Tadahito Iguchi

Tadahito Iguchi (井口 資仁, Iguchi Tadahito, born December 4, 1974), nicknamed "Gucci",[1] is a Japanese former professional baseball second baseman and current manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Tadahito Iguchi
Iguchi with the Chiba Lotte Marines
Chiba Lotte Marines – No. 6
Second baseman / Manager
Born: (1974-12-04) December 4, 1974
Nishitōkyō, Tokyo Japan
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Professional debut
NPB: May 3, 1997, for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
MLB: April 4, 2005, for the Chicago White Sox
Last appearance
MLB: September 28, 2008, for the Philadelphia Phillies
NPB: September 24, 2017, for the Chiba Lotte Marines
NPB statistics
Batting average.270
Home runs251
Runs batted in1,017
MLB statistics
Batting average.268
Home runs44
Runs batted in205
Teams
As player

As manager

  • Chiba Lotte Marines (2018–present)
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's Baseball
Representing  Japan
Olympic Games
1996 Atlanta Team competition

As a member of the Chicago White Sox in 2005, Iguchi became the first Japanese-born position player to win the World Series.

Career

Early life and Amateur career
Iguchi playing second base for the White Sox in 2006.

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.

Fukuoka Daiei Hawks

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.

Chicago White Sox
Iguchi with the Philadelphia Phillies

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.[2]

In 2006, Iguchi had two multi-homer games, both times hitting a grand slam (during the May 20, 2006 game involving a bench-clearing brawl) and another home run.

Philadelphia Phillies

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.[3]

San Diego Padres
Iguchi with the San Diego Padres

On December 18, 2007, Iguchi signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Padres.[4] He was released on September 1, 2008.[5]

Second Phillies stint

On September 5, 2008, Philadelphia signed Iguchi, making it the second time the team had acquired him, in less than 14 months.[6] Because Iguchi joined the Phillies after September 1, he was ineligible for the team's postseason roster; thus, Iguchi was not with the Phillies when they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series (although he did receive a World Series ring).

Chiba Lotte Marines

On January 19, 2009, he returned to Japan to play for the Chiba Lotte Marines.[7][8]

Iguchi with the Chiba Lotte Marines

Iguchi announced his retirement from baseball after the close of the 2017 season in Japan. [9]

References
  1. "ニックネーム". 千葉ロッテマリーンズ オフィシャルサイト　「マリンフェスタ」特設サイト (in Japanese). Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  2. Iguchi's homer helps White Sox avoid sweep
  3. Phillies acquire Iguchi
  4. Cubs get Fukudome as Padres get Iguchi
  5. Padres releasing Tadahito Iguchi
  6. "Tadahito Iguchi Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
  7. Iguchi planning to return to Japan
  8. Lotte makes Iguchi 3-year, Y600 mil offer
  9. White Sox honor Iguchi with retirement ceremony before home finale
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