the team received a record ¥6 billion (about $51.11 million) posting fee from the Boston Red Sox for the right to negotiate a contract with Daisuke Matsuzaka. Between 1978 and 2008, the team logo and mascot were based on the adult version of Kimba the White Lion, a classic Japanese anime series by Osamu Tezuka.^[a]^[b] In 2004, former Seibu Lions player Kazuo Matsui became the first Japanese infielder to play in Major League Baseball.^[1]

Franchise history[]

Nishitetsu Clippers (1950)[]

In 1950, the team became a founding member of the Pacific League. It was then owned by Nishi-Nippon Railroad, which was based in Fukuoka. The team finished sixth that year, and at the end of the season was merged with the Nishi-Nippon Pirates to form the Nishitetsu Lions.

Nishitetsu Lions (1951–1972)[]

The Nishitetsu Lions called Heiwadai Stadium home for their entire existence. They were one of a dominant team in the Pacific League during the 1950s, winning four pennants, including three straight Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants behind famed manager Osamu Mihara.

The team struggled through the following decade and did not witness much success on the field. In 1969–1970 the team was caught up in the infamous Black Mist game-fixing scandal, which resulted in four Lions pitchers being banned from NPB for life, as well as other players receiving lesser punishments. These losses decimated the team, which finished the 1970 season in last place.

After a third straight last-place finish, in November 1972 the franchise was sold to the , also a part of Nishi-Nippon Railroad. Following the sale, the team was renamed the Taiheiyo Club Lions.

Taiheiyo Club Lions (1973–1976)[]

Nishi-Nippon Railroad, founded by , owner of Lotte and the Orions, sold the team's sponsorship rights to , a golf course and resort developer. Through the 1970s, the Lions finished no higher than third.

Crown Lighter Lions (1977–1978)[]

At the end of the 1976 season, the Fukuoka Baseball Corporation announced that the team's new sponsor was . With this, the team's name for the upcoming season was changed to the Crown Lighter Lions. At the end of the 1978 season, the team was sold to Kokudo Keikaku (later Kokudo), and then merged into Prince Hotels.

Seibu Lions (1979–2007)[]

Following the sale of the Crown Lighter Lions and their merging into Price Hotels, the team was renamed the Seibu Lions and relocated to a new ballpark in Tokorozawa, Saitama.

Golden Age (1982–1994)[]

The Lions finished in last place following the 1979 season (as of 2019, this is the last time this has happened to them), and finished in fourth place in 1980 and 1981. However, the following seasons would mark the beginning of a period of sustained success for the team under new manager Tatsuro Hirooka and with star players such as Osamu Higashio and Kōichi Tabuchi. Tatsuro Hirooka told the players that meat and other animal foods increase athletes' susceptibility to injury, and decrease their ability to perform. He required all players to take up a strictly vegetarian diet.^[2] The club won straight Japan Series in 1982 and 1983, and went the championship again in 1985, but lost to the Hanshin Tigers, who won their first Japan Series title in team history.

Following the 1986 season, the club replaced Hirooka with Masaaki Mori, who was able to sustain the team's prolonged success. Mori won eight league championships, between 1986 and 1988 and 1990–1994, and six Japan Series championships in his nine-year managing career, winning the Japan Series in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, and 1992.

The team gained the moniker "Invincible Seibu" during the 1980s and 1990s due to their sustained domination of the league. The Lions had a powerful lineup in this period, loaded with sluggers such as Koji Akiyama, Kazuhiro Kiyohara and Orestes Destrade. Their defense also benefited from the services of skilled players such as Hiromichi Ishige, , Hatsuhiko Tsuji and catcher Tsutomu Ito. Among the pitchers employed by the Lions in this period was "The Oriental Express" Taigen Kaku, Kimiyasu Kudoh, Hisanobu Watanabe, and relievers Yoshitaka Katori and Tetsuya Shiozaki.

Prominent Golden Age Players[]

Name	position	Title and accomplishment	Note
Kouji Akiyama	CF	Home Run title 1987, Stolen Base title 1990, Golden Glove 1987–1996, 1999 437 HR and 303 SB in career	Belonged to Fukuoka Daiei Hawks from 1994 to 2002. Hawks manager from 2009 to 2015.
Kazuhiro Kiyohara	1B	Rookie of the year 1986, Golden Glove (1988,1990, 1992–1994), 525 HR and 1527 RBIs in career	Belonged to Yomiuri Giants from 1997 to 2005, Orix Buffaloes from 2006 to 2008. Retired in 2008.
Orestes Destrade	DH	Home Run title 1990–1992, RBI Title 1990–1991	Played 1993–1994 seasons with Florida Marlins of MLB.
Hiromichi Ishige	SS	Rookie of the year, Golden Glove 1981–1983, 1985–1988, 1991–1993, MVP 1986	Manager of Orix BlueWave from 2002 to 2003.
Hatsuhiko Tsuji	2B	Batting title 1993, Golden Glove 1986, 1988–1994	Played for Yakult Swallows in 1996, retired after '96 season. Current Lions manager.
Tsutomu Ito	C	Golden Glove 1985–1988, 1990–1992, 1994–1995, 1997–1998	Retired in 2003, Lions manager from 2004 to 2007, Marines manager from 2013 to 2017. Current Chunichi Dragons head coach.
Hisanobu Watanabe	P	Winning Percentage title 1986, 1988, 1990, ERA Title 1986, Strikeout title 1986, Golden Glove 1990, No-hitter 1996	Played for Yakult Swallows in 1998, retired from NPB after '98 season. Lions manager from 2008–2013.
Osamu Higashio	P	Wins Champion 1975,1983, ERA Title 1983, Strikeout title 1975, MVP 1983, 1987, Golden Glove 1983–1987	Member of Lions through four different team owners (Nishitetsu, Taiheyo Club, Crown Lighter, Seibu). Lions manager from 1995–2001.
Terry Whitfield	OF	Best Nine Award 1981, 1983
Steve Ontiveros	3B	OBP 1983, 1984 Best Nine Award 1982, 1983
Taigen Kaku	P	MVP1991, Golden Glove 1991–1992, No-hitter 1985	Retired in 1996. Taiwan national team manager 2007.
Kimiyasu Kudoh	P	ERA title 1985,1987,1993,1999, Winning Percentage Title1987,1991,1993,2000, Strikeout title 1996,1999, Golden Glove 1994–1995,2000, MVP 1999, longest NPB career as player (28 years)	Belonged to Fukuoka Daiei Hawks from 1994, Yomiuri Giants from 2000, Yokohama BayStars from 2007 to 2009, returned to Lions in 2010. Only active player in "Golden Age" in 2010 season. Current Hawks manager.