Saitama Seibu Lions

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Saitama Seibu Lions
埼玉西武ライオンズ
Team logo Cap insignia
Information
League	Nippon Professional Baseball Pacific League (1950–present)
Location	Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan
Ballpark	Belluna Dome
Founded	November 26, 1949; 74 years ago (1949-11-26)
Nickname(s)	Shishi (獅子, lion)
PL pennants	23 (1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1963, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2018, 2019)
Japan Series championships	13 (1956, 1957, 1958, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2004, 2008)
Former name(s)	Seibu Lions (1979–2007) Crown Lighter Lions (1977–1978) Taiheiyo Club Lions (1973–1976) Nishitetsu Lions (1951–1972) Nishitetsu Clippers (1950)
Former ballparks	Heiwadai Stadium (1950–1978)
Colors	Legend Blue, Lions Blue, Black, Red, White[1]
Mascot	Leo and Lina
Playoff berths	13 (1982, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022)
Retired numbers	24
Ownership	Takashi Goto
Management	Seibu Railway
Manager	Kazuo Matsui
Uniforms

The Saitama Seibu Lions (埼玉西武ライオンズ, Saitama Seibu Raionzu) are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Seibu Railway, which in turn is owned by the Seibu Holdings. The team experienced a recent period of financial difficulty, but the situation brightened when the team received a record ¥6 billion (about $51.11 million) posting fee from the Boston Red Sox for the right to negotiate a contract with Daisuke Matsuzaka. Between 1978 and 2008, the team logo and mascot were based on the adult version of Kimba the White Lion, a classic Japanese anime and manga series by Osamu Tezuka.^[a][b] In 2004, former Seibu Lions player Kazuo Matsui became the first Japanese infielder to play in Major League Baseball.^[2]

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