Yoshio Yoshida (baseball) explained

Yoshio Yoshida
吉田 義男
Position:Shortstop
Birth Date:26 July 1933
Birth Place:Kyoto, Kyoto
Bats:Right
Throws:Right
Debutleague:NPB
Debutdate:March 28
Debutyear:1953
Debutteam:Osaka Tigers
Finalyear:1969
Finalteam:Hanshin Tigers
Statleague:NPB
Stat1label:Batting average
Stat1value:.267
Stat2label:Hits
Stat2value:1864
Stat3label:Home runs
Stat3value:66
Stat4label:RBIs
Stat4value:434
Teams:As player

As manager

  • Hanshin Tigers ( -,  -,  -)
Highlights:
  • Hanshin Tigers #23 retired
Hoflink:Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame
Hoftype:Japanese
Hofdate:1992

is a Japanese former professional baseball player and manager who spent his entire career with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). His number 23, was retired by the Tigers. He works for the Asahi Broadcasting Corporation as a live radio and TV baseball commentator.

Career

He was famous for his steady batting and his defence at shortstop, and received the NPB Best Nine Award nine times, in 1955–60, 1962, 1964–65. This is the best record until now. He was often compared with the famous 12th century general, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, and they called Yoshida "Ushiwakamaru", Yoshitune's name as a child.

After retirement, he became the manager of the Hanshin Tigers three times, in 1975–77, 1985–87, 1997–98. The 1985 season was his best. His Hanshin Tigers won the Central League's championship for the first time since 1964, and defeated the Seibu Lions in the Japan Series for their first ever championship. That year Yoshida was also named the winner of the Matsutaro Shoriki Award.

From 1989 to 1995, Yoshida lived in Paris, and managed the French national baseball team, but his team failed to qualify for the Olympic Games twice; first for the 1992 Summer Olympics at Barcelona and again for the 1996 Summer Olympics at Atlanta. Since then, Yoshida has had a new nickname, "Monsieur". He was selected as a member of the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.

External links