1901 [league redacted] LEAGUE POST SEASON REPORT
(Report Date - 9/20/01)
LEAGUE REPORT
Code:
1901 FINAL STANDINGS
Pacific League
Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec
Chiba Lotte Marines 84 62 .575 - 87-59
Tohoku Rakuten Ninjas 81 65 .555 3.0 82-64
Nippon Fighters 80 66 .548 4.0 82-64
Seibu Lions 70 76 .479 14.0 62-84
Fukuoka Daiei Hawks 69 77 .473 15.0 68-78
Orix Buffaloes 54 92 .370 30.0 59-87
PENNANT RACES:
Chiba Lotte overcame a 2 game All-star break deficit, going 47-30 after the break, and was able to catch and pass Nippon enroute to winning the division rather easily, clinching with 5 games left in the season. The PL pennant makes up for last year's bittersweet 2nd place finish by a mere 2 games.
Code:
1901 FINAL STANDINGS
Central League
Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec
Yomiuri Giants 90 56 .616 - 90-56
Yakult Swallows 79 67 .541 11.0 80-66
Chunichi Dragon 70 76 .479 20.0 74-72
Hiroshima Toyo Carp 69 77 .473 21.0 73-73
Hanshin Tiger 66 80 .452 24.0 59-87
Yokohama Bay Stars 64 82 .438 26.0 63-83
PENNANT RACES:
What race? The Giants had an 8 game lead at the break, and expanded it to 11 by season's end, clinching in early August with weeks left in the season. The league's best team all year did it in the off-season, making the most moves to improve their team, Yomiuri won 20 more games than last year as they clinched their 1st division title
1901 PLAYOFFS
NIPPON LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP:
Some said the championship was a waste of time, and Yomiuri proved them right, wiping the Marines out 4 games to 1 as they celebrated their 1st ever *** World Championship. Taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the series, the end was only a matter of time, and even an extra inning win by Chiba Lotte in game 4 did nothing but extend the season a few more days. In a very touching ceremony after the game, *** Championship MVP, 38yo SP Masashige Kubo (2-0, 1.67 era in 2 gs) announced his retirement, saying he wanted to go out a winner.
Code:
1901 LEAGUE LEADERBOARD
PACIFIC LEAGUE
Batting AVG
N. Ageda NIP .392
J. Burkett TOH .381
J. McGraw CHI .374
E. Flick NIP .356
M. Donlin ORI .337
On-Base + Slugging
N. Ageda NIP 1.070
G. Wilson FUK 1.020
J. McGraw CHI 1.004
J. Burkett TOH .946
E. Flick NIP .935
Homeruns
G. Wilson FUK 33
K. Inokuma SEI 32
S. Furukawa NIP 27
T. Cho SEI 24
S. Ichimonji CHI 23
Runs Batted In
N. Ageda NIP 136
S. Furukawa NIP 136
S. Matsumura CHI 111
M. Katagiri CHI 106
P. Cambero TOH 102
Runs
E. Flick NIP 131
J. McGraw CHI 119
N. Ageda NIP 113
G. Wilson FUK 101
C. LaChance NIP 100
Stolen Bases
J. McGraw CHI 68
M. Donlin ORI 44
E. Flick NIP 37
M. Katagiri CHI 36
J. Burkett TOH 34
ERA
P. Maynez FUK 2.87
K. Takano TOH 3.34
A. Tsukamoto NIP 3.51
B. Kennedy FUK 3.60
S. Tomashino NIP 3.66
Wins
S. Tomashino NIP 21-9
P. Maynez FUK 19-7
K. Takano TOH 16-7
M. Kataoka FUK 16-8
K. Yano TOH 15-13
Saves
K. Goto SEI 41
K. Ozu TOH 34
T. Ishikawa CHI 27
J. Spracklin ORI 23
K. Hasegawa NIP 22
Strikeouts
S. Tomashino NIP 188
K. Yano TOH 174
K. Takano TOH 173
D. Grays CHI 163
O. Garcia TOH 158
CENTRAL LEAGUE
Batting AVG
N. Lajoie HIR .419
T. Nagata YOK .360
H. Wagner CHU .357
N. Oka HIR .357
E. Delahanty HAN .352
On-Base + Slugging
N. Lajoie HIR 1.052
E. Delahanty HAN .986
