1952 Nippon Professional Baseball season

This article is about the 1952 Nippon Professional Baseball season only. For information on all of baseball, see 1952 in baseball.

1952 NPB season
League	Nippon Professional Baseball
Sport	Baseball
Central League Pennant
League champions	Yomiuri Giants
Runners-up	Osaka Tigers
Season MVP	Takehiko Bessho (YOM)
Pacific League Pennant
League champions	Nankai Hawks
Runners-up	Mainichi Orions
Season MVP	Susumu Yuki (NAN)
Japan Series
Champions	Yomiuri Giants
Runners-up	Nankai Hawks
Japan Series MVP	Takehiko Bessho (YOM)

The 1952 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the third season of operation of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Regular season

Standings

Central League regular season standings

Team	G	W	L	T	Pct.	GB
Yomiuri Giants	120	83	37	0	.692	—
Osaka Tigers	120	79	40	1	.664	3.5
Nagoya Dragons	120	75	43	2	.636	7.0
Taiyo Whales	120	58	62	0	.483	25.0
Kokutetsu Swallows	120	50	70	0	.417	33.0
Hiroshima Carp	120	37	80	3	.316	44.5
Shochiku Robins	120	34	84	2	.288	48.0

Pacific League regular season standings

Team	G	W	L	T	Pct.	GB
Nankai Hawks	121	76	44	1	.633	—
Mainichi Orions	120	75	45	0	.625	1.0
Nishitetsu Lions	120	67	52	1	.563	8.5
Daiei Stars	121	55	65	1	.458	21.0
Hankyu Braves	108	49	58	1	.458	20.5
Tokyu Flyers	108	49	59	0	.454	21.0
Kintetsu Pearls	108	30	78	0	.278	40.0

Postseason

Japan Series

CL Yomiuri Giants (4) vs. PL Nankai Hawks (2)

Game	Date	Score	Location	Time	Attendance
1	October 11	Nankai Hawks – 3, Yomiuri Giants – 6	Korakuen Stadium	1:57	23,794[1]
2	October 12	Nankai Hawks – 0, Yomiuri Giants – 11	Korakuen Stadium	1:56	26,799[1]
3	October 14	Yomiuri Giants – 0, Nankai Hawks – 4	Osaka Stadium	2:12	23,744[1]
4	October 15	Yomiuri Giants – 6, Nankai Hawks – 2	Osaka Stadium	2:04	20,117[1]
5	October 16	Yomiuri Giants – 1, Nankai Hawks – 4	Osaka Stadium	1:35	15,297[1]
6	October 18	Nankai Hawks – 2, Yomiuri Giants – 3	Korakuen Stadium	2:02	34,595[1]

League leaders

Central League

Batting leaders Stat Player Team Total Batting average Michio Nishizawa Nagoya Dragons .353 Home runs Satoshi Sugiyama Nagoya Dragons 27 Runs batted in Michio Nishizawa Nagoya Dragons 98 Runs Wally Yonamine Yomiuri Giants 104 Hits Wally Yonamine Yomiuri Giants 163 Stolen bases Jiro Kanayama Shochiku Robins 63

Pitching leaders Stat Player Team Total Wins Takehiko Bessho Yomiuri Giants 33 Losses Tsuneo Kobayashi Shochiku Robins 27 Earned run average Tadayoshi Kajioka Osaka Tigers 1.71 Strikeouts Masaichi Kaneda Kokutetsu Swallows 269 Innings pitched Takehiko Bessho Yomiuri Giants 371^1⁄3

Pacific League

Batting leaders Stat Player Team Total Batting average Shigeya Iijima Daiei Stars .336 Home runs Yasuhiro Fukami Nishitetsu Lions, Tokyu Flyers 25 Runs batted in Tokuji Iida Nankai Hawks 86 Runs Tokuji Iida Nankai Hawks 100 Hits Tokuji Iida Nankai Hawks 153 Stolen bases Chusuke Kizuka Nankai Hawks 55

Pitching leaders Stat Player Team Total Wins Masaaki Noguchi Nishitetsu Lions 23 Losses Mitsuro Sawafuji Kintetsu Pearls 22 Earned run average Susumu Yuki Nankai Hawks 1.91 Strikeouts Susumu Yuki Nankai Hawks 104 Innings pitched Giichi Hayashi Daiei Stars 269^2⁄3

Awards

• Most Valuable Player
  • Takehiko Bessho, Yomiuri Giants (CL)
  • Susumu Yuki, Nankai Hawks (PL)
• Rookie of the Year
  • Takao Sato, Kokutetsu Swallows (CL)
  • Futoshi Nakanishi, Nishitetsu Lions (PL)
• Eiji Sawamura Award
  • Shigeru Sugishita, Nagoya Dragons (CL)

Central League Best Nine Award winners Position Player Team Pitcher Takehiko Bessho Yomiuri Giants Catcher Akira Noguchi Nagoya Dragons First baseman Michio Nishizawa Nagoya Dragons Second baseman Shigeru Chiba Yomiuri Giants Third baseman Fumio Fujimura Osaka Tigers Shortstop Masaaki Hirai Yomiuri Giants Outfielder Wally Yonamine Yomiuri Giants Satoshi Sugiyama Nagoya Dragons Fukashi Minamimura Yomiuri Giants

Pacific League Best Nine Award winners Position Player Team Pitcher Susumu Yuki Nankai Hawks Catcher Takeshi Doigaki Mainichi Orions First baseman Tokuji Iida Nankai Hawks Second baseman Isami Okamoto Nankai Hawks Third baseman Kazuo Kageyama Nankai Hawks Shortstop Chusuke Kizuka Nankai Hawks Outfielder Kaoru Betto Mainichi Orions Hiroshi Oshita Tokyu Flyers Shigeya Iijima Daiei Stars

References

1. 1952年度日本シリーズ　試合結果 (in Japanese). Nippon Professional Baseball. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2010.

• Johnson, Daniel E. (July 2006). Japanese Baseball: A Statistical Handbook. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0-7864-2841-0.