1961 Nippon Professional Baseball season

This article is about the 1961 Nippon Professional Baseball season only. For information on all of baseball, see 1961 in baseball.

1961 NPB season
League	Nippon Professional Baseball
Sport	Baseball
Central League Pennant
League champions	Yomiuri Giants
Runners-up	Chunichi Dragons
Season MVP	Shigeo Nagashima (YOM)
Pacific League Pennant
League champions	Nankai Hawks
Runners-up	Toei Flyers
Season MVP	Katsuya Nomura (NAN)
Japan Series
Champions	Yomiuri Giants
Runners-up	Nankai Hawks
Japan Series MVP	Andy Miyamoto (YOM)

The 1961 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the twelfth 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	130	71	53	6	.569	—
Chunichi Dragons	130	72	56	2	.562	1.0
Kokutetsu Swallows	130	67	60	3	.527	5.5
Hanshin Tigers	130	60	67	3	.473	12.5
Hiroshima Carp	130	58	67	5	.465	13.5
Taiyo Whales	130	50	75	5	.404	21.5

Pacific League regular season standings

Team	G	W	L	T	Pct.	GB
Nankai Hawks	140	85	49	6	.629	—
Toei Flyers	140	83	52	5	.611	2.5
Nishitetsu Lions	140	81	56	3	.589	5.5
Daimai Orions	140	72	66	2	.521	15.0
Hankyu Braves	140	53	84	3	.389	33.5
Kintetsu Buffaloes	140	36	103	1	.261	51.5

Postseason

Japan Series

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

Game	Date	Score	Location	Time	Attendance
1	October 22	Yomiuri Giants – 0, Nankai Hawks – 6	Osaka Stadium	2:19	30,720[1]
2	October 24	Yomiuri Giants – 6, Nankai Hawks – 4	Osaka Stadium	2:41	26,845[1]
3	October 26	Nankai Hawks – 4, Yomiuri Giants – 5	Korakuen Stadium	2:23	30,878[1]
4	October 29	Nankai Hawks – 3, Yomiuri Giants – 4	Korakuen Stadium	2:18	33,186[1]
5	October 30	Nankai Hawks – 6, Yomiuri Giants – 3	Korakuen Stadium	2:28	30,135[1]
6	November 1	Yomiuri Giants – 3, Nankai Hawks – 2	Osaka Stadium	2:45	21,565[1]

League leaders

Central League

Batting leaders Stat Player Team Total Batting average Shigeo Nagashima Yomiuri Giants .353 Home runs Shigeo Nagashima Yomiuri Giants 28 Runs batted in Takeshi Kuwata Taiyo Whales 94 Runs Toshio Naka Chunichi Dragons 88 Hits Shigeo Nagashima Yomiuri Giants 158 Stolen bases Kazuhiko Kondo Taiyo Whales 35

Pitching leaders Stat Player Team Total Wins Hiroshi Gondo Chunichi Dragons 35 Losses Masaaki Koyama Hanshin Tigers 22 Earned run average Hiroshi Gondo Chunichi Dragons 1.70 Strikeouts Hiroshi Gondo Chunichi Dragons 310 Innings pitched Hiroshi Gondo Chunichi Dragons 429^1⁄3

Pacific League

Batting leaders Stat Player Team Total Batting average Isao Harimoto Toei Flyers .336 Home runs Katsuya Nomura Yoshihiro Nakata Nankai Hawks Hankyu Braves 29 Runs batted in Kazuhiro Yamauchi Daimai Orions 112 Runs Akio Saionji Toei Flyers 97 Hits Kihachi Enomoto Daimai Orions 180 Stolen bases Yoshinori Hirose Nankai Hawks 42

Pitching leaders Stat Player Team Total Wins Kazuhisa Inao Nishitetsu Lions 42 Losses Toshiaki Tokuhisa Kintetsu Buffaloes 24 Earned run average Kazuhisa Inao Nishitetsu Lions 1.69 Strikeouts Kazuhisa Inao Nishitetsu Lions 353 Innings pitched Kazuhisa Inao Nishitetsu Lions 404

Awards

• Most Valuable Player
  • Shigeo Nagashima, Yomiuri Giants (CL)
  • Katsuya Nomura, Nankai Hawks (PL)
• Rookie of the Year
  • Hiroshi Gondo, Chunichi Dragons (CL)
  • Toshiaki Tokuhisa, Kintetsu Buffaloes (PL)
• Eiji Sawamura Award
  • Hiroshi Gondo, Chunichi Dragons (CL)

Central League Best Nine Award winners Position Player Team Pitcher Hiroshi Gondo Chunichi Dragons Catcher Masahiko Mori Yomiuri Giants First baseman Katsumi Fujimoto Hanshin Tigers Second baseman Masataka Tsuchiya Kokutetsu Swallows Third baseman Shigeo Nagashima Yomiuri Giants Shortstop Akiteru Kono Chunichi Dragons Outfielder Kazuhiko Kondo Taiyo Whales Shinichi Eto Chunichi Dragons Katsuji Morinaga Hiroshima Carp

Pacific League Best Nine Award winners Position Player Team Pitcher Kazuhisa Inao Nishitetsu Lions Catcher Katsuya Nomura Nankai Hawks First baseman Kihachi Enomoto Daimai Orions Second baseman Nobuyasu Morishita Nankai Hawks Third baseman Futoshi Nakanishi Nishitetsu Lions Shortstop Yasumitsu Toyoda Nishitetsu Lions Outfielder Kazuhiro Yamauchi Daimai Orions Kenjiro Tamiya Daimai Orions Isao Harimoto Toei Flyers

References

1. 1961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 27, 2010.

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