Seibu Lions Īfter the 1978 season, Tabuchi was traded to the Seibu Lions. ĭuring Tabuchi's last seasons with the Tigers, he often turned the wrong ways while chasing after foul flies. In 1975, Tabuchi was crowned to home run king of the Central League with 43 homers, batting average 0.303, putting a brief halt to Sadaharu Oh's winning another title after his thirteen-year streak beginning in 1962. In 1974, he blasted more than 40 shots over the fence, ending up at 45 homers, four round-trippers behind Sadaharu Oh. In 1973, Tabuchi marked the league's highest throw-out rate for the second time. The following year, Tabuchi was for the second time hospitalized for a period over a month, this time shortly before the season and suffering from nephritis that allowed him join the team only in June. This incident led to the introduction of ear-flapped helmet in Japan. He was obliged to be hospitalized for three months with his left eardrum found severely damaged, missing out the rest of the season. He was badly bleeding from his ear, and was carried to a hospital immediately where he stayed unconscious for two days. In a game against Hiroshima Carp on August 26, 1970, Tabuchi was hit in his head and directly onto his left ear at bat. Joining the Tigers after all, he appeared in 81 games during the first season, delivering 22 homers, and marked the highest throw-out rate of attempted steals of the year, which enabled him win the Central League's Rookie of the Year. Biography Hanshin Tigers ĭubbed the "Hosei Trio" of Hosei University baseball team together with teammates Masaru Tomita and Koji Yamamoto, Tabuchi was named the first draft choice in 1968 by the Tigers, although he had commented earlier he would not join any other team than the Yomiuri Giants. Tiger (along with Fumio Fujimura, Minoru Murayama, and Masayuki Kakefu), Tabuchi has served as the chairman of Hanshin Tigers Old Boys' Committee since November 2009. In this statistic he is second only to Oh among sluggers who have logged 300 or more home runs. Tabuchi hit a home run once every 12.41 at-bats, while Oh did once every 10.66. Although his career total of 474 home runs is far below Sadaharu Oh's 868, his frequency nearly matched Oh's. Īlways a long-range hitter, Tabuchi was nicknamed home run artist because of the high-in-the-sky, long trajectory of his home runs. Tabuchi played catcher for the Hanshin Tigers from 19, where his combination with pitcher Yutaka Enatsu was called the "Golden Battery". During his career, Tabuchi played for the Hanshin Tigers and the Seibu Lions. Kōichi Tabuchi ( 田淵 幸一, Tabuchi Kōichi, born September 24, 1946) is a Japanese former professional baseball player, manager, and commentator.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |