Matsuzaka Generation
Encyclopedia
The is a term used to collectively describe the (usually Japanese
) baseball
players that belong to current Boston Red Sox
starting pitcher
Daisuke Matsuzaka's
age group. As per Japanese laws on how children
are to be divided into grade levels, this refers to players born between April 2, 1980 and April 1, 1981.
The term was coined by the Japan
ese media
as the age group came to be known as one of the deepest and most talented in Japanese professional baseball history.
Jitsugyo High School pitcher Daisuke Araki rose to national stardom for his sensational performance in the 62nd National High School Baseball Championship
despite being in only his first year
(Japanese equivalent of tenth grade) of high school. Araki went on to pitch in five consecutive national tournaments (spring
and summer
), including the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament
. His popularity, particularly among women, became such a cultural phenomenon
that studies showed that Daisuke (in particular, that with the Kanji
characterization "大輔") was the most popular name given to newborn infant
s in Japan from 1979 to 1986.
Four of the players belonging to the Matsuzaka Generation (namely, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Orix Buffaloes
pitcher
Daisuke Katoh and former Chunichi Dragons
pitchers Daisuke Sakai and Daisuke Ue) were given this name and Kanji.
for Yokohama
Senior High School in the 80th National High School Baseball Championship, it was also the final year
of high school
for many current NPB players. Some went on to the pros immediately after high school, while others did so after playing in college
or the industrial leagues.
The media coined the term "Matsuzaka Generation" to describe those born between 2 April 1980 and 1 April 1981 for a number of reasons; namely, that an exceedingly high number of players who played in the 80th National High School Baseball Tournament succeeded at the professional level; that many who went on to play at some of the highest levels of Japanese college baseball
like the Tokyo Big6
and Tohto University
leagues became ace pitchers for their teams as freshmen and sophomore
s; and that many prominent Japanese athletes as well as celebrities
were born during this span as well. (It can also be said, in turn, that Matsuzaka was able to enjoy an exceptional career in the pros despite being surrounded by such a concentration of talent.) The name is thus not accredited to any particular team or organization
and is said to have occurred naturally.
While other age groups seen to consist of many talented players have since been given similar names—those born between 2 April 1988 and 1 April 1989 are sometimes referred to as the or in reference to Waseda University pitcher Yuki Saito
or, alternatively, the in reference to Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
pitcher Masahiro Tanaka
—Matsuzaka's age group was the first to be given the name "世代", meaning "Generation". No single age group has produced players who have as of yet collectively succeeded at the professional level to the extent to which Matsuzaka's has.
ran a special feature titled "Matsuzaka Generation - Spring, For Each of the 22-Year-Olds" (using the "ジェネレーション", the literal katakana
syllabary
for "Generation", instead of the Japanese word "世代", or sedai) on its popular documentary
television series
"Jounetsu Tairiku". It covered the lives of various players who belonged to the group, some who had gone on to the pros (Nagisa Arakaki
), some who still hoped to be drafted (Katsumi Higaki) and some who had decided to pursue other careers altogether (Satoshi Kamishige), nearly five years after the now-legendary 80th National High School Baseball Championship.
organization is famous for rejecting the name altogether and announcing, "Please refer to the players that belong to the Matsuzaka Generation on our team as the '80's' (Eighties)." Hanshin Tigers
pitcher Tomoyuki Kubota
once remarked, "It makes it sound like Matsuzaka is the only one who makes this group relevant. The only thing we have in common is that we're the same age." Likewise, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
pitcher Nagisa Arakaki
has said, "Someday I'll make them call it the 'Arakaki Generation'". The Yokohama BayStars
once referred to the age group as the "Koike Generation" for then-BayStars outfielder
Masaaki Koike (now with the Chunichi Dragons) within the team.
There is no record of any member of this group who went pro straight after high school or spent four years in college (and was thus drafted in ) ever being referred to as "The Last Star". The first player known to have been called by this name is current Hanshin Tigers pitcher Yasutomo Kubo, who spent six years in the industrial leagues before being drafted in despite being a well-known draft prospect since high school who once led his team to the finals of the 80th National High School Baseball Championship (losing to Yokohama Senior High).
