(born March 18, 1976) is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the 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 ...

. He played for the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

(–),

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

(2001–), Milwaukee Brewers (2005–),

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

(),

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...

(), as well as the Fukushima Hopes in Japan's

Baseball Challenge League The Route Inn BCL, formerly known as the , is an independent minor baseball league in Japan. The league's abbreviated designation is "." League structure The Baseball Challenge League has three divisions, East, Middle, and West, with four teams ...

. He started his professional career with the

Yokohama BayStars The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Their home field is Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The team has been known by several names since becoming a professional team in 1950. It adopted its curren ...

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

Central League The or is one of 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 consi ...

. He throws

right-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...

and is a switch hitter.

Coming to America

On November 20, 1998, Ohka's contract was purchased by the

from the

( Japan's

). Ohka's statistics in Japan were less than flattering, but his ability to control his pitches sparked the interest of the Red Sox.

Early success

In 1999, Ohka began his North America professional career with the Red Sox' Double-A affiliate at that time, the

Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the ...

. In 12 starts he went 8–0 with a 3.00 era. He was promoted to the Triple-A

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

where he had a 1.92 era and a 7–0 record. On July 19, 1999, he made his major league debut. Ohka found himself in the minors again in . With Pawtucket, he went 9–6 in 19 starts with a 2.96 era, with 3 complete games, one being a

perfect game Perfect game may refer to: Sports * Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners * Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game * Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New York ...

. In both 1999 and 2000, The Red Sox named Ohka their minor league player of the year. Ohka was in the All-Star Futures Game in 1999 and 2000 and in 2000 he was the Triple-A All-Star Game starting pitcher.

Major league career

Ohka became the first player from Japan to play for the Red Sox when he debuted in 1999. During the middle of the 2001 season, Ohka was sent to Montreal for the veteran closer

Ugueth Urbina Ugueth Urtaín Urbina Villarreal (; born February 15, 1974) is a Venezuelan former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. A two-time All-Star, Urbina led the National League in saves with 41 in the 1999 season and helped the Florida Marlin ...

. Ohka had a mildly successful run with the Expos. His most productive season came with the Expos in , when he posted 13–8 with 118 strikeouts and a 3.18 ERA. In June 2004, Ohka's right forearm was broken when he was hit by a line drive off the bat of

Carlos Beltrán Carlos Iván Beltrán (; born April 24, 1977) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1998 to 2017 for the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, San Fran ...

in Kansas City. Ohka underwent major surgery and was out until mid-September. He finished 3–7 with a 3.40 ERA in 15 starts.

Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers

As the Expos moved to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

for the 2005 season, Ohka was part of a starting rotation that included

Liván Hernández Eisler Liván Hernández Carrera (; born February 20, 1975) is a Cuban-born former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball. Over a 17-year career, he played for nine different teams and was named to two All-Star Games. He was nam ...

, Esteban Loaiza and

Tony Armas Jr. Antonio José Armas (born April 29, 1978), better known as Tony Armas Jr., is a Venezuelan former professional baseball right-handed pitcher. He spent most of his active career with the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals of Major League Basebal ...

Ohka was involved in an incident with Washington manager

Frank Robinson Frank Robinson (August 31, 1935 – February 7, 2019) was an American professional baseball outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for five teams, from to . The only player to be named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of both ...

. Ohka protested being removed from a game, a move which resulted in an undisclosed fine from the team. On June 10, 2005, the Washington Nationals traded Ohka to the Milwaukee Brewers for second baseman Junior Spivey. In Ohka's first game with his new club on June 14, he threw a shutout against the

Tampa Bay Devil Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home ve ...

during

interleague play Interleague play in Major League Baseball refers to regular-season baseball games played between an American League (AL) team and a National League (NL) team. Interleague play was first introduced during the 1997 Major League Baseball season. Pri ...

Toronto Blue Jays

On January 23, 2007, the right-hander reached a tentative agreement with the Toronto Blue Jays on a one-year contract. The agreement was made official on January 25, 2007, and the contract was announced to be worth $1,500,000. Ohka could earn an additional $1,500,000 in incentives. Incentives are usually based upon innings pitched or game appearances.

St. Louis Cardinals and Seattle Mariners

On June 7, after compiling a 2–5 record in 10 starts, the Toronto Blue Jays designated Ohka for assignment and subsequently released him on June 18. On June 19, 2007, he signed a minor league contract with the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

. He was released by the Cardinals on July 3, 2007, after going 0–2 with a 6.87 ERA in 3 starts for their Triple A team, the

Memphis Redbirds The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbir ...

. Ohka then signed a minor league contract on July 13, 2007, with the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

. Ohka was released by Seattle on August 5, 2007, after going 0–3 with a 10.32 ERA in four outings, allowing 26 runs in innings with the

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, which opened in 1960 ...

, Seattle's AAA affiliate.

Chicago White Sox

On February 21, 2008, Ohka signed a minor league contract with the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

, but did not play in the major leagues that year. He became a free agent at the end of the season. In an eight-year career, Ohka has compiled a 48–57 record with 538 strikeouts and a 4.04 ERA in 943 innings. On December 5, 2008, Ohka signed a minor league contract with the

with an invitation to Spring Training. On March 15, he was reassigned to the minor league camp. He was called up to the majors on May 30.

Return to Japan

On April 6, 2010, Ohka signed a contract with his former team, the

in Japan. He pitched for them through 2011. In 2013, he reinvented himself as a

knuckleball A knuckleball or knuckler is a baseball pitch thrown to minimize the spin of the ball in flight, causing an erratic, unpredictable motion. The air flow over a seam of the ball causes the ball to change from laminar to turbulent flow. This cha ...

pitcher and played for the Toyama Thunderbirds of the

Toronto Blue Jays

Ohka signed a minor league contract with the

on December 11, 2013. He was a non-roster invitee to spring training, but was reassigned to minor-league camp on March 2, 2014, without making an appearance. He was released by the Blue Jays at the end of spring training.

Bridgeport Bluefish

Ohka signed with the

Bridgeport Bluefish The Bridgeport Bluefish were an American minor league baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The team was a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which was not affiliated with Major League Baseba ...

of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball for the 2014 season.

Fukushima Hope

Ohka returned to Japan and played with the Toyama Thunderbirds and

Fukushima Hope may refer to: Japan * Fukushima Prefecture, Japanese prefecture **Fukushima, Fukushima, capital city of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan *** Fukushima University, national university in Japan *** Fukushima Station (Fukushima) in Fukushima, Fukushim ...

of the semi-pro

for the 2015 season.

Baltimore Orioles

On December 15, 2016, the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

signed Ohka to a minor league contract. He was released on April 1, 2017, as the Orioles' spring training came to a close.

Milestone

*Ohka pitched a nine-inning

for the Triple-A

on June 1, 2000. Ohka retired all 27 batters he faced in a 2–0 win over the

Charlotte Knights The Charlotte Knights are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. They are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, and play their home games at Truist Field, which opened in 20 ...

, and threw only 77 pitches to toss the first nine-inning perfect game in the International League since .

Pop culture

*Ohka is the first and only member of the

to be named on ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

''. In the March 16, 2003, episode entitled " C. E. D'oh!," Bart Simpson exclaims "Look at me! I'm Tomokazu Ohka of the Montreal Expos!" while playing baseball, to which Milhouse replies "Well, I'm Esteban Yan of the

!", referencing the relative obscurity of the two pitchers and their respective teams.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ohka, Tomokazu 1976 births Living people Arizona League Brewers players Boston Red Sox players Brevard County Manatees players Bridgeport Bluefish players Charlotte Knights players Columbus Clippers players Cleveland Indians players Japanese baseball coaches Japanese expatriate baseball players in Canada Japanese expatriate baseball players in the United States Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Japan Memphis Redbirds players Milwaukee Brewers players Montreal Expos players Nippon Professional Baseball coaches Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Pawtucket Red Sox players Baseball people from Kyoto Tacoma Rainiers players Toronto Blue Jays players Trenton Thunder players Washington Nationals players Yokohama BayStars players