Yusaku Iriki
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese
former baseball
pitcher
.
before joining the Honda amateur baseball team. He was drafted by the Yomiuri Giants
in . In , his older brother, Satoshi, was traded to the Giants from the Kintetsu Buffaloes
, and the two were teammates from 1999-. In , he led the team in wins
(13), and appeared in the all-star game
for the first time. His brother had also made it to the all-star game, pitching for the Yakult Swallows, and the Iriki brothers made back to back appearances in the all-star game. This was the first all-star sibling relay in Japanese baseball history.
In the off-season, Iriki was traded to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
, and caused some controversy by trying to make the team ensure that he would be released to play in the major leagues in two years. Iriki got his wish in , signing a major league contract with the New York Mets
. He did not make it onto the major league roster, and was given a minor league contract in April of the same year. On April 28, 2006, Iriki was suspended for 50 games for violating Major League Baseball's policy against performance-enhancing drug use. The suspension originated from testing during the Mets' spring training
camp.
Iriki was dropped by the Mets at the end of 2006, and spent the season in the Toronto Blue Jays
minor league system. He returned to the Japanese leagues in , signing with the Yokohama Bay Stars. After the season, he announced his retirement from professional baseball.
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...
former 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...
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...
.
Biography
Iriki attended the Perfect Liberty High School and Asia University (Japan)Asia University (Japan)
thumb|right|Asia UniversityThe is a private university located in Tokyo, Japan that offers courses in Business Administration, Economics, Law and International Relations...
before joining the Honda amateur baseball team. He was drafted 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...
in . In , his older brother, Satoshi, was traded to the Giants from the Kintetsu Buffaloes
Kintetsu 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...
, and the two were teammates from 1999-. In , he led the team in wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
(13), and appeared in the all-star game
All-star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league, except in the circumstances of professional sports systems in which a democratic voting system is used...
for the first time. His brother had also made it to the all-star game, pitching for the Yakult Swallows, and the Iriki brothers made back to back appearances in the all-star game. This was the first all-star sibling relay in Japanese baseball history.
In the off-season, Iriki was traded to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters
The 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,...
, and caused some controversy by trying to make the team ensure that he would be released to play in the major leagues in two years. Iriki got his wish in , signing a major league contract with the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. He did not make it onto the major league roster, and was given a minor league contract in April of the same year. On April 28, 2006, Iriki was suspended for 50 games for violating Major League Baseball's policy against performance-enhancing drug use. The suspension originated from testing during the Mets' spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
camp.
Iriki was dropped by the Mets at the end of 2006, and spent the season in the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
minor league system. He returned to the Japanese leagues in , signing with the Yokohama Bay Stars. After the season, he announced his retirement from professional baseball.