Tatsuhiko Kinjoh
Encyclopedia
Tatsuhiko Kinjoh is a Japanese
professional baseball player from Higashinari-ku, Osaka
, Japan
. He plays center field for the Yokohama BayStars
. He throws right-handed, and is a switch hitter.
.
Kinjoh was drafted as a pitcher by the Yokohama BayStars
in the fifth round of the 1998 amateur draft, and surprised fans by winning the Central League
batting title in 2000. He ended the season with a .346 batting average, but was hitting well over .400 at the start of the season. He also won the Central League rookie of the year award, becoming the first player in Japanese baseball to receive both awards in the same season.
His many errors at third base
led the team to convert him to the outfield in 2001, but he was unable to repeat his success from the previous year. He played a horrific season in 2002, ending the season with a .170 batting average in 111 games. He made a comeback in 2003, hitting 16 home runs with a .302 batting average, and got 191 hits in 2005 (only one hit away from the team record, set by Robert Rose
) to mark a .324 batting average. His speed and strong arm also won him a Central League golden glove award the same year.
Kinjoh's success in 2005 led to his participation in the 2006 World Baseball Classic
. He has also played in the all star game in 2003, 2005 and 2006.
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 from Higashinari-ku, Osaka
Higashinari-ku, Osaka
Higashinari-ku is one of 24 wards of Osaka, Japan.-External links:*...
, 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 plays center field for 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....
. He throws right-handed, and is a switch hitter.
Biography
Kinjoh's father was also a professional baseball player, who played two seasons with the Kintetsu BuffaloesKintetsu Buffaloes
The was a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka, Japan, which were in the Pacific League. The team was owned by Kinki Nippon Railway Co. and later sold to the Orix Group, the owner of the Orix BlueWave baseball team, in 2004...
.
Kinjoh was drafted as a pitcher by 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....
in the fifth round of the 1998 amateur draft, and surprised fans by winning 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...
batting title in 2000. He ended the season with a .346 batting average, but was hitting well over .400 at the start of the season. He also won the Central League rookie of the year award, becoming the first player in Japanese baseball to receive both awards in the same season.
His many errors at third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
led the team to convert him to the outfield in 2001, but he was unable to repeat his success from the previous year. He played a horrific season in 2002, ending the season with a .170 batting average in 111 games. He made a comeback in 2003, hitting 16 home runs with a .302 batting average, and got 191 hits in 2005 (only one hit away from the team record, set by Robert Rose
Robert Rose (baseball)
Robert Richard "Bobby" Rose, born March 15, 1967) is a former major league baseball player from Covina, California. He played on the California Angels in the major leagues, and on the Yokohama BayStars in the Japanese Central League.-Biography:...
) to mark a .324 batting average. His speed and strong arm also won him a Central League golden glove award the same year.
Kinjoh's success in 2005 led to his participation in the 2006 World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
. He has also played in the all star game in 2003, 2005 and 2006.