The 1953 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the fourth season of operation of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
That season would be the first to be televised on the young NHK General TV - which opened that year. The young channel and its then few national relay stations aired some games during the year, tying baseball to the young TV industry and thus beginning the sports connection to Japanese television, as well as its transformation into the top sport of the nation.
Regular season
Standings + Central League regular season standings Team G W L T Pct. GBYomiuri Giants 125 87 37 1 .702 —Osaka Tigers 130 74 56 0 .569 16.0Chunichi Dragons 130 70 57 3 .551 18.5Hiroshima Carp 130 53 75 2 .414 36.0Taiyo Shochiku Robins 130 52 77 1 .403 37.5Kokutetsu Swallows 125 45 79 1 .363 42.0
+ Pacific League regular season standings Team G W L T Pct. GBNankai Hawks 120 71 48 1 .597 —Hankyu Braves 120 67 52 1 .563 4.0Daiei Stars 120 63 53 4 .543 6.5Nishitetsu Lions 120 57 61 2 .483 13.5Mainichi Orions 120 56 62 2 .475 14.5Tokyu Flyers 120 50 67 3 .427 20.0Kintetsu Pearls 120 48 69 3 .410 22.0
Postseason
Japan Series
League leaders
Central League
+ Batting leaders Stat Player Team Total Batting average Tetsuharu Kawakami Yomiuri Giants .347 Home runs Fumio Fujimura Osaka Tigers 27 Runs batted in Fumio Fujimura Osaka Tigers 98 Runs Saburo Hirai Yomiuri Giants 97 Hits Tetsuharu Kawakami Yomiuri Giants 162 Stolen bases Jiro Kanayama Hiroshima Carp 58
+ Pitching leaders Stat Player Team Total Wins Takumi Otomo Yomiuri Giants 27 Losses Yoshiaki Inoue Kokutetsu Swallows 26 Earned run average Takumi Otomo Yomiuri Giants 1.85 Strikeouts Masaichi Kaneda Kokutetsu Swallows 229 Innings pitched Masaichi Kaneda Kokutetsu Swallows 303
Pacific League
+ Batting leaders Stat Player Team Total Batting average Isami Okamoto Nankai Hawks .318 Home runs Futoshi Nakanishi Nishitetsu Lions 36 Runs batted in Futoshi Nakanishi Nishitetsu Lions 86 Runs Futoshi NakanishiLarry Raines Nishitetsu LionsHankyu Braves 92 Hits Futoshi Nakanishi Nishitetsu Lions 146 Stolen bases Larry Raines Hankyu Braves 61
+ Pitching leaders Stat Player Team Total Wins Tokuji Kawasaki Nishitetsu Lions 24 Losses Yasuo Yonekawa Tokyu Flyers 21 Earned run average Tokuji Kawasaki Nishitetsu Lions 1.98 Strikeouts Yasuo Yonekawa Tokyu Flyers 180 Innings pitched Tokuji Kawasaki Nishitetsu Lions 294
Awards Most Valuable Player Takumi Otomo, Yomiuri Giants (CL) Isami Okamoto, Nankai Hawks (PL) Rookie of the Year Masatoshi Gondo, Taiyo Shochiku Robins (CL) Yasumitsu Toyoda, Nishitetsu Lions (PL) Eiji Sawamura Award Takumi Otomo, Yomiuri Giants (CL)
+ Central League Best Nine Award winners Position Player Team Pitcher Takumi Otomo Yomiuri Giants Catcher Jun Hirota Yomiuri Giants First baseman Tetsuharu Kawakami Yomiuri Giants Second baseman Shigeru Chiba Yomiuri Giants Third baseman Larry Yogi Osaka Tigers Shortstop Saburo Hirai Yomiuri GiantsOutfielder Masayasu Kaneda Osaka Tigers Wally Yonamine Yomiuri Giants Fukashi Minamimura Yomiuri Giants
+ Pacific League Best Nine Award winners Position Player Team Pitcher Tokuji Kawasaki Nishitetsu Lions Catcher Jun Matsui Nankai Hawks First baseman Tokuji Iida Nankai Hawks Second baseman Isami Okamoto Nankai Hawks Third baseman Futoshi Nakanishi Nishitetsu Lions Shortstop Chusuke Kizuka Nankai HawksOutfielder Kaoru Betto Mainichi Orions Hazuo Horii Nankai Hawks Hiroshi Oshita Tokyu Flyers
See also 1953 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season 1953 Major League Baseball season
References