Shortstop
Eishin Soyogi was also referred to as "The Last Star of the Matsuzaka Generation" when he played well in his rookie
season
with the Hiroshima Carp
in , though the title failed to catch on. (The name has only been used for players with established track records at the amateur level, explaining why players like shortstop Naoto Watanabe
were not called "The Last Star" when they were drafted in .)
In , Triple-A Sacramento
pitcher Kazuhito Tadano
was again referred to as "The Last Star of the Matsuzaka Generation" upon being drafted, though his situation differed in that he was not a true "rookie", having played for the major league
team Cleveland Indians
from to . (His situation was complicated due to an appearance in a gay porn
film that caused NPB teams to blackball him and force him to play in the United States.)
The last actual player belonging to this age group to go pro is shortstop/third baseman
Jobu Morita, who played for Mitsubishi Motors
Okazaki
of the Japanese industrial leagues, the Elmira Pioneers
of the New York Collegiate Baseball League
and the Kagawa Olive Guyners
of the independent Shikoku-Kyushu Island League
before being drafted by the Golden Eagles in .
and Jonathan Papelbon
. Many other established major leagues belong to this age group, including New York Yankees
pitcher C.C. Sabathia, Los Angeles Angels pitcher Dan Haren
, New York Yankees
outfielder Curtis Granderson
, Houston Astros
pitcher Brett Myers
, Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino
, Chicago White Sox
outfielder Alex Ríos
, Tampa Bay Rays
first
/third baseman
Hank Blalock
, Yankees first baseman/outfielder Nick Swisher
and free agent pitcher Mark Prior
.
). A total of 94 players belonging to this generation (including all active players) have once been on one of the twelve professional baseball teams' roster
s.
Matsuzaka himself is the only player from his generation to currently play in Major League Baseball (Kazuhito Tadano
played for the Cleveland Indians
from to ).
Below is a partial list of said players. It includes only those for which English Wikipedia
pages exist (as of 9 October 2010).
were also born during this aforementioned span.
Below is a partial list of such figures.
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...
) 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...
players that belong to current 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"...
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....
Daisuke Matsuzaka's
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...
age group. As per Japanese laws on how children
Education in Japan
In Japan, education is compulsory at the elementary and lower secondary levels. Approximately 98% of all students progress to the upper secondary level, which is voluntary . Most students attend public schools through the lower secondary level, but private education is popular at the upper...
are to be divided into grade levels, this refers to players born between April 2, 1980 and April 1, 1981.
The term was coined by the 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 media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
as the age group came to be known as one of the deepest and most talented in Japanese professional baseball history.
Precursor
In , then-WasedaWaseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
Jitsugyo High School pitcher Daisuke Araki rose to national stardom for his sensational performance in the 62nd National High School Baseball Championship
National High School Baseball Championship
The National High School Baseball Championship of Japan, commonly known as "Summer Kōshien" , is an annual nationwide high school baseball tournament...
despite being in only his first year
Tenth grade
In majority of the world,Tenth grade is the tenth year of school post-kindergarten. The variants of "10th grade" in various nations is described below.-Australia:...
(Japanese equivalent of tenth grade) of high school. Araki went on to pitch in five consecutive national tournaments (spring
Spring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
and summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
), including the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament
National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament
The National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament of Japan, commonly known as "Spring Kōshien" or "Senbatsu" , is an annual high school baseball tournament....
. His popularity, particularly among women, became such a cultural phenomenon
Culture of Japan
The culture of Japan has evolved greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period to its contemporary hybrid culture, which combines influences from Asia, Europe and North America...
that studies showed that Daisuke (in particular, that with the Kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
characterization "大輔") was the most popular name given to newborn infant
Infant
A newborn or baby is the very young offspring of a human or other mammal. A newborn is an infant who is within hours, days, or up to a few weeks from birth. In medical contexts, newborn or neonate refers to an infant in the first 28 days after birth...
s in Japan from 1979 to 1986.
Four of the players belonging to the Matsuzaka Generation (namely, Daisuke Matsuzaka, 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....
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...
Daisuke Katoh and former 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:...
pitchers Daisuke Sakai and Daisuke Ue) were given this name and Kanji.
Origin
Although the year is often associated with Matsuzaka's stellar performance as the ace pitcherAce (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...
for Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
Senior High School in the 80th National High School Baseball Championship, it was also the final year
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...
of high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
for many current NPB players. Some went on to the pros immediately after high school, while others did so after playing in college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
or the industrial leagues.
