American expatriate baseball players in Japan
American expatriate baseball players in Japan have been a feature of the Japanese professional leagues since 1934. American expatriate players began to steadily find spots on Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) rosters in the 1960s. More than 600 Americans have played NPB, although very few last more than a single season in Japan.
Many of the most celebrated American expatriate players came to Japan after not finding success in the
American players hold several NPB records, including highest career batting average (Leron Lee, .334), highest single season batting average (Randy Bass, .389), and the dubious record of most strikeouts in a season by a hitter (Ralph Bryant, 204). Americans rank #3 (Tuffy Rhodes, 55) and #5 (Randy Bass, 54) on the list of most home runs in a season, and #2 in single-season RBI (Bobby Rose, 153).
Since the 1970s, Americans have also made an impact in Nippon Professional Baseball's managing and coaching ranks, with Bobby Valentine and Trey Hillman managing their respective teams to Japan Series championships.
Gaijin waku and cultural differences
For most of its history, NPB regulations imposed "gaijin waku", a limit on the number of non-Japanese people per team to two or three — including the manager and/or coaching staff.[4] Initially each team was allowed three foreign players; in 1963 this was reduced to two.[5] With enough service time, a non-Japanese player like Randy Messenger no longer counts against this limitation (with Messenger achieving that after nine seasons with the Hanshin Tigers).[6]
In addition to the foreign culture, the language barrier, and loneliness, differences in the way the game is played in Japan are often challenges for American players. Japanese teams practice much more often than American teams, the game relies more on off-speed pitching and not as many fastballs, and team harmony is stressed over individual achievements.[7] The American writer Robert Whiting wrote in his 1977 book The Chrysanthemum and the Bat that,
The Japanese view of life, stressing group identity, cooperation, hard work, respect for age, seniority and 'face' has permeated almost every aspect of the sport. Americans who come to play in Japan quickly realize that Baseball Samurai Style is different.[8]
While others[who?] have objected to characterizing the sport that way, many Japanese players and managers describe themselves in these terms.
Perhaps because of these cultural differences, many expatriate baseball players don't last very long in NPB. Even star players often return home after five or six seasons. Of American expatriate baseball players in Japan, the longest tenures in NPB belong to Tuffy Rhodes (a total of 13 seasons in NPB), Wally Yonamine (12 seasons), Leron Lee (11 seasons), and Leon Lee, Greg Wells,[citation needed] and Randy Messenger[9] (10 seasons each).
Recruitment and salaries
There was time when Japanese teams looked to recruit established Major League players on the downside of their careers.[10] Now, however, Japanese teams scout American Triple-A games and monitor MLB transactions, looking for players being shuttled back and forth between the minors and the majors.[10] A good majority of American players recruited to play in NPB are power hitters, which traditionally are in short supply in Japan.[11]
Although the average NPB salary is not comparable to MLB salaries, Japanese teams can offer much more money than a player can make in the American minor leagues.[12] The typical American playing NPB has a higher base salary than his Japanese teammates, but his endorsement opportunities are much more limited.[12] The Yomiuri Giants are particularly known for the high salaries they pay foreign players.[12]
History
1930s and 1940s
American Major League Baseball outfielder Lefty O'Doul was instrumental in spreading baseball's popularity in Japan, serving as the sport's "goodwill ambassador" in the mid-1930s, and again after World War II.
Harris, North, and Bonner were joined by the
In October 1940, responding to rising hostility toward the West due to World War II, the league outlawed the use of English in Japanese baseball.[
1950s
Another Hawaiian, Wally Yonamine, was the first American to play professional baseball in Japan after World War II when he joined the Yomiuri Giants of the reorganized Japanese professional league, now known as Nippon Professional Baseball. A multi-skilled outfielder, Yonamine was a member of four Japan Series Championship teams, the Central League Most Valuable Player in 1957, a consecutive seven-time Best Nine Award winner (1952–58), an eleven-time All-Star, and a three-time batting champion. He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994, the only American yet admitted into the Hall as a player until Randy Bass was inducted in 2023.
