1955 Nippon Professional Baseball season

Sports season
1955 NPB season
LeagueNippon Professional Baseball
SportBaseball
Central League Pennant
League championsYomiuri Giants
  Runners-upOsaka Tigers
Season MVPTetsuharu Kawakami (YOM)
Pacific League Pennant
League championsNankai Hawks
  Runners-upNishitetsu Lions
Season MVPTokuji Iida (NAN)
Japan Series
ChampionsYomiuri Giants
  Runners-upNankai Hawks
Finals MVPTakehiko Bessho (YOM)
NPB seasons

The 1955 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the sixth season of operation of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). This season featured the worst statistical season by winning percentage in NPB history, a .231 winning percentage set by the Taiyo Whales. This season also saw the most wins in a single season by a single team in NPB history, with the Nankai Hawks winning a record 99 games.

The Yomiuri Giants defeated the Nankai Hawks in the Japan Series, 4 games to 3, marking the Giants' 4th NPB championship, all of which to this point had come against the Hawks.

Regular season

Standings

Central League regular season standings
Team G W L T Pct. GB
Yomiuri Giants 130 92 37 1 .713 —
Osaka Tigers 130 77 52 1 .597 15.0
Chunichi Dragons 130 71 57 2 .555 20.5
Hiroshima Carp 130 58 70 2 .453 33.5
Kokutetsu Swallows 130 57 71 2 .445 34.5
Taiyo Whales 130 31 99 0 .238 61.5
Pacific League regular season standings
Team G W L T Pct. GB
Nankai Hawks 143 99 41 3 .707 —
Nishitetsu Lions 144 90 50 4 .643 9.0
Mainichi Orions 142 85 55 2 .607 14.0
Hankyu Braves 142 80 60 2 .571 19.0
Kintetsu Pearls 142 60 80 2 .429 39.0
Daiei Stars 141 53 87 1 .379 46.0
Toei Flyers 143 51 89 3 .364 48.0
Tombo Unions 141 42 98 1 .300 57.0

Postseason

Japan Series

CL Yomiuri Giants (4) vs. PL Nankai Hawks (3)

Game Date Score Location Time Attendance 
1 October 15 Yomiuri Giants – 4, Nankai Hawks – 1 Osaka Stadium 2:32 22,448[1] 
2 October 16 Yomiuri Giants – 0, Nankai Hawks – 2 Osaka Stadium 2:02 27,784[1] 
3 October 18 Nankai Hawks – 2, Yomiuri Giants – 0 Korakuen Stadium 2:02 17,324[1] 
4 October 21 Nankai Hawks – 5, Yomiuri Giants – 2 Korakuen Stadium 2:06 19,373[1] 
5 October 22 Nankai Hawks – 5, Yomiuri Giants – 9 Korakuen Stadium 2:38 17,320[1] 
6 October 23 Yomiuri Giants – 3, Nankai Hawks – 1 Osaka Stadium 2:11 22,695[1] 
7 October 24 Yomiuri Giants – 4, Nankai Hawks – 0 Osaka Stadium 2:11 17,775[1]

League leaders

Central League

Batting leaders
Stat Player Team Total
Batting average Tetsuharu Kawakami Yomiuri Giants .338
Home runs Yukihiko Machida Kokutetsu Swallows 31
Runs batted in Tetsuharu Kawakami Yomiuri Giants 78
Runs Takao Sato Kokutetsu Swallows 77
Hits Tetsuharu Kawakami
Yoshio Yoshida		 Yomiuri Giants
Osaka Tigers		 147
Stolen bases Itsuro Honda Chunichi Dragons 42
Pitching leaders
Stat Player Team Total
Wins Ryohei Hasegawa
Takumi Otomo		 Hiroshima Carp
Yomiuri Giants		 30
Losses Masatoshi Gondo Taiyo Whales 21
Earned run average Takehiko Bessho Yomiuri Giants 1.33
Strikeouts Masaichi Kaneda Kokutetsu Swallows 350
Innings pitched Masaichi Kaneda Kokutetsu Swallows 400

Pacific League

Batting leaders
Stat Player Team Total
Batting average Futoshi Nakanishi Nishitetsu Lions .332
Home runs Futoshi Nakanishi Nishitetsu Lions 35
Runs batted in Kazuhiro Yamauchi Mainichi Orions 99
Runs Chico Barbon Hankyu Braves 105
Hits Tokuji Iida
Chico Barbon		 Nankai Hawks
Hankyu Braves		 163
Stolen bases Masao Morishita Nankai Hawks 59
Pitching leaders
Stat Player Team Total
Wins Motoji Takuwa Nankai Hawks 24
Losses Yasuo Yonekawa Toei Flyers 21
Earned run average Takashi Nakagawa Mainichi Orions 2.08
Strikeouts Hisafumi Kawamura Nishitetsu Lions 225
Innings pitched Yasuo Yonekawa Toei Flyers 3531⁄3

Awards

Central League Best Nine Award winners
Position Player Team
Pitcher Takehiko Bessho Yomiuri Giants
Catcher Jun Hirota Yomiuri Giants
First baseman Tetsuharu Kawakami Yomiuri Giants
Second baseman Noboru Inoue Chunichi Dragons
Third baseman Toshikazu Kodama Chunichi Dragons
Shortstop Yoshio Yoshida Osaka Tigers
Outfielder Hiroyuki Watanabe Osaka Tigers
Wally Yonamine Yomiuri Giants
Yukihiko Machida Kokutetsu Swallows
Pacific League Best Nine Award winners
Position Player Team
Pitcher Taisei Nakamura Nankai Hawks
Catcher Charlie Lewis Mainichi Orions
First baseman Kohei Sugiyama Nankai Hawks
Second baseman Isami Okamoto Nankai Hawks
Third baseman Futoshi Nakanishi Nishitetsu Lions
Shortstop Chusuke Kizuka Nankai Hawks
Outfielder Kazuhiro Yamauchi Mainichi Orions
Tokuji Iida Nankai Hawks
Katsuki Tokura Hankyu Braves

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g 1955年度日本シリーズ　試合結果 (in Japanese). Nippon Professional Baseball. Archived from the original on 31 March 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
  • Johnson, Daniel E. (July 2006). Japanese Baseball: A Statistical Handbook. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-2841-0.