Saitama Seibu Lions

The Saitama Seibu Lions (埼玉西武ライオンズ, Saitama Seibu Raionzu^?) are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League. As a company, it is a subsidiary of Prince Hotels, belonging to Seibu Group. Recently, the team had stood on shaky financial ground, until the Boston Red Sox signed Daisuke Matsuzaka. The Lions got a 6 billion Japanese yen (about USD 51.11 million) posting fee. Between 1978 to 2008, the team logo and mascot is based on the adult Kimba the White Lion, a famous classic anime series by Osamu Tezuka.^[1]^[2]

In 2004, former Seibu Lions player Kazuo Matsui became the first Japanese infielder to play in Major League Baseball.

Franchise history[]

Nishitetsu Clippers (1950)[]

In 1950, the team became a founding member of the Pacific League, and was owned by Nishi-Nippon Railroad based in Fukuoka. The team finished sixth that year, and at the end of the season the team was merged with the Nishi-Nippon Pirates to form the Nishitetsu Lions.

Nishitetsu Lions (1951-1972)[]

In 1951, the Nishi-Nippon Pirates and Nishitetsu Clippers merged to form the Nishitetsu Lions. They were one of the top Pacific League teams of the decade, winning four pennants and winning three straight Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants. Osamu Mihara managed the team throughout their 1950s success period. The team was not as successful in the following decade and in 1973 was sold and became the Taiheiyo Club Lions. The Nishitetsu Lions called Heiwadai Stadium home for their entire existence.

Taiheiyo Club Lions (1973-1976)[]

In November, 1972, the Nishitetsu Lions were bought by the Fukuoka Baseball Corporation from Nishi-Nippon Railroad. The company was founded by Nagayoshi Nakamura, owner of the Lotte and the Orions. The team's sponsorship rights were then sold to Taiheiyo Club, a golf course and resort developer, and the team was renamed. The team remained as the Taiheiyo Club Lions until after the 1976 season. Through the course of the 1970s, the Lions finished no higher than third.

Crown Lighter Lions (1977-1978)[]

At the end of the 1976 season, the Fukuoka Baseball Corporation announced that the team's new sponsor was Crown Gas Lighter. With this, the team's name for the upcoming season was changed to the Crown Lighter Lions. At the end of the 1978 season the team was sold to Kokudo Keikaku (later Kokudo, then merged into Prince Hotels), a Seibu Railway Group company.

Seibu Lions (1979-2007)[]

The Crown Lighter Lions were sold to Seibu Group in 1978, and since then have used the name Seibu Lions, and relocated to a new ballpark in Tokorozawa, Saitama.

The "Golden Age" of Seibu Lions(1982-1994)[]

Seibu Lions started their history in the last place in 1979. But with new manager Tatsuro Hirooka and starplayers such as Osamu Higashio, Koichi Tabuchi, they started their Golden Age with two-year straight Japan Series winning in 1982-1983 and 1985 league champion. In the years with next manager Masaaki Mori, Lions had neary dominated the Japanese professional baseball scene over ten years with devastating batters and pichers. Lions had various type of batters- sluggers such as Kouji Akiyama, Kazuhiro Kiyohara and Orestes Destrade, skilled players such as Hiromichi Ishige, Hatsuhiko Tsuji, and smart catcher Tsutomu Ito. And they also had great pichers- starting pichers: "The Oriental Express" Taigen Kaku, Kimiyasu Kudo, Hisanobu Watanabe, bullpen pichers: Yoshitaka Katori, Testuya Shiozaki. Mori won 8 league championship(1986-1988,1990-1994) and 6 Japan Series championship(1986-1988,1990-1992) in his nine-year managing career. Seibu Lions was called "Invincible Seibu" because of their accomplishment in those days.

Stars in their "Golden Age"[]

Name	position	Title and accomplishment	Note
Kouji Akiyama	CF	Home Run Title 1987, Stolen Base Title 1990, Golden Glove 1987-1996,1999 437 HR and 303 SB in career	Belonged to Daiei Hawks from 1994-2002. Current Hawks manager.
Kazuhiro Kiyohara	1B	Rookie of the year 1986, Golden Glove (1988,1990,1992-1994), 525HR and 1527 RBIs in career	Belonged to Yomiuri Giants from 1997-2005, Orix Buffaloes from 2006-2008. Retired in 2008.
Orestes Destrade	DH	Home Run Title 1990-1992, RBI Title 1990-1991	Played 1993-1994 seasons with Florida Marlins of MLB.
Hiromichi Ishige	3B	Rookie of the year, Golden Glove 1981-1983,1985-1988,1991-1993), MVP 1986	Manager of Orix BlueWave for a short time in 2003.
Hatsuhiko Tsuji	2B	Batting Title 1993, Golden Glove 1986, 1988-1994	Played for Yakult Swallows in 1996, retired after '96 season.
Tsutomu Ito	C	Golden Glove 1985-1988, 1990-1992, 1994-1995 1997-1998	Retired in 2003, Lions manager from 2004-2007.
Hisanobu Watanabe	P	Winning Percentage Title 1986, 1988, 1990, ERA Title 1986, Strikeout Title 1986, Golden Glove 1990, No-hitter 1996	Played for Yakult Swallows in 1998, retired from NPB after '98 season. Current manager of Lions.
Osamu Higashio	P	Wins Champion 1975,1983, ERA Title 1983, Strikeout Title 1975, MVP 1983,1987, Golden Glove 1983-1987	Member of Lions through 4 different team owners (Nishitetsu, Taiheyo Club, Crown Lighter, Seibu).
Taigen Kaku	P	MVP1991, Golden Grove 1991-1992, No-hitter 1985	Retired in 1996. Taiwan national team manager 2007.
Kimiyasu Kudo	P	ERA Title 1985,1987,1993,1999, Winning Percentage Title1987,1991,1993,2000, Strikeout Title 1996,1999, Golden Glove 1994-1995,2000, MVP 1999, longest NPB career as player (28 years)	Belonged to Daiei Hawks from 1994, Yomiuri Giants from 2000, Yokohama BayStars from 2007. Only active player in "Golden Age" in 2009.