365:) so far has met the milestone since foundation, and only Ramírez was recognized as a qualified member. As stated below, the reason being that, despite Soriano reaching the 2000 hits (2,097 hits) needed, almost all of those hits were in his years in MLB, and that the 2000 hit requirement was, as stated above, had to be achieved in NPB.
37:
345:
was specially inducted when he reached 800 career stolen bases (he would later mark 2,000 career hits). Such inductions was formally codified in 2019, allowing players who are originally not eligible to be inducted. As committee considered 200 wins are too difficult to be achieved for modern era
185:(MLB) also being recognized. Since 2019, players who did not reach any of the above three figures, but who were deemed to have equivalent career achievements, could be inducted upon committee nomination and a vote of 75% or more current members.
837:(with 2,097 career hits) technically met the 2,000 hits requirement in 2013, but he was not recognized as a formal member. Many suggest his significantly low NPB career hit (only 2 out of 2,097) preventing him from being introduced.
188:
Inductees are awarded a special jacket and participate in various baseball-related events during the off-season. Meikyukai members mostly make appearances in charity and volunteer events. The organization holds annual meetings and a
309:
The founding members of the club limited membership to players born after 1926, partly because they only wanted members that had begun their career after the two-league system of
Japanese baseball was established in 1950 (when the
340:
Though other records such as home runs, stolen bases, and strikeouts are not officially included in the qualifications, they are taken into consideration if a player is few short of required hit/win/save(s).
830:(with 2,314 career hits) didn't decline membership, but never participated in any of the club's meetings or events before his death in 2012, and was not recognized as a formal member nor a honored member.
900:
333:(MLB) are also valid in counting the numbers; However, Meikyukai only takes records from the point where the player started his NPB career (i.e.: records before debut in NPB don't count). For example,
301:
in 2022. Despite neither of them reaching 200 wins or 250 saves in their career, Meikyukai offered them membership after deeming both players' overall career achievements as worthy of induction.
923:
937:
915:
1005:
892:
1020:
1015:
1000:
938:"名球会目指してきたわけじゃない 落合博満、資格獲得も入会辞退(I wasn't necessarily aiming for the Meikyukai. Hiromitsu Ochiai on receiving recognition and refusing it)"
1010:
699:
823:
reached 2,000 hits in 1995, but declined membership because Kaneda and other members had repeatedly criticized him during his career.
337:'s 86 hits in MLB before his NPB career were excluded and he was not inducted until he recorded his 2,000th NPB hit on April 6, 2013.
941:
174:
132:
704:
326:(1926-1988) can join, the rule was changed in 2012, allowing post-Shōwa born players to be inducted in the near future.
315:
193:
tournament, which is often broadcast on television. All of the money raised from the golf tournament is donated to the
480:
866:
283:
after running it for more than 30 years. Kaneda later quit the club when it re-formed as a limited company in 2010.
597:
170:
311:
654:
357:) did not have a Japanese Nationality when Meikyukai was founded. However, only two non-Japanese player (
330:
182:
346:
pitchers, and players having notable combined pitching(batting) records should get qualified as well.
810:
664:
608:
73:
659:
319:
208:
founded
Meikyukai on July 24, 1978. In addition to Kaneda, the founding members of the club were
55:
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709:
689:
582:
521:
257:
59:
820:
790:
755:
740:
674:
669:
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486:
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253:
241:
233:
349:
Nationality is not officially regarded as a qualification, as two of the founding members (
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623:
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531:
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205:
178:
158:
151:
86:
618:
358:
334:
323:
162:
775:
745:
726:
Deceased players who died during their membership are considered as "Honored
Members".
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649:
557:
536:
516:
496:
470:
455:
450:
409:
393:
388:
298:
261:
245:
221:
213:
166:
378:
Active NPB/MLB players (as of end of 2023 season) are indicated with an asterisk (*).
994:
735:
730:
684:
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567:
552:
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465:
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287:
249:
225:
217:
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785:
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572:
506:
501:
435:
425:
383:
237:
76:
679:
613:
350:
318:), but mostly because Kaneda did not want to include qualified members, such as
294:
280:
229:
592:
419:
36:
194:
165:). Players are automatically inducted if they reach a career total of 2,000
161:
in 1978, the
Meikyukai honors players born after 1926 (the beginning of the
870:
817:
were once members of
Meikyukai, but later quit due to their own reasons.
982:
131:
is one of the two baseball halls of fame in Japan, the other being the
63:
978:
322:, that were older than he was. Originally, only players born in
190:
968:
97:
916:"Ramirez possibly top foreign-born player ever in NPB"
940:(in Japanese). Sponichi. April 2009. Archived from
92:
82:
69:
51:
43:
279:passed on club leadership to home run champion
143:
120:
137:
114:
8:
19:
35:
18:
290:is the current chairperson of the club.