Other than Yonamine, the first Americans to play NPB were
In 1953, while serving in the military, former
In 1954, the
Outfielder/first-baseman
The
1960s
In 1962, the Chunichi Dragons signed former Major League stars Don Newcombe and Larry Doby.[22][23] Newcombe had been a pitcher in the Major Leagues, but played for the Dragons almost exclusively as an outfielder/first-baseman, hitting .262 with 12 home runs and 43 RBI;[24] while Doby compiled modest numbers of a .225 batting average, 10 home runs, and 35 RBI.[25] Newcombe and Doby each only played one NPB season before returning home to the U.S.
In 1964,
Former
1970s
In 1971 former
In 1972 the Hiroshima Toyo Carp became the last team to hire their first non-Japanese player (excluding Japanese-Americans), when former American League MVP Zoilo Versalles joined the team.
Former league star Wally Yonamine became the first foreigner to be a manager in the NPB, when he took charge of the Chunichi Dragons from 1972 to 1977.
After a long successful Major League career,
In 1974, Clarence Jones of the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes hit 38 home runs, becoming the first foreign player to win a home run title in Nippon Professional Baseball. He led the Pacific League again with 36 home runs in 1976.
In 1975,
Famed manager
In 1979
1980s
1984 was a turning point for foreign players in NPB. Three American players —
In 1984, at 30 years old,
First-basemen
1990s
Following a brief Major League career, outfielder Alonzo Powell played for seven seasons in Japan. He was just the third player in Central League history, and the first foreign player, to win three straight batting titles, hitting .324, .355, and .340 from 1994 to 1996. He was also a two-time Central League All-Star.
In 1995,
2000s
In April 2003, former NPB hitting star
In 2005, Yomiuri Giants closer Marc Kroon set the record for the fastest pitch ever in Japanese baseball, at 161 km/h (100 mph). In 2008, he broke his own record of pitching to 162 km/h (101 mph).[39]
In 2005, Chiba Lotte manager Bobby Valentine led the Marines to their first Pacific League pennant in 31 years after emerging victorious in a close playoff with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. The Marines won the Japan Series in a four-game sweep of the Hanshin Tigers. Following their Japan Series championship, the Marines won the inaugural Asia Series by defeating the Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization in November 2005. For his efforts, Valentine was awarded the Golden Spirit Award and the Matsutaro Shoriki Award — both firsts for a non-Japanese individual.
2010s
In 2010, with 214 hits, outfielder Matt Murton of the Hanshin Tigers broke the NPB single-season hit record, and became only the fourth player in Nippon Professional Baseball history to have a 200-hit season.[42]
In 2015, relief pitcher Dennis Sarfate recorded 43 saves, a new record for most single-season saves in the Pacific League.[43] On April 2, 2017, Sarfate recorded his 178th save in Japan, setting a new record for most saves by a foreign pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball history. On July 4, 2017, Sarfate recorded his 200th save, becoming the sixth pitcher in NPB history to reach that threshold and the first foreign pitcher. On September 5, 2017, Sarfate earned his 47th save of the season, breaking the record for most single-season saves in Japanese baseball history.[44] He finished the season with 54 saves.[45] Sarfate earned two saves and a win in the 2017 Japan Series, and won the Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award.[46]
Notable American players in Nippon Professional Baseball
- George Altman (7 seasons, 1968–1974) — compiled career NPB records of 205 home runs and 656 RBI, along with a .309 batting average and a .561 slugging percentage.
- Gene Bacque (8 seasons, 1962–1969) — retired from NPB with 100 wins, a 2.34 ERA, and 826 career strikeouts.
- Randy Bass (6 seasons, 1983–1988) — a marginal Major League player for six seasons, Bass took advantage of the differences between Japanese and American styles of pitching, and immediately became the Hanshin Tigers' star slugger. Finished his NPB career with a .337 batting average, a .660 slugging percentage, 202 home runs, and 486 RBI.
