29:
296:
Late in the 1940 season, the Japan
Baseball League outlawed English nicknames (due to rising tensions with the West). Owner Tamura refused to change the team's name, insisting that "Lion" is Japanese (In actuality, he wanted to honor the team's sponsorship contract with the Lion Corporation.) The
448:
After a mediocre year in 1951, they lost 84 games in 1952. It was decided that any
Central League teams ending the season with a winning percentage below .300 would be disbanded or merged with other teams. The Robins fell into this category, and were merged with the
398:
Starffin left after the 1947 season, and none of the name variations helped improve the team's play. The JBL reorganized after the 1949 season; the franchise ended its
Japanese Baseball League run with a losing season every single year except 1943.
395:
for "Taiyo" (太陽) has connotations of the sun, and for a brief confusing period the team featured the words "Suns" on its road uniforms and "Robins" on its home uniforms.
389:. Still owned by Komajiro Tamura, "Taiyo" came from Tamura's fabric store Taiyo Rayon, and "Robins" from Tamura's personal nickname, "Koma" ("robins" in Japanese). The
529:
519:
507:
348:
1139:
1129:
535:
501:
250:
148:
553:
547:
169:
428:. Amazingly, that year the team won 46 more games than the year before, totaling 98 wins and coming in first in their division. Led by league MVP
495:
489:
473:
366:, as well as some other famous players. These signings led to a serious conflict, and Pacific was forced to forfeit four games that season.
1134:
432:
and his 51 home runs and still-league record 163 RBI, as well as Sanada's 39 victories, the Robins played in the inaugural
1102:
331:
After the resumption of the
Japanese Baseball League in 1946 (after World War II), the team changed its name to
374:
1103:"Japan's First Black Baseball Player: Eleven Years Before Jackie Robinson, Tokyo Signed a Black Ace Pitcher,"
385:
English nicknames returned to
Japanese baseball after the 1946 season, and the team changed its name to the
413:
207:
59:
44:
373:(later known as Shigeo Sanada), who eventually became a four-time 20-game-winner and a member of the
1124:
245:
211:
192:
112:
460:
455:
267:
344:
8:
523:
513:
203:
183:
281:
On August 31, midway through the 1937 fall season, the team changed its name to the
290:
255:
123:
437:
363:
347:, which signed many of Asahi's former players, as well as Asahi's former manager
340:
286:
263:
153:
369:
One homegrown player who rose to prominence was pitcher and part-time infielder
557:
541:
485:
479:
417:
359:
273:
The worst team in the league its first year, the club improved in spring 1937.
164:
49:
1118:
429:
315:
297:
team completed the season as Lion, finishing in last place, 50 games behind
450:
433:
355:
298:
259:
215:
28:
370:
981:
214:(NPB's predecessor) and existed from 1936–1953, when it merged with the
323:. In 1943 the team had its first winning season, finishing at 41-36-7.
563:
421:
459:
in
January 1953. The resulting franchise is now known as the
391:
310:
219:
197:
982:
248:
season, with ownership by the Tokyo daily newspaper
564:Japanese Baseball League season-by-season records
354:To fill out its roster, Pacific signed long-time
1116:
254:. The team made history that year by signing an
443:
402:
218:. Originally based in Tokyo, the club moved to
412:In 1950, when the JBL reorganized to become
230:
1140:Sports clubs and teams in Kyoto Prefecture
1130:Defunct Nippon Professional Baseball teams
27:
343:started another franchise that season,
210:(NPB). The franchise originated in the
1117:
420:. A share of the team was sold to the
319:; from 1941 to 1944 it was called the
309:In 1941 the team moved from Tokyo to
225:
313:and acquiring new sponsorship from
13:
1135:Baseball teams established in 1936
407:
339:— "peace"). Meanwhile, team owner
14:
1151:
380:
100:Asahi Baseball Club (1941–1944)
1108:"Culture Club" (Oct. 7, 2014).
