Seibu Lions

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Seibu Lions League Pacific League Location Tokorozawa, Saitama Ballpark Goodwill Dome Year Founded 1950 Nickname(s) Seibu (西武), Lions (ライオンズ), Leo (レオ), Shishi (獅子, which means lion) League championships 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1963, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004 Japan Series championships 1956, 1957, 1958, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2004 Former name(s) Nishitetsu Clippers (1950), Nishitetsu Lions (1951-1972), Taiheiyo Club Lions (1973–1976), Crown Lighter Lions (1977–1978), Seibu Lions (1979–) Colors Blue, white and green Logo Design A white lions's head on a green field.[1]

The Seibu Lions are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League and are owned by Seibu Railway. However, recently, the team has stood on shaky financial ground, a standing that may be remedied now that the Lions' superstar pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka has signed with the Boston Red Sox. With the Red Sox signing Matsuzaka, the Lions will get the 6 billion Japanese Yen (about $51.11 million USD) posting fee. The team logo is based on the adult Kimba the White Lion, a famous classic anime series by Osamu Tezuka.

The first Japanese infielder to play in Major League Baseball, Kazuo Matsui of the Colorado Rockies, used to play for the Seibu Lions.

[edit] Franchise history

[edit] Nishitetsu Clippers (1950)

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

[edit] Nishitetsu Lions (1951-1972)

In 1951 the Nishi-Nihon Pirates and Nishitetsu Clippers merged to form the Nishitetsu Lions. They were one of the top Pacific League teams of the decade, winning four pennants and taking three straight Japan Series from the Yomiuri Giants. Osamu Mihara managed the team throughout their 1950s success period. The team was not as successful in the following decade and in 1973 was sold and became the Taiheiyo Club Lions. The Nishitetsu Lions called Heiwadai Stadium home for their entire existence.

[edit] Taiheiyo Club Lions (1973-1976)

In November, 1972, the Nishitetsu Lions were bought by the Fukuoka Baseball Corporation from Nishi-Nippon Railroad. The company was founded by Nagayoshi Nakamura, owner of the Lotte and the Orions. The team's sponsorship rights were then sold to Taiheiyo Club, a golf course and resort developer, and the team was renamed. The team remained as the Taiheiyo Club Lions until after the 1976 season.

[edit] Crown Lighter Lions (1977-1978)

At the end of the 1976 season, the Fukuoka Baseball Corporation announced that the team's new sponsor was Crown Gas Lighter. 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 Seibu Railway.

[edit] Seibu Lions (1979-)

The Crown Lighter Lions were sold to Seibu Railway in 1978, and since then have used the name Seibu Lions, and relocated to a new ballpark in Tokorozawa, Saitama.

[edit] Season-by-Season Records

[edit] Managers

• Kaname Miyazaki (1950)
• Osamu Mihara (1951-1959)
• Tokuji Kawasaki (1960-1961)
• Futoshi Nakanishi (1962-1969)
• Kazuhisa Inao (1970-1974)
• Shinichi Eto (1975)
• Masakazu Kito (1976-1977)
• Rikuo Nemoto (1978-1981)
• Tatsuro Hirooka (1982-1985)
• Masahiko Mori (1986-1994)
• Osamu Higashio (1995-2001)
• Haruki Ihara (2002-2003)
• Tsutomu Ito (2004-present)

[edit] Players of note

• Alex Cabrera - 1B
• Jason Johnson - RHP
• Fumiya Nishiguchi - P
• Yoshihito Ishii - 2B
• Hiroyuki Nakajima - SS
• Kazuhiro Wada - OF
• Takeya Nakamura - 3B
• Kouji Akiyama
• Chang Chih-Chia - P
• Orestes Destrade
• Tony Fernández
• Darrin Jackson
• Kazuhiro Kiyohara
• Kazuo Matsui
• Taigen kaku
• Daisuke Matsuzaka - P
• Shinji Mori
• Steve Ontiveros
• Terry Whitfield

[edit] Honored numbers

• 27-Tsutomu Itoh（C,Mgr）

[edit] External links

• Seibu Lions official web site