The Matsutaro Shoriki Award is named in honor of Matsutaro Shoriki (Yomiuri Shimbun Lord), whose achievements earned him the label of the real parent of present age Japanese professional baseball. The prize was founded in 1977.
It is presented to a person (a manager or player) who contributed to the development of professional baseball greatly. A gold medal and the prize of 5 million yen are awarded to the recipient. The prize money is provided by Yomiuri Shimbun and Nihon Television.