- Jack Bloomfield (7 seasons, 1960–1966) — career NPB batting average of .315, with a .372 on-base percentage.
- Ralph Bryant (8 seasons, 1988–1995) — retired from NPB with 259 career home runs and 641 RBI.
- Warren Cromartie (7 seasons, 1984–1990) — upon his arrival in Japan, Cromartie's manager, legendary Japanese slugger Sadaharu Oh, noticed a hitch in Cromartie's swing. He had Cromartie take batting practice with a book under his elbow to correct it.[7] The trick must have worked, as he had ten game-winning RBIs in his first season,[47] and belted over thirty home runs in each of his first three seasons. He originally intended to retire at the end of the 1989 season,[48] but his success prompted him to spend one more season with the Giants.
- Seibu Lions, where he led the league in home runs three consecutive years.
- Cecil Fielder (1 season, 1989) — played one season for the Hanshin Tigers, where he hit .302/.403/.628 with 38 HRs and 81 RBIs.
- Adam Jones (2 seasons, 2020-2021) — played two seasons for the Orix Buffaloes, where he hit .250/.334/.390 with 16 HRs and 66 RBIs.
- Marc Kroon (6 seasons, 2005–2010) — former all-time leading foreigner in career saves with 177; All-Star led the Central League in saves in 2008 with 41, and won a championship in 2009 with the Yomiuri Giants.
- Leon Lee (10 seasons, 1978–1987) — best season came in 1980, when he hit .340, with 41 home runs and 116 RBIs. Career NPB totals include a .308 batting average, a .530 slugging percentage, 268 home runs, and 884 RBI.
- Leron Lee (11 seasons, 1977–1987) — at .334, holds the Japanese record for career batting average. Career NPB totals include a .320 batting average, a .542 slugging percentage, 283 home runs, and 912 RBI.
- Jim Lyttle (7 seasons, 1977–1983) — the MVP of the 1980 Japan Series, he compiled NPB totals of 166 home runs and 529 RBI.
- Gene Martin (6 seasons, 1974–1979) — career NPB totals include 189 home runs (averaging over 30 per season) and 498 RBI.
- Charlie Manuel (6 seasons, 1976–1981) — career NPB totals include a .303 batting average, a .604 slugging percentage, 189 home runs, and 491 RBI.
- Miles Mikolas (3 seasons, 2015-2017) - former Padre and Ranger starting pitcher had a breakout career with the NPB, pitching 33-13 with a 2.18 ERA with the Yomiuri Giants. Would be signed back to the MLB by the St. Louis Cardinals in December 2017, entering their starting rotation and performed among the top pitchers in the National League.
- Matt Moore (1 season, 2020) —played one season with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, where he went 6-3 with a 2.65 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 78 IP.
- Yakult Swallows in 1995, and played his best season that year, winning both the season MVP award and the Japan SeriesMVP award.
- Seibu Lions, compiling a .312 lifetime batting average and a .394 on-base percentage.
- Fukuoka Daiei Hawks.
- Yokohama Taiyo Whales in 1988. He ranked second in the league with a .332 average, and won the outfield Best Nine Award that year. He remained one of the league's best hitters, and won the Central League batting title in 1990. Paciorek ended the season with a batting average over .300 for the fourth straight year in 1991, but was cut from the team for hitting only 11 home runs. The Whales had made a bad decision in cutting Paciorek, as he had his best season in 1992 playing with the Hanshin Tigers. Paciorek had joined the Tigers at the suggestion of Tom O'Malley, and he led the league in hits to win a Best Nine Award at first base. He also won the Central League golden glove award. In six NPB seasons, Paciorek had a .315 career batting average.
- Alonzo Powell (7 seasons, 1992–1998) — the first foreign player to win three straight batting titles, hitting .324, .355, and .340 from 1994 to 1996. He was also a 2-time Central League All-Star, and finished his NPB career with a lifetime .313 batting average.
