Hisashi Iwakuma
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
professional baseball
player. He is currently the starting pitcher
for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
.
As the Eagles' reigning staff ace
, Iwakuma won the Eiji Sawamura Award in and played in the 2004 Athens Olympics
as well as the 2009 World Baseball Classic
for the Japanese national team
.
in the first grade
before attending Horikoshi High School
in Nakano
. While he never made it to a national tournament
during his high school career, he led his team to the semi-finals of the West Tokyo Tournament as a senior
in the summer of . The Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes
picked him in the fifth round of the 1999 NPB amateur draft
.
season
with the Buffaloes' nigun (Japanese for "minor league
" or "farm team") team, clocking 149 km/h (93 mph) with his fastball
at one point but making only two appearances
all year in the Western League
.
Iwakuma made his debut at the ichigun ("major league") level the following year, appearing in relief
in a game against the Nippon Ham Fighters
on May 29 and earning the first career win
of his professional
career despite giving up a run
over 1 2/3 innings. He made his first start
on June 10 against the Fighters and threw his first career complete game
(a two-hit
shutout) against the Seibu Lions on September 18, finishing the year with a 4-2 record and playing an important role in the Buffaloes' league title that year.
Iwakuma secured a spot in the team's starting rotation by , the following season, going 8-7 with a much-improved 3.69 ERA
in 141 1/3 innings
. He enjoyed a breakout year in , going 15-10 with a 3.45 ERA and 149 strikeout
s and leading the league with 11 complete games.
to start the season. He received the most fan votes among Pacific League
starting pitchers for the NPB All-Star Game
that year, starting Game 1 at Nagoya Dome
on July 10, and pitched in the 2004 Athens Olympics
as a member of the Japanese national team in August. He finished with a 15-2 record
for the year, leading the league in both wins and winning percentage
(.882) for the first time in his career. He also pitched in Game 5 of the MLB All-Star Series
held in November, holding the MLB
All-Stars
to one run over seven innings to earn the win.
Following the 2004 season, Iwakuma's Buffaloes and the Orix BlueWave, another Pacific League
team based in the Kansai region, opted to merge to alleviate some of their financial difficulties, later leading to the addition of a new team named the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
that would fill the void created by the merger. Iwakuma was initially named a member of the newly-formed Orix Buffaloes
in a dispersal draft held that November, but refused to comply and join the Buffaloes and became involved in a contractual dispute. Although the Buffaloes attempted to persuade him to play for their team, they eventually agreed to trade
him to the Eagles in exchange for cash.
to one run while going the distance on March 26 and earning the expansion team's
first-ever win. However, while he did not miss a single start during the regular season, he was bothered by tenderness
in his shoulder
throughout the year, finishing with just nine wins (amidst 15 losses) and an ERA of 4.99 (worst among all qualifying pitcher
s).
Iwakuma's injury woes continued into the season. His struggles to adapt to the league's new rules on pitching motions
during Spring Training, combined with lingering concerns about his shoulder condition, caused him to miss the season opener and spend the entire first half of the season with the nigun team undergoing a rehab
stint. He made his first appearance of the season against the Fighters on August 29, but did not record a win until September 12 in a game against the Marines, finishing the season with a 1-2 record and 3.72 ERA in just six starts.
In , Iwakuma was named the starter for the season opener for the first time in two years, taking the mound on March 24 against the Lions. While he was slated to start the Eagles' first home game of the season on March 31 against the Buffaloes as well, he reported stiffness in his back just hours before the game, causing him to be scratched from the lineup
and sent down to the minors for rehab the next day. He returned at the end of April only to be demoted again just weeks later with a left oblique
strain. Iwakuma finally returned after the All-Star break, notching his second win of the season on July 31 and finishing the season with a 5-5 record in 16 games and an ERA of 3.40. He underwent arthroscopic surgery
on his right elbow in October.
