Hideto Asamura

Hideto Asamura (浅村 栄斗, Asamura Hideto, born November 12, 1990) is a Japanese professional baseball player for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Nippon Professional Baseball(NPB). He previously played for the Saitama Seibu Lions.

Hideto Asamura
Asamura with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles – No. 3
Infielder
Born: (1990-11-12) November 12, 1990
Osaka, Japan
Bats: Right Throws: Right
NPB debut
March 31, 2010, for the Saitama Seibu Lions
NPB statistics
(through 2020 season)
Batting average.284
Hits1,438
Runs batted in841
Home runs212
Stolen bases70
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Japan
WBSC Premier12
2019 Tokyo Team

Early life

Asamura attended Osaka Tōin High School and contributed to the school's victory at the 2008 national championships.[1] He hit a total of 22 home runs during his three years of high school, including one in his final at bat for the school in October 2008.[1] He was drafted by the Lions in the third round of the 2008 rookie draft.[2]

Professional career

Saitama Seibu Lions

After spending 2009 with the Lions' farm team in the Eastern League, Asamura was a part of the first-team squad at the start of the 2010 season.[3] In 2011, he spent the entire year as a starting member of the team. However, his fielding position was not constant, including stints in the outfield. In the month of October he recorded a batting average of .460 and won the Monthly MVP award.[4] In 2012, he again started the year with the first-team squad, but poor batting form saw him relegated to the farm team in late May. He became the team's leadoff hitter in August following an injury to Takumi Kuriyama.

In 2013, his fourth year as a professional and at age 23, Asamura tied the record for the youngest person in Japanese baseball history to record 100 RBIs in a season.[5] He finished the year leading the Pacific League with 110 RBIs.[6]

Asamura started the 2014 season as the Lions' number 4 batter due to Takeya Nakamura's absence because of injury. After the first 15 games batting in this position, he led his team with a .333 batting average, 4 home runs and 16 RBIs.[7] On 21 May 2014, Asamura collided with a teammate in a match against the Yomiuri Giants. In the following days he started to feel pain in his left knee but continued as a starter until June 4.[8] He eventually succumbed to the injury and was removed from the Lions' roster on June 5;[8] he missed 6 weeks of play before returning just prior to the All-Star break as a pinch hitter on 15 July.[9] At the time of his injury he was leading the Lions in both home runs and RBIs[10] but struggled upon his return, finishing the season with only half of the RBIs he scored in the previous year. He described 2014 as a "miserable season in all facets".[11] At the end of the season he underwent surgery on his left shoulder.[12]

Asamura had a limited pre-season but was at full health for the start of the 2015 season;[12] he maintained his fitness and missed only 2 of the Lions' 143 games. He scored 81 RBIs in the season but his 13 home runs remained low when compared to the 27 hit in 2013.

He was selected 2018 NPB All-Star game.[13]

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

During the 2018 offseason, Asamura exercised his free-agent option and he agreed to a contract with Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on November 21.

International career

Asamura represented the Japan national baseball team in the 2013 exhibition games against Chinese Taipei and 2019 WBSC Premier12.

In September 2015 Asamura was included in the 45-man squad that was selected to represent Japan at the 2015 WBSC Premier12 tournament in Taiwan,[14] however was not included in the final 28-man roster that was announced in October.[15]

On October 1, 2019, he was selected at the 2019 WBSC Premier12.[16]

References
  1. "大阪桐蔭・浅村、高校有終アーチ…おおいた国体" [Osaka Toin's Asamura, home run at final high school match – Ōita National Festival] (in Japanese). 2 October 2008. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  2. "2008年 ドラフト会議開催！" [2008 draft has been held!] (in Japanese). 30 October 2008. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  3. "２０１０年開幕ベンチ入りメンバー発表" [2010 season opening squad members announcement] (in Japanese). 19 March 2010. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  4. "浅村　初受賞に驚き「苦しい時期　今になったらいい経験」" [Asamura's surprised with first award "Looking now, tough times were good experience"] (in Japanese). 1 November 2011. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  5. "Ｖ阻止ならずも西武ＣＳ争い手応え　３位と１差" [Unable to prevent pennant win, Seibu turns to Climax Series, 1 game difference with 3rd place] (in Japanese). 26 September 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  6. "【西武】浅村が打点王「感謝したい」" [(Seibu) Asamura RBI King "I'm grateful"] (in Japanese). 13 October 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  7. "西武４番浅村が満弾＆ソロ　連敗止めた" [Seibu #4 Asamura's grand slam & solo ends the losing streak] (in Japanese). 18 April 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  8. "西武の浅村、２年ぶり登録抹消　味方と交錯、ひざ痛める" [Seibu's Asamura scratched for the first time in 2 years: Knee pain following collision with teammate] (in Japanese). 5 June 2014. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  9. "西武・浅村が戦列復帰！「いつも以上に緊張した」" [Seibu's Asamura returns to the front line "I was more nervous than usual"] (in Japanese). 15 July 2014. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  10. "【西武】浅村、左膝じん帯損傷！５月２１日巨人戦で負傷…３日抹消も" [(Seibu) Asamura's left knee ligament injury! Injured in Giants match May 21, scratched on June 3] (in Japanese). 3 June 2014. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  11. "浅村栄斗選手がドラフト時の思い出と2014年の振り返り" [Hideto Asamura recalls when he was drafted and reflects on 2014] (in Japanese). 21 February 2015. Archived from the original on 4 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  12. "西武　12球団唯一開幕４連勝！大阪桐蔭コンビ森＆浅村"燃えた"全打点" [Seibu only team to start season with 4 wins – Osaka Toin combination Mori & Asamura "fire" for all RBIs] (in Japanese). 1 April 2015. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  13. "マイナビオールスターゲーム2018 ファン投票結果". NPB.jp 日本野球機構 (in Japanese). June 26, 2018. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  14. "「WBSC世界野球プレミア12」侍ジャパントップチーム候補選手45名を発表" ["2015 WBSC Premier12" Samurai Japan top 45 candidates announced] (in Japanese). 10 September 2015. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  15. "出場選手 トップチーム" [Participating players – Top Team] (in Japanese). October 2015. Archived from the original on 8 November 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  16. "「ENEOS 侍ジャパンシリーズ2019」出場選手決定について". 野球日本代表 侍ジャパン オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). October 1, 2019. Archived from the original on October 12, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
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