1978 Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes Roster
Japan Pacific League (JPPL) - Class: Foreign Major
Team Record: 71-46
Finished 2nd in the JPPL
Manager: Yukio Nishimoto (71-46)
Location: Osaka, Japan
Ballpark: Nippon Life Stadium, Fujiidera Stadium
1978 Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes StatisticsTeam Record: 71-46
Finished 2nd in the JPPL
Manager: Yukio Nishimoto (71-46)
Location: Osaka, Japan
Ballpark: Nippon Life Stadium, Fujiidera Stadium
The Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes of the Japan Pacific League ended the 1978 season with a record of 71 wins and 46 losses, finishing second in the JPPL.
The Kintetsu Buffaloes topped the circuit with just 449 runs allowed. Osaka scored 573 runs. Shigeru Kurihashi led the team with 20 home runs, while Chris Arnold walloped 15 or more, too. Chris Arnold and Shigeru Kurihashi each accounted for 72 RBI. Kyosuke Sasaki paced all regular batters by hitting .354. Keishi Suzuki notched 25 wins on the mound for the squad and a team-best 2.02 ERA, best among regular hurlers.
Chris Arnold and Joe Lis both played in Major League Baseball during their careers.
Yukio Nishimoto served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Narihiro Abe | L | L | March 27, 1947 | 5'8" | 154 | , Iwate JP |
| Shuzo Arita | R | R | September 27, 1951 | 5'8" | 176 | Ube, Yamaguchi JP |
| Chris Arnold | R | R | November 6, 1947 | 5'10" | 160 | Long Beach, CA US |
| Satomi Bando | R | R | January 1, 1942 | 5'11" | 185 | Itano-gun, Tokushima JP |
| Shiro Fujise | R | R | July 2, 1953 | 5'6" | 136 | Ibaraki, Osaka JP |
| Tokuichi Fukiishi | R | R | April 2, 1953 | 5'10" | 165 | Hidaka-gun, Wakayama JP |
| Koichi Hada | R | R | June 19, 1953 | 5'11" | 187 | Amagasaki, Hyogo JP |
| Mitsuyasu Hirano | R | R | April 23, 1949 | 5'11" | 180 | Osaka, Osaka JP |
| Takashi Imoto | R | R | November 21, 1950 | 5'10" | 162 | Takaoka-gun, Kochi JP |
| Shigeru Ishiwata | R | R | August 12, 1948 | 5'10" | 156 | Kawasaki, Kanagawa JP |
| Kazuhide Ishiyama | R | R | December 13, 1950 | 5'8" | 170 | , Kyoto JP |
| Toshio Kanbe | L | L | March 24, 1943 | 5'9" | 171 | Takasuna, Hyogo JP |
| Yasuo Kubo | R | R | April 8, 1958 | 5'10" | 182 | Kaho-gun, Fukuoka JP |
| Shigeru Kurihashi | L | L | August 10, 1951 | 5'10" | 182 | Itabashi Ward, Tokyo JP |
| Joe Lis | R | R | August 15, 1946 | 6'0" | 175 | Somerville, NJ US |
| Hiroshi Mizutani | R | R | April 11, 1946 | 5'10" | 151 | , Mie JP |
| Tatsumi Murata | L | L | July 9, 1952 | 5'10" | 162 | Yokote, Akita JP |
| Masataka Nashida | R | R | August 4, 1953 | 5'10" | 173 | Hamada, Shimane JP |
| Shunji Nishimura | R | R | May 21, 1948 | 5'9" | 154 | , Fukuoka JP |
| Tsuneo Nozaki | R | R | April 17, 1947 | 5'9" | 173 | Wakayama, Wakayama JP |
| Toru Ogawa | L | L | August 1, 1945 | 5'8" | 160 | Miyazaki, Miyazaki JP |
| Koji Ota | R | R | January 23, 1952 | 5'9" | 167 | Misawa, Aomori JP |
| Toshizo Sakamoto | R | R | July 13, 1943 | 5'7" | 154 | Fushimi Ward, Tokyo JP |
| Kyosuke Sasaki | R | R | December 28, 1949 | 5'9" | 171 | Hikami-gun, Hyogo JP |
| Fumio Sato | R | R | April 12, 1953 | 5'10" | 170 | , Hiroshima JP |
| Takehide Sato | R | R | June 13, 1947 | 5'9" | 176 | , Shizuoka JP |
| Kohei Shimamoto | L | L | January 11, 1952 | 5'9" | 176 | Kaiso-gun, Wakayama JP |
| Masataka Shirataki | R | R | January 11, 1949 | 5'9" | 160 | , Nara JP |
| Keishi Suzuki | L | L | September 28, 1947 | 5'11" | 190 | Nishiwaki, Hyogo JP |
| Hiroaki Tani | R | R | April 7, 1956 | 5'11" | 176 | Kumamoto, Kumamoto JP |
| Yutaka Yanagida | R | R | August 31, 1951 | 5'9" | 143 | Nobeoka, Miyazaki JP |
