Koji Uehara facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Koji Uehara 上原 浩治
Uehara with the Yomiuri Giants in 2018
Pitcher
Born: (1975-04-03) April 3, 1975 (age 50) Neyagawa, Osaka, Japan
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Professional debut
NPB: March 29, 1999, for the Yomiuri Giants
MLB: April 8, 2009, for the Baltimore Orioles
Last appearance
MLB: September 2, 2017, for the Chicago Cubs
NPB: 2019, for the Yomiuri Giants
NPB statistics
Win–loss record	112–67
Earned run average	3.03
Strikeouts	1,410
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	22–26
Earned run average	2.66
Strikeouts	572
Saves	95
Teams
Yomiuri Giants (1999–2008) Baltimore Orioles (2009–2011) Texas Rangers (2011–2012) Boston Red Sox (2013–2016) Chicago Cubs (2017) Yomiuri Giants (2018–2019)
Career highlights and awards
NPB 9× All-Star (1999–2005, 2007, 2018) 2× Japan Series champion (2000, 2002) 2× Eiji Sawamura Award (1999, 2002) Triple Crown (1999) Central League Rookie of the Year (1999) 2× Golden Glove (1999, 2003) 2× Best Nine Award (1999, 2002) 2× NPB wins leader (1999, 2002) 2× NPB ERA leader (1999, 2004) 2× NPB strikeout leader (1999, 2003) MLB All-Star (2014) World Series champion (2013) ALCS MVP (2013)
Medals Men's baseball Representing JPN Intercontinental Cup Gold 1997 Barcelona Team Olympic Games Bronze 2004 Athens Team World Baseball Classic Gold 2006 San Diego Team

Koji Uehara (上原 浩治, Uehara Kōji); born on April 3, 1975, is a famous Japanese baseball player. He was a pitcher for many teams. These include the Yomiuri Giants in Japan and several teams in the United States. He played for the Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Koji Uehara was a right-handed pitcher. He was known for striking out many batters. He also walked very few batters. This means he threw the ball into the strike zone often. He won the 2013 ALCS Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award. He also helped his team win the 2013 World Series. With this win, Uehara became one of only 16 players ever to win both a World Series and a World Baseball Classic.

Koji Uehara's Baseball Journey

Starting Out: Amateur Career

Koji Uehara went to the Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences. In 1998, he had a big choice to make. He turned down a large contract from a team in the U.S., the Anaheim Angels. Instead, he decided to sign with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan. Many other big teams in the U.S. also wanted him.

Playing for the Yomiuri Giants

The Yomiuri Giants picked Koji Uehara in the first round of their draft in 1998. He had an amazing first year in 1999! He won 15 games in a row, which was a new record for a rookie. He also won the Nippon Professional Baseball Rookie of the Year Award and the Eiji Sawamura Award. He led the league in wins, ERA (Earned Run Average), and strikeouts.

Uehara with the Yomiuri Giants in 2006

In 2001, Uehara had a tougher year. But he bounced back in 2002. He led his league in wins again and won his second Sawamura Award. After that season, he played for Japan in a special series against MLB players. He even struck out famous player Barry Bonds three times in one game! This made him well-known in American baseball.

In 2007, Uehara was injured early in the season. When he returned, he became a "closer." A closer is a pitcher who finishes the game. He did very well in this new role. He had a low ERA and many saves. Even though he was good as a closer, he went back to being a starting pitcher in 2008. After that season, he left the Giants. He became a free agent, which meant he could play for any team, including those in Major League Baseball.

Joining the Baltimore Orioles

Uehara pitching for the Baltimore Orioles in 2009

On January 13, 2009, Koji Uehara signed a two-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles. He started the 2009 season as one of their main starting pitchers. He made his first MLB appearance on April 8 against the New York Yankees. Uehara won that game.

