Takayuki Kishi
Encyclopedia
Takayuki Kishi is a Japanese
professional
baseball
player for the Seibu Lions
in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He was the 2008 Japan Series MVP
. In his first three seasons as a professional, Kishi has recorded at least 10 wins every season, thrown at least 2 complete games every season, and has multiple shutouts in two of his first three seasons. Kishi throws a four-seam fastball in high-80s (tops out at 93 mph), changeup, slider and a solid-average curveball around 70 mph.
, and also demonstrated his rubber arm. His first appearance in the Series was when he started Game 4 at the Seibu Dome
. The second-year pro dominated the heavily-favored Yomiuri Giants
for a complete-game shutout, striking out at least one batter every inning and throwing a whopping 147 pitches in the process. Kishi also became the second pitcher ever to have at least one strikeout every inning in a complete game effort. In an ironic twist, the first was former Giants pitcher Takashi Nishimoto in the 1981 Japan Series
against the Nippon Ham Fighters. Kishi also became the 12th pitcher to throw a complete-game shutout in his first career Japan Series start, with the last one before him being Shunsuke Watanabe
in the 2005 Japan Series
against the Hanshin Tigers
.
In Game 6 two days later, Kishi was called upon again, this time to save the Lions' season. He replaced Lions starter Kazuyuki Hoashi
and, on just two days rest, threw 91 pitches in 5 and 2/3 scoreless innings as Seibu rallied to force Game 7. Kishi got the win in relief and also set a new Series record for consecutive scoreless innings at 14 and 2/3.
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
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player for 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...
in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He was the 2008 Japan Series MVP
Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award
The is given to the player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the Japan Series, which is the final round of the Nippon Professional Baseball postseason. The award was first presented in 1950....
. In his first three seasons as a professional, Kishi has recorded at least 10 wins every season, thrown at least 2 complete games every season, and has multiple shutouts in two of his first three seasons. Kishi throws a four-seam fastball in high-80s (tops out at 93 mph), changeup, slider and a solid-average curveball around 70 mph.
2008 Japan Series
Kishi showed that despite his youth, he could handle the atmosphere of the Japan SeriesJapan 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....
, and also demonstrated his rubber arm. His first appearance in the Series was when he started Game 4 at the Seibu Dome
Seibu Dome
is the home field of the Saitama Seibu Lions professional baseball team located in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.The stadium has a roof over the field and the stands, like other indoor ballparks. However, it lacks a wall behind the stands so that natural air comes into the field. This makes it...
. The second-year pro dominated the heavily-favored 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...
for a complete-game shutout, striking out at least one batter every inning and throwing a whopping 147 pitches in the process. Kishi also became the second pitcher ever to have at least one strikeout every inning in a complete game effort. In an ironic twist, the first was former Giants pitcher Takashi Nishimoto in the 1981 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....
against the Nippon Ham Fighters. Kishi also became the 12th pitcher to throw a complete-game shutout in his first career Japan Series start, with the last one before him being Shunsuke Watanabe
Shunsuke Watanabe
is a professional baseball player from Tsuga, Tochigi, Japan who plays for the Chiba Lotte Marines in the Japanese Pacific League.His submarine pitching form was noted during the 2006 World Baseball Classic.-Amateur career:...
in the 2005 Japan Series
2005 Japan Series
The Japan Series, the 56th edition of Nippon Professional Baseball's championship series, began on October 22 and ended on October 26, and matched the Central League champion Hanshin Tigers against the Pacific League Champion, Chiba Lotte Marines...
against the 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...
.
In Game 6 two days later, Kishi was called upon again, this time to save the Lions' season. He replaced Lions starter Kazuyuki Hoashi
Kazuyuki Hoashi
is a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher. He is currently with the Saitama Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League.-External links:...
and, on just two days rest, threw 91 pitches in 5 and 2/3 scoreless innings as Seibu rallied to force Game 7. Kishi got the win in relief and also set a new Series record for consecutive scoreless innings at 14 and 2/3.