Junichi Tazawa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Junichi Tazawa田澤純一 |
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Tazawa with the Marlins in 2017
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| ENEOS – No. 36 | |||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: June 6, 1986 Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: August 7, 2009, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| CPBL: March 17, 2021, for the Wei Chuan Dragons | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2018 season) |
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| Win–loss record | 21–26 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.12 | ||
| Strikeouts | 374 | ||
| CPBL statistics (through 2021 season) |
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| Win–loss record | 4–4 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.56 | ||
| Strikeouts | 36 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Junichi Tazawa (born June 6, 1986) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher. He currently plays for ENEOS in Japan's Industrial League. Tazawa has also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for teams like the Boston Red Sox, Miami Marlins, and Los Angeles Angels. He also played in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) for the Wei Chuan Dragons.
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Junichi Tazawa's Early Baseball Days
After finishing high school in Yokohama, Japan, Junichi Tazawa did not join any of Japan's top professional baseball teams. Instead, he joined a company team called Nippon Oil in a league not connected to the main professional league.
In 2008, Tazawa had an amazing season with Nippon Oil. He won 10 games and lost only 1. His earned run average (ERA), which shows how many runs a pitcher allows, was very low at 1.02. He also struck out 95 batters in 88 innings. In the national company league championships, he pitched two games where the other team scored no runs. He was even named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the championships.
Playing Professional Baseball
In September 2008, Tazawa decided he wanted to play for a Major League Baseball team in the United States. He chose to skip the Japanese professional draft to do this. His manager encouraged him to try playing in MLB without first joining a Japanese professional team. This was unusual because most Japanese players join a team in Japan first.
To avoid problems between Japanese and U.S. teams, Tazawa asked Japanese teams not to pick him in their draft. They agreed. However, Japanese teams then made a rule. Any amateur player who signs with an overseas team must wait two to three years before they can join a Japanese team.
Time with the Boston Red Sox
On December 4, 2008, Junichi Tazawa signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox. He made his MLB debut on August 7, 2009. This made him one of the few Japanese players to play in Major League Baseball without first playing professionally in Japan.
Before joining the Red Sox, Tazawa played for their minor league teams. He played for the Portland Sea Dogs (a Double-A team) and the Pawtucket Red Sox (a Triple-A team). He did very well in the minor leagues, earning a spot on the Eastern League All-Star team.
When he first joined the Red Sox, Tazawa pitched in a game against the New York Yankees. He later made his first start as a pitcher on August 11, 2009, against the Detroit Tigers. He pitched five innings, allowing only one run, and helped his team win the game.
In April 2010, Tazawa had to have surgery on his right elbow. This type of surgery is called Tommy John surgery. It meant he couldn't play for the entire 2010 season. He returned to play a few games in 2011.
In 2012, Tazawa had a great season, allowing very few runs. In May 2013, he became a temporary closer for the Red Sox. A closer is a pitcher who finishes the game. He later became an important setup pitcher, helping the team win the 2013 World Series. He pitched very well in the playoffs, allowing only one run in 13 games.
Tazawa became a free agent after the 2016 season, meaning he could sign with any team.
Miami Marlins
On December 16, 2016, Tazawa signed a two-year contract with the Miami Marlins. He played for the Marlins in 2017 and part of 2018. He was released by the team in May 2018.
Los Angeles Angels
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After leaving the Marlins, Tazawa signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels in July 2018. He was called up to play in the major leagues in September 2018. He became a free agent again after that season.
Other Teams and Return to Japan
Tazawa also signed minor league contracts with the Chicago Cubs in 2019 and the Cincinnati Reds in 2019. He played for the Saitama Musashi Heat Bears in Japan's Baseball Challenge League in 2020.
In December 2020, Tazawa signed with the Wei Chuan Dragons in Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). He made his debut there in March 2021. He played in 58 games for the Dragons and earned 30 saves. A save is when a pitcher finishes a close game without letting the other team score too many runs. He was not re-signed for the 2022 season.
In May 2022, Tazawa signed with the Generales de Durango in the Mexican League. He was released in June 2022.
In September 2022, Tazawa returned to ENEOS, the semi-pro team in Japan where he played before joining MLB. He had led ENEOS to a championship in 2008 and won an MVP award.
How Junichi Tazawa Pitches
Junichi Tazawa uses three main pitches when he plays baseball:
- Fastball: This pitch is very fast, usually between 92 and 95 miles per hour. It can even reach up to 97 miles per hour!
- Curveball: This pitch is slower, around 73 to 77 miles per hour, and it curves as it approaches the batter.
- Forkball/Splitter: This pitch is thrown between 86 and 88 miles per hour. It looks like a fastball but drops suddenly as it gets to the batter, making it hard to hit.
See also
In Spanish: Junichi Tazawa para niños
