Japanese Baseball: A Statistical Handbook [Library Binding]

Daniel E. Johnson (Author), Wally Yonamine (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999

This book-the first in the English language to contain an exhaustive collection of Japanese baseball data-presents basic statistical information and listings for every Japanese professional baseball season from 1936 through 1997. The first part contains yearly breakdowns of team standings; qualifiers for batting and earned run championships; leaders in home runs, runs batted in, wins and strikeouts; all-star game results; Japan Series results; Best Nine selections; Gold Glove selections; and award winners. Sections on career records and single-season records are provided in the second part of this work. Appendices list no-hit, no-run games, Hall of Famers, and records of foreign tours of Japan by professional teams.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Presents basic statistical information and listings for Japanese professional baseball from 1936 to 1997" -- The SABR Bulletin

"The first book in the English language to contain an exhaustive collection of data on baseball in Japan" -- Sports Collectors Digest

"[A] year-by-year statistical summary of baseball in the Land of the Rising Sun" -- USA Today Sports Weekly --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Daniel E. Johnson is in Kansas City, Kansas after more than a year in Japan, working as a copy editor for The Japan Times. He completed much of his research for this work at the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame's library.

Product Details

• Library Binding: 365 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078640678X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786406784
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,394,008 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good statistical guide, July 12, 2000

By 

"brian_davis" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Japanese Baseball: A Statistical Handbook (Library Binding)

Batter stats included in this book are games played, at bats, runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, homeruns, rbi, stolen bases and batting average. Does not include strikeouts, walks or positions played. Pitching stats include games, wins, losses, winning percentage, saves, innings pitched, hits, strikeouts, walks and ERA. The entire roster of players on each team is not included, only the players who qualified for the batting or pitching championship (usually 4-7 per team). Season-by-season stats including team and individual player stats. Also includes the leaders in 18 categories (including the top five in batting average, home runs, rbis, era, wins and strikeouts), MVPs, Sawamura Award winners, All-Star game results and Japan Series results (as well as series award-winners). Also includes career record holders, but does not contain comprehensive career player stats. Given the dearth of Japanese baseball statistical books written in english, this book is very informative and interesting and the best I have seen to date. I would like to see a "Neft and Cohen" type book in the future.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ultimate Japanese Baseball Statistical Book in English, November 22, 1999

By 

Robert Klevens (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Japanese Baseball: A Statistical Handbook (Library Binding)

Dan Johnson has spent a great deal of time collecting data in English on Japanese Baseball. This book is a must for anyone interested in the history of Japanese baseball. No other book like it written in English.

2.0 out of 5 stars A Good Start But Far To Go, January 12, 2007

By 

Stentorian (Brooklyn, NY, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Japanese Baseball: A Statistical Handbook (Paperback)

It is refreshing to see a book finally uncovering a previously hidden area in the US, a statistical source for the major leagues of baseball in Japan. However, this publication is not a comprehensive encyclopedia of Japanese baseball.
Information on team performances and leaders in individual seasons is featured up to 1997. A section is devoted to lifetime and individual category leaders. Appendices are provided which list no-hitters, the Japanese Hall of Fame, and a list of "foreign" teams which have played in Japan. There is also an index which facilitates looking up players who are mentioned in the book.
But if you are looking for a comprehensive, detailed guide to every player with their stats, this is not the book. That being said, this book is better than the alternative, which is nothing, and I did enjoy filling in the blanks on Warren Cromartie's baseball card.