was a Japanese

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 baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Moder ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

. In 1957, he won 20 consecutive games. In 1958

Japan Series The Japan Series ( , officially the Japan Championship Series, ), also the Nippon Series, is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a best-of-seven series between the winning cl ...

, he pitched six games and won 4 consecutive games after his team lost 3 games. He even hit a home run in fifth game of Japan Series. He was the

Pacific League The , or , or the , due to sponsorship reasons, is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the a ...

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...

in 1957 and 1958. He had 42 wins in 1961. Fans called his great success "

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

, Inao". In 1964, he injured his shoulder, and in 1965 came back to full-time pitching, mainly in relief. He retired as a player in 1969, and went on to manage the

Nishitetsu Lions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiar ...

from 1970 to 1974. He was inducted into the

Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame The , commonly known outside of Japan as the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame, is a hall of fame and museum in Tokyo dedicated to professional baseball, with a prominent focus on professional baseball in Japan. The Hall is intended to honor and co ...

in 1993. His number 24 was retired by the

Saitama Seibu Lions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Seibu Railway ...

on April 30, 2012.

Career statistics

*Bolded figures are league-leading

Titles and Award

*Rookie of the Year : (1956) *Wins Champion : 4 times (1957,1958,1961,1963) *Winning Percentage Champion: 2 times (1957,1961) *ERA Champion : 5 times (1956–1958,1961,1966) *Strikeout Champion : 3 times (1958,1961,1963) *MVP : 2 times (1957–1958) *Best Nine : 5 times (1957–1958,1961–1963)

Record

*42 Wins (1961) (National Record, tied) *20 consecutive wins (1957) (National Record) *78 Games Played (1961) (Pacific League Record) *1.06 ERA (1956) (Pacific League Record, National Rookie-Year Record) *404 inning Pitched (1961) (Pacific League Record) *11 wins in single month (Aug, 1956) (National Record) *4 complete game in single Japan Series (1958) (Japan Series Record, tied) *4 wins in single Japan Series (1958) (Japan Series Record, tied) *11 career wins in

(tied with Tsuneo Horiuchi)

References

External links

1937 births 2007 deaths Baseball people from Ōita Prefecture Japanese baseball players Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Nishitetsu Lions players Nippon Professional Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners Nippon Professional Baseball MVP Award winners People from Beppu, Ōita Managers of baseball teams in Japan Seibu Lions managers Chiba Lotte Marines managers Deaths from cancer in Japan {{Japan-baseball-pitcher-stub Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Nippon Professional Baseball players with retired numbers Nippon Professional Baseball pitching Triple Crown winners