The First Japanese All-Star Series

In the early days of Japanese baseball, the Japan Championship Series saw league champions compete against each other. Yet, it wasn't until 1951 that an All-Star Series was introduced. Hidenori Shima, the home plate umpire for Games 1 and 3, noted in his book that the All-Star Game quickly became an "annual event in the same vein" as the commissioner system.

The final All-Star game of the single-league era occurred in the fall of 1949. With eight teams, the East-West Rivalry was held from November to December. By contrast, the new inter-league All-Star Game, inspired by Major League Baseball in the United States, was scheduled for July.

Yuasa Sadao of the Mainichi Orions managed the Pacific League (All-Pacific), the previous year’s Japan Series champions. The Central League (All-Central) was led by Amachi Shunichi of the Nagoya Dragons, who had finished second the prior year. Konishi Tokuro, who had guided the Shochiku Robins to the league championship, retired after winning the Japan World Series (as it was then known).

Game 1: A Record-Breaking Start

In the first game, Pacific League's Tadashi Eto (Nankai) faced Central League's Takehiko Bessho (Giants). Bessho walked the first batter, Tokuji Iida (Nankai), but then skillfully retired the next three batters: Kazuto Yamamoto (Nankai), Kaoru Betto (Mainichi), and Hiroshi Oshita (Tokyu). In the bottom of the inning, Central League's Shigeru Chiba (Giants) hit a single, followed by hits from Yoshiyuki Iwamoto (Shochiku) and Tetsuji Kawakami (Giants), scoring an early run. The Central League added another run in the sixth inning, while the Pacific League scored in the seventh, resulting in a close one-point battle. Shigeru Sugishita (Nagoya) demonstrated resilience, keeping the Pacific League scoreless in the final innings. The game drew a record attendance of 48,671, the highest for an All-Star Game at the time.

Game 2: A Turnaround Victory

Three days later, after a travel day, Game 2 saw Bessho again starting for the Central League. Manager Amachi's strategy to pitch Bessho, Masaichi Kaneda (Kokutetsu), and Sugishita in rotation fell apart. Takeshi Nomura (Mainichi) started for the Pacific League. In the seventh inning, with the Pacific League team leading by two runs, Akira Noguchi (Nagoya) hit a timely triple, tying the game. Michio Nishizawa (Nagoya), pinch-hitting for pitcher Kaneda, smashed a two-run home run, leading the Central League to a consecutive victory. This marked the first home run in Japan All-Star Game history.

Game 3: Pacific League's Redemption

Determined to avoid a sweep, the Pacific League entered Game 3 the next day. Although the Central League, with batters like Chiba, Iwamoto, Kawakami, and Tomio Fujimura (Osaka), scored early, the Pacific League gradually caught up. In the top of the eighth inning, Iida hit a crucial home run, securing the lead. Yoshikazu Hayashi (Daiei) successfully defended this lead, giving the Pacific League its first victory.

In Game 3, Takao Fujimura (Osaka) started for the Central League, joining his brother Tomio in the first brotherly appearance in an All-Star Game. The Fujimura brothers played together three more times.

Sugishita of the Central League was named the overall MVP of the three games, receiving a leather Boston bag and a trophy designed for a batter, an oversight as they hadn't anticipated a pitcher winning the award. The success of these games, marked by packed stadiums and enthusiastic fans, established the All-Star Game as an annual highlight in Japanese baseball.