Kazuhisa Ishii
Encyclopedia
Kazuhisa Ishii (born September 9, 1973 in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture
, Japan
) is a Japan
ese former Major League Baseball
pitcher
who currently plays for the Saitama Seibu Lions.
Ishii was selected in the first round of the Japanese amateur draft by the Yakult Swallows
. He made his debut in the Central League
on June 9, at the age of 18. He was a member of the Japan Series
winning team that season, a feat accomplished a total of five times during his career with the Swallows. During his ten years playing in Japan
, he amassed a record of 78-46 with a 3.38 ERA
and 1,277 strikeout
s in 1,184 innings pitched
. On September 2, , he threw a no-hitter
against the Yokohama BayStars
.
Ishii was signed as a free agent
by the Los Angeles Dodgers
in after the Dodgers posted
the top bid for the right to negotiate with him. He made his major league
debut on April 6, 2002 striking out ten batters and allowing two hits and no runs in five and two-thirds innings against the Chicago Cubs
. He went on to win his first six starts and was named National League
Rookie
of the Month for April, 2002.
On September 8, 2002, Ishii was struck in the face by a ball hit by Brian Hunter
of the Houston Astros
. Ishii underwent emergency surgery for a nasal fracture wherein he had bone chips removed and replaced with a small titanium
plate. He did not pitch again that season.
During and , Ishii developed a reputation as a much better pitcher in the first half of seasons. In his three years in the major leagues, Ishii was 29-15 with a 3.50 ERA prior to the All-Star
break, but only 7-13 with a 5.77 ERA after. Ishii is also known for his control problems, yielding 305 walks
in 473 innings. He was among the top five in walks allowed each of his three seasons in the National League.
In March, , the New York Mets
acquired Ishii in exchange for catcher
Jason Phillips to replace injured starting pitcher
Steve Trachsel
. After posting a record of only 3-9 with an ERA over five, the Mets released him the following December.
He currently pitches for the Saitama Seibu Lions in the Japanese Pacific League
.
Ishii is married with one child and resides in Chiba, Japan
. Among the Japanese, he is known for his humor, and he has at times apologized to interviewers for not being witty enough.
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) is a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese former Major League 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...
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...
who currently plays for the Saitama Seibu Lions.
Ishii was selected in the first round of the Japanese amateur draft by the Yakult Swallows
Tokyo Yakult Swallows
is a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League.The Swallows are named after their corporate owners, the Yakult Corporation. From 1950 to 1965, the team was owned by the former Japanese National Railways and called the Kokutetsu Swallows; the team was then owned by the newspaper Sankei...
. He made his debut in the Central League
Central League
The or is one the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country,The Central League...
on June 9, at the age of 18. He was a member of the Japan Series
Japan Series
, or is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a seven-game series between the winning clubs of the league's two circuits, the Central League and the Pacific League....
winning team that season, a feat accomplished a total of five times during his career with the Swallows. During his ten years playing in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, he amassed a record of 78-46 with a 3.38 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...
and 1,277 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 in 1,184 innings pitched
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...
. On September 2, , he threw a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
against the Yokohama BayStars
Yokohama BayStars
The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Home field is the Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The clubhouse is located near the stadium....
.
Ishii was signed as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
by the 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...
in after the Dodgers posted
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 top bid for the right to negotiate with him. He made his major league
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...
debut on April 6, 2002 striking out ten batters and allowing two hits and no runs in five and two-thirds innings against the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
. He went on to win his first six starts and was named National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
Rookie
Rookie
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...
of the Month for April, 2002.
On September 8, 2002, Ishii was struck in the face by a ball hit by Brian Hunter
Brian Hunter (outfielder)
Brian Lee Hunter is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball. At 6'3" and around 180 lbs, he was known for stealing over 70 bases in 1997.-Minor league career:Hunter was born on March 5, 1971 in Portland, Oregon...
of the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
. Ishii underwent emergency surgery for a nasal fracture wherein he had bone chips removed and replaced with a small titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
plate. He did not pitch again that season.
During and , Ishii developed a reputation as a much better pitcher in the first half of seasons. In his three years in the major leagues, Ishii was 29-15 with a 3.50 ERA prior to the All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
break, but only 7-13 with a 5.77 ERA after. Ishii is also known for his control problems, yielding 305 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...
in 473 innings. He was among the top five in walks allowed each of his three seasons in the National League.
In March, , the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
acquired Ishii in exchange for catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
Jason Phillips to replace injured 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....
Steve Trachsel
Steve Trachsel
Stephen Christopher Trachsel , nicknamed "The Human Rain Delay", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is known for the long amount of time he takes to deliver the ball to home plate in between pitches. Games in which he pitches are known to be considerably longer than most games, leading...
. After posting a record of only 3-9 with an ERA over five, the Mets released him the following December.
He currently pitches for the Saitama Seibu Lions in the Japanese 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...
.
Ishii is married with one child and resides in Chiba, Japan
Chiba, Chiba
is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a government designated city in 1992. Its population as of 2008 is approximately 960,000....
. Among the Japanese, he is known for his humor, and he has at times apologized to interviewers for not being witty enough.