So Taguchi
Encyclopedia
is a Nippon Professional Baseball outfielder
who is currently playing with the Orix Buffaloes
. Previously, he has played for the St. Louis Cardinals
, Philadelphia Phillies
and the Chicago Cubs
in Major League Baseball, and with the Orix BlueWave in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Taguchi is the first Japanese National League
player to win a World Series
. Taguchi is also the first Japanese player to win two World Series with different teams – with the St. Louis Cardinals
in 2006 and the Philadelphia Phillies
in 2008.
, Japan
. He graduated from Kwansei Gakuin University
in his hometown, with a Bachelor of Arts
in Business Administration. He was a teammate of Ichiro Suzuki
when the two played for the Orix BlueWave in the Pacific League
of NPB. Although he was drafted by the BlueWave as an infielder
, he was moved to the outfield later in his career.
in at the age of 33, a year in which he rose through the minor league
system, playing for the New Haven Ravens and the Memphis Redbirds
, compiling a .262 batting average
, with 6 home run
s and 51 RBI
. He eventually earned a call-up on September 7, and recorded the first hit
of his major league career in the second inning against the Chicago Cubs
. Taguchi became the first (and to date only) Japanese-born player in Cardinal history. He originally requested to wear the number 6, but he couldn't because it was retired for Stan Musial
, nor could he turn 6 upside down because 9 is retired for Enos Slaughter
. He could not wear the number he had at the Olympics because 1 was retired for Ozzie Smith
. He was also unable to double 6 as Rick Ankiel
was on the roster that year. Finally, he decided to wear 99.
Taguchi got another brief call-up in , then got more playing time with the Cardinals in , appearing in 109 games. He was included on the '04 Cardinals postseason roster, and appeared in two games of the 2004 World Series
, which the Cardinals lost to the Boston Red Sox
in a four-game sweep. In , injuries to outfielders Larry Walker
and Reggie Sanders
opened up manager Tony LaRussa's lineup card, and Taguchi became an everyday player
. He responded with his best season, batting .288 in 396 at-bats with eight home runs and fifty-three RBI, and contributing with his stellar defense
at all three outfield positions as the Cardinals won 100 games and had the best record in the National League
.
Cardinal radio announcer Mike Shannon took to calling Taguchi "the So-man" and praising his hard work and extreme personal courtesy. By habit Taguchi would even give a little bow to the umpire whenever he stepped up to the plate. His modest and happy demeanor, as well as shyness due to struggling with English in interviews early on, endeared him to St. Louis fans.
In , Taguchi's playing time declined somewhat, his at-bat total falling to 316 from 396 the year before. However, Taguchi would make the playoff roster for the Cardinals for the third year in a row, and have a heroic postseason moment: on October 13, 2006, he hit the go-ahead home run off Billy Wagner
in the top of the 9th inning of Game 2 of the NLCS
. The home run gave the Cardinals a 7-6 lead in a game they would win 9-6. Taguchi played in four of five games of the 2006 World Series
for the Cardinals, hitting .182, and won a championship ring as the Cardinals defeated the Detroit Tigers
four games to one. Taguchi agreed to a one-year deal worth $925,000 with the St. Louis Cardinals for the season.
Taguchi returned to the Cardinals in 2007 and had another solid season, batting .290 as a part-time player, with 307 at-bats in 130 games. He was one of manager Tony La Russa
's most valuable pinch-hitters; of 46 games in 2008 where he's shown to have had just 1 AB, Taguchi picked up 15 hits. Taguchi played 617 innings in the field, with 41 starts (and 22 other appearances) in center (where Jim Edmonds
was banged up) and 21 starts (20 other) in left (where the Cardinals hadn't settled on one player until 2008 and Skip Schumaker
). Taguchi played sparingly in right field (2 starts, 6 other) and part of a game at 2B.
On December 23, 2007, Taguchi was signed to a one-year deal by the Philadelphia Phillies with an option for . Taguchi's numbers fell off sharply, his batting average dropping from .290 in 2007 to .220 in 2008, and he got only 91 at-bats for the whole season. However, he was included on Philadelphia's postseason roster and won his second championship ring when the Phillies won the 2008 World Series
. (Taguchi was 0 for 4 pinch-hitting in the NLCS and did not appear in the World Series.)
Shortly after winning the Series, the Phillies cut ties with Taguchi, buying out his option year and making him a free agent.
Taguchi agreed to a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs for the season, and was invited to spring training. Taguchi was signed in part to provide a Japanese teammate for Cub outfielder Kosuke Fukudome
. Taguchi did not make the Cubs roster and was optioned to Triple-A. After spending most of the season in the minors, Taguchi, who hit .248 with four home runs and 24 RBI in 85 games in the minors, was called up to the Cubs on September 16, 2009, replacing the injured Sam Fuld
. He appeared in 12 games and got 3 hits in 11 at-bats.
