1976 Taiyo Whales Roster
Japan Central League (JPCL) - Class: Foreign Major
Team Record: 45-78
Finished 6th in the JPCL
Manager: Noboru Akiyama (45-78)
Location: Kawasaki, Japan
Ballpark: Kawasaki Stadium
1976 Taiyo Whales StatisticsTeam Record: 45-78
Finished 6th in the JPCL
Manager: Noboru Akiyama (45-78)
Location: Kawasaki, Japan
Ballpark: Kawasaki Stadium
The Taiyo Whales of the Japan Central League ended the 1976 season with a record of 45 wins and 78 losses, finishing sixth in the JPCL.
The Whales scored 482 runs, worst in the league, and gave up 619 runs, most in the circuit. Makoto Matsubara walloped 33 home runs for Taiyo, while Hisaaki Fukushima, Garry Jestadt and John Sipin each swatted 15 or more also. Makoto Matsubara accounted for 85 RBI. John Sipin led all regular batters with a .307 average. Masaji Hiramatsu topped the squad with 13 wins and a team-best 3.81 earned run average, best among hurlers with significant time on the mound.
Garry Jestadt and John Sipin both played in Major League Baseball during their careers.
Noboru Akiyama served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akira Ejiri | L | L | January 10, 1943 | 5'10" | 178 | Takahagi, Ibaraki JP |
| Hisaaki Fukushima | R | R | April 10, 1947 | 5'10" | 185 | Higashi Muro-gun, Wakayama JP |
| Masaji Hiramatsu | R | R | September 19, 1947 | 5'9" | 162 | Takahashi, Okayama JP |
| Isao Ito | R | R | May 14, 1942 | 5'11" | 176 | Sendai, Miyagi JP |
| Takayuki Iwai | R | R | May 30, 1953 | 5'9" | 158 | Usa, Oita JP |
| Garry Jestadt | R | R | March 19, 1947 | 6'2" | 188 | Chicago, IL US |
| Mitsuru Koganemaru | R | R | January 16, 1948 | 5'10" | 171 | , Fukuoka JP |
| Tadakatsu Kotani | R | R | April 8, 1945 | 5'10" | 182 | Akashi, Hyogo JP |
| Shigekuni Mashiba | L | L | November 15, 1951 | 5'10" | 178 | Ozu, Shiga JP |
| Makoto Matsubara | R | R | January 13, 1944 | 6'0" | 178 | Iino, Saitama JP |
| Kosuke Matsuoka | R | R | February 9, 1943 | 5'7" | 167 | Kumamoto, Kumamoto JP |
| Michio Miura | L | L | May 3, 1955 | 6'0" | 178 | Kobe, Hyogo JP |
| Shiro Miyamoto | L | L | May 28, 1952 | 5'10" | 143 | Matsuzaka, Mie JP |
| Keiji Nagasaki | L | L | May 13, 1950 | 5'10" | 176 | Haruno-machi, Kochi JP |
| Masayuki Nakatsuka | L | L | June 29, 1945 | 5'8" | 176 | Takamatsu, Kagawa JP |
| Takashi Nemoto | R | R | June 14, 1954 | 5'9" | 160 | , Chiba JP |
| Yoshio Noguchi | R | R | May 5, 1948 | 5'8" | 167 | , Kumamoto JP |
| Hideyuki Okue | R | R | August 11, 1950 | 5'11" | 162 | Okayama, Okayama JP |
| Yukio Osada | L | L | February 24, 1939 | 5'10" | 189 | Minami Tsuru-gun, Yamanashi JP |
| Hiroyoshi Shimizu | R | R | July 4, 1950 | 5'10" | 165 | , Tokyo JP |
| John Sipin | R | R | August 29, 1946 | 6'1" | 175 | Watsonville, CA US |
| Tomotaka Sugiyama | R | R | August 22, 1947 | 6'0" | 185 | , Shizuoka JP |
| Yoshihiro Takagaki | R | R | November 6, 1948 | 5'10" | 170 | , Tottori JP |
| Yoshikazu Takagi | L | L | March 13, 1949 | 5'10" | 180 | Aiko-gun, Kanagawa JP |
| Shigeyuki Takahashi | R | R | May 16, 1945 | 6'2" | 190 | Asahi, Chiba JP |
| Hiroaki Takeuchi | R | R | October 22, 1953 | 5'8" | 165 | Tano-gun, Gunma JP |
| Masao Tamura | R | R | May 3, 1953 | 5'11" | 173 | Wakayama, Wakayama JP |
| Akira Tanaka | R | R | July 20, 1944 | 5'7" | 140 | Kisarazu, Chiba JP |
| Tomio Tashiro | R | R | July 9, 1954 | 6'1" | 193 | Odawara, Kanagawa JP |
| Yasuhiko Tsuji | R | R | June 18, 1942 | 5'7" | 182 | Nagoya, Aichi JP |
| Tatsuo Uzawa | R | R | July 13, 1952 | 5'9" | 160 | Togane, Chiba JP |
| Hidetake Watanabe | R | R | September 16, 1941 | 6'0" | 190 | , Shizuoka JP |
| Daisuke Yamashita | R | R | March 5, 1952 | 5'9" | 171 | Shimizu, Shizuoka JP |
| Ritsuo Yamashita | R | R | October 20, 1944 | 5'11" | 165 | Minami Uwa-gun, Ehime JP |
| Toshikazu Yano | R | R | April 21, 1950 | 5'8" | 158 | Omuta, Fukuoka JP |
| Keisaburo Yoneda | R | R | January 13, 1943 | 5'9" | 160 | Osaka, Osaka JP |
