Munenori Kawasaki facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Munenori Kawasaki川崎宗則 |
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Kawasaki with the Chicago Cubs in 2016
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| Tochigi Golden Braves – No. 52 | |||||||||||||||||
| Shortstop / Second baseman | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: June 3, 1981 Aira, Kagoshima, Japan |
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| Professional debut | |||||||||||||||||
| NPB: October 3, 2001, for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks | |||||||||||||||||
| MLB: April 7, 2012, for the Seattle Mariners | |||||||||||||||||
| NPB statistics (through 2017 season) |
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| Batting average | .292 | ||||||||||||||||
| Hits | 1,376 | ||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 27 | ||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 373 | ||||||||||||||||
| Stolen bases | 267 | ||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through 2016 season) |
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| Batting average | .237 | ||||||||||||||||
| Hits | 150 | ||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 51 | ||||||||||||||||
| Stolen bases | 12 | ||||||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
NPB
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Medals
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Munenori Kawasaki (川﨑 宗則, Kawasaki Munenori, born June 3, 1981) is a Japanese former professional baseball shortstop and second baseman. He played for the Tochigi Golden Braves in Japan's Baseball Challenge League. Before that, Kawasaki played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, and Chicago Cubs.
Kawasaki was a member of the Japanese national team. He played in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He also joined the team for the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics. He officially retired from baseball in 2018 at age 36.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Kawasaki was born in Aira, Kagoshima, a prefecture in southern Japan. He started playing baseball because his older brother loved the sport. In his younger years, Kawasaki was a pitcher. However, when he went to Kagoshima Prefectural Technical High School, he switched to playing shortstop.
During his high school career, Kawasaki wasn't widely known across Japan. His team didn't make it to any national tournaments. Still, he became famous in his local area. People called him Satsurō. This nickname combined "Satsuma" (an old name for a region in Kagoshima) with the first name of baseball star Ichiro Suzuki. Kawasaki was compared to Ichiro because of their similar playing styles. In 1999, the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks picked him in the fourth round of the NPB amateur draft.
Professional Baseball Career
Playing for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Starting His Career (2000–2002)
Kawasaki quickly became the starting shortstop for the Hawks' nigun team. This is like a minor league or farm team in Japan. In his first season (2000), he hit .300. In 2001, he had 29 stolen bases, which was second-best in his league.
He made his first appearance in the ichigun (major league) on October 3, 2001. He played shortstop and batted second. In 2002, Kawasaki had a great year in the minor league, hitting .367. He got his first major league hit on June 15, 2002. He also got his first stolen base on June 19. Later that year, he played for the Japanese national team in an international tournament.
Becoming a Star (2003–2005)
In 2003, Kawasaki became a regular player for the Hawks. He started at shortstop and then moved to third base. He was very good at running the bases. On July 28, he hit his first career home run. He finished the season hitting .294 with two home runs, 51 RBI, and 30 stolen bases. He helped the Hawks win their league title and the Japan Series championship.
For the 2004 season, Kawasaki became the Hawks' main shortstop. He played in all 133 games. He hit over .300 for the first time in his career. He led the league in hits (174) and stolen bases (42). He also won the Best Nine Award and Golden Glove Award. Kawasaki kept his uniform number 52 as a tribute to his idol, Ichiro Suzuki, who wore number 51.
In 2005, Kawasaki's batting average dropped a bit to .271. However, he was still chosen to play for the Japanese national team in the first-ever World Baseball Classic.
Later Years with the Hawks (2006–2011)
After winning the World Baseball Classic, Kawasaki had a strong 2006 season. He hit a career-high .312. He won the Best Nine and Golden Glove awards again. In 2007, he dealt with some injuries, playing in only 95 games.
In 2008, Kawasaki continued to face injuries. Despite this, he hit very well in interleague games, leading the NPB with 37 hits. He helped the Hawks win their first interleague title and was named the interleague Most Valuable Player. He also played in the 2008 Beijing Olympics for Japan. However, he was found to have a foot injury during the tournament. He returned for the last game of the season.
Playing in Major League Baseball (MLB)
Seattle Mariners (2012)
Kawasaki signed a contract with the Seattle Mariners before the 2012 Major League Baseball season. He made his professional American debut on March 2, 2012. He played in 61 games for the Mariners, hitting .192. The Mariners released him in October 2012.