In January 2010 Taguchi's old team, the Orix BlueWave (since merged with the Kintetsu Buffaloes to form the Orix Buffaloes
), announced that they had signed Taguchi to return and play for them in 2010.
and Monsters, Inc.
They have one son, Kan, born December 24, 2003.
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...
who is currently playing with the 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....
. Previously, he has played for the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and 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...
in Major League Baseball, and with the Orix BlueWave in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Taguchi is the first Japanese 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...
player to win a World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. Taguchi is also the first Japanese player to win two World Series with different teams – with the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in 2006 and the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
in 2008.
Early life and career
Taguchi was born and raised in Nishinomiya, HyogoNishinomiya, Hyogo
is a city located in Hyōgo, Japan, between the cities of Ōsaka and Kōbe. On April 1, 2005, the city of Nishinomiya celebrated its 80th anniversary. It is best known as the home of Kōshien Stadium, where the Hanshin Tigers baseball team plays home games and where Japan's annual high school baseball...
, 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 graduated from Kwansei Gakuin University
Kwansei Gakuin University
, colloquially abbreviated to , is a non-denominational Christian private and coeducational university located in Nishinomiya, Sanda, Osaka City, and Tokyo, Japan....
in his hometown, with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Business Administration. He was a teammate of Ichiro Suzuki
Ichiro Suzuki
, usually known simply as is a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Seattle Mariners. Ichiro has established a number of batting records, including the sport's single-season record for hits with 262...
when the two played for the Orix BlueWave 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...
of NPB. Although he was drafted by the BlueWave as an infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
, he was moved to the outfield later in his career.
St. Louis Cardinals
He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as a free agentFree 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....
in at the age of 33, a year in which he rose through the 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...
system, playing for the New Haven Ravens and the Memphis Redbirds
Memphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
, compiling a .262 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, with 6 home run
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...
s and 51 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
. He eventually earned a call-up on September 7, and recorded the first 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....
of his major league career in the second inning 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...
. Taguchi became the first (and to date only) Japanese-born player in Cardinal history. He originally requested to wear the number 6, but he couldn't because it was retired for Stan Musial
Stan Musial
Stanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...
, nor could he turn 6 upside down because 9 is retired for Enos Slaughter
Enos Slaughter
Enos Bradsher Slaughter , nicknamed "Country", was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 19-year baseball career, he played from 1938–1942 and 1946-1959 for four different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the St...
. He could not wear the number he had at the Olympics because 1 was retired for Ozzie Smith
Ozzie Smith
Osborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996...
. He was also unable to double 6 as Rick Ankiel
Rick Ankiel
Richard Alexander Ankiel is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently with the Washington Nationals. He bats and throws left-handed....
was on the roster that year. Finally, he decided to wear 99.
Taguchi got another brief call-up in , then got more playing time with the Cardinals in , appearing in 109 games. He was included on the '04 Cardinals postseason roster, and appeared in two games of the 2004 World Series
2004 World Series
The 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
, which the Cardinals lost to the 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"...
in a four-game sweep. In , injuries to outfielders Larry Walker
Larry Walker
Larry Kenneth Robert Walker is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1989 through 2005, Walker played for the Montreal Expos , Colorado Rockies , and St. Louis Cardinals...
and Reggie Sanders
Reggie Sanders
Reginald Laverne Sanders is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball. He bats and throws right-handed. Sanders was 24 years old when he made his major league debut on August 22, , after being selected in the 7th round of the amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds...
opened up manager Tony LaRussa's lineup card, and Taguchi became an everyday player
Player (game)
A player of a game is a participant therein. The term 'player' is used with this same meaning both in game theory and in ordinary recreational games....
. He responded with his best season, batting .288 in 396 at-bats with eight home runs and fifty-three RBI, and contributing with his stellar defense
Defense (sport)
In many team sports, defense or defence is the action of preventing an opponent from scoring. The term may also refer to the tactics involved in defense, or a sub-team whose primary responsibility is defense...
at all three outfield positions as the Cardinals won 100 games and had the best record in the 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...
.
Cardinal radio announcer Mike Shannon took to calling Taguchi "the So-man" and praising his hard work and extreme personal courtesy. By habit Taguchi would even give a little bow to the umpire whenever he stepped up to the plate. His modest and happy demeanor, as well as shyness due to struggling with English in interviews early on, endeared him to St. Louis fans.
