TOKYO (AP)—The Japanese baseball fraternity was shocked and saddened by Friday’s news that former New York Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu was found dead in a Los Angeles suburb after an apparent suicide.
County sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Arriaga said “he was found dead by an apparent suicide.”
Before going to the major leagues, Irabu was one of the most dominant pitchers in Japanese Professional Baseball.
He led the Pacific League in wins in 1994 with 15 and Earned Run Average in 1995 and 1996 (2.53, 2.40) when he played for the Chiba Lotte Marines.
In a country where finesse pitchers are prevalent, Irabu’s power stood out. In 1993, he threw a 158 km/h (98 mph) fastball which still stands as the fastest pitch thrown in the Pacific League.
“He was an outstanding pitcher on his best days and a horrible one on his worst days,” said Robert Whiting, author of several books on Japanese baseball. “A real puzzle. He seemed to have a lot of anger inside him, which perhaps came from his rather unusual childhood.”
Irabu’s father was an American serviceman who left Japan after Hideki was born without leaving a forwarding address. His mother was an Okinawan who remarried a restaurateur from Osaka, who raised Hideki.
“It was a very sensitive subject to Hideki,” said Whiting. “He did not like being asked questions about it.”
Irabu’s departure from Japan professional baseball led to the creation of the posting system, which allows teams from the major leagues to sign Japanese players before they become free agents. Ichiro Suzuki(notes) andDaisuke Matsuzaka(notes) are among the Japanese players who went to the U.S. under the system.
“Hideki Irabu was a fighter…a true man of his words, brave and was very sweet and giving” his former agent Don Nomura posted on his Twitter account. “He made the real history between United States and Japan.”
“He was a great pitcher in Japan but I got the sense
his attitude changed when he went to New York,” said Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese to pitch in the major leagues. “It’s very sad. He was still so young.”
The body of 42-year-old Irabu was found Wednesday at a house in Rancho Palos Verdes, a wealthy Los Angeles suburb.County sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Arriaga said “he was found dead by an apparent suicide.”
Before going to the major leagues, Irabu was one of the most dominant pitchers in Japanese Professional Baseball.
He led the Pacific League in wins in 1994 with 15 and Earned Run Average in 1995 and 1996 (2.53, 2.40) when he played for the Chiba Lotte Marines.
In a country where finesse pitchers are prevalent, Irabu’s power stood out. In 1993, he threw a 158 km/h (98 mph) fastball which still stands as the fastest pitch thrown in the Pacific League.
“He was an outstanding pitcher on his best days and a horrible one on his worst days,” said Robert Whiting, author of several books on Japanese baseball. “A real puzzle. He seemed to have a lot of anger inside him, which perhaps came from his rather unusual childhood.”
Irabu’s father was an American serviceman who left Japan after Hideki was born without leaving a forwarding address. His mother was an Okinawan who remarried a restaurateur from Osaka, who raised Hideki.
“It was a very sensitive subject to Hideki,” said Whiting. “He did not like being asked questions about it.”
Irabu’s departure from Japan professional baseball led to the creation of the posting system, which allows teams from the major leagues to sign Japanese players before they become free agents. Ichiro Suzuki(notes) andDaisuke Matsuzaka(notes) are among the Japanese players who went to the U.S. under the system.
“Hideki Irabu was a fighter…a true man of his words, brave and was very sweet and giving” his former agent Don Nomura posted on his Twitter account. “He made the real history between United States and Japan.”
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