The 2008 Saitama Seibu Lions season was the 59th season of the Saitama Seibu Lions franchise. The Lions played their home games at Seibu Dome in the city of Tokorozawa, Saitama as members of Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League. The team was led by Hisanobu Watanabe on his first season as team manager.
Seibu finished the season in first place with a record of , winning the team its 21st PL pennant and qualifying them for the Climax Series. In the 2008 Pacific League Climax Series, the Lions defeated the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in the Second Stage and went on to win the 2008 Japan Series, its thirteenth, as well as the 2008 Asia Series.
Regular season
Standings
Interleague
Record vs. opponents + 2008 record vs. opponentsTeamCentral League opponentsPacific League opponentsBayStarsCarpDragonsGiantsSwallowsTigersBuffaloesEaglesFightersHawksLionsMarines BayStars — 11–13 7–17 5–18–1 9–15 10–13–1 1–3 0–4 1–3 0–4 2–2 2–2 Carp 13–11 — 9–13–2 12–10–2 12–11–1 10–14 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 3–1 3–1 Dragons 17–7 13–9–2 — 14–10 9–13–2 6–17–1 1–3 2–2 1–3 2–2 3–1 3–1 Giants 18–5–1 10–12–2 10–14 — 18–6 14–10 3–1 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 4–0 Swallows 15–9 11–12–1 13–9–2 6–18 — 10–13–1 3–1 2–2 1–3 2–2 2–2 1–3 Tigers 13–10–1 14–10 17–6–1 10–14 13–10–1 — 3–1 3–1 2–2 3–1 3–1 1–3 Buffaloes 3–1 2–2 3–1 1–3 1–3 1–3 — 13–10–1 13–11 14–10 10–14 14–10 Eagles 4–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 10–13–1 — 13–10–1 12–12 10–14 7–16–1 Fighters 3–1 2–2 3–1 1–3 3–1 2–2 11–13 10–13–1 — 17–7 9–14–1 12–12 Hawks 4–0 3–1 2–2 3–1 2–2 1–3 10–14 12–12 7–17 — 10–11–3 10–14 Lions 2–2 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–2 1–3 14–10 14–10 14–9–1 11–10–3 — 13–11 Marines 2–2 1–3 1–3 0–4 3–1 3–1 10–14 16–7–1 12–12 14–10 11–13 —
Opening Day roster Thursday, March 20, 2008 vs. Orix Buffaloes Order Player Pos. 1 Yasuyuki Kataoka 2B 2 Takumi Kuriyama DH 3 Hiroyuki Nakajima SS 4 Craig Brazell 1B 5 G. G. Sato RF 6 Takeya Nakamura 3B 7 Hiram Bocachica CF 8 Toru Hosokawa C 9 Kenta Matsusaka LF — Hideaki Wakui P
Game log
|-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 1 || March 20 || Buffaloes || 1–2 || Kaneko (1–0) || Wakui (0–1) || Kato (1) || Seibu Dome || 27,137 || 0–1–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 2 || March 22 || Buffaloes || 6–0 || Ishii (1–0) || Nakayama (0–1) || — || Seibu Dome || 12,288 || 1–1–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 3 || March 23 || Buffaloes || 1–2 || Kondo (1–0) || Kinney (0–1) || Kato (2) || Seibu Dome || 12,632 || 1–2–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 4 || March 25 || @ Fighters || 1–9 || Takeda (1–0) || Nishiguchi (0–1) || — || Sapporo Dome || 16,410 || 1–3–0 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 5 || March 26 || @ Fighters || 8–0 || Kishi (1–0) || Yoshikawa (0–1) || — || Sapporo Dome || 19,206 || 2–3–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 6 || March 27 || @ Fighters || 0–1 (10) || Takeda (1–0) || Wakui (0–2) || — || Sapporo Dome || 25,011 || 2–4–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 7 || March 28 || Hawks || 2–3 || Sugiuchi (1–0) || Onodera (0–1) || Nitkowski (1) || Seibu Dome || 9,184 || 2–5–0 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 8 || March 29 || Hawks || 10–4 || Ishii (2–0) || Standridge (0–1) || — || Seibu Dome || 16,044 || 3–5–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 9 || March 30 || Hawks || 5–1 || Kinney (1–1) || Oba (1–1) || — || Seibu Dome || 18,059 || 4–5–0 || W2
|-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 10 || April 1 || @ Buffaloes || 6–10 || Yamamoto (1–0) || Nishiguchi (0–2) || — || Skymark Stadium || 10,751 || 4–6–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 11 || April 2 || @ Buffaloes || 5–1 || Kishi (2–0) || Takagi (1–1) || — || Kyocera Dome || 8,616 || 5–6–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 12 || April 3 || @ Buffaloes || 4–3 || Hoshino (1–0) || Motoyanagi (0–1) || Graman (1) || Kyocera Dome || 9,163 || 6–6–0 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 13 || April 4 || Eagles || 4–2 || Hoashi (1–0) || Lin (0–1) || Graman (2) || Shikishima Stadium || 17,599 || 7–6–0 || W3 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 