1987 in Japanese Baseball

1987 in baseball
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1987 in Japanese baseball

Nippon Professional Baseball

Sachio Kinugasa of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp appears in his 2131st consecutive game, breaking Lou Gehrig's record. He would go on to play in 2215 consecutive games.

Standings

Bold indicates league champion; Italics indicate Nippon Series winner

Central League

Team	G	W	L	T	WPCT	GB	RS	RA	AVG	ERA	Manager(s)
Yomiuri Giants	130	76	43	11	0.627	0.0	608	447	0.281	3.06	Sadaharu Oh
Chunichi Dragons	130	68	51	11	0.565	8.0	571	492	0.265	3.64	Senichi Hoshino
Hiroshima Toyo Carp	130	65	55	10	0.538	11.5	549	450	0.268	3.14	Junro Anan
Yakult Swallows	130	58	64	8	0.477	19.5	553	637	0.260	4.51	Junzo Sekine
Yokohama Taiyo Whales	130	56	68	6	0.454	22.5	516	601	0.259	4.26	Takeshi Koba
Hanshin Tigers	130	41	83	6	0.338	37.5	437	607	0.242	4.36	Yoshio Yoshida

Pacific League

Team	G	W	L	T	WPCT	GB	RS	RA	AVG	ERA	Manager(s)
Seibu Lions	130	71	45	14	0.600	0.0	525	434	0.249	2.96	Masahiko Mori
Hankyu Braves	130	64	56	10	0.531	9.0	584	542	0.272	3.89	Toshiharu Ueda
Nippon Ham Fighters	130	63	60	7	0.512	11.5	561	562	0.259	3.96	Shigeru Takada
Nankai Hawks	130	57	63	10	0.477	16.0	505	556	0.261	3.86	Tadashi Sugiura
Lotte Orions	130	51	65	14	0.446	20.0	518	525	0.264	3.67	Michiyo Arito
Kintetsu Buffaloes	130	52	69	9	0.435	21.5	528	599	0.270	4.22	Isami Okamoto

Leaders

Bold indicates league record, Italics indicate all-time record

Batting

Statistic		Central League				Pacific League
		Leader	Team	Number		Leader	Team	Number
Batting Average		Kozo Shoda Kazunori Shinozuka	Hiroshima Toyo Carp Yomiuri Giants	.330		Hiromasa Arai	Kintetsu Buffaloes	.366
Runs		Hiromitsu Ochiai	Chunichi Dragons	83		Tony Brewer	Nippon Ham Fighters	85
Hits		Jim Paciorek	Yokohama Taiyo Whales	165		Hiromasa Arai	Kintetsu Buffaloes	184
Doubles		Hiromitsu Ochiai	Chunichi Dragons	33		Boomer Wells	Hankyu Braves	30
Triples		Yutaka Takagi Kaname Yashiki Kiyoyuki Nagashima	Yokohama Taiyo Whales Yokohama Taiyo Whales Hiroshima Toyo Carp	5		Hiromasa Arai Masayuki Yokota	Kintetsu Buffaloes Lotte Orions	5
Home Runs		Rick Lancellotti	Hiroshima Toyo Carp	39		Koji Akiyama	Seibu Lions	43
Runs Batted In		Carlos Ponce	Yokohama Taiyo Whales	98		Boomer Wells	Hankyu Braves	119
Stolen Bases		Kaname Yashiki	Yokohama Taiyo Whales	48		Norifumi Nishimura Daijiro Oishi	Lotte Orions Kintetsu Buffaloes	41
Walks		Hiromitsu Ochiai	Chunichi Dragons	81		Kazuhiro Kiyohara	Seibu Lions	80

Pitching

Statistic		Central League				Pacific League
		Leader	Team	Number		Leader	Team	Number
ERA		Masumi Kuwata	Yomiuri Giants	2.17		Kimiyasu Kudoh	Seibu Lions	2.41
Wins		Tatsuo Komatsu	Chunichi Dragons	17		Yukihiko Yamaoki	Hankyu Braves	19
Losses		Takao Obana	Yakult Swallows	15		Takanori Yamauchi	Nankai Hawks	14
Saves		Genji Kaku	Chunichi Dragons	26		Kazuhiko Ushijima	Lotte Orions	24
Save Points		Genji Kaku	Chunichi Dragons	30		Kazuhiko Ushijima	Lotte Orions	26
Innings Pitched		Masumi Kuwata	Yomiuri Giants	207.2		Hideyuki Awano	Kintetsu Buffaloes	249.2
Appearances		Yoshitaka Katori	Yomiuri Giants	63		Takaaki Ishimoto	Kintetsu Buffaloes	50
Hits Allowed		Takao Obana	Yakult Swallows	227		Takanori Yamauchi	Nankai Hawks	240
Home Runs Allowed		Daisuke Araki	Yakult Swallows	29		Kazuyoshi Ono	Kintetsu Buffaloes	36
Strikeouts		Kazuhisa Kawaguchi	Hiroshima Toyo Carp	184		Hideyuki Awano	Kintetsu Buffaloes	201
Base-on-Balls		Koji Nakata	Hanshin Tigers	74		Katsuo So	Lotte Orions	75

All-Star Game

The NPB All-Star Game featured three games and was won by the Pacific League three games to none. The first game was played at Seibu Lions Baseball Stadium and was won by the PL, 7 - 4. The second game was played at Yokohama Stadium and was won by the PL, 8 - 3. The third game was played at Koshien Baseball Stadium and was won by the PL, 9 - 7.

Postseason

In the Nippon Series, the Seibu Lions (PL) defeated the Yomiuri Giants (CL), 4 games to 2. The winning manager was Masahiko Mori and the series MVP was Kimiyasu Kudo.