1095:
375:Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame
98:Lion Baseball Club (1937–1940)
1:
1088:
444:Merger with the Taiyo Whales
436:, ultimately falling to the
414:Nippon Professional Baseball
403:Nippon Professional Baseball
235:
208:Nippon Professional Baseball
102:Pacific Baseball Club (1946)
60:Shimonoseki Baseball Stadium
45:Nippon Professional Baseball
7:
466:
198:
72:; 88 years ago
10:
1156:
416:, the Robins joined NPB's
326:
1017:
910:
789:
671:
599:
187:
160:
144:
129:
119:
108:
92:
84:
66:
55:
40:
35:
26:
21:
1007:Central League Standings
304:
285:when it was acquired by
246:Japanese Baseball League
240:The club was founded as
231:Japanese Baseball League
212:Japanese Baseball League
113:Japanese Baseball League
104:Taiyō Robins (1947–1949)
276:
167:(1936–1938, 1950, 1952)
461:Yokohama DeNA BayStars
289:, with sponsorship by
85:Division championships
456:Taiyo Shochiku Robins
333:Pacific Baseball Club
268:Major League Baseball
133:dark olive green, red
422:Shochiku Corporation
335:(popularly known as
206:team that played in
1004:Win/Loss Percentage
586:Win/Loss Percentage
321:Asahi Baseball Club
530:Nobuyoshi Hasegawa
524:Sadayoshi Fujimoto
520:Michinori Tubouchi
514:Sadayoshi Fujimoto
508:Michinori Tubouchi
478:1936 (fall)–1937:
424:and it became the
349:Michinori Tubouchi
283:Lion Baseball Club
262:, 11 years before
1086:
1085:
979:
978:
226:Franchise history
204:Japanese baseball
196:
176:
175:
1147:
1109:
1101:Thomas, Dexter.
1099:
986:
985:
568:
567:
536:Shuichi Ishimoto
440:, 4 games to 2.
256:African-American
244:before the 1936
201:
199:Shōchiku robinsu
191:
189:
140:
137:
124:Kinugasa Stadium
120:Former ballparks
109:Former league(s)
96:Dai Tokyo (1936)
80:
78:
73:
31:
19:
18:
1155:
1154:
1150:
1149:
1148:
1146:
1145:
1144:
1125:Shochiku Robins
1115:
1114:
1113:
1112:
1100:
1096:
1091:
1018:Shochiku Robins
984:
566:
502:Aiichi Takeuchi
472:1936 (spring):
469:
446:
438:Mainichi Orions
426:Shochiku Robins
410:
408:Shochiku Robins
405:
383:
364:Victor Starffin
341:Komajiro Tamura
329:
307:
291:Lion Toothpaste
287:Komajiro Tamura
279:
270:color barrier.
264:Jackie Robinson
251:Kokumin Shimbun
238:
233:
228:
180:Shochiku Robins
168:
154:Komajiro Tamura
152:
149:Kokumin Shimbun
138:
135:
134:
103:
101:
99:
97:
76:
74:
71:
47:
22:Shochiku Robins
17:
12:
11:
5:
1153:
1143:
1142:
1137:
1132:
1127:
1111:
1110:
1093:
1092:
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983:
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598:
594:
593:
590:
587:
584:
581:
578:
575:
572:
565:
562:
561:
560:
558:Tokuro Konishi
554:Kyouichi Nitta
550:
548:Kyouichi Nitta
544:
542:Tokuro Konishi
538:
532:
526:
516:
510:
504:
498:
492:
486:Tokuro Konishi
482:
480:Tokuro Konishi
476:
468:
465:
453:to become the
445:
442:
418:Central League
409:
406:
404:
401:
382:
379:
360:Yomiuri Giants
328:
325:
306:
303:
278:
275:
237:
234:
232:
229:
227:
224:
174:
173:
170:Kyouichi Nitta
165:Tokuro Konishi
162:
158:
157:
146:
142:
141:
131:
127:
126:
121:
117:
116:
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106:
105:
94:
93:Former name(s)
90:
89:
86:
82:
81:
68:
64:
63:
57:
53:
52:
50:Central League
42:
38:
37:
33:
32:
24:
23:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1152:
1141:
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1120:
1107:
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1046:
1043:
1040:
1039:
1035:
1032:
1029:
1026:
1023:
1020:
1014:
1013:
1010:Games behind
1009:
1006:
1003:
1000:
997:
994:
991:
988:
987:
974:
971:
968:
965:
962:
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867:
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844:
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838:
835:
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827:
