title: 1966 Nippon Professional Baseball season
text: # 1966 Nippon Professional Baseball season
  
  The 1966 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 17th season of operation of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
  
  ## Regular season
  
  ### Standings
  
  Central League regular season standings :
  
  | Team | G | W | L | T | Pct. | GB |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Yomiuri Giants | 134 | 89 | 41 | 4 | .685 | — |
  | Chunichi Dragons | 132 | 76 | 54 | 2 | .585 | 13.0 |
  | Hanshin Tigers | 135 | 64 | 66 | 5 | .492 | 25.0 |
  | Hiroshima Carp | 136 | 57 | 73 | 6 | .438 | 32.0 |
  | Taiyo Whales | 130 | 52 | 78 | 0 | .400 | 37.0 |
  | Sankei Atoms | 135 | 52 | 78 | 5 | .400 | 37.0 |
  
  Pacific League regular season standings :
  
  | Team | G | W | L | T | Pct. | GB |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Nankai Hawks | 133 | 79 | 51 | 3 | .608 | — |
  | Nishitetsu Lions | 138 | 75 | 55 | 8 | .577 | 4.0 |
  | Toei Flyers | 136 | 70 | 60 | 6 | .538 | 9.0 |
  | Tokyo Orions | 134 | 61 | 69 | 4 | .469 | 18.0 |
  | Hankyu Braves | 134 | 57 | 73 | 4 | .438 | 22.0 |
  | Kintetsu Buffaloes | 133 | 48 | 62 | 3 | .369 | 31.0 |
  
  ## League leaders
  
  ### Central League
  
  Batting leaders :
  
  | Stat | Player | Team | Total |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Batting average | Shigeo Nagashima | Yomiuri | .344 |
  | Home runs | Sadaharu Oh | Yomiuri | 48 |
  | Runs batted in | Sadaharu Oh | Yomiuri | 116 |
  | Runs | Sadaharu Oh | Yomiuri | 111 |
  | Hits | Shigeo Nagashima | Yomiuri | 163 |
  | Stolen bases | Isao Shibata | Yomiuri | 46 |
  
  Pitching leaders :
  
  | Stat | Player | Team | Total |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Wins | Minoru Murayama | Hanshin | 24 |
  | Losses | Susumu Oba Susumu Sato | Hiroshima Sankei | 18 |
  | Earned run average | Tsuneo Horiuchi | Yomiuri | 1.39 |
  | Strikeouts | Minoru Murayama | Hanshin | 207 |
  | Innings pitched | Minoru Murayama | Hanshin | 2901⁄3 |
  
  ### Pacific League
  
  Batting leaders :
  
  | Stat | Player | Team | Total |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Batting average | Kihachi Enomoto | Tokyo | .351 |
  | Home runs | Katsuya Nomura | Nankai | 34 |
  | Runs batted in | Katsuya Nomura | Nankai | 97 |
  | Runs | Katsuya Nomura | Nankai | 82 |
  | Hits | Kihachi Enomoto | Tokyo | 167 |
  | Stolen bases | Koji Yamamoto | Hankyu | 32 |
  
  Pitching leaders :
  
  | Stat | Player | Team | Total |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Wins | Tetsuya Yoneda | Hankyu | 25 |
  | Losses | Shigemasa Yamamoto | Kintetsu | 19 |
  | Earned run average | Kazuhisa Inao | Nishitetsu | 1.79 |
  | Strikeouts | Tsutomu Tanaka | Nishitetsu | 217 |
  | Innings pitched | Tetsuya Yoneda | Hankyu | 310 |
  
  ## Awards
  
  * Most Valuable Player
     * Shigeo Nagashima, Yomiuri Giants (CL)
     * Katsuya Nomura, Nankai Hawks (PL)
  * Rookie of the Year
     * Tsuneo Horiuchi, Yomiuri Giants (CL)
     * No PL recipient
  * Eiji Sawamura Award
     * Minoru Murayama, Hanshin Tigers (CL) and Tsuneo Horiuchi, Yomiuri Giants (CL)
  
  Central League Best Nine Award winners :
  
  | Position | Player | Team |
  | - | - | - |
  | Pitcher | Minoru Murayama | Hanshin |
  | Catcher | Masahiko Mori | Yomiuri |
  | First baseman | Sadaharu Oh | Yomiuri |
  | Second baseman | Morimichi Takagi | Chunichi |
  | Third baseman | Shigeo Nagashima | Yomiuri |
  | Shortstop | Shuhei Ichieda | Chunichi |
  | Outfielder | Shinichi Eto | Chunichi |
  | Outfielder | Koji Yamamoto | Hankyu |
  | Outfielder | Toshio Naka | Chunichi |
  
  Pacific League Best Nine Award winners :
  
  | Position | Player | Team |
  | - | - | - |
  | Pitcher | Tsutomu Tanaka | Nishitetsu |
  | Catcher | Katsuya Nomura | Nankai |
  | First baseman | Kihachi Enomoto | Tokyo |
  | Second baseman | Yasunori Kunisada | Nankai |
  | Third baseman | Tony Roig | Nishitetsu |
  | Shortstop | Kenji Koike | Nankai |
  | Outfielder | Isao Harimoto | Toei |
  | Outfielder | Shoichi Busujima | Toei |
  | Outfielder | Teruyuki Takakura | Nishitetsu |
  