The media coined the term "Matsuzaka Generation" to describe those born between 2 April 1980 and 1 April 1981 for a number of reasons; namely, that an exceedingly high number of players who played in the 80th National High School Baseball Tournament succeeded at the professional level; that many who went on to play at some of the highest levels of Japanese college baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
like the Tokyo Big6
Tokyo Big6 Baseball League
Tokyo Big6 Baseball League is an intercollegiate baseball league that features six prominent universities in the Tokyo area...
and Tohto University
Tohto University Baseball League
Tohto University Baseball League is an intercollegiate baseball league that features 21 prominent universities in the Tokyo area.- History :...
leagues became ace pitchers for their teams as freshmen and sophomore
Sophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
s; and that many prominent Japanese athletes as well as celebrities
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
were born during this span as well. (It can also be said, in turn, that Matsuzaka was able to enjoy an exceptional career in the pros despite being surrounded by such a concentration of talent.) The name is thus not accredited to any particular team or organization
Professional sports league organization
Professional sports leagues are organized in numerous ways. The two most significant types are a European model, characterised by a tiered structure using promotion and relegation to determine participation in a hierarchy of leagues or divisions and a North American model characterized by its use...
and is said to have occurred naturally.
While other age groups seen to consist of many talented players have since been given similar names—those born between 2 April 1988 and 1 April 1989 are sometimes referred to as the or in reference to Waseda University pitcher Yuki Saito
Yuki Saito (baseball)
is a Japanese pitcher for Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.Saito rose to national stardom as a senior for Waseda Jitsugyo High School when he led the team to a title in the 88th National High School Baseball Championship in...
or, alternatively, the in reference to 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,...
pitcher Masahiro Tanaka
Masahiro Tanaka
is a Japanese starting pitcher for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.Tanaka led his team to a championship in the National High School Baseball tournament as a junior for Komazawa University Tomakomai High School in and a runner-up berth in the same tournament as a senior in...
—Matsuzaka's age group was the first to be given the name "世代", meaning "Generation". No single age group has produced players who have as of yet collectively succeeded at the professional level to the extent to which Matsuzaka's has.
MBS Documentary
On March 3, 2003, major Japanese television network Mainichi Broadcasting SystemMainichi Broadcasting System
is a broadcasting station in Osaka, Japan, affiliated with Japan Radio Network , National Radio Network , Japan News Network and TBS Network, serving in the Kansai region. MBS is also one of the major stockholders of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc...
ran a special feature titled "Matsuzaka Generation - Spring, For Each of the 22-Year-Olds" (using the "ジェネレーション", the literal katakana
Katakana
is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji, and in some cases the Latin alphabet . The word katakana means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana scripts are derived from components of more complex kanji. Each kana represents one mora...
syllabary
Syllabary
A syllabary is a set of written symbols that represent syllables, which make up words. In a syllabary, there is no systematic similarity between the symbols which represent syllables with the same consonant or vowel...
for "Generation", instead of the Japanese word "世代", or sedai) on its popular documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
"Jounetsu Tairiku". It covered the lives of various players who belonged to the group, some who had gone on to the pros (Nagisa Arakaki
Nagisa Arakaki
is a Japanese professional baseball player. He is currently with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. Despite having one of the best fastballs and sliders of anyone in the league, Arakaki has battled control problems and injuries throughout his career...
), some who still hoped to be drafted (Katsumi Higaki) and some who had decided to pursue other careers altogether (Satoshi Kamishige), nearly five years after the now-legendary 80th National High School Baseball Championship.
Criticism
The term "Matsuzaka Generation" is often used to describe players belonging to this age group moreso for its sheer simplicity rather than to recognize the accomplishments of Matsuzaka himself. Despite this, players' reactions to this name being used have been mixed: the Yomiuri GiantsYomiuri 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...
organization is famous for rejecting the name altogether and announcing, "Please refer to the players that belong to the Matsuzaka Generation on our team as the '80's' (Eighties)." Hanshin Tigers
Hanshin Tigers
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
pitcher Tomoyuki Kubota
Tomoyuki Kubota
is a Japanese pitcher with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He was selected as a member in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.-External links:...
once remarked, "It makes it sound like Matsuzaka is the only one who makes this group relevant. The only thing we have in common is that we're the same age." Likewise, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Fukuoka 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...
pitcher Nagisa Arakaki
Nagisa Arakaki
is a Japanese professional baseball player. He is currently with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. Despite having one of the best fastballs and sliders of anyone in the league, Arakaki has battled control problems and injuries throughout his career...
has said, "Someday I'll make them call it the 'Arakaki Generation'". 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....
once referred to the age group as the "Koike Generation" for then-BayStars 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...