824:
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815:
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811:
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795:
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786:
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772:
769:
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763:
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749:
746:
743:
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739:
735:
732:
729:
726:
723:
720:
717:
716:
712:
709:
706:
703:
700:
697:
695:1938 (spring)
694:
693:
689:
686:
683:
680:
677:
674:
668:
667:
663:
660:
657:
654:
651:
648:
646:1937 (spring)
645:
644:
640:
637:
634:
631:
628:
625:
622:
621:
617:
614:
611:
608:
605:
602:
597:1936 (spring)
596:
595:
592:Games behind
591:
588:
585:
582:
579:
576:
573:
570:
569:
559:
555:
551:
549:
545:
543:
539:
537:
533:
531:
527:
525:
521:
517:
515:
511:
509:
505:
503:
499:
497:
496:Katsuo Takada
493:
491:
490:Katsuo Takada
487:
483:
481:
477:
475:
471:
470:
464:
462:
458:
457:
452:
441:
439:
435:
431:
430:Makoto Kozuru
427:
423:
419:
415:
400:
396:
394:
393:
388:
378:
376:
372:
367:
365:
361:
357:
352:
350:
346:
342:
338:
334:
324:
322:
318:
317:
316:Asahi Shimbun
312:
302:
300:
294:
292:
288:
284:
274:
271:
269:
265:
261:
257:
253:
252:
247:
243:
223:
221:
217:
213:
209:
205:
200:
194:
185:
181:
171:
166:
163:
159:
155:
150:
147:
143:
132:
128:
125:
122:
118:
114:
111:
107:
95:
91:
87:
83:
69:
65:
61:
58:
54:
51:
46:
43:
39:
34:
30:
25:
20:
16:Baseball team
1105:
1097:
911:Taiyō Robins
454:
451:Taiyo Whales
447:
434:Japan Series
425:
411:
397:
390:
387:Taiyo Robins
386:
384:
381:Taiyo Robins
368:
356:Tokyo Kyojin
353:
336:
332:
330:
320:
314:
308:
299:Tokyo Kyojin
295:
282:
280:
272:
260:Jimmy Bonner
249:
241:
239:
216:Taiyo Whales
179:
177:
718:1938 (fall)
669:1937 (fall)
623:1936 (fall)
500:1941–1943:
494:1939–1940:
474:Katsuzo Ito
371:Juzo Sanada
172:(1951–1952)
156:(1937–1952)
115:(1936–1949)
67:Established
62:(1950–1952)
36:Information
1119:Categories
1089:References
266:broke the
992:Team name
600:Dai Tokyo
589:Standings
574:Team name
345:Gold Star
242:Dai Tokyo
236:Dai Tokyo
222:in 1941.
202:) were a
193:romanized
145:Ownership
467:Managers
362:pitcher
258:player,
184:Japanese
88:1 (1950)
56:Ballpark
885:Pacific
327:Pacific
195::
161:Manager
75: (
1106:Medium
998:Losses
580:Losses
552:1952:
546:1951:
540:1950:
534:1949:
528:1948:
518:1947:
512:1946:
506:1944:
484:1938:
337:Taihei
188:松竹ロビンス
151:(1936)
139:
136:
130:Colors
41:League
952:25.5
903:21.5
877:15.5
831:23.5
790:Asahi
759:32.5
618:N.A.
392:kanji
311:Osaka
305:Asahi
220:Osaka
1076:.288
1064:1952
1053:.482
1041:1951
1030:.737
1015:1950
1001:Ties
995:Wins
989:Year
969:.391
957:1949
946:.452
934:1948
923:.439
908:1947
897:.412
882:1946
871:.353
859:1944
848:.532
836:1943
825:.495
813:1942
802:.298
787:1941
776:.240
764:1940
753:.363
741:1939
730:.487
707:.257
684:.396
672:Lion
658:.404
635:.192
612:.000
583:Ties
577:Wins
571:Year
277:Lion
178:The
77:1936
70:1936
1082:48
1059:27
1036:--
975:33
929:28
854:11
808:37
782:50
736:11
713:20
690:20
664:19
641:17
1121::
1070:84
1067:34
1047:57
1044:53
1024:35
1021:98
963:81
960:52
940:74
937:61
917:64
914:50
891:60
888:42
865:22
862:12
842:36
839:41
819:50
816:49
796:59
793:29
770:76
767:24
747:58
744:33
724:20
721:19
701:26
678:29
675:19
652:31
649:21
629:21
606:13
463:.
377:.
351:.
301:.
293:.
190:,
186::
48:*
1079:7
1073:2
1056:4
1050:5
1033:1
1027:4
972:8
966:0
949:6
943:5
926:8
920:5
900:8
894:3
874:5
868:1
851:3
845:7
828:4
822:4
805:8
799:1
779:9
773:4
756:8
750:5
733:6
727:1
710:8
704:0
698:9
687:6
681:1
661:6
655:4
638:7
632:2
626:5
615:7
609:1
603:0
556:/
522:/
488:/
358:/
182:(
79:)
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