He had some injuries in 2009. In 2010, he became a "setup reliever." This means he pitched before the closer. He had a good year with a low ERA. In the first half of 2011, he continued to pitch very well.

Playing for the Texas Rangers

Uehara with the Texas Rangers in 2012

On July 30, 2011, Uehara was traded to the Texas Rangers. He joined his old high school teammate, Yoshinori Tateyama, there. While he started the season strong with the Orioles, his time with the Rangers was a bit harder. He struggled in the playoffs and was not on the team for the World Series.

In 2012, Uehara stayed with the Rangers. He had a much better year with a very low ERA. However, he was injured again and played in fewer games. After the season, he became a free agent.

Becoming a Boston Red Sox Star

On December 6, 2012, Uehara signed a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. He became the team's closer after other players got injured.

Uehara with the Boston Red Sox in 2013

In 2013, Uehara had an amazing year. He set a record for pitchers with a very low WHIP (Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched). This means very few batters got on base against him. He also retired 37 batters in a row, which was a team record. He finished the regular season with a fantastic ERA and many saves.

Uehara was a key player in the 2013 ALCS (American League Championship Series). He was named the ALCS Most Valuable Player. He pitched very well, not allowing any walks and striking out many batters. He helped the Red Sox win the AL pennant.

In the 2013 World Series, Uehara continued to shine. He made a smart play in Game 4, picking off a runner. In Game 5, he got his seventh save of the postseason, tying a record. He threw the final pitch in Game 6, helping the Red Sox win the World Series! After the win, his teammate David Ortiz playfully lifted Uehara onto his shoulder.

In 2014, Uehara was chosen for his first All-Star Game. He signed a new contract with the Red Sox in October 2014. In 2015, he was the closer again, but he got injured when a batted ball hit his wrist. He finished the 2015 season early. In 2016, he had a good year and helped the Red Sox reach the playoffs. After the 2016 season, he became a free agent.

Time with the Chicago Cubs

Uehara pitching for the Chicago Cubs in 2017

On December 14, 2016, Uehara signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. He played for them during the 2017 season. After that year, he became a free agent again.

Returning to the Yomiuri Giants

On March 9, 2018, Uehara signed a contract to return to the Yomiuri Giants in Japan. This was his first time playing in Japan since 2008. He was chosen for the 2018 NPB All-Star game. On July 20, 2018, Uehara made history. He became only the second pitcher ever to have 100 wins, 100 holds, and 100 saves combined between Japanese and American baseball. He signed with the Giants again for 2019.

Retirement from Baseball

After playing nine games for the Yomiuri Giants in 2019, Koji Uehara announced he was retiring from professional baseball. He was 44 years old. Uehara played in a total of 748 games across both MLB and NPB. He finished his career with a combined ERA of 2.93, nearly 2,000 strikeouts, 134 wins, and 128 saves. He is known as MLB's all-time leader in strikeout-to-walk ratio among relievers. This means he was incredibly good at striking out batters without giving up walks.

Playing for His Country: International Career

Koji Uehara played for the Japanese national baseball team many times. He played in the Olympic Games twice. He also played in the first World Baseball Classic. He has an amazing record in international games, with 12 wins and 2 saves, and no losses!

He was part of the Japanese team that won the bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. In 2006, he helped Team Japan win the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Japan beat Cuba to become champions, and Uehara led the tournament in strikeouts. He also got his first international save against Korea in 2007.

Uehara was chosen for the Japanese team for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He helped his team with a shutout inning against Chinese Taipei. He also earned an Olympic save against Canada. Japan finished fourth in those Games.

Koji Uehara's Life Off the Field

Koji Uehara is friends with former MLB pitcher Roger Clemens. They first met when Clemens visited Japan in 2004. Uehara married his wife, Miho, in 2004. During his time playing in MLB, Uehara lived with his family in Baltimore. He said he wanted his son, Kazuma, to have good educational chances there.

See also

In Spanish: Koji Uehara para niños