T. Nagata YOK .956
H. Wagner CHU .934
S. Heida YOM .888
Homeruns
Y. Watanabe CHU 32
K. Nishida YOM 31
K. Daisen HIR 30
S. Heida YOM 29
T. Kawaii YOK 29
Runs Batted In
Y. Watanabe CHU 125
S. Heida YOM 122
K. Daisen HIR 107
K. Nishida YOM 104
T. Nagata YOK 103
Runs
A. Canio CHU 108
C. Gonzales YOM 108
M. Kokan CHU 105
H. Wagner CHU 104
T. Daly YOK 104
Stolen Bases
F. Chance YOM 40
C. Gonzales YOM 38
T. Asano YAK 38
H. Wagner CHU 36
J. Collins YAK 32
ERA
J. Tannehill YAK 2.34
M. Mifune YOM 2.76
M. Kubo YOM 3.42
I. Sano HIR 3.54
M. Koumura YAK 3.56
Wins
M. Kubo YOM 21-5
M. Yoshikawa YOK 18-9
M. Ogura YAK 18-8
M. Mifune YOM 16-9
J. Tannehill YAK 15-13
Saves
S. Nishiyama YOM 38
J. Caovantes HIR 29
S. Etoh HAN 29
H. Macha CHU 23
M. Hirose YAK 21
Strikeouts
T. Iida CHU 223
F. Pittman YOK 205
M. Mifune YOM 205
I. Sano HIR 191
K. Miura HIR 184
AWARD WINNERS
PACIFIC LEAGUE
MVP AWARD - CF Naoki Ageda (Nippon Fighters)
- 26yo / Japan - *** MVP Awards: 1
- Season Stats: 146 g - 567 ab - .398 avg - 22 hr - 136 rbi - 113 r - 6 sb - 1.070 ops
- Career Stats: 292 g - 1130 ab - .347 avg - 46 hr - 235 rbi - 225 r - 8 sb - .986 ops (int/2 yrs)
- Overview: If not for Nap Lajoie, a player who went to the USA's major leagues back on 7/30/01, Ageda would have led all of Japan in most offensive categories. As it was though, he was definitely the best hitter in the *** this year, leading all of the league in RBI, Hits, OPS & Vorp and leading the Pacific also in Batting Avg while finishing 2nd overall as he flirted with .400. He was consistent all season, winning 2 of 5 Batter of the Month awards this year and 3 Player of the Weeks in the PL. Even though his team fell flat and didn't make the playoffs, Ageda still have a marvelous season.
CY YOUNG AWARD - SP Pascual Maynez (Fukuoka Daiei Hawks)
- 26yo / Nicaragua - *** CY YOUNG Awards: 1
- Season Stats: 31 g - 31 gs - 19-7 rec - 0 sv - 2.87 era - 232.0 ip - 40 bb - 151 k - 1.06 whip
- Career Stats: 63 g - 63 gs - 31-18 rec - 0 sv - 3.15 era - 471.0 ip - 76 bb - 363 k - 1.11 whip (int/2 yrs)
- Overview: Maynez was easily the best pitcher in the PL all season, being names so at the midway point and also at the end of the season as he won his 1st Cy Young award, which is more impressive when you consider his team finished 9 games below .500. He won 27% of the Hawks games this year while leading the Pacific in ERA, Whip, Opp Avg & Vorp and tied for 2nd in wins. At only 26yo, expect Pascual to win a few more Cy Youngs before his career in Japan is over.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - CL Nobuhito Udo (Fukuoka Daiei Hawks)
- 21yo / Japan - *** ROY Awards: 1
- Season Stats: 43 g - 0 gs - 2-2 rec - 19 sv - 4.43 era - 42.2 ip - 21 bb - 39 k - 1.36 whip
- Career Stats: 45 g - 0 gs - 2-3 rec - 19 sv - 4.24 era - 51.0 ip - 26 bb - 46 k - 1.41 whip (int/2 yrs)
- Overview: Hardly a blowaway season for the best rookie in the Pacific, Udo was effective in his 1st full season in Japan and was the best rookie in a weak class in the PL. As the only rookie starting closer in the ***, Udo easily led all rookies in saves as only 2 other players even had 1. At only 21 yo, Udo's career as a closer might be over, as he is more suited as a middle reliever, however he does have a nice trophy to place on his mantle from the 1901 season.