- Roger Repoz (5 seasons, 1973–1977) — Former Yankees, A's and Angels outfielder was a top slugger for Yakult, hitting 110 homers in four years with the club. He was selected as Best Nine in 1975.
- Kintetsu Buffaloes in the Pacific League. He hit 288 home runs in eight seasons with the Buffaloes. After two years with the Yomiuri Giants (for whom he hit 72 homers), in 2006 he tried to return to the major leagues with the Cincinnati Reds but was released by the team in spring training. He returned to Japan in 2007, signing a one-year contract with the Orix Buffaloes. Rhodes' comeback was a spectacular one, batting .291 and hitting 42 home runs to go with 96 runs batted in. The next season, teamed up with fellow gaijin slugger Alex Cabrera, Rhodes hit 40 home runs and drove in 118 runs. Combined, Cabrera and Rhodes, who earned the nickname "Caburo" late in the season, slammed 76 home runs and drove in 222 runs. Rhodes' 118 RBI also led the league as the Buffaloes made an improbable run to the playoffs, finishing second in the Pacific League and making their first playoff appearance since their 1996 Japan Seriesvictory. Rhodes finished his NPB career with 464 home runs, a record total for a foreign-born player.
- Dave Roberts (7 seasons, 1967–1973) — career NPB totals of 183 home runs and 492 RBI, along with a .524 slugging percentage.
- Kintetsu Buffaloesof the Pacific League.
- second base. After leading the league in hits for the second straight season in 2000, Rose suddenly announced his retirement in the off-season. The main reasons for his abrupt departure seem to be that his family wanted to return to the United States, and the BayStars also lacked the financial backing needed to renew his massive contract.
- Dennis Sarfate (7 seasons, 2011–present) — relief pitcher who holds several NPB records, including most single-season saves and most saves by a foreign pitcher.
- John Sipin (9 seasons, 1972–1980) — second baseman made five All-Star teams, gaining incredible popularity in Japan, with his huge mat of hair and beard inspiring the nickname "Lion-Maru" (after the character in the children's television series Kaiketsu Lion-Maru). Sipin was highly entertaining on and off the field, making entrances with extravagant outfits, or fielding ground balls with his batting helmet on.
- Daryl Spencer (7 seasons, 1964–1968, 1971–1972) — career NPB totals include 152 home runs and a .536 slugging percentage.
- Joe Stanka (7 seasons, 1960–1966) — retired from NPB with 100 career victories, a 3.03 ERA, and 887 strikeouts.
- Greg "Boomer" Wells (10 seasons, 1983–1992) — over 10 NPB seasons he compiled a .317 batting average and a .555 slugging percentage, with 277 home runs and 901 RBI.
- Seibu Lions, putting up high offensive numbers. In 1981, he batted .316 with 22 home runs and 100 runs batted in. That season he won a Best Nine Award. In 1982, he batted .272 with 25 home runs and 71 runs batted in. And in 1983, he batted .278 with 38 home runs and 109 runs batted in. That year Whitfield was named a Pacific LeagueAll-Star and won another Best Nine Award, the second time in three years.
- Nippon Ham Fighters. Winters' career NPB stats include 160 home runs, 428 RBI, and a .525 slugging percentage.
- Tyrone Woods (6 seasons, 2003–2008) — in six seasons, the first baseman compiled 240 home runs and 616 RBI. Earlier in his career he played for the Doosan Bears of Korea's KBO League, and in 2003 Woods became the first man to lead a league in homers in both Korea and Japan.[citation needed]
- baserunning. Later became a successful manager of the Chunichi Dragons(1972–1977).
Notable American managers and coaches
- Nankai Hawks after three seasons in 1970, "Don Blazer" joined the team's coaching staff for the next eight seasons. In 1978, he became the third American (after Wally Yonamine and Joe Lutz) to manage in NPB when he took over the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. He then managed the Hanshin Tigersfor one-and-a-half seasons before returning to the Nankai Hawks from 1981 to 1982. As manager for the two teams, he compiled a record of 180-208-28 (ties are played in Japanese baseball). Blazer was associated with NPB for 15 seasons.
- Marty Brown — played for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp from 1992 to 1994, then was brought back to manage the Carp from 2006–2009; managed the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2010.
- Terry Collins — managed the Orix Buffaloes in 2007–2008.
- hitting coach for the 2003 NPB season[49]and was hired as manager later that season. Lasted one season as BlueWave manager.
- Kansai region (Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd.), and posters featuring O'Malley could be found in Koshien Stadium.
- Tribeca Film Festival. The Marines decided to let Valentine go after the 2009 season after an extensive smear campaign led by club president Ryuzo Setoyama, which ironically backfired and resulted in an overflow of support for Valentine by local fans. In the end, Valentine was fired, even though a petition to extend his contract was presented to the organization with 112,000 signatures.[51]
Awards
Nippon Professional Baseball Most Valuable Player Award
- 1937 (JBL fall) — Korakuen Eagles, .310 batting average, 62 hits, 17 doubles
- 1957 (Central League)— Wally Yonamine, Yomiuri Giants, .343 batting average, 160 hits, 48 RBI
- 1964 (Pacific League) — Nankai Hawks, 26–7 won-loss record, 2.40 ERA
- 1979 (Pacific League) — Kintetsu Buffaloes, .324 batting average, 37 home runs, 94 RBI
- 1984 (Pacific League) — Hankyu Braves, .355, 37 home runs, 130 RBI
- 1985 (Central League) — Randy Bass, Hanshin Tigers, .350 batting average, 54 home runs, 134 RBI
- 1989 (Central League) —Warren Cromartie, Yomiuri Giants, .378 batting average, 166 hits, 33 doubles
- 1989 (Pacific League) — Kintetsu Buffaloes, .283 batting average, 49 home runs, 121 RBI
- 1992 (Central League) — Yakult Swallows, .331 batting average, 38 home runs, 87 RBI
- 1995 (Central League) — Yakult Swallows, .302 batting average, 31 home runs, 96 walks
- 2001 (Pacific League) — Tuffy Rhodes, Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes, .327 batting average, 55 home runs, 131 RBI
- 2017 (Pacific League) — Dennis Sarfate, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Japan Series Most Valuable Player
- 1964 — Nankai Hawks
- 1980 — Jim Lyttle, Hiroshima Toyo Carp
- 1985 — Randy Bass, Hanshin Tigers
- 1990 — Seibu Lions
- 1995 — Yakult Swallows
- 1996 — Orix BlueWave
- 2016 — Brandon Laird, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
- 2017 — Dennis Sarfate, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Eiji Sawamura Award
- 1964 — Gene Bacque, Hanshin Tigers
- 2016 — Hiroshima Carp[52]
Golden Spirit Award
- 2005 — Bobby Valentine, Chiba Lotte Marines
Matsutaro Shoriki Award
- 2005 — Bobby Valentine, Chiba Lotte Marines
- 2017 — Dennis Sarfate, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
See also
References
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- ^ Lykos, Deana M. (June 2008). "Why are the Japanese Leagues Considered AAAA Baseball?". Asian Baseball Journal. 6 (2): 1–3.[permanent dead link]
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- ^ a b Robert Whiting (August 21, 1989). "The Master Of Besaboru". Sports Illustrated.
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- ^ Baggarly, Andrew. "Long-suffering Hanshin Tigers end 'Curse of the KFC Colonel,' win Japan Series". The Athletic. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
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External links
- "All-Time Foreign Born Team," BaseballGuru.com
- "Slugging It Out in Japan – A Listing of NPB's All-Time Top Gaijin Hitters"
- "The Best Foreign Pitchers in the History of Japan's NPB"
- "Catching up with the former major leaguers in Japan," SB Nation (2013)
- Differences between Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball