Seiichi Shima (嶋清一,Shima Seiichi,December 15,1920 –March 29,1945) was a baseball player who pitched for Kaisou Central High School and Meiji University of the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League. He never got to play professionally,as he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1945. He died during World War II,on March 29,1945,off the coast of Indochina. [1] He was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008. [2]
Shima represented Kaisou Central in the 1939 Japanese High School Baseball Championship,where he shut out all five of the opposing teams,only allowed five hits,struck out 57 batters,and pitched no-hitters in the semifinal and final rounds. Shima began to play for Meiji University in 1940.[ citation needed ]
Roy Campanella,nicknamed "Campy",was an American professional baseball player,primarily as a catcher. The Philadelphia native played in the Negro leagues and Mexican League for nine years before entering the minor leagues in 1946. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 1948 for the Brooklyn Dodgers,for whom he played until 1957. His playing career ended when he was paralyzed in an automobile crash in January of 1958. He is considered one of the greatest catchers in the history of the game.
Harold Newhouser,nicknamed "Prince Hal," was an American professional baseball player. In Major League Baseball (MLB),he pitched 17 seasons on the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians,from 1939 through 1955.
Hideo Nomo is a Japanese former baseball pitcher who played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB). He achieved early success in his native country,where he played with the Kintetsu Buffaloes from 1990 to 1994. He then exploited a loophole to free himself from his contract,and became the first Japanese major leaguer to permanently relocate to MLB in the United States,debuting with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995. Although he was not the first Japanese player in American professional baseball,Nomo is often credited with opening the door for Japanese players in MLB,due to his star status.
Philip Henry Niekro,nicknamed "Knucksie",was an American baseball pitcher who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves,Cleveland Indians,New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. Niekro is generally regarded as the greatest knuckleball pitcher of all time.
Allie Pierce Reynolds was an American professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). Reynolds pitched in MLB for the Cleveland Indians (1942–1946) and New York Yankees (1947–1954). A member of the Creek nation,Reynolds was nicknamed "Superchief".
Craig Alan Biggio is an American former baseball second baseman,outfielder and catcher who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Houston Astros,from 1988 to 2007. A seven-time National League (NL) All-Star often regarded as the greatest all-around player in Astros history,he is the only player ever to be named an All-Star and to be awarded Silver Slugger Award at both catcher and second base. With longtime teammates Jeff Bagwell and Lance Berkman,he formed the core of the "Killer B's" who led Houston to six playoff appearances from 1997 to 2005,culminating in the franchise's first World Series appearance in 2005. At the end of his career,he ranked sixth in NL history in games played (2,850),fifth in at bats (10,876),21st in hits (3,060),and seventh in runs scored (1,844). His 668 career doubles ranked sixth in major league history,and are the second-most ever by a right-handed hitter;his 56 doubles in 1999 were the most in the major leagues in 63 years.
John Anthony Franco is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed relief pitcher between 1984 and 2005. Franco established himself as an All-Star player with the Cincinnati Reds before spending the majority of his career with the New York Mets. He ended his 21-year career with one final season with the Houston Astros.
Daniel Joseph "Rusty" Staub was an American professional baseball player and television color commentator. He played in Major League Baseball for 23 seasons as a right fielder,designated hitter,and first baseman. He was nicknamed le Grand Orange.
Michael Cole Mussina,nicknamed "Moose",is an American former baseball starting pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1991–2000) and the New York Yankees (2001–2008). He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his sixth year of eligibility in 2019.
William Edward Wagner,nicknamed "Billy the Kid",is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros,Philadelphia Phillies,New York Mets,Boston Red Sox,and Atlanta Braves from 1995 to 2010. Wagner is one of only eight major league relief pitchers to accumulate at least 400 career saves. A left-handed batter and thrower,Wagner stands 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and weighs 180 pounds (82 kg).
Greggory William Olson is an American former professional baseball player,coach,scout and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher from 1988 through 2001,most prominently as a member of the Baltimore Orioles where he established himself as one of the premier relief pitchers in the American League (AL). Olson was named the AL Rookie of the Year in 1989,his first full season in the major leagues and,the following season was named to his only American League All-Star team. He set an Orioles team record of 41 consecutive scoreless innings and,he holds the team record for career saves.
Faridoon Yu Darvish Sefat,more commonly known as Yu Darvish,is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). Darvish has also played in MLB for the Texas Rangers,Los Angeles Dodgers,and Chicago Cubs and in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. In international play,Darvish pitched in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2009 World Baseball Classic as a member of the Japan national baseball team.
Timothy Paul Stoddard is an American former professional baseball pitcher. A right-handed pitcher,he played for six different teams in Major League Baseball between 1975 and 1989,and was a member of the 1983 Baltimore Orioles championship team. He is currently the pitching coach for the baseball team at North Central College. Stoddard is one of only two men to have played in both a World Series and a Final Four of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship,along with fellow East Chicago Washington High School alumnus Kenny Lofton.
Norichika "Nori" Aoki is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers,Kansas City Royals,San Francisco Giants,Seattle Mariners,Houston Astros,Toronto Blue Jays,and New York Mets,and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
George Raymond Culver,is an American former professional baseball pitcher,who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians,Cincinnati Reds,St. Louis Cardinals,Houston Astros,Los Angeles Dodgers,and Philadelphia Phillies,from 1966 to 1974. He also pitched for the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Nippon-Ham Fighters,in 1975.
Fumio Fujimura was a Japanese baseball infielder and pitcher who played 22 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) from 1936 to 1958. He began his career as a stellar right-handed pitcher for the Osaka Tigers,but achieved his greatest fame as a hitter.
Hideo Fujimoto was a Japanese baseball pitcher. He holds the Japanese records for lowest career ERA (1.90) and seasonal ERA (0.73),as well as best all-time winning percentage (.697). During his career,which spanned the one-league and two-league era,he played for the Tokyo Kyojin/Yomiuri Giants and the Chunichi Dragons. He was the player-manager of the Giants in 1944 and part of 1946.
Shuichi Murata is a third baseman for the Tochigi Golden Braves of Baseball Challenge League. Murata led the Central League in home runs in both 2007 and 2008 and is one of the few pure home run hitters in Japanese professional baseball today. He played in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as well as the 2009 World Baseball Classic as a member of the Japanese national team and hit cleanup for much of the latter tournament.
Hiroshi Ohshita,also spelled Oshita,was a Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder who began his career after World War II. Known for his trademark blue bat,he hit a record 20 home runs in a season and was home run king and leading hitter three times for the Toei Flyers. Ohshita was also a heavy hitter with the Nishitetsu Lions of the Pacific League during the 1950s.
Shigeru Sugishita was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher and coach. Renowned for his forkball,Sugishita dominated the Central League from 1950–1955,winning more than 30 games twice,and garnering three Eiji Sawamura Awards. Sugishita usually split his time between starting games and pitching in relief. He played 11 seasons,ten of them for the Chunichi/Nagoya Dragons.