1959 Nippon Professional Baseball season

This article is about the 1959 Nippon Professional Baseball season only. For information on all of baseball, see 1959 in baseball.
1959 NPB season
League Nippon Professional Baseball
Sport Baseball
Central League Pennant
League champions Yomiuri Giants
  Runners-up Osaka Tigers
Season MVP Motoshi Fujita (YOM)
Pacific League Pennant
League champions Nankai Hawks
  Runners-up Daimai Orions
Season MVP Tadashi Sugiura (NAN)
Japan Series
Champions Nankai Hawks
  Runners-up Yomiuri Giants
Japan Series MVP Tadashi Sugiura (NAN)

The 1959 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the tenth season of operation of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Regular season

Standings

Central League regular season standings
Team G W L T Pct. GB
Yomiuri Giants 130 77 48 5 .612
Osaka Tigers 130 62 59 9 .512 13.0
Chunichi Dragons 130 64 61 5 .512 13.0
Kokutetsu Swallows 130 63 65 2 .492 15.5
Hiroshima Carp 130 59 64 7 .481 17.0
Taiyo Whales 130 49 77 4 .392 28.5
Pacific League regular season standings
Team G W L T Pct. GB
Nankai Hawks 134 88 42 4 .677
Daimai Orions 136 82 48 6 .631 6.0
Toei Flyers 135 67 63 5 .515 21.0
Nishitetsu Lions 144 66 64 14 .508 22.0
Hankyu Braves 134 48 82 4 .369 40.0
Kintetsu Buffaloes 133 39 91 3 .300 49.0

Postseason

Japan Series

Main article: 1959 Japan Series

PL Nankai Hawks (4) vs. CL Yomiuri Giants (0)

GameDateScoreLocationTimeAttendance
1October 24Yomiuri Giants – 7, Nankai Hawks – 10Osaka Stadium3:1330,038[1]
2October 25Yomiuri Giants – 3, Nankai Hawks – 6Osaka Stadium2:3330,288[1] 
3October 27Nankai Hawks – 3, Yomiuri Giants – 2Korakuen Stadium2:4732,056[1] 
4October 29Nankai Hawks – 3, Yomiuri Giants – 0Korakuen Stadium2:2332,266[1]

League leaders

Central League

Batting leaders
Stat Player Team Total
Batting Average Shigeo Nagashima Yomiuri Giants .334
Home runs Toru Mori
Takeshi Kuwata
Chunichi Dragons
Taiyo Whales
31
Runs batted in Toru Mori Chunichi Dragons 87
Runs Shigeo Nagashima Yomiuri Giants 88
Hits Shigeo Nagashima Yomiuri Giants 150
Stolen bases Hiroji Okajima Chunichi Dragons 41

Pacific League

Batting leaders
Stat Player Team Total
Batting Average Kohei Sugiyama Nankai Hawks .323
Home runs Kazuhiro Yamauchi Daimai Orions 25
Runs batted in Takao Katsuragi Daimai Orions 95
Runs Yoshinori Hirose Nankai Hawks 86
Hits Takao Katsuragi Daimai Orions 163
Stolen bases Chico Barbon Hankyu Braves 38
Pitching leaders
Stat Player Team Total
Wins Tadashi Sugiura Nankai Hawks 38
Losses Tetsuya Yoneda Hankyu Braves 24
Earned run average Tadashi Sugiura Nankai Hawks 1.40
Strikeouts Tadashi Sugiura Nankai Hawks 336
Innings pitched Kazuhisa Inao Nishitetsu Lions 40213

Awards

Central League Best Nine Award winners
Position Player Team
Pitcher Motoshi Fujita Yomiuri Giants
Catcher Shigeru Fujio Yomiuri Giants
First baseman Katsumi Fujimoto Osaka Tigers
Second baseman Masataka Tsuchiya Yomiuri Giants
Third baseman Shigeo Nagashima Yomiuri Giants
Shortstop Yoshio Yoshida Osaka Tigers
Outfielder Toru Mori Chunichi Dragons
Kazuhiko Sakazaki Yomiuri Giants
Akira Owada Hiroshima Carp
Pacific League Best Nine Award winners
Position Player Team
Pitcher Tadashi Sugiura Nankai Hawks
Catcher Katsuya Nomura Nankai Hawks
First baseman Kihachi Enomoto Daimai Orions
Second baseman Isami Okamoto Nankai Hawks
Third baseman Takao Katsuragi Daimai Orions
Shortstop Yasumitsu Toyoda Nishitetsu Lions
Outfielder Seiji Sekiguchi Nishitetsu Lions
Kohei Sugiyama Nankai Hawks
Teruyuki Takakura Nishitetsu Lions

References