on March 20 , but fell short of the win despite limiting the Hawks to just one run over seven innings (then-closer
Domingo Guzmán
gave up a walk-off home run
to outfielder
Hiroshi Shibahara
, handing Iwakuma a no-decision
in a 4-3 loss). However, he recorded his first complete game shutout with the Eagles in his next start on March 27 against the Buffaloes and recorded his 10th win of the season in another complete game shutout against the Yomiuri Giants
in an interleague game on June 15, marking the first time he had reached double-digit wins since 2003, when he was still with the Buffaloes. Though he expressed disappointment that he was not chosen to play in the 2008 Beijing Olympics
as a member of the national team (even though he ranked among the league leaders in several categories at the time), he notched his 16th win of the season, a new career high, on August 16 against the Marines, passing 1000 career innings pitched in that same game.
On September 22, in a game against the Saitama Seibu Lions, Iwakuma threw seven innings of one-run ball to become the first 20-game winner in the Pacific League since Hawks right-hander Kazumi Saito
achieved the feat in 2003. He picked up one more win on October 5 against the Hawks, becoming the first 21-game winner in 23 years (former Hankyu Braves right-hander Yoshinori Satoh won 21 games in ) and passing young rival and fellow ace Yu Darvish
of the Fighters to lead the league in ERA (1.87) in his final start of the season.
Iwakuma finished his dominant 2008 campaign with a 21-4 record, leading the league in wins, ERA, and winning percentage (.840). He gave up just three home runs in 201 2/3 innings all year, of which just one was to a Pacific League hitter
(the other two were given up in interleague games), and won nearly one-third of the Eagles' 65 wins in the regular season himself. He was presented the Sawamura, Most Valuable Player
and Best Nine
awards at the end of the season, a rare accomplishment for a player on a fifth-place team.
teammate and 22-year-old Fighters right-hander Yu Darvish
(who threw 121 pitches in a complete game loss, all three runs given up in the first inning). He recorded his first complete game of the year on May 16 against the Hawks.
via the posting system
. The Oakland Athletics
won the bidding. However, Iwakuma and the Athletics could not come to terms on a contract in the thirty day negotiating period.
on August 16. However, he allowed seven baserunners (three hits, three walks
and a hit-batter
) and gave up three runs (two earned
) against a team that was viewed as the heavy underdog
, leading head coach
(and acting manager
) Kiyoshi Nakahata to pull him from the game after just 1 2/3 innings. Though Japan went on to win the game 8-3 behind a strong relief effort (five shutout innings) by current Los Angeles Dodgers
right-hander Hiroki Kuroda
, Iwakuma lost the trust of the coaching staff and did not pitch in the tournament again.
against South Korea on March 9, holding them just one run over 5 1/3 innings but receiving no run support and being charged with the loss. He pitched six shutout innings in his second start against Cuba
in the second round
on March 18, earning his first win of the tournament. His stellar effort convinced manager Tatsunori Hara
to choose him over Darvish, who had been unofficially tabbed as the staff ace prior to the tournament, as the starter for Japan in the championship game against South Korea. Iwakuma did not disappoint, limiting the team to just two runs over 7 2/3 innings. While Darvish gave up the tying run in the ninth after coming on in relief, Iwakuma played an instrumental role in Japan's eventual win and second consecutive title. Boston Red Sox
right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka
earned MVP honors for the tournament, largely on merit of his perfect 3-0 record, but Iwakuma finished the tournament with the lowest ERA (1.35) of any pitcher that threw 15 or more innings and was one of three pitchers named to the All-Tournament team.