In , Taguchi's playing time declined somewhat, his at-bat total falling to 316 from 396 the year before. However, Taguchi would make the playoff roster for the Cardinals for the third year in a row, and have a heroic postseason moment: on October 13, 2006, he hit the go-ahead home run off Billy Wagner
Billy Wagner
William Edward Wagner , nicknamed "Billy the Kid", is a retired Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He pitched for the Houston Astros , the Philadelphia Phillies , the New York Mets , the Boston Red Sox , and the Atlanta Braves...
in the top of the 9th inning of Game 2 of the NLCS
National League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series is a round in the postseason that determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to Major League Baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. The reigning...
. The home run gave the Cardinals a 7-6 lead in a game they would win 9-6. Taguchi played in four of five games of the 2006 World Series
2006 World Series
The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
for the Cardinals, hitting .182, and won a championship ring as the Cardinals defeated the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
four games to one. Taguchi agreed to a one-year deal worth $925,000 with the St. Louis Cardinals for the season.
Taguchi returned to the Cardinals in 2007 and had another solid season, batting .290 as a part-time player, with 307 at-bats in 130 games. He was one of manager Tony La Russa
Tony La Russa
Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals...
's most valuable pinch-hitters; of 46 games in 2008 where he's shown to have had just 1 AB, Taguchi picked up 15 hits. Taguchi played 617 innings in the field, with 41 starts (and 22 other appearances) in center (where Jim Edmonds
Jim Edmonds
James Patrick "Jim" Edmonds is a former American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played for the California/Anaheim Angels, the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Diego Padres, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs, and the Cincinnati Reds...
was banged up) and 21 starts (20 other) in left (where the Cardinals hadn't settled on one player until 2008 and Skip Schumaker
Skip Schumaker
Jared Michael "Skip" Schumaker is a Major League Baseball Outfielder and Second Baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals.-Biography:...
). Taguchi played sparingly in right field (2 starts, 6 other) and part of a game at 2B.
Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, return to Japan
After the 2007 season ended, the Cardinals declined Taguchi's option for , then decided to forgo arbitration and release Taguchi on December 5, 2007, after Taguchi's agent had requested his release earlier in the week.On December 23, 2007, Taguchi was signed to a one-year deal by the Philadelphia Phillies with an option for . Taguchi's numbers fell off sharply, his batting average dropping from .290 in 2007 to .220 in 2008, and he got only 91 at-bats for the whole season. However, he was included on Philadelphia's postseason roster and won his second championship ring when the Phillies won the 2008 World Series
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
. (Taguchi was 0 for 4 pinch-hitting in the NLCS and did not appear in the World Series.)
Shortly after winning the Series, the Phillies cut ties with Taguchi, buying out his option year and making him a free agent.
Taguchi agreed to a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs for the season, and was invited to spring training. Taguchi was signed in part to provide a Japanese teammate for Cub outfielder Kosuke Fukudome
Kosuke Fukudome
is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder.Prior to arriving in the United States, Fukudome played nine seasons for the Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese Central League...
. Taguchi did not make the Cubs roster and was optioned to Triple-A. After spending most of the season in the minors, Taguchi, who hit .248 with four home runs and 24 RBI in 85 games in the minors, was called up to the Cubs on September 16, 2009, replacing the injured Sam Fuld
Sam Fuld
Samuel Babson "Sam" Fuld is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball....
. He appeared in 12 games and got 3 hits in 11 at-bats.
In January 2010 Taguchi's old team, the Orix BlueWave (since merged with the Kintetsu Buffaloes to form the 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....
), announced that they had signed Taguchi to return and play for them in 2010.
Personal life
Taguchi learned English from his wife Emiko, a former television reporter who speaks it fluently. He also practiced by watching films such as Finding NemoFinding Nemo
Finding Nemo is a 2003 American comi-drama animated film written by Andrew Stanton, directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich and produced by Pixar. It tells the story of the overly protective clownfish Marlin who, along with a regal tang called Dory , searches for his abducted son Nemo...
and Monsters, Inc.
Monsters, Inc.
Monsters, Inc. is a 2001 American computer-animated film and the fourth feature-length film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It was directed by Pete Docter, co-directed by Lee Unkrich and David Silverman, and written by Jill Culton, Peter Docter, Ralph Eggleston, Dan Gerson, Jeff Pidgeon, Rhett...
They have one son, Kan, born December 24, 2003.
External links
(Baseball Cube includes Japan stats)- Japanese league stats and info of So Taguchi
- TaguchiSo.com - official site (in Japanese)
- So Taguchi interview for Japanese television program (scroll down; in Japanese and English)
- Japanese Star for the Phillies, Arigatou Gozaimasu! Article, Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia
- "So Taguchi Has Lost His Wa", "Philadelphia Weekly" profile