Masahiro Yamamoto (baseball)
Masa Yamamoto | |
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Pitcher | |
Born: Chigasaki, Kanagawa, Japan | August 11, 1965|
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
NPB debut | |
October 16, 1986, for the Chunichi Dragons | |
Last NPB appearance | |
October 7, 2015, for the Chunichi Dragons | |
NPB statistics (through 2015) | |
Win–loss record | 219-165 |
ERA | 3.45 |
Strikeouts | 2,310 |
Teams | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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Masahiro 'Masa' Yamamoto (山本昌, born August 11, 1965, in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture) is a left-handed, retired Japanese professional baseball pitcher. A screwballer, Yamamoto pitched for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball for 29 years from 1986 to 2015. He is the oldest Japanese pitcher to win a baseball game.[1] With 200+ career victories, he is a member of Meikyukai.
Biography[]
Yamamoto attended Nichidai Fujisawa High School, and was selected at age 18 by Chunichi.[2]
Yamamoto was the Central League Earned Run Average Champion in 1993, posting a 2.05 ERA. He won the 1994 Eiji Sawamura Award, going 19–8 with 3.49 ERA and 14 complete games.
On September 16, 2006, Yamamoto threw a no-hitter against the Hanshin Tigers, becoming the oldest pitcher in NPB to throw a no-hit game.
On September 5, 2014, Yamamoto won his first and only start of the season at Nagoya Dome in a shutout match against the Hanshin Tigers, making him the oldest Japanese pitcher to win a game, at 49 years, 25 days, surpassing the old mark of 48 years, 4 months set by the Hankyu Braves’ Shinji Hamazaki in 1950.[2] During the game, he threw 90 pitches in five scoreless innings, gave up five hits and a walk, and striking out two.
Yamamoto has pitched in six Japan Series with the Dragons, with his team winning once (in 2007).
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Snyder, Matt. "Masahiro Yamamoto will turn 50 next year while pitching in Japan," CBSSports.com (November 6, 2014).
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Dragons lefty Yamamoto sets NPB record for oldest winning pitcher at age 49". The Japan Times. September 5, 2014. Retrieved 2014-09-08.
External links[]
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)
- NPB.com
- 1965 births
- Chunichi Dragons players
- Japanese expatriate baseball players in the United States
- Living people
- Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers
- People from Chigasaki, Kanagawa
- Vero Beach Dodgers players
- Japanese baseball pitcher stubs