. He was forced to overhaul his mechanics and implement a more orthodox delivery when the NPB changed its rules on pitching motions in the 2005 off-season, taking a stricter stance on so-called two-stage motions (those with pauses or breaks at any point in the delivery). Iwakuma also raised his arm slot slightly in 2008 to induce more movement in his offspeed pitches
.
was clocked at speeds as high as 153 km/h (95 mph) earlier in his career. Since hurting his shoulder, it has usually sat at 140 to 146 km/h (87 to 90.7 mph) and tops out at 151 km/h (94 mph) today. He complements it with an exceptional splitter
, slider
,and shuuto
(two-seamer), often using the splitter as his out pitch. He records a moderate number of strikeouts each season but is inherently a groundball pitcher
, adept at jamming opposing hitters with his wide assortment of offspeed pitches and excellent command (2.04 career walks per nine innings rate until 2010 season). Iwakuma has also remarked that his command has improved since missing much of the 2006 and 2007 seasons due to injury as he was forced to overhaul his mechanics and rethink his approach against opposing batters.
Bold indicates league leader; statistics current as of oct 16, 2010
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. He is currently the starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
The is a baseball team founded in 2004; it played its first season in the Japanese Pacific League in 2005. It is simply called Rakuten . The team was created to fill the void left by the merger of the Orix Blue Wave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, after the 2004 season due to financial difficulties,...
.
As the Eagles' reigning staff ace
Ace (baseball)
In baseball, an ace is the best starting pitcher of any team and nearly always the first pitcher in his starting rotation. Barring injury or exceptional circumstances, an ace usually always starts on Opening Day...
, Iwakuma won the Eiji Sawamura Award in and played in the 2004 Athens Olympics
Baseball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
-Preliminary round:The top four teams advanced to the semifinals. To determine the seed ranking of teams tied in the standings, the result of the two teams' game against each other was used. Japan therefore received first place due to the win over Cuba. In the semi-finals, Japan played...
as well as the 2009 World Baseball Classic
2009 World Baseball Classic
The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the...
for the Japanese national team
Japan national baseball team
The Japan national baseball team is the national baseball team representing Japan in international competitions. They are one of the more successful baseball teams in the world, having won the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009...
.
Early life and high school career
Iwakuma was born in Higashiyamato, Tokyo, and began playing baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
in the first grade
First grade
First grade is a year of primary education in schools in the United States and English-speaking provinces of Canada. It is the first school year after kindergarten...
before attending Horikoshi High School
Horikoshi High School
is a Japanese private high school founded in 1923. The school is famous for being attended by many Japanese celebrities. It offers them lenient attendance requirements.- Notable students :* Yumi Adachi* Risa Ai* Jin Akanishi * Yū Aoi...
in Nakano
Nakano, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Nakano City .As of April 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 311,690 with a household number of 176,936 and a density of 19,992.94 persons per km². The total area is 15.59 km².-Geography:Five special wards...
. While he never made it to a national tournament
High school baseball in Japan
In Japan, high school baseball generally refers to the two annual baseball tournaments played by high schools nationwide culminating at a final showdown at Hanshin Kōshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Japan...
during his high school career, he led his team to the semi-finals of the West Tokyo Tournament as a senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
in the summer of . The Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes
Kintetsu Buffaloes
The was a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka, Japan, which were in the Pacific League. The team was owned by Kinki Nippon Railway Co. and later sold to the Orix Group, the owner of the Orix BlueWave baseball team, in 2004...
picked him in the fifth round of the 1999 NPB amateur draft
Draft (sports)
A draft is a process used in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Russia and the Philippines to allocate certain players to sports teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players...
.
Early years: 2000 to 2003
Iwakuma spent the entirety of his rookieRookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
with the Buffaloes' nigun (Japanese for "minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
" or "farm team") team, clocking 149 km/h (93 mph) with his fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
at one point but making only two appearances
Games pitched
In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while...
all year in the Western League
Western League (Japanese baseball)
The is one of the two minor leagues of Japanese professional baseball. The league is owned and managed by the Pacific League.-History:The league was created in 1952 as the Kansai Farm League, and contained the minor league teams of the seven professional teams that had their homefields in the...
.
