Seibu Lions
From SoSH
| Location: | Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan |
| League: | Pacific League - Nippon Pro Baseball |
| Ballpark: | Invoice Seibu Dome |
Contents |
Franchise History
Founded in 1950, the Lions quickly became one of the Pacific League's most dominant teams, winning four pennants in their first decade. The Lions were the most powerful team of the 1980s and early 1990s.
Owned by Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, the president of the Seibu group and one of the world's wealthiest men, the team has managed to get some of Japan's best players into its deep pockets. Four of those who played during the 1982 - 1994 Seibu dynasty include Koji Akiyama (416 career home runs), Kazuhiro Kiyohara (397 HRs), Orestes Destrade (three straight home run crowns) and pitcher Kimiyasu Kudo (162-89, 2016 strikeouts, 3.16 ERA). Destrade retired and the other three moved to other teams.
In addition to building a dynasty, Tsutsumi also created the team's ballpark, Seibu Dome, which lies 30 minutes west of Tokyo. Originally an amphitheater dug into the side of a hill, a roof was installed after the 1998 season.
Former Lions in Boston
Trivia
- The first Japanese infielder to play in Major League Baseball, Kazuo Matsui, used to play for the Seibu Lions.
