1969 Nippon Professional Baseball season

1969 NPB season
League	Nippon Professional Baseball
Sport	Baseball
Central League Pennant
League champions	Yomiuri Giants
Runners-up	Hanshin Tigers
Season MVP	Sadaharu Oh (YOM)
Pacific League Pennant
League champions	Hankyu Braves
Runners-up	Kintetsu Buffaloes
Season MVP	Tokuji Nagaike (HAN)
Japan Series
Champions	Yomiuri Giants
Runners-up	Hankyu Braves
Finals MVP	Shigeo Nagashima (YOM)

The 1969 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 20th 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	130	73	51	6	.589	—
Hanshin Tigers	130	68	59	3	.535	6.5
Taiyo Whales	130	61	61	8	.500	11.0
Chunichi Dragons	130	59	65	6	.476	14.0
Sankei Atoms	130	58	69	3	.457	16.5
Hiroshima Toyo Carp	130	56	70	4	.444	18.0

Pacific League regular season standings

Team	G	W	L	T	Pct.	GB
Hankyu Braves	130	76	50	4	.603	—
Kintetsu Buffaloes	130	73	51	6	.589	2.0
Lotte Orions	130	69	54	7	.561	5.5
Toei Flyers	130	57	70	3	.449	19.5
Nishitetsu Lions	130	51	75	4	.405	25.0
Nankai Hawks	130	50	76	4	.397	26.0

League leaders

Central League

Batting leaders Stat Player Team Total Batting average Sadaharu Oh Yomiuri .345 Home runs Sadaharu Oh Yomiuri 44 Runs batted in Shigeo Nagashima Yomiuri 115 Runs Sadaharu Oh Yomiuri 112 Hits Shigeo Nagashima Sadaharu Oh Yomiuri Yomiuri 156 Stolen bases Isao Shibata Yomiuri 35

Pitching leaders Stat Player Team Total Wins Kazumi Takahashi Yomiuri 22 Losses Yoshiro Sotokoba Hiroshima 20 Earned run average Yutaka Enatsu Hanshin 1.81 Strikeouts Yutaka Enatsu Hanshin 262 Innings pitched Yoshiro Sotokoba Hiroshima 304 ^1⁄3

Pacific League

Batting leaders Stat Player Team Total Batting average Isao Harimoto Yozo Nagabuchi Toei Kintetsu .333 Home runs Tokuji Nagaike Hankyu 41 Runs batted in Tokuji Nagaike Hankyu 101 Runs Tokuji Nagaike Hankyu 95 Hits Yozo Nagabuchi Kintetsu 162 Stolen bases Toshizo Sakamoto Hankyu 47

Pitching leaders Stat Player Team Total Wins Keishi Suzuki Kintetsu 24 Losses Taisuke Watanabe Nankai 17 Earned run average Masaaki Kitaru Lotte 1.72 Strikeouts Keishi Suzuki Kintetsu 286 Innings pitched Keishi Suzuki Kintetsu 330 ^2⁄3

Awards

• Most Valuable Player
  • Sadaharu Oh, Yomiuri Giants (CL)
  • Tokuji Nagaike, Hankyu Braves (PL)
• Rookie of the Year
  • Koichi Tabuchi, Hanshin Tigers (CL)
  • Michiyo Arito, Lotte Orions (PL)
• Eiji Sawamura Award
  • Kazumi Takahashi, Yomiuri Giants (CL)

Central League Best Nine Award winners Position Player Team Pitcher Kazumi Takahashi Yomiuri Catcher Tatsuhiko Kimata Chunichi First baseman Sadaharu Oh Yomiuri Second baseman Shozo Doi Yomiuri Third baseman Shigeo Nagashima Yomiuri Shortstop Taira Fujita Hanshin Outfielder Shigeru Takada Yomiuri Dave Roberts Sankei Koji Yamamoto Hiroshima

Pacific League Best Nine Award winners Position Player Team Pitcher Keishi Suzuki Kintetsu Catcher Koji Okamura Hankyu First baseman Katsuo Osugi Toei Second baseman Hiroyuki Yamazaki Nishitetsu Third baseman Michiyo Arito Lotte Shortstop Toshizo Sakamoto Hankyu Outfielder Tokuji Nagaike Hankyu Yozo Nagabuchi Kintetsu Isao Harimoto Toei

References

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