Kazuhiro Wada
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
professional baseball player. He currently plays outfield for the Chunichi Dragons
of the Nippon Professional Baseball league.
Playing for Tohoku Fukushi University
, he was MVP of the Sendai Big Six University League as a senior and won the batting title. He hit .429 for Kobe Seiko in the industrial leagues, then in 1996 was drafted in the fourth round of the Japanese draft by the Seibu Lions
. He hit .190 in 1997 when he first played for Seibu and was 0/1 in the 1997 Japan Series
. In 1998, Wada hit .333 in 36 games for Seibu and split his time between catching and the outfield. He went 0/2 in the 1998 Japan Series
. In 1999, he batted .271 while again seeing limited time behind the plate, with Tsutomu Itoh starting.
In 1998, Kazuhiro began playing semiregularly as an outfielder, batting .306, the same average he recorded the next year. He still not yet an everyday player. In 2002, Wada finally became a starter and responded by batting .319 with 33 homers. Playing left field and DH, he made the Best Nine as the top designated hitter in the Pacific League
. He finished third in slugging behind teammates Alex Cabrera
and Kazuo Matsui
. His Japan Series woes continued with a miserable 0/15 in the 2002 Japan Series
, as Seibu got swept by the Yomiuri Giants
.
Wada did even better in 2003, hitting .346 (.379 with runners in scoring position), homering 30 times, scoring 87 runs and driving in 89. He made his first All-Star team and was on the Best Nine as an outfielder alongside Yoshitomo Tani
and Tuffy Rhodes
. Kazuhiro finished third in the Pacific League in average (behind Michihiro Ogasawara
and Tani) and slugging (behind Cabera and Ogasawara). He was fourth in OBP behind Ogasawara, Tadahito Iguchi
and Nobuhiko Matsunaka
.
2004 was an eventful year for Kazuhiro. He hit .320 (.375 with RISP), homered 30 times and drove in 89 despite missing time for the 2004 Olympics. For the bronze medal-winning Japanese club in the Olympics, he hit .333 and slugged .636. Hitting cleanup or fifth for Seibu, he was honored again as an All-Star and Best Nine. In the 2004 Japan Series
, he finally broke his postseason struggles in a big way by batting .310 with four homers in Seibu's victory over the Chunichi Dragons
. Wada broke a 54-year-old record for most extra-base hits in a Japan Series
with eight, breaking Isao Harimoto
's record of 7 in the 1950 Japan Series
. His 26 total bases were a Japan Series record, breaking Yasumitsu Toyoda's 46-year-old record of 25; he tied the record with four homers in a series and his two homers in game six helped Seibu to a 4-2 victory to tie the series at three. Takashi Ishii
beat him out for Series MVP honors, though.
Wada continued his dazzling pace in 2005, batting .322, though his 27 homers were his lowest total in four years. He made his fourth straight All-Star contingent. He edged Julio Zuleta
(.319) and Matsunaka (.315) for the first Pacific League batting title won by a right-handed hitter since Hatsuhiko Tsuji
in 1993. He was fourth in slugging, third in OBP, tied for third in runs (80), first in hits (153), second in doubles (32).
Kazuhiro was on the winning Japanese club in the 2006 World Baseball Classic
and went 0 of 2 with one strikeout in two games as the backup left fielder to Hitoshi Tamura
. Wada hit .298 in 2006 and finished third in the PL with 95 RBI, second to Fernando Seguignol
with 34 doubles, eighth with 144 hits, seventh with 239 total bases, tied for seventh with 72 runs, second with 78 walks (trailing only Matsunaka). He was fourth in OBP and eighth in slugging. His home run total continued to fall, down to 19, but still tied for seventh in the PL.
He re-signed for Seibu for ¥275 million plus incentives.
Wada's hobbies are fishing, pachinko
and mah jong.
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 player. He currently plays outfield for the Chunichi Dragons
Chunichi Dragons
The are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chubu region of Japan. The team is in the Central League. They won the 2007 Japan Series and 2007 Asia Series.-History:...
of the Nippon Professional Baseball league.
Playing for Tohoku Fukushi University
Tohoku Fukushi University
is a Japanese private university in Sendai.-Sports:*Baseball**Mamoru Kishida**Takashi Saito**Kazuhiro Sasaki**Kazuhiro Wada**Ken Kadokura**Tomoaki Kanemoto*Figure skating**Akiko Suzuki*Golf**Hidemasa Hoshino**Yūsaku Miyazato**Hideto Tanihara...
, he was MVP of the Sendai Big Six University League as a senior and won the batting title. He hit .429 for Kobe Seiko in the industrial leagues, then in 1996 was drafted in the fourth round of the Japanese draft by the Seibu Lions
Seibu Lions
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based west of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Prince Hotels, which in turn is owned by the Seibu Group...
. He hit .190 in 1997 when he first played for Seibu and was 0/1 in the 1997 Japan Series
1997 Japan Series
-Game 1:Game 1 of the series featured a pitching match-up of two strong aces. Seibu's Fumiya Nishiguchi had a career year in 1997 , finishing first in the Pacific League in wins, strikeouts and winning percentage. His sparkling season earned him the Best Nine Award, the Golden Glove, the Sawamura...
. In 1998, Wada hit .333 in 36 games for Seibu and split his time between catching and the outfield. He went 0/2 in the 1998 Japan Series
1998 Japan Series
The 1998 Japan Series was the 48th meeting between the champions of the Central and Pacific Leagues. The Seibu Lions represented the Pacific League, while the Yokohama BayStars represented the Central League...
. In 1999, he batted .271 while again seeing limited time behind the plate, with Tsutomu Itoh starting.
In 1998, Kazuhiro began playing semiregularly as an outfielder, batting .306, the same average he recorded the next year. He still not yet an everyday player. In 2002, Wada finally became a starter and responded by batting .319 with 33 homers. Playing left field and DH, he made the Best Nine as the top designated hitter in the 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...
. He finished third in slugging behind teammates Alex Cabrera
Alex Cabrera
Alex Cabrera is a Venezuelan first baseman and right-handed batter who played in Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball...
and Kazuo Matsui
Kazuo Matsui
is a Japanese second baseman for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball. Matsui is a switch-hitter...
. His Japan Series woes continued with a miserable 0/15 in the 2002 Japan Series
2002 Japan Series
The 2002 Japan Series matched the Central League champion Yomiuri Giants against the Pacific League champion Seibu Lions.*TV: NTV , TV Asahi TBS *MVP: Tomohiro Nioka - Summary :...
, as Seibu got swept by 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...
.
Wada did even better in 2003, hitting .346 (.379 with runners in scoring position), homering 30 times, scoring 87 runs and driving in 89. He made his first All-Star team and was on the Best Nine as an outfielder alongside Yoshitomo Tani
Yoshitomo Tani
Yoshitomo Tani is a Japanese professional baseball player from Higashiōsaka, Osaka, Japan. He currently plays as an outfielder for the Yomiuri Giants....
and Tuffy Rhodes
Tuffy Rhodes
Karl Derrick "Tuffy" Rhodes is a professional baseball player. He played six years in Major League Baseball in the US, and eleven years in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan....
. Kazuhiro finished third in the Pacific League in average (behind Michihiro Ogasawara
Michihiro Ogasawara
Michihiro Ogasawara is a Japanese professional baseball player. He currently plays first base for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's Central League . He played with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters from to .-Career:Ogasawara is one of the most consistent hitters in Japanese baseball...
and Tani) and slugging (behind Cabera and Ogasawara). He was fourth in OBP behind Ogasawara, Tadahito Iguchi
Tadahito Iguchi
is a Japanese second baseman currently playing for the Chiba Lotte Marines.-Early life and Japanese career: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...
and Nobuhiko Matsunaka
Nobuhiko Matsunaka
is a left fielder and designated hitter for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.Matsunaka is the only active hitter in Japanese professional baseball to have ever led the league in all three Triple Crown categories in the same season...
.
2004 was an eventful year for Kazuhiro. He hit .320 (.375 with RISP), homered 30 times and drove in 89 despite missing time for the 2004 Olympics. For the bronze medal-winning Japanese club in the Olympics, he hit .333 and slugged .636. Hitting cleanup or fifth for Seibu, he was honored again as an All-Star and Best Nine. In the 2004 Japan Series
2004 Japan Series
The Japan Series, the 55th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's championship series, began on October 16 and ended on October 25, and matched the Pacific League playoffs winner Seibu Lions against the Central League Champion, Chunichi Dragons....
, he finally broke his postseason struggles in a big way by batting .310 with four homers in Seibu's victory over the Chunichi Dragons
Chunichi Dragons
The are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chubu region of Japan. The team is in the Central League. They won the 2007 Japan Series and 2007 Asia Series.-History:...
. Wada broke a 54-year-old record for most extra-base hits in a 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....
with eight, breaking Isao Harimoto
Isao Harimoto
Isao Harimoto is a Korean former Nippon Professional Baseball player and holder of the record for most hits in the Japanese professional leagues. An ethnic Korean, his birth name is Jang Hun...
's record of 7 in the 1950 Japan Series
1950 Japan Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, November 22, 1950 at Meiji Jingu Stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo-Game 2:Thursday, November 23, 1950 at Korakuen Stadium in Bunkyō, Tokyo-Game 3:Saturday, November 25, 1950 at Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture-Game 4:...
. His 26 total bases were a Japan Series record, breaking Yasumitsu Toyoda's 46-year-old record of 25; he tied the record with four homers in a series and his two homers in game six helped Seibu to a 4-2 victory to tie the series at three. Takashi Ishii
Takashi Ishii
is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He has directed several pinku eiga erotic films, but his most notable feature was the 1995 nihilistic crime thriller Gonin starring Takeshi Kitano.-Director: is a Japanese film director and screenwriter...
beat him out for Series MVP honors, though.
Wada continued his dazzling pace in 2005, batting .322, though his 27 homers were his lowest total in four years. He made his fourth straight All-Star contingent. He edged Julio Zuleta
Julio Zuleta
Julio Zuleta Tapia is a professional baseball player, most recently for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan's Pacific League. He graduated from the Colegio Javier in Panama City and speaks five languages: Spanish, Portuguese, French, English and Japanese...
(.319) and Matsunaka (.315) for the first Pacific League batting title won by a right-handed hitter since Hatsuhiko Tsuji
Hatsuhiko Tsuji
Hatsuhiko Tsuji was a professional baseball player for the Seibu Lions in Nippon Professional Baseball. During his career, he was well-known as a skillful second baseman.-Career statistics:...
in 1993. He was fourth in slugging, third in OBP, tied for third in runs (80), first in hits (153), second in doubles (32).
Kazuhiro was on the winning Japanese club in the 2006 World Baseball Classic
2006 World Baseball Classic
---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:...
and went 0 of 2 with one strikeout in two games as the backup left fielder to Hitoshi Tamura
Hitoshi Tamura
Hitoshi Tamura is a Japanese professional baseball player with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.-External links:...
. Wada hit .298 in 2006 and finished third in the PL with 95 RBI, second to Fernando Seguignol
Fernando Seguignol
Fernando Alfredo Seguignol is a Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder who is currently a free agent. In 2010 he played for the Orix Buffaloes in the Japanese Pacific League, where he had previously played in 2002, After playing for the Newark Bears...
with 34 doubles, eighth with 144 hits, seventh with 239 total bases, tied for seventh with 72 runs, second with 78 walks (trailing only Matsunaka). He was fourth in OBP and eighth in slugging. His home run total continued to fall, down to 19, but still tied for seventh in the PL.
He re-signed for Seibu for ¥275 million plus incentives.
Wada's hobbies are fishing, pachinko
Pachinko
is a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...
and mah jong.
Sources
- This is a shortened version of the Baseball-Reference.com Bullpen article Kazuhiro Wada, accessed February 21, 2007. The Bullpen is a wiki, and its content is available under the GNU Free Documentation LicenseGNU Free Documentation LicenseThe GNU Free Documentation License is a copyleft license for free documentation, designed by the Free Software Foundation for the GNU Project. It is similar to the GNU General Public License, giving readers the rights to copy, redistribute, and modify a work and requires all copies and...
.