Tadahito Iguchi
| Tadahito Iguchi | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Iguchi with the Chiba Lotte Marines | |||
| Chiba Lotte Marines – No. 6 | |||
| Second baseman/First Baseman | |||
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Born: December 4, 1974 Nishitōkyō, Tokyo Japan | |||
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| Professional debut | |||
| NPB: May 3, 1997, for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks | |||
| MLB: April 4, 2005, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| NPB statistics (through 2016) | |||
| Batting average | .271 | ||
| Home runs | 249 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1002 | ||
| MLB statistics (through 2008) | |||
| Batting average | .268 | ||
| Home runs | 44 | ||
| Runs batted in | 205 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Baseball | ||
Representing  Japan
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| Olympic Games | ||
.svg.png){kind=icon} | 1996 Atlanta | Team competition |
Tadahito Iguchi (井口 資仁 Iguchi Tadahito, born December 4, 1974 in Nishitōkyō, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese second baseman currently playing for the Chiba Lotte Marines. As a member of the Chicago White Sox in 2005, he became the first Japanese-born position player to win the World Series in 2005.
Early life and Japanese career
Iguchi began playing in high school and after graduating in 1993, went to Aoyama Gakuin University where he distinguished himself by hitting the Tohto University Baseball League record of eight home runs in a season and winning the triple crown. He was a member of Japanese National Team in 1996 Summer Olympics that won the silver medal. He was the first pick in the 1996 draft by Fukuoka Daiei Hawks.
In his debut year of 1997, he hit a grand slam in the first game of his professional career. He suffered a shoulder injury in the 2000 season and had a surgery which ended his season. He recovered fully in 2001 hitting 30 home runs and leading the league with a personal best 44 stolen bases. In 2003, he hit over .300, had over 100 RBI and led the league in steals.
American career
He left Fukuoka Daiei after the 2004 season to play for the Chicago White Sox. During the 2005 MLB season, he had a .278 batting average with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases. In the 2005 Divisional Series, he hit a go-ahead 3-run home run in Game 2 against the Boston Red Sox.[1] In 2006, Iguchi had two multi-homer games, both times hitting a grand slam (during the 20 May 2006 game involving a bench-clearing brawl) and another home run.
On July 27, 2007, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for pitcher Michael Dubee. He was the first Asian-born player to join the Phillies.[2]
On December 18, 2007, Iguchi signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Padres.[3] He was released on September 1, 2008.[4]
On September 5, 2008, the Phillies signed Iguchi, making it his second stint with the team.[5] Because he was acquired after September 1, he was ineligible for the team's postseason roster, so he was not with the team when they bested the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series, although he received a World Series ring.
Return to Japan
On January 19, 2009, he returned to Japan to play for the Chiba Lotte Marines.[6][7]
Championships
He is the only player to have ever been a member of two different World Series championship teams, the 2005 Chicago White Sox and 2008 Philadelphia Phillies and two or more different Japan Series championship teams – including the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in 1999 and 2003 and the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2010.
References
- ↑ Iguchi's homer helps White Sox avoid sweep
- ↑ Phillies acquire Iguchi
- ↑ Cubs get Fukudome as Padres get Iguchi
- ↑ Padres releasing Tadahito Iguchi
- ↑ "Tadahito Iguchi Statistics and History". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
- ↑ Iguchi planning to return to Japan
- ↑ Lotte makes Iguchi 3-year, Y600 mil offer
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
- Tadahito Iguchi Official site（in Japanese）
- Yahoo! Sports profile page
- Japanese league stats and info of Tadahito Iguchi
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