Masaaki Koike (now with the Chunichi Dragons) within the team.
"The Last Star"
While all of the players belonging to the group were naturally born within a one-year span, they entered the pros in different years depending on how many years they had spent in college, the industrial and/or the independent leagues (if at all). As the term "Matsuzaka Generation" became more commonplace, the media began to refer to a player who was drafted into the NPB in later years because he had enjoyed an established career at the amateur level prior to going pro as .There is no record of any member of this group who went pro straight after high school or spent four years in college (and was thus drafted in ) ever being referred to as "The Last Star". The first player known to have been called by this name is current Hanshin Tigers pitcher Yasutomo Kubo, who spent six years in the industrial leagues before being drafted in despite being a well-known draft prospect since high school who once led his team to the finals of the 80th National High School Baseball Championship (losing to Yokohama Senior High).
Shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
Eishin Soyogi was also referred to as "The Last Star of the Matsuzaka Generation" when he played well in his 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...
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 Hiroshima Carp
Hiroshima Toyo Carp
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda. Mazda is the largest single shareholder , which is less than the portion owned by the Matsuda family . Because of that,...
in , though the title failed to catch on. (The name has only been used for players with established track records at the amateur level, explaining why players like shortstop Naoto Watanabe
Naoto Watanabe
is a Nippon Professional Baseball player for the Yokohama BayStars in Japan's Central League.-External links:...
were not called "The Last Star" when they were drafted in .)
In , Triple-A Sacramento
Sacramento River Cats
The Sacramento River Cats is a minor league baseball team based in Sacramento, California. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and is the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Oakland Athletics....
pitcher Kazuhito Tadano
Kazuhito Tadano
is a right-handed pitcher for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan's Pacific League. He had previously pitched in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians.-Biography:...
was again referred to as "The Last Star of the Matsuzaka Generation" upon being drafted, though his situation differed in that he was not a true "rookie", having played for the 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...
team Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
from to . (His situation was complicated due to an appearance in a gay porn
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
film that caused NPB teams to blackball him and force him to play in the United States.)
The last actual player belonging to this age group to go pro is shortstop/third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Jobu Morita, who played for Mitsubishi Motors
Mitsubishi Motors
is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. In 2009 it was the fifth-largest Japan-based automaker and the 17th-largest in the world measured by production...
Okazaki
Okazaki, Aichi
is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of August 2011, the city had an estimated population of 373,339 and a population density of 964 persons per km². The total area was 387.24 km².-Geography:...
of the Japanese industrial leagues, the Elmira Pioneers
Elmira Pioneers
The Elmira Pioneers are an amateur baseball team based in Elmira, New York. They currently compete in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, a wood bat collegiate summer baseball league. Prior to the 2006 baseball season, the team was a professional ballclub with a rich history of league...
of the New York Collegiate Baseball League
New York Collegiate Baseball League
The New York Collegiate Baseball League is a 12-team collegiate summer baseball league founded in 1978 and sanctioned by the NACSB and Major League Baseball. Each NYCBL team plays an eight-week, 44-game schedule from June to July with a playoff in early August...
and the Kagawa Olive Guyners
Kagawa Olive Guyners
The is a baseball team in the Shikoku Island League of Japan. Established in 2005, the Guyners play at Olive Stadium in the Kagawa Prefectural Baseball Complex in Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture....
of the independent Shikoku-Kyushu Island League
Shikoku-Kyushu Island League
The is a baseball league on the islands of Shikoku in Japan. Neither the Central nor the Pacific League has a team based in Shikoku.IBLJ Inc. operates the league...
before being drafted by the Golden Eagles in .