Iwakuma made his debut at the ichigun ("major league") level the following year, appearing in relief
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
in a game against the Nippon Ham Fighters
Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at the Sapporo Dome. The Fighters also host a select number of regional home games in cities across Hokkaidō,...
on May 29 and earning the first career win
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
of his professional
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
career despite giving up a run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
over 1 2/3 innings. He made his first start
Games started
In baseball statistics, games started indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he faces the first opposing batter...
on June 10 against the Fighters and threw his first career complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
(a two-hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
shutout) against the Seibu Lions on September 18, finishing the year with a 4-2 record and playing an important role in the Buffaloes' league title that year.
Iwakuma secured a spot in the team's starting rotation by , the following season, going 8-7 with a much-improved 3.69 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 141 1/3 innings
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
. He enjoyed a breakout year in , going 15-10 with a 3.45 ERA and 149 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s and leading the league with 11 complete games.
2004
Iwakuma made further strides in , beginning the season 12-0 and establishing a franchise record for most consecutive winsWin (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
to start the season. He received the most fan votes among Pacific League
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
starting pitchers for the NPB All-Star Game
Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Game
The Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Game is an annual baseball game between players from the Central League and the Pacific League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
that year, starting Game 1 at Nagoya Dome
Nagoya Dome
Nagoya Dome , constructed in 1997, is a baseball field, located in the city of Nagoya, Japan. The dome has the capacity to seat up to 38,414 people . It is an example of a geodesic dome....
on July 10, and pitched in the 2004 Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
as a member of the Japanese national team in August. He finished with a 15-2 record
Pitchers of record
Pitcher of record is a baseball term that refers to a pitcher who is credited with the win or charged with the loss in a particular game. These pitchers are known respectively as the winning and losing pitchers and collectively as the pitchers of record; thus, there are always two pitchers of...
for the year, leading the league in both wins and winning percentage
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
(.882) for the first time in his career. He also pitched in Game 5 of the MLB All-Star Series
Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series
The Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series is a set of games between All-Star teams from North America's Major League Baseball and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. The series takes place every even numbered year in the Tokyo Dome and other NPB home stadiums...
held in November, holding the MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
All-Stars
All-star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league, except in the circumstances of professional sports systems in which a democratic voting system is used...
to one run over seven innings to earn the win.
Following the 2004 season, Iwakuma's Buffaloes and the Orix BlueWave, another Pacific League
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
team based in the Kansai region, opted to merge to alleviate some of their financial difficulties, later leading to the addition of a new team named the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
The is a baseball team founded in 2004; it played its first season in the Japanese Pacific League in 2005. It is simply called Rakuten . The team was created to fill the void left by the merger of the Orix Blue Wave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, after the 2004 season due to financial difficulties,...
that would fill the void created by the merger. Iwakuma was initially named a member of the newly-formed Orix Buffaloes
Orix Buffaloes
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka and Kobe, Japan. They play in the Pacific League. The team is owned by the Orix Group, a leading diversified financial services company based in Tokyo....
in a dispersal draft held that November, but refused to comply and join the Buffaloes and became involved in a contractual dispute. Although the Buffaloes attempted to persuade him to play for their team, they eventually agreed to trade
Trade (sports)
In professional sports, a trade is a sports league transaction involving an exchange of players' contracts or draft picks between teams. Cash is another commodity that may be packaged together with contracts or draft picks to complete a trade...
him to the Eagles in exchange for cash.
2005-2007: Rakuten and Injury Woes
Iwakuma was named the Eagles' starter for the season opener, holding the Chiba Lotte MarinesChiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by the Lotte conglomerate.-History:...
to one run while going the distance on March 26 and earning the expansion team's
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
first-ever win. However, while he did not miss a single start during the regular season, he was bothered by tenderness
Shoulder problems
Shoulder problems including pain, are one of the more common reasons for physician visits for musculoskeletal symptoms. The shoulder is the most movable joint in the body. However, it is an unstable joint because of the range of motion allowed...
in his shoulder
Shoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle , the scapula , and the humerus as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder make up the shoulder joints. The major joint of the shoulder is the glenohumeral joint, which...
throughout the year, finishing with just nine wins (amidst 15 losses) and an ERA of 4.99 (worst among all qualifying pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
s).