Award Winners

The winner of the 1987 Sawamura Award was Masumi Kuwata of the Yomiuri Giants. He had a 15 - 6 win-loss record, 151 strikeouts, and a 2.17 ERA in 207.2 innings.

Award	League	Player	Team	Position	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	W - L	SV	IP	HA	HRA	BB	SO	ERA
Most Valuable Player	CL	Kazuhiro Yamakura	Yomiuri Giants	C	395	46	108	22	66	3	.273	.362	.486	Did not pitch
	PL	Osamu Higashio	Seibu Lions	P	0	0	0	0	0	0	.---	.---	.---	15 - 9	0	222.2	215	16	29	85	2.59
Rookie of the Year	CL	Yukio Arai	Yakult Swallows	OF	372	52	112	9	38	2	.301	.360	.444	Did not pitch
	PL	Hideyuki Awano	Kintetsu Buffaloes	P	0	0	0	0	0	0	.---	.---	.---	15 - 12	0	249.2	211	27	58	201	2.88

Best Nine

The following players were part of the 1987 Best Nine teams.

Central League			Position		Pacific League
Player	Team				Player	Team
Masumi Kuwata	Yomiuri Giants		P		Kimiyasu Kudo	Seibu Lions
Kazuhiro Yamakura	Yomiuri Giants		C		Tsutomu Ito	Seibu Lions
Randy Bass	Hanshin Tigers		1B		Boomer Wells	Hankyu Braves
Kazunori Shinozuka	Yomiuri Giants		2B		Kazuyuki Shirai	Nippon Ham Fighters
Tatsunori Hara	Yomiuri Giants		3B		Hiromichi Ishige	Seibu Lions
Masaru Uno	Chunichi Dragons		SS		Yoshio Mizukami	Lotte Orions
Warren Cromartie	Yomiuri Giants		OF		Koji Akiyama	Seibu Lions
Carlos Ponce	Yokohama Taiyo Whales				Hiromasa Arai	Kintetsu Buffaloes
Sadaaki Yoshimura	Yomiuri Giants				Tony Brewer	Nippon Ham Fighters
			DH		Kazuhiko Ishimine	Hankyu Braves

Gold Gloves

The following players were the recipients of the Gold Glove Award in 1987.

Central League			Position		Pacific League
Player	Team				Player	Team
Masumi Kuwata	Yomiuri Giants		P		Osamu Higashio	Seibu Lions
Kazuhiro Yamakura	Yomiuri Giants		C		Tsutomu Ito	Seibu Lions
Kiyoshi Nakahata	Yomiuri Giants		1B		Boomer Wells	Hankyu Braves
Kozo Shoda	Hiroshima Toyo Carp		2B		Kazuyuki Shirai	Nippon Ham Fighters
Tatsunori Hara	Yomiuri Giants		3B		Hiromichi Ishige	Seibu Lions
Katsuo Hirata	Hanshin Tigers		SS		Keijiro Yumioka	Hankyu Braves
Kiyoyuki Nagashima	Hiroshima Toyo Carp		OF		Hiromasa Arai	Kintetsu Buffaloes
Kaname Yashiki	Yokohama Taiyo Whales				Koji Akiyama	Seibu Lions
Ryuzo Yamasaki	Hiroshima Toyo Carp				Makoto Shimada	Nippon Ham Fighters
					Hideaki Takazawa	Lotte Orions

High School Baseball

The 69th National High School Baseball Championship featured a total of 3900 schools competing for 49 spots in the finals at Koshien. In the championship game PL Gakuen (Osaka) defeated Josou Gakuin (Ibaraki) by a score of 5 - 2.

The 59th National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament featured 32 schools competing in the tournament at Koshien. In the championship game PL Gakuen High School (Osaka) defeated Kanto Number One High School (Tokyo) by a score of 7 - 1.

University Baseball

All-Japan University Baseball Championship Series

The 1987 All-Japan University Baseball Championship Series featured 16 schools competing in the tournament at Meiji-Jingu Stadium. In the championship game Keio University defeated Tohoku Fukushi University by a score of 3 - 2.

Meiji Jingu Baseball Convention

In the Meiji Jingu Baseball Convention University of Tsukuba defeated Hosei University.

Tokyo Big6 Baseball League

Season	First	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth	Sixth
Spring	Keio	Hosei	Meiji	Rikkio	Waseda	Tokyo
Fall	Hosei	Rikkio	Waseda	Meiji	Keio	Tokyo

Tohto University Base Ball League

Season	League	First	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth	Sixth
Fall	1	Komazawa	Senshu, Toyo		Asia	Aoyama Gakuin	Chuo
	2	Kokugakuin	Nihon	Tokyo Agriculture	Takushoku	Rissho	Kokushikan
Fall	1	Toyo	Komazawa	Aoyama Gakuin	Senshu	Asia, Chuo
	2	Takushoku	Kokugakuin	Nihon	Rissho	Tokyo Agriculture	Kokushikan

Kansai 6 University Baseball League

Season	First	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth	Sixth
Spring	Kinki	Ritsumeikan	Kansai	Kwansei Gakuin	Doshisha	Kyoto
Fall	Kinki	Ritsumeikan	Kansai	Doshisha	Kwansei Gakuin	Kyoto

International Baseball

In the eighth Intercontinental Cup in Cuba, the Japanese national baseball team won a bronze medal.

Japanese Players in Other Countries

• Motoyasu Kaneshiro: Samsung Lions, Korea Baseball Organization

Hall of Fame

The following people were elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame:

• Nobuo Fujita, by Special Committee
• Minoru Yamashita, by Special Committee