Munenori Kawasaki (川﨑宗則, Kawasaki Munenori, born June 3, 1981) is a Japanese former professional baseball player. He played as a shortstop and second baseman. Kawasaki played for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan. He also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, and Chicago Cubs. He was part of the Japanese national team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He also played in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics. Kawasaki retired from professional baseball in 2018. He later played for the Tochigi Golden Braves in Japan's Baseball Challenge League until 2025.

Early Life and Baseball Start

Kawasaki was born in Aira, a place in southern Japan. He started playing baseball because his older brother loved the sport. When he was younger, Kawasaki was a pitcher. But when he went to Kagoshima Prefectural Technical High School, he changed to playing shortstop.

During his high school years, Kawasaki was not widely known. His team did not make it to any big national tournaments. However, he became famous in his local area. People called him Satsurō. This nickname combined "Satsuma" (an old name for a part of Kagoshima) and "Ichiro". It was because his playing style was similar to the famous player Ichiro Suzuki. In 1999, the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks picked him in the fourth round of the NPB draft.

Professional Baseball Career

Playing for Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

Early Years (2000–2002)

In his first year (2000), Kawasaki became the starting shortstop for the Hawks' minor league team. He had a good batting average of .300. In 2001, he was second in the Western League with 29 stolen bases. He played his first major league game on October 3, 2001. He was the starting shortstop and the second hitter.

In 2002, Kawasaki hit .367 in the Western League. He won the batting title. 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 second baseman for the main team. He also played for the Japanese national team in an international cup.

Becoming a Star (2003–2005)

In 2003, Kawasaki started the season as the Hawks' shortstop. He moved to third base later. He was great at running the bases. He hit his first home run on July 28. He finished the season with a .294 batting average, two home runs, 51 RBI, and 30 stolen bases. He helped the Hawks win the league title and the Japan Series championship.

Kawasaki became the Hawks' main shortstop in 2004. He played in all 133 games. He hit over .300 for the first time. He led the league in hits (174) and stolen bases (42). He won the Best Nine Award and the Golden Glove Award. He kept his uniform number, 52. This was a tribute to Ichiro Suzuki, who wore number 51.

In 2005, Kawasaki's batting average dropped to .271. He had 36 RBI and 21 stolen bases. Even so, he was chosen to play for the Japanese national team in the first World Baseball Classic.

Later Years with Hawks (2006–2011)

After winning the World Baseball Classic, Kawasaki played very well in 2006. He hit a career-high .312. He won the Best Nine and Golden Glove awards again. He was chosen for the MLB Japan All-Star Series. However, he had to withdraw due to a finger injury.

Kawasaki had several injuries in 2007. He played only 95 games. But he still hit .329, which was a career high.

In 2008, Kawasaki continued to deal with injuries. He played well in interleague games, hitting .366. He led the NPB with 37 hits. This helped the Hawks win their first interleague title. He was named the interleague Most Valuable Player. He was chosen for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But he was diagnosed with a foot injury during the tournament. He returned to play in the last game of the season.

Playing in Major League Baseball (MLB)

Seattle Mariners (2012)

Kawasaki playing for the Seattle Mariners in 2012.

Kawasaki signed a contract with the Seattle Mariners in 2012. He played his first game for them on March 2, 2012. He was the starting shortstop.

The Mariners released Kawasaki on October 24, 2012. He had a batting average of .192 in 61 games.

Toronto Blue Jays (2013–2015)

Kawasaki on April 15, 2013, playing for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Kawasaki joined the Toronto Blue Jays in March 2013. He started the season with their Triple-A team. He was called up to the Blue Jays on April 13. He became the first Japanese position player to play for Toronto.

On May 26, Kawasaki got his first MLB walk-off hit. It was a two-run double that won the game. On June 21, he hit his first MLB home run. It was a two-run shot that tied the game. The Blue Jays won that game and extended their winning streak. Kawasaki was 32 years old, making him the oldest Blue Jay to hit his first home run.

He was sent back and forth between the Blue Jays and their minor league team several times. He finished the 2013 season with a .229 batting average, one home run, and 24 RBI in 96 games. He won the GIBBY award for "Topic of the Year" for a funny post-game speech he gave.

Kawasaki celebrating with then-GM Alex Anthopoulos after the Blue Jays won the American League East title in 2015.

In 2014, Kawasaki signed another contract with the Blue Jays. He played in 82 games and hit .258 with 17 RBI. In 2015, he played in 23 games. He batted .214 with 2 RBI. Even though he didn't play in the playoffs, he traveled with the team. He was in the dugout for every playoff game.

Chicago Cubs (2016)

In 2016, Kawasaki signed with the Chicago Cubs. He played in 14 games. He hit .333 with an RBI and two stolen bases. The Cubs had a great season and won the 2016 World Series. This ended their 108-year wait for a championship. Kawasaki was not eligible to play in the playoffs. But he traveled with the team and celebrated with them. He received a World Series ring.

Return to Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2017)

On March 31, 2017, Kawasaki signed again with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He won his fourth Japan Series with the Hawks in 2017. He hit .241 with 4 RBI in 42 games. On March 26, 2018, Kawasaki left the Hawks. He said he was stepping away from baseball because of a nerve problem.

Later Career (2019–2025)

In 2019, Kawasaki became a guest coach for the Wei Chuan Dragons in Taiwan. He later became a player-coach but did not play in any games.

On September 7, 2020, Kawasaki signed with the Tochigi Golden Braves in Japan. He hit a home run on the first pitch in his debut game on September 13, 2020. He continued to play for the Golden Braves in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

International Baseball Career

2006 World Baseball Classic

Kawasaki playing for Japan in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.

Kawasaki was the starting shortstop for Japan in the first World Baseball Classic. He helped Japan win the championship. In the final game against Cuba, Kawasaki scored a key run. He cleverly avoided the catcher's tag to score.

Japanese media called this play "The Right Hand of God." However, Kawasaki injured his right elbow on the play. He could not play in the regular season until mid-April.

2008 Beijing Olympics

In 2008, Kawasaki played in the Olympics for the first time. He played in three games. He went four-for-seven and scored two runs. But he had a foot injury. Japan finished fourth in the tournament.

2009 World Baseball Classic

Kawasaki played in the World Baseball Classic again in 2009. He played in five games. He helped Japan win against the United States in the semi-finals. He started at third base and had two hits, a steal, and an RBI.

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 great 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 was five home runs in a season.

Kawasaki is considered a good base stealer. He led the league in steals in 2004 with 42.

Fielding Skills

Kawasaki won the Golden Glove award twice. He is excellent at shortstop. He has great range and knows where to be on the field. His throwing has also improved a lot. He can play all four infield positions, including first base.

Personal Life

Munenori Kawasaki is married and has one son, who was born in 2013.

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