Iwakuma's injury woes continued into the season. His struggles to adapt to the league's new rules on pitching motions
Pitching position
In baseball, there are two legal pitching positions: the windup, and the set. Each type of pitching position has its strengths and weaknesses. Compared to the set, the windup takes a relatively slower execution, so therefore is better suited for situations in which there are no baserunners, or when...
during Spring Training, combined with lingering concerns about his shoulder condition, caused him to miss the season opener and spend the entire first half of the season with the nigun team undergoing a rehab
Physical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
stint. He made his first appearance of the season against the Fighters on August 29, but did not record a win until September 12 in a game against the Marines, finishing the season with a 1-2 record and 3.72 ERA in just six starts.
In , Iwakuma was named the starter for the season opener for the first time in two years, taking the mound on March 24 against the Lions. While he was slated to start the Eagles' first home game of the season on March 31 against the Buffaloes as well, he reported stiffness in his back just hours before the game, causing him to be scratched from the lineup
Batting order (baseball)
The batting order, or batting lineup, in baseball is the sequence in which the nine members of the offense take their turns in batting against the pitcher. The batting order is the main component of a team's offensive strategy. The batting order is set by the manager before the game begins...
and sent down to the minors for rehab the next day. He returned at the end of April only to be demoted again just weeks later with a left oblique
Abdominal internal oblique muscle
The internal oblique muscle is the intermediate muscle of the abdomen, lying just underneath the external oblique and just above the transverse abdominal muscle.-Structure:...
strain. Iwakuma finally returned after the All-Star break, notching his second win of the season on July 31 and finishing the season with a 5-5 record in 16 games and an ERA of 3.40. He underwent arthroscopic surgery
Arthroscopy
Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which an examination and sometimes treatment of damage of the interior of a joint is performed using an arthroscope, a type of endoscope that is inserted into the joint through a small incision...
on his right elbow in October.
2008 season
Chosen to start the season opener for the second straight year (and fourth time overall), Iwakuma pitched against the Fukuoka SoftBank HawksFukuoka SoftBank Hawks
The are a Japanese baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. The team was bought on January 28, 2005 by the SoftBank Corporation.The team was formerly known as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. In 1988, Daiei bought the team from Osaka's Nankai Electric Railway Co., and its headquarters were...
on March 20 , but fell short of the win despite limiting the Hawks to just one run over seven innings (then-closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
Domingo Guzmán
Domingo Guzman
Domingo Guzmán is a former Major League Baseball player.He made his major league debut with the San Diego Padres in 1999, and played in 8 games from 1999-2000. He traveled to Taiwan, and played one season in the Chinese Professional Baseball League with the Chinatrust Whales...
gave up a walk-off home run
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
to outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Hiroshi Shibahara
Hiroshi Shibahara
is a Japanese professional baseball player. An outfielder, he is currently with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.-External links:...
, handing Iwakuma a no-decision
Decision (baseball)
A decision is a statistical credit given to a baseball pitcher.There are two types of decisions: win and loss.In order to receive a win, the starting pitcher must complete at least five innings and leave with the lead. If the pitcher's lead is preserved by the bullpen, he is credited with a win...
in a 4-3 loss). However, he recorded his first complete game shutout with the Eagles in his next start on March 27 against the Buffaloes and recorded his 10th win of the season in another complete game shutout against the Yomiuri Giants
Yomiuri Giants
The are a professional baseball team based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. The team competes in the Central League in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top level of professional play in Japan. They play their home games in the Tokyo Dome, opened in 1988. The English-language press occasionally calls the...
in an interleague game on June 15, marking the first time he had reached double-digit wins since 2003, when he was still with the Buffaloes. Though he expressed disappointment that he was not chosen to play in the 2008 Beijing Olympics
Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was held from August 13 to August 23. All games were played at Wukesong Baseball Field, a temporary venue constructed at the Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center...
as a member of the national team (even though he ranked among the league leaders in several categories at the time), he notched his 16th win of the season, a new career high, on August 16 against the Marines, passing 1000 career innings pitched in that same game.
