Kazuhiro Kiyohara's Monster Legend - From PL Gakuen to Seibu, 525 Career Home Runs
Kazuhiro Kiyohara, the 'Bancho' who hit 525 career home runs after his tearful 1985 draft, and the tragic fall that followed his playing career.
Articles tagged with seibu
Hisanobu Watanabe from Ace to GM - The Right Arm Who Powered Seibu's Golden Era
Hisanobu Watanabe's career arc from Seibu Lions ace and Japan Series MVP to championship manager in 2008 and front office executive.
Kazuhiro Kiyohara's Drug Arrest - The Fall of a Baseball Superstar
In February 2016, former NPB star Kazuhiro Kiyohara was arrested for stimulant drug possession.
NPB's Under-the-Table Money Culture - The Full Picture of Illicit Payments to Draft Prospects
Behind NPB's draft system, the problem of teams making illicit payments to amateur players and their associates has repeatedly surfaced.
Seibu Lions Scouting Scandal - Under-the-Table Payments
The 2007 Seibu Lions scouting scandal: illegal payments to amateur players that shook NPB and triggered fundamental draft system reforms.
Hotaka Yamakawa's Sexual Assault Allegations - NPB's Ethics Under Scrutiny
In May 2023, Seibu Lions slugger Hotaka Yamakawa was referred to prosecutors on suspicion of sexual assault. Though not indicted, his free agent move to SoftBank that offseason sparked fierce debate about NPB's handling of player misconduct.
Koji Akiyama's Graceful Backflip - The Two-Team Star Who Shone with Seibu and Daiei
Koji Akiyama's dual legacy: 437 career home runs as Seibu's dynasty slugger, then managing the Hawks to the 2011 Japan Series championship.
Kimiyasu Kudo's 29-Year Career and 5 Consecutive Titles - NPB Record 14 Japan Series
Kimiyasu Kudo, the 'championship contractor' who experienced 14 pennants as a player, then managed SoftBank to five pennants and five Japan Series titles from 2015-2020.
Daisuke Matsuzaka the Heisei Monster - From Koshien No-Hit Final to MLB
Daisuke Matsuzaka, the 'Heisei Monster' who dominated Koshien in 1998, won three NPB strikeout titles with Seibu, and earned World Series MVP with the Red Sox.
Hatsuhiko Tsuji the Master Second Baseman - The Craftsman Who Defended Seibu's Golden Era
Hatsuhiko Tsuji: eight-time Golden Glove second baseman who anchored Seibu's seven consecutive pennants, then managed the Lions to back-to-back titles in 2018-2019.
Seibu Lions' Tokorozawa Relocation - Yoshiaki Tsutsumi's Railroad and Baseball Empire
Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, the Seibu Lions owner who built a dynasty through the Tokorozawa relocation and managerial hires, before his fall in a securities fraud scandal.
Seibu Lions Dynasty - The Strongest Team of the 1980s
The Seibu Lions dynasty won 8 pennants and 6 Japan Series titles in 9 years under Mori, following Hirooka's disciplined foundation. This traces NPB's most dominant dynasty.
Hideto Asamura's Hitting Evolution - The Lineage of a Power-Hitting Second Baseman from Seibu to Rakuten
Hideto Asamura emerged as a hitter-second baseman with Seibu and continued as a cleanup-caliber bat with Tohoku Rakuten after signing as a free agent. In NPB, second basemen are valued for bat control and base running, and players who combine that with power hitting are scarce. Through the path Asamura traveled from Seibu to Rakuten and a comparison of his records at both franchises, we analyze the rare value of a power-hitting second baseman.
Takeya Nakamura's Home Run Philosophy - Six Home Run Titles Built by Seibu's Cleanup Hitter
Takeya Nakamura has played his entire career with Seibu, claiming the home run title six times, a record that places him among NPB's elite power hitters. At 175 cm, he overturned the prototype of a home run slugger. We unpack his philosophy of never fearing strikeouts, his decision to remain with Seibu by declining free agency, and his long-term conditioning, examining the home run philosophy Nakamura has built through both data and his career arc.