Page 24
Page 24 of the albums begins the stretch of Yomiuri Giants (previously Tokyo Kyojin). The upper left photo shows three Giant players at practice (although I can't identify them individually). Any takers?
The upper and middle right bromides are team photos. From what I can tell, these are 1947 images but I wouldn’t be the farm on it.
The remaining for cards appear to be Japanese HOF manager Osamu Mihara.
Mihara managed the Giants for a brief stretch from 1947-49, so that dates these cards pretty tightly. His history with the franchise goes back further, though. I remember reading somewhere that he was the very first player signed with the new Tokyo pro team in 1936, although he joined the military and 1938 and (as far as I can locate in the records) never played again. When he returned to pro ball as a manager during the 1947 season, the Giants were in last place. In 1949 they won the championship. This was typical of Mihara’s managerial career, taking teams from the bottom of the standings to championships (notably with the Lions, but also the Whales). To me, that is a much more impressive feat than a dynastic run. As a result, his 1687-1453 record (.537 winning percentage) really undersells his effectiveness as a manager.
Giants Team - Giants Team
Mihara (manager) - Giants Team
Mihara - Mihara - Mihara
Last edited by Frankish; 10-09-2021 at 06:52 PM.
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10-09-2021, 06:45 PM
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