Shigeru Mizuhara Explained

Shigeru Mizuhara
水原 茂
Position:Infielder / Manager
Bats:Right
Throws:Right
Birth Date:January 19, 1909
Birth Place:Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan
Death Place:Tokyo, Japan
Debutyear:1936
Debutteam:Tokyo Giants
Debutleague:JBL
Finalyear:1950
Finalteam:Yomiuri Giants
Finalleague:NPB
Statleague:JBL/NPB
Stat1label:Batting average
Stat1value:.243
Stat2label:Home runs
Stat2value:12
Stat3label:Hits
Stat3value:476
Stat4label:RBIs
Stat4value:184
Stat5label:Stolen bases
Stat5value:69
Teams:As player

As manager

Highlights:
Hoflink:Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame
Hoftype:Japanese
Hofdate:1977
Hofmethod:Selection Committee for the Players

is a former professional baseball infielder and manager in Japan's Japanese Baseball League (JBL) and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). As a player his team won nine JBL championships; as a manager his teams won five Japan Series championships.

Mizuhara was a star third baseman for Keio University.[1]

Mizuhara played his entire professional career for the Tokyo Giants/Tokyo Kyojin/Yomiuri Giants, from the Japanese Baseball League's beginnings in 1936 until 1950. Playing second base for Tokyo in 1942, Mizuhara was voted Most Valuable Player of the JBL. Mizuhara served in the Japanese military during World War II, eventually being captured by the Russians; while in the prisoner of war camp, he introduced baseball to his captors.[2]

The JBL reorganized to Nippon Professional Baseball in 1950, and Mizhuara became player-manager of the Giants (although he retired as a player after the season). As manager for the Giants from 1950 to 1960, the Toei Flyers from 1961 to 1967, and the Chunichi Dragons from 1969 to 1971, Mizuhara compiled a record of 1586–1123, for a .585 winning percentage. As manager, he guided his teams to five Japan Series championships, four of those with Yomiuri and one with Toei.

Mizuhara was elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.[3]

Notes and References

  1. [Whiting, Robert]
  2. Whiting, p. 47.
  3. Web site: Hall of Famers List The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. english.baseball-museum.or.jp. en. 2020-04-14.