On September 22, in a game against the Saitama Seibu Lions, Iwakuma threw seven innings of one-run ball to become the first 20-game winner in the Pacific League since Hawks right-hander Kazumi Saito
Kazumi Saito
is a Japanese professional baseball player. starting pitcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He is a two-time winner of the Eiji Sawamura Award , but has not pitched in a regular season game since October 2007 due to various shoulder injuries.-Professional career:...
achieved the feat in 2003. He picked up one more win on October 5 against the Hawks, becoming the first 21-game winner in 23 years (former Hankyu Braves right-hander Yoshinori Satoh won 21 games in ) and passing young rival and fellow ace Yu Darvish
Yu Darvish
Yu Darvish is a Japanese starting pitcher for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.Darvish pitched in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as well as the 2009 World Baseball Classic as a member of the Japanese national team...
of the Fighters to lead the league in ERA (1.87) in his final start of the season.
Iwakuma finished his dominant 2008 campaign with a 21-4 record, leading the league in wins, ERA, and winning percentage (.840). He gave up just three home runs in 201 2/3 innings all year, of which just one was to a Pacific League hitter
Batting (baseball)
In baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for one's team. A batter or hitter is a person whose turn it is to face the pitcher...
(the other two were given up in interleague games), and won nearly one-third of the Eagles' 65 wins in the regular season himself. He was presented the Sawamura, Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
and Best Nine
Best Nine Award
The Best Nine Award is awarded annually to the best player at each position in both the Central League and Pacific League of Japanese professional baseball as determined by a pool of journalists.-History:...
awards at the end of the season, a rare accomplishment for a player on a fifth-place team.
2009
Iwakuma started the season opener for the Eagles for the third straight year in , requiring just 59 pitches to throw six innings of one-run ball en route to the win on April 3 in a much-hyped match-up with World Baseball ClassicWorld Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
teammate and 22-year-old Fighters right-hander Yu Darvish
Yu Darvish
Yu Darvish is a Japanese starting pitcher for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.Darvish pitched in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as well as the 2009 World Baseball Classic as a member of the Japanese national team...
(who threw 121 pitches in a complete game loss, all three runs given up in the first inning). He recorded his first complete game of the year on May 16 against the Hawks.
2010
On October 4, 2010, the Golden Eagles granted permission for Iwakuma to pursue a career in Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
via the posting system
Posting system
The is a baseball player transfer system that operates between Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball and the United States' Major League Baseball . Despite the drafting of the United States – Japanese Player Contract Agreement in 1967 designed to regulate NPB players moving to MLB, problems...
. The Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
won the bidding. However, Iwakuma and the Athletics could not come to terms on a contract in the thirty day negotiating period.
2004 Athens Olympics
Iwakuma made his first appearance on the international stage when he was named to the Japanese national team that would play in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Coming off a torrid 12-0 start to the regular season, Iwakuma took the mound in the second game of the preliminary round against the NetherlandsNetherlands national baseball team
The Netherlands national baseball team is the national baseball team of the Netherlands. They are currently the top team in Europe and currently the sixth ranked men's baseball team in the IBAF World Rankings....
on August 16. However, he allowed seven baserunners (three hits, three walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
and a hit-batter
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
) and gave up three runs (two earned
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
) against a team that was viewed as the heavy underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
, leading head coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
(and acting manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
) Kiyoshi Nakahata to pull him from the game after just 1 2/3 innings. Though Japan went on to win the game 8-3 behind a strong relief effort (five shutout innings) by current Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
right-hander Hiroki Kuroda
Hiroki Kuroda
is a professional baseball player from Osaka, Japan who is currently a free agent. He is a starting pitcher, who most recently pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers .-Early days:...