903:from the original on November 12, 2020.
858:
893:"Where No Westerner in Japan Has Gone"
181:are also inducted, with records from
7:
926:from the original on April 12, 2013.
867:"名球会ブレザー授与式｜名球会とは｜日本プロ野球名球会公式ホームページ"
177:. Since 2003, players recording 250
1006:Baseball museums and halls of fame
152:limited company for public benefit
14:
914:Coskrey, Jason (April 9, 2013).
833:Left fielder and second baseman
802:Former Members and Non-Inductees
157:Founded by Hall of Fame pitcher
1021:Baseball organizations in Japan
293:The most recent inductees are
133:Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame
16:Baseball hall of fame in Japan
1:
891:Lefton, Brad (July 7, 2012).
175:Japanese professional leagues
50:
1016:1978 establishments in Japan
1001:History of baseball in Japan
316:Nippon Professional Baseball
305:Qualifications for inclusion
144:
122:Nippon Puro Yakyū Meikyūkai
121:
1037:
1011:Awards established in 1978
138:
115:
34:
24:
312:Japanese Baseball League
25:
127:The Golden Players Club
847:Baseball awards#Japan
331:Major League Baseball
286:As of December 2022,
183:Major League Baseball
150:. The Meikyukai is a
665:Kazuyoshi Tatsunami
609:Michihiro Ogasawara
74:Professional sports
21:
897:The New York Times
660:Motonobu Tanishige
320:Tetsuharu Kawakami
796:Kazuhiro Yamauchi
710:Hiroyuki Yamazaki
705:Masahiro Yamamoto
690:Tsutomu Wakamatsu
583:Norihiro Nakamura
522:Kazuhiro Kiyohara
314:reorganized into
275:In 2008, founder
258:Kazuhiro Yamauchi
106:
105:
1028:
987:
975:
972:
971:
969:Official website
954:
953:
951:
949:
944:on 15 March 2016
934:
928:
927:
911:
905:
904:
888:
882:
881:
879:
878:
869:. Archived from
863:
821:Hiromitsu Ochiai
791:Morimichi Takagi
756:Manabu Kitabeppu
741:Hiromitsu Kadota
675:Seiichi Uchikawa
670:Takashi Toritani
588:Shigeo Nagashima
563:Makoto Matsubara
512:Tomoaki Kanemoto
487:Yoshinori Hirose
481:Yoshihisa Hirano
476:Masaji Hiramatsu
254:Yoshinori Hirose
242:Shigeo Nagashima
234:Morimichi Takagi
149:
147:
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22:
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947:
945:
936:
935:
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920:The Japan Times
913:
912:
908:
890:
889:
885:
876:
874:
865:
864:
860:
855:
843:
835:Alfonso Soriano
828:Kihachi Enomoto
815:Tsuneo Horiuchi
807:Masaichi Kaneda
804:
781:Yasunori Oshima
771:Minoru Murayama
761:Mutsuo Minagawa
751:Sachio Kinugasa
724:
722:Honored Members
719:
630:Kazuhiro Sasaki
624:Hayato Sakamoto
578:Shinya Miyamoto
547:Takumi Kuriyama
532:Norihiro Komada
492:Tadahito Iguchi
446:Kosuke Fukudome
441:Yutaka Fukumoto
376:
374:Current Members
371:
363:Alfonso Soriano
343:Yutaka Fukumoto
307:
277:Masaichi Kaneda
270:Minoru Murayama
266:Mutsuo Minagawa
206:Masaichi Kaneda
203:
159:Masaichi Kaneda
135:
112:
96:
87:Masaichi Kaneda
30:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1034:
1032:
1024:
1023:
1018:
1013:
1008:
1003:
993:
992:
989:
988:
976:
962:
961:External links
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956:
955:
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906:
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856:
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849:
842:
839:
826:First baseman
811:Kenichi Yazawa
803:
800:
799:
798:
793:
788:
783:
778:
776:Katsuya Nomura
773:
768:
763:
758:
753:
748:
746:Takao Kajimoto
743:
738:
733:
723:
720:
718:
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715:Tetsuya Yoneda
712:
707:
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695:Hisashi Yamada
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682:
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662:
657:
652:
650:Shingo Takatsu
647:
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632:
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621:
616:
611:
606:
600:
598:Kenjiro Nomura
595:
590:
585:
580:
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570:
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560:
558:Tomonori Maeda
555:
550:
544:
539:
537:Masaaki Koyama
534:
