1964 Nippon Professional Baseball season

1964 NPB season
League	Nippon Professional Baseball
Sport	Baseball
Central League Pennant
League champions	Hanshin Tigers
Runners-up	Taiyo Whales
Season MVP	Sadaharu Oh (YOM)
Pacific League Pennant
League champions	Nankai Hawks
Runners-up	Hankyu Braves
Season MVP	Joe Stanka (NAN)
Japan Series
Champions	Nankai Hawks
Runners-up	Hanshin Tigers
Finals MVP	Joe Stanka (NAN)

The 1964 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 15th season of operation of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Regular season

Standings

Central League regular season standings

Team	G	W	L	T	Pct.	GB
Hanshin Tigers	140	80	56	4	.588	—
Taiyo Whales	140	80	58	2	.580	1.0
Yomiuri Giants	140	71	69	0	.507	11.0
Hiroshima Carp	140	64	73	3	.467	16.5
Kokutetsu Swallows	140	61	74	5	.452	18.5
Chunichi Dragons	140	57	83	0	.407	25.0

Pacific League regular season standings

Team	G	W	L	T	Pct.	GB
Nankai Hawks	150	84	63	3	.571	—
Hankyu Braves	150	79	65	6	.549	3.5
Toei Flyers	150	78	68	4	.534	5.5
Tokyo Orions	150	77	68	5	.531	6.0
Nishitetsu Lions	150	63	81	6	.438	19.5
Kintetsu Buffaloes	150	55	91	4	.377	28.5

Postseason

Japan Series

PL Nankai Hawks (4) vs. CL Hanshin Tigers (3)

Game	Date	Score	Location	Time	Attendance
1	October 1	Nankai Hawks – 2, Hanshin Tigers – 0	Koshien Stadium	2:14	19,904[1]
2	October 2	Nankai Hawks – 2, Hanshin Tigers – 5	Koshien Stadium	2:15	19,190[1]
3	October 4	Hanshin Tigers – 5, Nankai Hawks – 4	Osaka Stadium	2:47	29,932[1]
4	October 5	Hanshin Tigers – 3, Nankai Hawks – 4	Osaka Stadium	2:16	30,107[1]
5	October 6	Hanshin Tigers – 6, Nankai Hawks – 3	Osaka Stadium	2:28	26,962[1]
6	October 9	Nankai Hawks – 4, Hanshin Tigers – 0	Koshien Stadium	1:46	25,471[1]
7	October 10	Nankai Hawks – 3, Hanshin Tigers – 0	Koshien Stadium	2:07	15,172[1]

League leaders

Central League

Batting leaders Stat Player Team Total Batting average Shinichi Eto Chunichi Dragons .323 Home runs Sadaharu Oh Yomiuri Giants 55 Runs batted in Sadaharu Oh Yomiuri Giants 119 Runs Sadaharu Oh Yomiuri Giants 110 Hits Takeshi Kuwata Taiyo Whales 161 Stolen bases Takeshi Koba Hiroshima Carp 57

Pitching leaders Stat Player Team Total Wins Gene Bacque Hanshin Tigers 29 Losses Minoru Kakimoto Chunichi Dragons 19 Earned run average Gene Bacque Hanshin Tigers 1.89 Strikeouts Masaichi Kaneda Kokutetsu Swallows 231 Innings pitched Gene Bacque Hanshin Tigers 353 ^1⁄3

Pacific League

Batting leaders Stat Player Team Total Batting average Yoshinori Hirose Nankai Hawks .366 Home runs Katsuya Nomura Nankai Hawks 41 Runs batted in Katsuya Nomura Nankai Hawks 115 Runs Yoshinori Hirose Nankai Hawks 110 Hits Masahiro Doi Kintetsu Buffaloes 168 Stolen bases Yoshinori Hirose Nankai Hawks 72

Pitching leaders Stat Player Team Total Wins Masaaki Koyama Tokyo Orions 30 Losses Toshiaki Tokuhisa Kintetsu Buffaloes 23 Earned run average Yoshiro Tsumashima Tokyo Orions 2.15 Strikeouts Yukio Ozaki Toei Flyers 197 Innings pitched Masaaki Koyama Tokyo Orions 361 ^1⁄3

Awards

• Most Valuable Player
  • Sadaharu Oh, Yomiuri Giants (CL)
  • Joe Stanka, Nankai Hawks (PL)
• Rookie of the Year
  • Shigeyuki Takahashi, Taiyo Whales (CL)
  • No PL recipient
• Eiji Sawamura Award
  • Gene Bacque, Hanshin Tigers (CL)

Central League Best Nine Award winners Position Player Team Pitcher Gene Bacque Hanshin Tigers Catcher Masahiko Mori Yomiuri Giants First baseman Sadaharu Oh Yomiuri Giants Second baseman Morimichi Takagi Chunichi Dragons Third baseman Shigeo Nagashima Yomiuri Giants Shortstop Yoshio Yoshida Hanshin Tigers Outfielder Kazuhiko Kondo Taiyo Whales Shinichi Eto Chunichi Dragons Shozo Shigematsu Taiyo Whales

Pacific League Best Nine Award winners Position Player Team Pitcher Joe Stanka Nankai Hawks Catcher Katsuya Nomura Nankai Hawks First baseman Kihachi Enomoto Tokyo Orions Second baseman Daryl Spencer Hankyu Braves Third baseman Akitoshi Kodama Kintetsu Buffaloes Shortstop Kenji Koike Nankai Hawks Outfielder Isao Harimoto Toei Flyers Teruyuki Takakura Nishitetsu Lions Yoshinori Hirose Nankai Hawks

References

1. 1964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.