, Iwakuma lost the trust of the coaching staff and did not pitch in the tournament again.
2009 World Baseball Classic
Chosen to play in the 2009 World Baseball Classic as a member of the national team, Iwakuma made his first appearance of the tournament in the final game of the first round2009 World Baseball Classic - Round 1
The first round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic was played between March 5 and March 19, 2009 at four regional sites. The 16 teams were divided into four pools which played a double-elimination tournament. The winners for the first games matched up in the second game, while the losers faced each...
against South Korea on March 9, holding them just one run over 5 1/3 innings but receiving no run support and being charged with the loss. He pitched six shutout innings in his second start against Cuba
Cuba national baseball team
The Cuba national baseball team is the national team of Cuba. The team is made up of amateur players from the Cuban national baseball system, as there are no professional sports leagues in Cuba...
in the second round
2009 World Baseball Classic - Round 2
The second round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic took place between March 15 and March 19, 2009 at PETCO Park in San Diego and Dolphin Stadium in Miami. Like the first round, the second round was a double-elimination tournament...
on March 18, earning his first win of the tournament. His stellar effort convinced manager Tatsunori Hara
Tatsunori Hara
is the current manager for the Yomiuri Giants baseball team in Nippon Professional Baseball. He also played for the Yomiuri Giants during his professional baseball career from to . Hara led the Japan national baseball team to victory in the final of the 2009 World Baseball Classic.- External links :...
to choose him over Darvish, who had been unofficially tabbed as the staff ace prior to the tournament, as the starter for Japan in the championship game against South Korea. Iwakuma did not disappoint, limiting the team to just two runs over 7 2/3 innings. While Darvish gave up the tying run in the ninth after coming on in relief, Iwakuma played an instrumental role in Japan's eventual win and second consecutive title. Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka
Daisuke Matsuzaka
is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball in the United States. He previously played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League. He was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze...
earned MVP honors for the tournament, largely on merit of his perfect 3-0 record, but Iwakuma finished the tournament with the lowest ERA (1.35) of any pitcher that threw 15 or more innings and was one of three pitchers named to the All-Tournament team.
Mechanics
Iwakuma is a lanky 190 cm (6 ft 3 in), 77 kg (169.8 lb) right-hander with a three-quarters delivery. He was well known for his unique pitching motion during his years with the Buffaloes, letting his throwing arm hang at his side while he raised his left leg, lowered it halfway once, then raised it again before driving towards the plateHome Plate
Home Plate is the fifth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1975 .-Track listing:#"What Do You Want the Boy to Do?" – 3:19#"Good Enough" – 2:56#"Run Like a Thief" – 3:02...
. He was forced to overhaul his mechanics and implement a more orthodox delivery when the NPB changed its rules on pitching motions in the 2005 off-season, taking a stricter stance on so-called two-stage motions (those with pauses or breaks at any point in the delivery). Iwakuma also raised his arm slot slightly in 2008 to induce more movement in his offspeed pitches
Pitch (baseball)
In baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play. The term comes from the Knickerbocker Rules. Originally, the ball had to be literally "pitched" underhand, as with pitching horseshoes. Overhand throwing was not allowed until 1884.The biomechanics of...
.
Repertoire
Iwakuma's fastballFastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
was clocked at speeds as high as 153 km/h (95 mph) earlier in his career. Since hurting his shoulder, it has usually sat at 140 to 146 km/h (87 to 90.7 mph) and tops out at 151 km/h (94 mph) today. He complements it with an exceptional splitter
Split-finger fastball
A split-finger fastball or splitter is a pitch in baseball. It is named after the technique of putting the index and middle finger on different sides of the ball, or "splitting" them. When thrown hard, it appears to be a fastball to the batter, but suddenly "drops off the table" towards home...
, slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
,and shuuto
Shuuto
The or shootball is a pitch commonly thrown by such right-handed Japanese pitchers such as Noboru Akiyama, Kenjiro Kawasaki, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Masumi Kuwata...
