Tadashi Wakabayashi
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| Tadashi Wakabayashi | |
|---|---|
Mainichi Orions | |
| NPB statistics | |
| Win–loss | 237–144 |
| ERA | 1.99 |
| Strikeouts | 1000 |
| Teams | |
| As Player
As Manager
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| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the Japanese | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1964 |
Tadashi Henry Wakabayashi (若林 忠志) (March 1, 1908 – March 5, 1965) was a professional
Biography
Wakabayashi's parents had immigrated to Hawaii from Hiroshima, Japan, and Wakabayashi was born in Hawaii, giving him dual citizenship between the United States and Japan. He renounced his Japanese citizenship in 1928, but revived it when he moved to Japan.
Baseball career
High school and college
Wakabayashi attended President William McKinley High School, and his powerful fastball made him the ace pitcher of the school's baseball team. In 1928, he was chosen to participate in an exhibition baseball tournament held in Japan, and he traveled to Japan for the first time that year. Professional baseball did not exist in Japan at that time, and Wakabayashi's amateur team played against university teams in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League. Wakabayashi's pitching abilities did not go unnoticed, and Hosei University was particularly active in recruiting him. Wakabayashi himself was not opposed to the idea of remaining in Japan, and it seemed only a matter of time before he was admitted into Hosei University. However, rival schools accused Hosei University of using unethical tactics to strengthen the baseball team, and the school decided to temporarily place Wakabayashi in a junior high school in Yokohama, and admit him into the school the following year. Wakabayashi graduated from the junior high school in March 1929, and entered Hosei University the next semester.
The Tokyo Big6 Baseball League was dominated by Waseda University and Keio University, and the Hosei University team solely depended upon Wakabayashi's pitching to carry the team. He was unsuccessful in his first year due to differences between Japanese and American baseball, but gradually improved to win the league championship in Autumn, 1930. He injured his pitching arm in 1931, and had to switch to a side arm release to continue pitching. He was no longer able to throw fastballs, but improved his breaking pitches and control to continue his pitching success.
Wakabayashi led Hosei University to a second league championship in 1932, and pitched in every single league game in 1934 to win a third championship. His record in the league was 43-28, and he holds the college league record for career games pitched (87). He was also the first pitcher to win 40 games in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League. He also married his wife in January 1933.
Professional and semi-professional career
He graduated from the university in 1935, and a friend introduced him to the
Wakabayashi quickly emerged as the team's ace, and led the Tigers to championships in 1940 and 1944. Wakabayashi retreated to his wife's hometown in
Wakabayashi doubled as a manager and player throughout the 1940s, and joined the
Though much of his success as a player came before modern Japanese baseball was established in 1950, he is still recognized as one of the legendary pitchers in Japanese baseball. He won the league MVP award in 1944 and 1947, and was inducted into the Japanese baseball hall of fame in 1964.[1]
Post-playing career
After retiring, he was given a position in the Mainichi franchise, but left after only one year to become a coach for the
Cultural impact
When the Osaka Tigers played their first season in 1936, jersey numbers were given out in alphabetical order. Wakabayashi was assigned number 4, but he refused to wear the number because it is considered unlucky in Japan. He was given the first available number instead, which was 18. His subsequent success in the professional leagues made it a custom for a Japanese team's ace pitcher to be given the number — for example,
Wakabayashi's voluntary services and contributions to the community, including efforts to encourage and impact children through his founding of the Tigers Children's Club, publication of children's baseball magazines, visits to the juvenile detention centers and orphanage, led to the establishment of an Annual Tadashi Wakabayashi Award in 2011. The award is considered the "MVP outside of the baseball field" and recognizes one Hanshin Tigers' athlete each year who has demonstrated exceptional and sustained social and community services.[2]
References
- ^ "Wakabayashi, Henry Tadashi "Bozo" | Hawai'i Sports Hall of Fame". Retrieved 2019-03-24.
- ^ "若林忠志賞｜社会貢献活動｜阪神タイガース公式サイト". hanshintigers.jp. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
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| National | |