Major League Baseball players
The term is typically only used in reference to Japanese players, but the Japanese media has, at times, referred to other (non-Japanese) major leaguers born during the aforementioned span as belonging to the "Matsuzaka Generation", most notably Red Sox pitchers (and teammates of Matsuzaka) Josh BeckettJosh Beckett
Joshua Patrick Beckett is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. During his career in the playoffs, he won the 2003 World Series MVP Award with the Florida Marlins, and received the 2007 ALCS MVP award with the Red Sox.-Florida Marlins :A...
and Jonathan Papelbon
Jonathan Papelbon
Jonathan Robert Papelbon is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. Before joining the Phillies, Papelbon played with the Boston Red Sox from 2005-2011....
. Many other established major leagues belong to this age group, including New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
pitcher C.C. Sabathia, Los Angeles Angels pitcher Dan Haren
Dan Haren
Daniel John Haren is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.- High-school and college career :...
, New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
outfielder Curtis Granderson
Curtis Granderson
Curtis Granderson is an American Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees. Before joining the Yankees in 2010, he played with the Detroit Tigers . A center fielder, Granderson is known for being a five-tool player...
, 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...
pitcher Brett Myers
Brett Myers
Brett Allen Myers is a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who is currently playing for the Houston Astros.-High school career:...
, Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino
Shane Victorino
Shane Patrick Victorino is an outfielder in Major League Baseball who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies. He is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed.-Career:...
, Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
outfielder Alex Ríos
Alex Ríos
Alexis Israel "Alex" Ríos is a Puerto Rican-American Major League Baseball outfielder who plays for the Chicago White Sox. He bats and throws right-handed.-Professional career:...
, Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
first
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
/third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Hank Blalock
Hank Blalock
Hank Joe Blalock is a Major League Baseball third baseman who is currently a free agent.-High school:Blalock attended Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, California...
, Yankees first baseman/outfielder Nick Swisher
Nick Swisher
Nicholas Thompson "Nick" Swisher is an outfielder for the New York Yankees. Swisher is a switch hitter who throws left-handed....
and free agent pitcher Mark Prior
Mark Prior
Mark William Prior is an American professional baseball pitcher in the New York Yankees organization. He pitched for the Chicago Cubs from 2002-2006. His repertoire of pitches includes a low to mid 90s fastball, a curveball, a slurve, and a changeup.-Amateur career:Prior graduated from the...
.
Players
There are currently 53 active players in Nippon Professional Baseball that belong to the Matsuzaka Generation (excludes foreign players acquired outside of the amateur draftDraft (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...
). A total of 94 players belonging to this generation (including all active players) have once been on one of the twelve professional baseball teams' roster
Roster
A roster is a list of names of people involved with an organization of some kind.A roster can be a list of people and the times when they are required to work or a list of students in a classroom....
s.
Matsuzaka himself is the only player from his generation to currently play in Major League Baseball (Kazuhito Tadano
Kazuhito Tadano
is a right-handed pitcher for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan's Pacific League. He had previously pitched in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians.-Biography:...
played for the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
from to ).
Below is a partial list of said players. It includes only those for which English Wikipedia
English Wikipedia
The English Wikipedia is the English-language edition of the free online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Founded on 15 January 2001 and reaching three million articles by August 2009, it was the first edition of Wikipedia and remains the largest, with almost three times as many articles as the next...
pages exist (as of 9 October 2010).
Central League
- Hanshin TigersHanshin TigersThe are a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Koshien, Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and are in the Central League. Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc., owns the Hanshin Tigers directly...
- Hirotaka EgusaHirotaka Egusais a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher.-External links:...
- Kyuji FujikawaKyuji Fujikawais a closer for the Hanshin Tigers.Fujikawa pitched in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics as well as the 2008 Beijing Olympics. A prototypical power pitcher, Fujikawa is said to have one of the most explosive fastballs in all of Japanese professional baseball and is one of Japan's premier...
- Tomoyuki KubotaTomoyuki Kubotais a Japanese pitcher with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He was selected as a member in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.-External links:...
- Hirotaka Egusa
- Hiroshima Toyo CarpHiroshima Toyo CarpThe are a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda. Mazda is the largest single shareholder , which is less than the portion owned by the Matsuda family . Because of that,...
- Akihiro HigashideAkihiro Higashideis a Nippon Professional Baseball player for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in Japan's Central League.-External links:...
- Katsuhiro NagakawaKatsuhiro Nagakawais a Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in Japan's Central League.-External links:...
- Akihiro Higashide
- Yomiuri GiantsYomiuri GiantsThe 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...