529:
524:
519:
514:
509:
504:
499:
497:Atsunori Inaba
494:
489:
484:
478:
473:
471:Osamu Higashio
468:
463:
458:
456:Kyuji Fujikawa
453:
451:Kazuya Fukuura
448:
443:
438:
433:
428:
423:
417:
412:
410:Masahiro Araki
407:
402:
397:
394:Norichika Aoki
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389:Shinnosuke Abe
386:
380:
375:
372:
370:
367:
306:
303:
299:Kyuji Fujikawa
262:Takao Kajimoto
246:Katsuya Nomura
222:Tetsuya Yoneda
214:Masaaki Koyama
202:
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1017:
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1007:
1004:
1002:
999:
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996:
986:(in Japanese)
984:
980:
977:
974:(in Japanese)
970:
965:
964:
960:
943:
939:
933:
930:
925:
921:
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873:on 2013-10-17
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764:
762:
759:
757:
754:
752:
749:
747:
744:
742:
739:
737:
736:Kazuhisa Inao
734:
732:
731:Shinichi Etoh
729:
728:
727:
721:
716:
713:
711:
708:
706:
703:
701:
700:Koji Yamamoto
698:
696:
693:
691:
688:
686:
685:Kazuhiro Wada
683:
681:
678:
676:
673:
671:
668:
666:
663:
661:
658:
656:
653:
651:
648:
646:
645:Keishi Suzuki
643:
641:
640:Ichiro Suzuki
638:
636:
633:
631:
628:
625:
622:
620:
617:
615:
612:
610:
607:
604:
601:
599:
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579:
576:
574:
571:
569:
568:Hideki Matsui
566:
564:
561:
559:
556:
554:
553:Hiroki Kuroda
551:
548:
545:
543:
542:Kimiyasu Kudo
540:
538:
535:
533:
530:
528:
527:Hiroki Kokubo
525:
523:
520:
518:
515:
513:
510:
508:
505:
503:
500:
498:
495:
493:
490:
488:
485:
482:
479:
477:
474:
472:
469:
467:
466:Isao Harimoto
464:
462:
461:Atsuya Furuta
459:
457:
454:
452:
449:
447:
444:
442:
439:
437:
434:
432:
431:Yutaka Enatsu
429:
427:
424:
421:
418:
416:
415:Michiyo Arito
413:
411:
408:
406:
405:Takahiro Arai
403:
401:
400:Hiromasa Arai
398:
395:
392:
390:
387:
385:
382:
381:
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373:
368:
366:
364:
360:
356:
355:Isao Harimoto
352:
347:
344:
338:
336:
332:
327:
325:
321:
317:
313:
304:
302:
300:
296:
291:
289:
288:Atsuya Furuta
284:
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273:
271:
267:
263:
259:
255:
251:
250:Isao Harimoto
247:
243:
239:
235:
231:
227:
226:Shinichi Etoh
223:
219:
218:Keishi Suzuki
215:
211:
210:Kazuhisa Inao
207:
200:
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196:
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186:
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78:
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42:
38:
33:
29:
23:
946:. Retrieved
942:the original
932:
919:
909:
896:
886:
875:. Retrieved
871:the original
861:
832:
825:
819:
805:
786:Katsuo Osugi
766:Choji Murata
725:
655:Yukio Tanaka
635:Isao Shibata
619:Alex Ramírez
603:Yohei Oshima
573:Kazuo Matsui
507:Hitoki Iwase
502:Takuro Ishii
436:Taira Fujita
426:Masahiro Doi
384:Koji Akiyama
377:
359:Alex Ramírez
348:
339:
335:Alex Ramírez
328:
324:Shōwa period
308:
292:
285:
274:
238:Masahiro Doi
204:
187:
163:Shōwa period
156:
126:
109:
107:
77:hall of fame
47:24 July 1978
27:
680:Koji Uehara
614:Sadaharu Oh
517:Hideji Katō
351:Sadaharu Oh
329:Records in
295:Koji Uehara
281:Sadaharu Oh
230:Sadaharu Oh
145:Yakyū Dendō
60:Chūō, Tokyo
44:Established
995:Categories
877:2013-05-06
853:References
593:Hideo Nomo
420:Yu Darvish
979:Meikyukai
195:Red Cross
116:日本プロ野球名球会
110:Meikyukai
98:meikyukai
20:Meikyukai
924:Archived
901:Archived
841:See also
56:Kyōbashi
52:Location
983:Twitter
948:10 June
369:Members
201:History
173:in the
169:or 200
93:Website
83:Founder
26:日本プロ野球
179:saves
64:Japan
950:2016
361:and
353:and
297:and
268:and
191:golf
171:wins
167:hits
139:野球殿堂
108:The
70:Type
981:on
100:.jp
28:名球会
997::
922:.
918:.
899:.
895:.
813:,
809:,
272:.
264:,
260:,
256:,
252:,
248:,
244:,
240:,
236:,
232:,
228:,
224:,
220:,
216:,
212:,
197:.
154:.
142:,
125:,
119:,
62:,
58:,
952:.
880:.
626:*
605:*
549:*
483:*
422:*
396:*
148:)
136:(
129:)
113:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
