Saitama Seibu Lions

The Saitama SEIBU Lions (Japanese: 埼玉西武ライオンズ, *Saitama Seibu Raionzu*) are a Japanese professional baseball team in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball. Since 1978, the club has been owned by Prince Hotels, a subsidiary of the Seibu Railway transport group, and plays its home games at the Seibu Dome in Tokorozawa, Saitama. The team’s mascot is inspired by Leo, the hero of Osamu Tezuka’s manga Kimba the White Lion.

 History 
The club was founded in 1950 during the reorganization of Japanese professional baseball into two separate leagues. A founding member of the Pacific League, it was originally known as the Nishitetsu Clippers and based in Fukuoka, owned by the Nishi-Nippon Railroad (nicknamed Nishitetsu). The team finished sixth in its inaugural season, then merged with the Nishi-Nippon Pirates to become the Nishitetsu Lions in 1951. Over the next decade, the Lions won four Pacific League titles and three consecutive Japan Series championships against the Yomiuri Giants.

The 1960s saw only one league title, and after finishing sixth three years in a row from 1970 to 1972, the club was sold to Fukuoka Baseball Corporation in November 1972. The naming rights were then sold to Taiheiyo Club, the owner of a Fukuoka golf course, becoming the Taiheiyo Club Lions, but the team never finished higher than third place. After the 1976 season the naming rights passed to Crown Gas Lighter, and following two disappointing seasons, the franchise was sold to a Seibu Group subsidiary at the end of 1978.

Relocating to Tokorozawa, the team adopted its current name upon the 1979 season. Since then, the Lions have captured 16 Pacific League pennants and ten Japan Series titles.

 Season-by-season record 
250px|left|thumb|Team standings since 1950.

Related pages
Pacific League

Category:Baseball