- Ken KatohKen Katohis a Nippon Professional Baseball player for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's Central League.-External links:...
- Takahito KudoTakahito Kudois a Nippon Professional Baseball player for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan's Pacific League.-External links:...
- Kazunari SanematsuKazunari Sanematsuis a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's Central League. Before playing for the Giants he was a member of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.-External links:...
- Ken Katoh
- Yokohama BayStarsYokohama BayStarsThe 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....
- Shuichi MurataShuichi Muratais a third baseswine for the Yokohama BayStars.Murata led the Central League in home runs in both and and is one of the few pure home run hitters in Japanese professional baseball today...
- Shuichi Murata
Pacific League
- Fukuoka SoftBank HawksFukuoka SoftBank HawksThe 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...
- Nagisa ArakakiNagisa Arakakiis a Japanese professional baseball player. He is currently with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. Despite having one of the best fastballs and sliders of anyone in the league, Arakaki has battled control problems and injuries throughout his career...
- Shinsuke OguraShinsuke Ogurais a Japanese baseball player. He has been with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks since 1999, and plays as Pitcher, wearing number 11.- External links :*...
- Toshiya SugiuchiToshiya Sugiuchiis a Japanese baseball player. He is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.Sugiuchi was the Eiji Sawamura Award winner in...
- Tsuyoshi WadaTsuyoshi Wadais a left-handed starting pitcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.Wada pitched in the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics as well as the 2006 World Baseball Classic for the Japanese national team...
- Nagisa Arakaki
- Hokkaido Nippon Ham FightersHokkaido Nippon Ham FightersThe 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,...
- Eiichi KoyanoEiichi Koyanois a Japanese professional baseball player for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League. He is a native of Edogawa, Tokyo, Japan.- External links :*...
- Hichori MorimotoHichori MorimotoHichori Morimoto is a Japanese professional baseballer of Korean descent for the Yokohama BayStars. He was the number 4 draft pick for the Fighters in . For years, he was the backup for the most popular player in the league, Tsuyoshi Shinjo...
- Kazuhito TadanoKazuhito Tadanois a right-handed pitcher for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan's Pacific League. He had previously pitched in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians.-Biography:...
- Eiichi Koyano
- Orix BuffaloesOrix BuffaloesThe 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....
- Shogo AkadaShogo Akadais a professional Nippon Professional Baseball player for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan's Pacific League.-External links:...
- Daisuke KatoDaisuke Kato (baseball)is a Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher for the Orix Buffaloes in Japan's Pacific League.-External links:...
- Shogo Akada
- Saitama Seibu Lions
- Taketoshi GotohTaketoshi Gotohis a Nippon Professional Baseball player for the Saitama Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League.-External links:...
- Chikara OnoderaChikara Onoderais a closing pitcher for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in Nippon Professional Baseball. His uniform number is 29.-External links:...
- Taketoshi Gotoh
- Tohoku Rakuten Golden EaglesTohoku Rakuten Golden EaglesThe 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,...
- Naoto WatanabeNaoto Watanabeis a Nippon Professional Baseball player for the Yokohama BayStars in Japan's Central League.-External links:...
- Naoto Watanabe
Other figures
Many well-known Japanese athletes as well as celebritiesCelebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
were also born during this aforementioned span.
Below is a partial list of such figures.
- Hozumi HasegawaHozumi Hasegawais a professional boxer and a former WBC world bantamweight champion and former WBC world Featherweight champion. He received consecutive MVP awards from the Japanese Boxing Commission in 2005 and 2006 for his title defenses, and is the only Japanese boxer to have defended a world bantamweight...
(professional boxerProfessional BoxingProfessional boxing, or prizefighting, emerged in the early twentieth century as boxing gradually attained legitimacy and became a regulated, sanctioned sport. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse which is divided among the fighters and promoters as determined by contract...
) - Kenta KobayashiKenta Kobayashi, also known by his ring name KENTA, is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is a former three-time Global Honored Crown Junior Heavyweight Champion...
(professional wrestlerProfessional wrestlingProfessional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
) - Daisuke SekimotoDaisuke Sekimotois a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in Big Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX. He is a former six-time BJW Tag Team Champion, as well as a former NWA United National Heavyweight Champion in ZERO1-MAX...
(professional wrestler)