1963 Nippon Professional Baseball season

This article is about the 1963 Nippon Professional Baseball season only. For information on all of baseball, see 1963 in baseball.

1963 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	Nishitetsu Lions
Runners-up	Nankai Hawks
Season MVP	Katsuya Nomura (NAN)
Japan Series
Champions	Yomiuri Giants
Runners-up	Nishitetsu Lions
Japan Series MVP	Shigeo Nagashima (YOM)

The 1963 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the fourteenth 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	140	83	55	2	.601	—
Chunichi Dragons	140	80	57	3	.584	2.5
Hanshin Tigers	140	69	70	1	.496	14.5
Kokutetsu Swallows	140	65	73	2	.471	18.0
Taiyo Whales	140	59	79	2	.428	24.0
Hiroshima Carp	140	58	80	2	.420	25.0

Pacific League regular season standings

Team	G	W	L	T	Pct.	GB
Nishitetsu Lions	150	86	60	4	.589	—
Nankai Hawks	150	85	61	4	.582	1.0
Toei Flyers	150	76	71	3	.517	10.5
Kintetsu Buffaloes	150	74	73	3	.503	12.5
Daimai Orions	150	64	85	1	.430	23.5
Hankyu Braves	150	57	92	1	.383	30.5

Postseason

Japan Series

CL Yomiuri Giants (4) vs. PL Nishitetsu Lions (3)

Game	Date	Score	Location	Time	Attendance
1	October 26	Yomiuri Giants – 1, Nishitetsu Lions – 6	Heiwadai Stadium	2:29	29,806[1]
2	October 27	Yomiuri Giants – 9, Nishitetsu Lions – 6	Heiwadai Stadium	2:54	29,969[1]
3	October 30	Nishitetsu Lions – 2, Yomiuri Giants – 8	Korakuen Stadium	2:28	30,384[1]
4	October 31	Nishitetsu Lions – 4, Yomiuri Giants – 1	Korakuen Stadium	2:42	29,960[1]
5	November 1	Nishitetsu Lions – 1, Yomiuri Giants – 3	Korakuen Stadium	2:10	30,386[1]
6	November 3	Yomiuri Giants – 0, Nishitetsu Lions – 6	Heiwadai Stadium	2:09	27,079[1]
7	November 4	Yomiuri Giants – 18, Nishitetsu Lions – 4	Heiwadai Stadium	2:32	17,436[1]

League leaders

Central League

Batting leaders Stat Player Team Total Batting average Shigeo Nagashima Yomiuri Giants .341 Home runs Sadaharu Oh Yomiuri Giants 40 Runs batted in Shigeo Nagashima Yomiuri Giants 112 Runs Sadaharu Oh Yomiuri Giants 111 Hits Shigeo Nagashima Yomiuri Giants 163 Stolen bases Morimichi Takagi Chunichi Dragons 50

Pitching leaders Stat Player Team Total Wins Masaichi Kaneda Kokutetsu Swallows 30 Losses Kiyoshi Oishi Hiroshima Carp 22 Earned run average Minoru Kakimoto Chunichi Dragons 1.70 Strikeouts Masaichi Kaneda Kokutetsu Swallows 287 Innings pitched Makoto Inagawa Taiyo Whales 338^1⁄3

Pacific League

Batting leaders Stat Player Team Total Batting average Jack Bloomfield Kintetsu Buffaloes .335 Home runs Katsuya Nomura Nankai Hawks 52 Runs batted in Katsuya Nomura Nankai Hawks 135 Runs Katsuya Nomura Nankai Hawks 104 Hits Yoshinori Hirose Nankai Hawks 187 Stolen bases Yoshinori Hirose Nankai Hawks 45

Pitching leaders Stat Player Team Total Wins Kazuhisa Inao Nishitetsu Lions 28 Losses Tetsuya Yoneda Hankyu Braves 23 Earned run average Masahiro Kubo Kintetsu Buffaloes 2.36 Strikeouts Kazuhisa Inao Nishitetsu Lions 226 Innings pitched Kazuhisa Inao Nishitetsu Lions 386

Awards

• Most Valuable Player
  • Shigeo Nagashima, Yomiuri Giants (CL)
  • Katsuya Nomura, Nankai Hawks (PL)
• Rookie of the Year
  • No CL recipient
  • No PL recipient
• Eiji Sawamura Award
  • Yoshiaki Ito, Yomiuri Giants (CL)

Central League Best Nine Award winners Position Player Team Pitcher Masaichi Kaneda Kokutetsu Swallows Catcher Masahiko Mori Yomiuri Giants First baseman Sadaharu Oh Yomiuri Giants Second baseman Morimichi Takagi Chunichi Dragons Third baseman Shigeo Nagashima Yomiuri Giants Shortstop Takeshi Koba Hiroshima Carp Outfielder Kazuhiko Kondo Taiyo Whales Shinichi Eto Chunichi Dragons Eiji Fujii Hanshin Tigers

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 Jack Bloomfield Kintetsu Buffaloes Third baseman Akitoshi Kodama Kintetsu Buffaloes Shortstop Kenji Koike Nankai Hawks Outfielder Isao Harimoto Toei Flyers Kazuhiro Yamauchi Daimai Orions Yoshinori Hirose Nankai Hawks

References

1. 1963年度日本シリーズ　試合結果 (in Japanese). Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved May 4, 2010.

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