The 1952 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the third season of operation of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Regular season
Standings + Central League regular season standings Team G W L T Pct. GBYomiuri Giants 120 83 37 0 .692 —Osaka Tigers 120 79 40 1 .664 3.5Nagoya Dragons 120 75 43 2 .636 7.0Taiyo Whales 120 58 62 0 .483 25.0Kokutetsu Swallows 120 50 70 0 .417 33.0Hiroshima Carp 120 37 80 3 .316 44.5Shochiku Robins 120 34 84 2 .288 48.0
+ Pacific League regular season standings Team G W L T Pct. GBNankai Hawks 121 76 44 1 .633 —Mainichi Orions 120 75 45 0 .625 1.0Nishitetsu Lions 120 67 52 1 .563 8.5Daiei Stars 121 55 65 1 .458 21.0Hankyu Braves 108 49 58 1 .458 20.5Tokyu Flyers 108 49 59 0 .454 21.0Kintetsu Pearls 108 30 78 0 .278 40.0
Postseason Pacific League For the first time, the Pacific League implemented a type of end-of-season playoff system. After the 108-game regular season, the four teams with the best winning percentages played an extra twelve regular season games to determine the league's champion. After the 108th game, the standings were:
Pos Team G W L T Pct. 1Nankai Hawks108703712Mainichi Orions108654303Nishitetsu Lions108614614Daiei Stars108525515Hankyu Braves108495816Tokyu Flyers108495907Kintetsu Pearls10830780
The four qualifying teams were the Nankai Hawks, the Mainichi Orions, the Nishitetsu Lions, and the Daiei Stars. These four teams proceeded to play in a twelve game "round-robin" stage, with three games versus each opponent, in late September and early October. The results of this stage were:
Team G W L Pct. vs. Mainichi vs. Nishitetsu vs. Nankai vs. DaieiMainichi Orions12102—3–13–14–0Nishitetsu Lions12661–3—2–23–1Nankai Hawks12571–32–2—2–2Daiei Stars12390–41–32–2—
The Mainichi Orions' won ten of the twelve extra games, which put them into a tie for the first place with the Nankai Hawks. Both teams had 75 wins, however the Hawks had one less loss than the Orions because of a game against the Daiei Stars that ended in a tie earlier in the season. Because of the impact the tie had on the pennant race, the Hawks and the Stars played an extra 121st game. The Hawks won the game, giving them sole claim to Pacific League title. After the season, this faux playoff system was scrapped because of criticism that it was unfair to the three non-qualifying teams that had their seasons truncated.
Japan Series
League leaders
Central League
+ Batting leaders Stat Player Team Total Batting average Michio Nishizawa Nagoya Dragons .353 Home runs Satoshi Sugiyama Nagoya Dragons 27 Runs batted in Michio Nishizawa Nagoya Dragons 98 Runs Wally Yonamine Yomiuri Giants 104 Hits Wally Yonamine Yomiuri Giants 163 Stolen bases Jiro Kanayama Shochiku Robins 63
+ Pitching leaders Stat Player Team Total Wins Takehiko Bessho Yomiuri Giants 33 Losses Tsuneo Kobayashi Shochiku Robins 27 Earned run average Tadayoshi Kajioka Osaka Tigers 1.71 Strikeouts Masaichi Kaneda Kokutetsu Swallows 269 Innings pitched Takehiko Bessho Yomiuri Giants 371
Pacific League
+ Batting leaders Stat Player Team Total Batting average Shigeya Iijima Daiei Stars .336 Home runs Yasuhiro Fukami Nishitetsu Lions,Tokyu Flyers 25 Runs batted in Tokuji Iida Nankai Hawks 86 Runs Tokuji Iida Nankai Hawks 100 Hits Tokuji Iida Nankai Hawks 153 Stolen bases Chusuke Kizuka Nankai Hawks 55
+ Pitching leaders Stat Player Team Total Wins Masaaki Noguchi Nishitetsu Lions 23 Losses Mitsuro Sawafuji Kintetsu Pearls 22 Earned run average Susumu Yuki Nankai Hawks 1.91 Strikeouts Susumu Yuki Nankai Hawks 104 Innings pitched Giichi Hayashi Daiei Stars 269
Awards Most Valuable Player Takehiko Bessho, Yomiuri Giants (CL) Susumu Yuki, Nankai Hawks (PL) Rookie of the Year Takao Sato, Kokutetsu Swallows (CL) Futoshi Nakanishi, Nishitetsu Lions (PL) Eiji Sawamura Award Shigeru Sugishita, Nagoya Dragons (CL)
+ Central League Best Nine Award winners Position Player Team Pitcher Takehiko Bessho Yomiuri Giants Catcher Akira Noguchi Nagoya Dragons First baseman Michio Nishizawa Nagoya Dragons Second baseman Shigeru Chiba Yomiuri Giants Third baseman Fumio Fujimura Osaka Tigers Shortstop Masaaki Hirai Yomiuri GiantsOutfielder Wally Yonamine Yomiuri Giants Satoshi Sugiyama Nagoya Dragons Fukashi Minamimura Yomiuri Giants
+ Pacific League Best Nine Award winners Position Player Team Pitcher Susumu Yuki Nankai Hawks Catcher Takeshi Doigaki Mainichi Orions First baseman Tokuji Iida Nankai Hawks Second baseman Isami Okamoto Nankai Hawks Third baseman Kazuo Kageyama Nankai Hawks Shortstop Chusuke Kizuka Nankai HawksOutfielder Kaoru Betto Mainichi Orions Hiroshi Oshita Tokyu Flyers Shigeya Iijima Daiei Stars
See also 1952 All-American Girls Professional Baseball League season 1952 Major League Baseball season
References