Toronto Blue Jays (2013–2015)
Kawasaki joined the Toronto Blue Jays in March 2013. He started the season in the minor leagues. He was called up to the Blue Jays on April 13 when another player was injured. He became the first Japanese position player to play for Toronto.
On May 26, 2013, Kawasaki hit his first MLB walk-off hit. This means his hit ended the game by scoring the winning run. On June 21, he hit his first MLB home run, which tied the game. The Blue Jays went on to win that game. Kawasaki, at 32, was the oldest Blue Jays player to hit his first home run. He became very popular with fans for his energy and fun personality.
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He finished the 2013 season with a .229 batting average, one home run, and 24 RBI in 96 games. He won an award called the GIBBY award for "Topic of the Year" for a funny post-game speech he gave. In the speech, he said:
"Thank you very much. My name is Munenori Kawasaki, I come from Japan, I am Japaneeeeese. My teammates gave me an opportunity, so I wanted to do something about it."
—Munenori Kawasaki, GIBBY Topic of the Year award-winning post-game speech on May 26.
Kawasaki signed with the Blue Jays again for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. He spent time going back and forth between the major league team and the minor league team. In 2014, he played in 82 games and hit .258. In 2015, he played in 23 games. Even though he didn't play in the playoffs, he traveled with the team and was in the dugout for every game.
Chicago Cubs (2016)
In 2016, Kawasaki signed with the Chicago Cubs. He played in 14 games, hitting .333. The Cubs had a fantastic season, winning 103 games and their division. They went on to win the 2016 World Series, ending a 108-year championship drought! Kawasaki wasn't eligible to play in the playoffs, but he traveled with the team and celebrated with them. He even received a World Series ring.
He signed another minor league contract with the Cubs in 2017 but was released before the season started.
Return to Japan and Later Career
On March 31, 2017, Kawasaki signed again with his old team, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He helped them win his fourth Japan Series championship in 2017. In March 2018, he left the Hawks and said he was stepping away from baseball due to a nerve issue.
In 2019, Kawasaki became a guest coach and then a player-coach for the Wei Chuan Dragons in Taiwan. In 2020, he signed with the Tochigi Golden Braves in Japan's Baseball Challenge League. He even hit a home run on the first pitch he saw in his debut for them! He continued to play for the Golden Braves in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
International Baseball for Japan
2006 World Baseball Classic
Kawasaki was the starting shortstop for Japan in the first World Baseball Classic in 2006. He played a big part in Japan winning the championship. In the final game against Cuba, Kawasaki scored a key run. He slid around the catcher and touched home plate with his right hand to score.
This play was called "The Right Hand of God" by the Japanese media. However, Kawasaki injured his right elbow on the play and missed some time in the regular season.
2008 Beijing Olympics
In 2008, Kawasaki played in the Olympics for Japan for the first time. He played in three games, getting four hits. Japan finished fourth in the tournament.
2009 World Baseball Classic
Kawasaki played for Japan again in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He played in five games, mostly as a pinch hitter. He was very important in Japan's win over the United States in the semi-finals. He started at third base and had two hits and a stolen base.
Playing Style
Hitting and Base Running
Kawasaki is about 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 175 pounds. He is known as a slap hitter. This means he uses his excellent bat control and speed to get on base. He often bunts safely to get a hit. He doesn't hit many home runs. His highest in a season was five.
Kawasaki is considered a good base stealer. He led the league in stolen bases in 2004 with 42.
Fielding Skills
Kawasaki has won the Golden Glove award twice. This shows he is an excellent fielder. He has great range and instincts at shortstop. He has also improved his throwing a lot. He is a very flexible fielder, meaning he can play many positions. He has played all four infield positions (first, second, third base, and shortstop) in his career.
Personal Life
Munenori Kawasaki is married and has one son, who was born in 2013.
Images for kids
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Kawasaki with the Chicago Cubs in 2016
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Kawasaki playing for the Seattle Mariners in 2012
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Kawasaki with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2013
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Kawasaki celebrating the Blue Jays American League East title in 2015
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Kawasaki playing for Japan in the 2006 World Baseball Classic