14 || April 5 || Eagles || 4–2 || Ishii (3–0) || Tanaka (1–1) || Onuma (1) || Seibu Dome || 23,902 || 8-6-0 || W4 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 15 || April 6 || Eagles || 4–3 || Kinney (2–1) || Asai (1–2) || Graman (3) || Seibu Dome || 18,213 || 9–6–0 || W5 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 16 || April 8 || Marines || 4–3 || Onodera (1–1) || Ogino (1–1) || — || Seibu Dome || 8,818 || 10–6–0 || W6 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 17 || April 9 || Marines || 1–10 || Shimizu (1–2) || Kishi (2–1) || — || Seibu Dome || 10,541 || 10–7–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 18 || April 10 || Marines || 15–5 || Wakui (1–2) || Kubo (1–2) || — || Seibu Dome || 7,702 || 11–7–0 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 19 || April 11 || @ Hawks || 8–3 || Onuma (1–0) || Sugiuchi (1–1) || Graman (4) || Yahoo Dome || 28,721 || 12–7–0 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 20 || April 12 || @ Hawks || 5–8 || Ogura (1–0) || Onodera (1–2) || Houlton (1) || Yahoo Dome || 29,692 || 12–8–0 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 21 || April 13 || @ Hawks || 4–5 || Kume (3–0) || Onuma (1–1) || — || Yahoo Dome || 29,545 || 12–9–0 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffeeaa" | 22 || April 15 || Fighters || 3–3 (12) || colspan=3|Game tied after 12 innings || Seibu Dome || 8,397 || 12–9–1 || T1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 23 || April 16 || Fighters || 4–2 || Wakui (2–2) || Yoshikawa (1–3) || Graman (5) || Seibu Dome || 11,263 || 13–9–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbbbbb" | — || April 19 || @ Eagles || colspan=4|Postponed (rain) – Makeup date: October 4 || Kleenex Stadium || — || — || — |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 24 || April 20 || @ Eagles || 4–3 (10) || Iwasaki (1–0) || Aoyama (1–1) || Graman (6) || Kleenex Stadium || 19,601 || 14–9–1 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 25 || April 22 || @ Marines || 1–8 || Watanabe (3–1) || Ishii (3–1) || — || Chiba Marine Stadium || 16,856 || 14–10–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 26 || April 23 || @ Marines || 1–2 || Ono (2–0) || Wakui (2–3) || Ogino (5) || Chiba Marine Stadium || 16,059 || 14–11–1 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbbbbb" | — || April 24 || @ Marines || colspan=4|Postponed (rain) – Makeup date: October 1 || Chiba Marine Stadium || — || — || — |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 27 || April 25 || Buffaloes || 9–5 (11) || Graman (1–0) || Junge (0–1) || — || Seibu Dome || 7,417 || 15–11–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 28 || April 26 || Buffaloes || 10–8 || Mitsui (1–0) || Yoshino (0–1) || Graman (7) || Seibu Dome || 20,130 || 16–11–1 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 29 || April 27 || Buffaloes || 10–3 || Hoashi (2–0) || Kondo (2–3) || — || Seibu Dome || 16,472 || 17–11–1 || W3 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 30 || April 29 || Hawks || 7–10 (12) || Houlton (1–0) || Mitsui (1–1) || — || Seibu Dome || 26,619 || 17–12–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 31 || April 30 || Hawks || 6–2 || Ishii (4–1) || Otonari (2–4) || — || Seibu Dome || 12,497 || 18–12–1 || W1
|-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 32 || May 1 || Hawks || 5–4 || Wakui (3–3) || Houlton (1–1) || — || Seibu Dome || 14,659 || 19–12–1 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 33 || May 2 || @ Marines || 5–0 || Kishi (3–1) || Shimizu (3–3) || — || Chiba Marine Stadium || 9,659 || 20–12–1 || W3 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 34 || May 3 || @ Marines || 1–10 || Karakawa (2–0) || Nishiguchi (0–3) || — || Chiba Marine Stadium || 30,014 || 20–13–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 35 || May 4 || @ Marines || 4–0 || Hoashi (3–0) || Kobayashi (1–5) || — || Chiba Marine Stadium || 30,023 || 21–13–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 36 || May 5 || Fighters || 8–6 || Onodera (2–2) || Takeda (2–2) || Graman (8) || Seibu Dome || 34,783 || 22–13–1 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 37 || May 6 || Fighters || 3–1 || Ishii (5–1) || Miyanishi (0–2) || — || Seibu Dome || 27,340 || 23–13–1 || W3 