(two-seamer), often using the splitter as his out pitch. He records a moderate number of strikeouts each season but is inherently a groundball pitcher
Groundball pitcher
A groundball pitcher, sometimes referred to as "wormkillers" for the number of balls that hit the dirt and "kill worms" is a pitcher that relies on getting hitters to hit into ground outs instead of flyballs or strikeouts....
, adept at jamming opposing hitters with his wide assortment of offspeed pitches and excellent command (2.04 career walks per nine innings rate until 2010 season). Iwakuma has also remarked that his command has improved since missing much of the 2006 and 2007 seasons due to injury as he was forced to overhaul his mechanics and rethink his approach against opposing batters.
Career statistics
| Nippon Professional Baseball | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Team | W Win (baseball) In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only... |
L | W% Winning percentage In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win... |
GS Games started In baseball statistics, games started indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he faces the first opposing batter... |
CG Complete game In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were... |
SHO | IP Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two... |
H Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... |
R Run (baseball) In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured... |
ER Earned run In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run... |
HR Home run In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process... |
BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... |
K Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... |
ERA Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine... |
WHIP Walks plus hits per inning pitched In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base... |
LgERA |
| 19 | Kintetsu Kintetsu Buffaloes The was a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka, Japan, which were in the Pacific League. The team was owned by Kinki Nippon Railway Co. and later sold to the Orix Group, the owner of the Orix BlueWave baseball team, in 2004... |
No appearances at major league level | 4.40 | |||||||||||||||
| 20 | 4 | 2 | .667 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 43.2 | 46 | 28 | 22 | 3 | 13 | 25 | 4.53 | 1.35 | 4.37 | ||
| 21 | 8 | 7 | .533 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 141.1 | 132 | 62 | 58 | 10 | 42 | 131 | 3.69 | 1.23 | 3.69 | ||
| 22 | 15 | 10 | .600 | 27 | 11 | 0 | 195.2 | 201 | 85 | 75 | 19 | 48 | 149 | 3.45 | 1.28 | 4.64 | ||
| 23 | 15 | 2 | .882 | 21 | 7 | 1 | 158.2 | 149 | 57 | 53 | 13 | 30 | 123 | 3.01 | 1.13 | 4.68 | ||
| 24 | Rakuten Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles The is a baseball team founded in 2004; it played its first season in the Japanese Pacific League in 2005. It is simply called Rakuten . The team was created to fill the void left by the merger of the Orix Blue Wave and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, after the 2004 season due to financial difficulties,... |
9 | 15 | .375 | | 27 | 9 | 0 | 182.1 | 218 | 113 | 101 | 19 | 40 | 124 | 4.99 | 1.41 | 4.06 | |
| 25 | 1 | 2 | .333 | | 6 | 2 | 0 | 38.2 | 43 | 18 | 16 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 3.72 | 1.42 | 3.62 | ||
| 26 | 5 | 5 | .500 | | 16 | 0 | 0 | 90.0 | 95 | 47 | 34 | 6 | 23 | 84 | 3.40 | 1.31 | 3.57 | ||
| 27 | 21 | 4 | .840 | | 28 | 5 | 2 | 201.2 | 161 | 48 | 42 | 3 | 36 | 159 | 1.87 | 0.98 | 3.90 | ||
| 28 | 13 | 6 | .684 | | 24 | 5 | 0 | 169.0 | 179 | 62 | 61 | 15 | 43 | 121 | 3.25 | 1.31 | 4.03 | ||
| 29 | 10 | 9 | .526 | | 28 | 4 | 1 | 201.0 | 184 | 68 | 63 | 11 | 36 | 153 | 2.82 | 1.09 | 3.94 | ||
| Career | 101 | 62 | .620 | 208 | 46 | 5 | 1422.0 | 1408 | 588 | 525 | 103 | 323 | 1085 | 3.32 | 1.22 | |||
Bold indicates league leader; statistics current as of oct 16, 2010