GOLD GLOVE AWARDS:
P - Kaz Eida (Orix Buffaloes) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1
C - Ed McFarland (Chiba Lotte Marines) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1
1b - Candy LaChance (Nippon Fighters) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1
2B - Eisuke Yoshikawa (Seibu Lions) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1
3B - John "Mugsy" McGraw (Chiba Lotte Marines) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1
SS - Shunso Matsumura (Chiba Lotte Marines) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1
LF - Tameyooshi Igarashi (Fukuoka Daiei Hawks) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1
CF - Magobei Hiraoka (Orix Buffaloes) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1
RF - Elmer Flick (Nippon Fighters) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1
CENTRAL LEAGUE
MVP AWARD - SS Ed "Big Ed" Delahanty (Hanshin Tiger)
- 34yo / USA - *** MVP Awards: 1
- Season Stats: 126 g - 472 ab - .352 avg - 13 hr - 66 rbi - 95 r - 31 sb - .986 ops
- Career Stats: 126 g - 472 ab - .352 avg - 13 hr - 66 rbi - 95 r - 31 sb - .986 ops (int/1 yr)
1797 g - 7452 ab - .341 avg - 93 hr - 1466 rbi - 1591 r - 398 sb - .898 ops (other/13 yrs)
1923 g - 7924 ab - .341 avg - 106 hr - 1512 rbi - 1686 r - 429 sb - .903 ops (total/14 yrs)
- Overview: Despite playing on a team 14 games below .500 and 24 games out of the playoffs, Big Ed was named the Central's MVP in his 1st season in the Japanese International league. Taking away Nap Lajoie, who was traded to the MLB in July, Delahanty led the league in OPS & Vorp while finishing in the top 5 in Avg & SB. Some people disagree with a player who hit only 9 hr and 66 rbi being named the MVP, and many thought Watanabe of Chunichi deserved the award, but Big Ed proved a non-slugger can win the most valuable player award in my baseball universe.
CY YOUNG AWARD - SP Masamune Mifune (Yomiuri Giants)
- 24yo / Japan - *** CY YOUNG Awards: 1
- Season Stats: 32 g - 32 gs - 16-9 rec - 0 sv - 2.76 era - 261.0 ip - 61 bb - 205 k - 1.15 whip
- Career Stats: 63 g - 63 gs - 34-19 rec - 0 sv - 2.87 era - 511.1 ip - 131 bb - 422 k - 1.13 whip (int/2 yrs)
- Overview: There are some around the league that believe this was a makeup from last year when Mifune deserved the award, but did not win it, as this year he was named the Cy Young while not placing on as many leaderboards. With that being sais, he has been one of the top 2 or 3 pitchers in the Japanese league since it's birth, and still had a great season serving as the Ace on the league's top team and World Champs. Leading all of the *** in IP, and the CL in opp avg while ranking among the top in ERA, wins, Whip, strikeouts and Vorp, Mifune has been the driving pitching force for the Giants and will have to do it next year without his mentor, Kubo who retired after winning the *** Championship.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - MR Tatsuzo Iwahashi (Yomiuri Giants)
- 25yo / Japan - *** ROY Awards: 1
- Season Stats: 17 g - 14 gs - 7-4 rec - 0 sv - 5.80 era - 85.1 ip - 35 bb - 62 k - 1.59 whip
- Career Stats: 17 g - 14 gs - 7-4 rec - 0 sv - 5.80 era - 85.1 ip - 35 bb - 62 k - 1.59 whip (int/1 yr)
- Overview: Even more evidence of how weak this rookie class was, a pitcher who was moved to the bullpen for the playoffs won the award. In Iwahashi's defense though, he did serve as the #5 starter for the Giants for a good portion of the season, a role he figures to be in next year. As one of the few rookie pitchers who has a major impact, he led all *** rookies in wins, IP, Strikeouts, and just about every other category, all while winning a Championship ring in his 1st season in the league.
GOLD GLOVE AWARDS:
P - Yashushi Nose (Hanshin Tiger) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1
C - Tom "Tido" Daly (Yokohama Bay Stars) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1
1b - Terumoto Baba (Yokohama Bay Stars) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1
2B - Nap "Larry" Lajoie (Hiroshima Toyo Carp) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1
3B - Jimmy Collins (Yakult Swallows) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1
SS - Ed "Big Ed" Delahanty (Hanshin Tiger) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1
LF - Yakamochi Haga (Hanshin Tiger) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1
CF - Sen Tenno (Yakult Swallows) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 2
RF - Shohei Heida (Yomiuri Giants) - *** GOLD GLOVES: 1