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 38 || May 7 || Fighters || 4–3 || Hoshino (2–0) || Darvish (5–1) || — || Seibu Dome || 15,574 || 24–13–1 || W4 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 39 || May 9 || @ Buffaloes || 3–2 || Kishi (4–1) || Ortiz (0–2) || Graman (9) || Kyocera Dome || 14,670 || 25–13–1 || W5 |-align="center" bgcolor="#bbbbbb" | — || May 10 || @ Buffaloes || colspan=4|Postponed (rain) – Makeup date: September 5 || Skymark Stadium || — || — || — |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 40 || May 11 || @ Buffaloes || 9–0 || Hoashi (4–0) || Kaneko (2–4) || — || Skymark Stadium || 12,678 || 26–13–1 || W6 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 41 || May 13 || @ Hawks || 2–4 || Wada (4–0) || Ishii (5–2) || Houlton (5) || Sun Marine Stadium || 20,606 || 26–14–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 42 || May 14 || @ Hawks || 11–4 || Wakui (4–3) || Guttormson (1–2) || — || Yahoo Dome || 33,629 || 27–14–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 43 || May 15 || @ Hawks || 10–3 || Nishiguchi (1–3) || Powell (1–2) || — || Yahoo Dome || 31,793 || 28–14–1 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 44 || May 16 || @ Eagles || 2–8 || Iwakuma (6–2) || Kishi (4–2) || — || Kleenex Stadium || 12,057 || 28–15–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 45 || May 17 || @ Eagles || 2–3 (12) || Kawagishi (1–1) || Okamoto (0–1) || — || Kleenex Stadium || 14,265 || 28–16–1 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 46 || May 18 || @ Eagles || 7–3 || Hsu (1–0) || Tanaka (4–3) || — || Kleenex Stadium || 20,253 || 29–16–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 47 || May 21 || Swallows || 4–5 || Rios (2–5) || Onodera (2–3) || Lim (13) || Seibu Dome || 15,683 || 29–17–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 48 || May 22 || Swallows || 7–2 || Wakui (5–3) || Muranaka (3–5) || — || Seibu Dome || 14,236 || 30–17–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 49 || May 23 || Giants || 10–1 || Kishi (5–2) || Greisinger (5–2) || — || Seibu Dome || 24,137 || 31–17–1 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 50 || May 24 || Giants || 4–2 || Hoashi (5–0) || Nomaguchi (1–2) || Graman (10) || Seibu Dome || 34,432 || 32–17–1 || W3 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 51 || May 25 || @ Tigers || 1–5 || Kubota (2–1) || Onodera (2–4) || — || Koshien Stadium || 43,516 || 32–18–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 52 || May 26 || @ Tigers || 1–2 (11) || Watanabe (2–0) || Graman (1–1) || — || Koshien Stadium || 41,970 || 32–19–1 || L2 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 53 || May 28 || @ Carp || 5–3 || Ishii (6–2) || Oshima (0–2) || Graman (11) || Fukuyama Stadium || 7,041 || 33–19–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 54 || May 29 || @ Carp || 1–3 || Lewis (7–4) || Wakui (5–4) || Nagakawa (6) || Hiroshima Stadium || 15,267 || 33–20–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 55 || May 31 || Dragons || 3–4 || Kawakami (3–3) || Onuma (1–2) || Iwase (16) || Seibu Dome || 32,788 || 33–21–1 || L2
|-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 56 || June 1 || Dragons || 10–3 || Hoashi (6–0) || Nakata (4–4) || — || Seibu Dome || 33,157 || 34–21–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 57 || June 3 || BayStars || 7–3 || Nishiguchi (2–3) || Oyamada (1–3) || — || Seibu Dome || 11,477 || 35–21–1 || W2 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 58 || June 4 || BayStars || 2–1 || Ishii (7–2) || Kuwahara (0–1) || Graman (12) || Seibu Dome || 13,416 || 36–21–1 || W3 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 59 || June 6 || @ Swallows || 1–7 || Tateyama (5–1) || Wakui (5–5) || — || Iwaki Green Stadium || 7,733 || 36–22–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 60 || June 7 || @ Swallows || 5–3 || Kishi (6–2) || Kawashima (1–2) || Graman (13) || Hitachinaka Stadium || 11,232 || 37–22–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb" | 61 || June 8 || @ Giants || 0–4 || Utsumi (4–4) || Hsu (1–1) || — || Tokyo Dome || 43,051 || 37–23–1 || L1 |-align="center" bgcolor="bbffbb" | 62 || June 9 || @ Giants || 9–3 || Nishiguchi (3–3) || Greisinger (6–4) || — || Tokyo Dome || 44,284 || 38–23–1 || W1 |-align="center" bgcolor="#ffbbbb"