Tadahito Iguchi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tadahito Iguchi |
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Iguchi with the Chiba Lotte Marines
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| Second baseman / First baseman / Manager | ||||||||||||||
| Born: December 4, 1974 Nishitōkyō, Tokyo Japan |
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| Professional debut | ||||||||||||||
| NPB: May 3, 1997, for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks | ||||||||||||||
| MLB: April 4, 2005, for the Chicago White Sox | ||||||||||||||
| MLB: September 28, | ||||||||||||||
| NPB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .270 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 251 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 1,017 | |||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .268 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 44 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 205 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
As player
As manager
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Tadahito Iguchi (井口 資仁, Iguchi Tadahito, born December 4, 1974), often called "Gucci", is a Japanese former professional baseball player. He played as a second baseman and later became a manager for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
In 2005, Tadahito Iguchi made history. He was the first Japanese player in a position other than pitcher to win the World Series. He achieved this amazing feat with the Chicago White Sox.
Early Life and Amateur Baseball Career
Tadahito Iguchi was born in Tanashi, Tokyo, Japan. He started playing baseball in high school. After graduating in 1993, he went to Aoyama Gakuin University. There, he became famous for hitting eight home runs in one season. This was a record for the Tohto University Baseball League. He also won the "triple crown" for hitting, which means he led the league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in.
In 1996, Iguchi was part of the Japan national baseball team. They competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics and won a silver medal.
Professional Baseball Journey
Starting with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
In 1996, Tadahito Iguchi was the very first player chosen in the draft by the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks.
He had an amazing start in his first professional game in 1997. He hit a grand slam, which is a home run with all bases loaded. In 2000, he had a shoulder injury that needed surgery, and he missed the rest of the season. After that season, he changed the Kanji characters of his first name. He fully recovered in 2001. That year, he hit 30 home runs and led the league with 44 stolen bases. In 2003, he had a batting average over .300, more than 100 RBI, and again led the league in steals.
Playing for the Chicago White Sox
After the 2004 season, Iguchi left Japan to play for the Chicago White Sox in Major League Baseball (MLB). In the 2005 MLB season, he had a .278 batting average, 15 home runs, and 15 stolen bases.
During the 2005 AL Division Series, he hit a crucial 3-run home run in Game 2. This helped the White Sox win against the Boston Red Sox. The White Sox went on to sweep Boston and eventually won the World Series championship.
In 2006, Iguchi had two games where he hit multiple home runs. In both games, he hit a grand slam and another home run. One of these games included a big argument between the teams. On April 15, 2006, he made an incredible defensive play. He fell while trying to field a slow ball but still managed to throw the runner out from the ground!
Time with the Philadelphia Phillies
On July 27, 2007, Iguchi was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. He was the first player from Asia to join the Phillies team.
Short Stay with the San Diego Padres
On December 18, 2007, Iguchi signed a one-year contract with the San Diego Padres. He played for them until September 1, 2008, when he was released.
Returning to the Philadelphia Phillies
Just a few days later, on September 5, 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies signed Iguchi again. This was his second time playing for the team in less than 14 months. Because he joined after September 1, he could not play in the team's postseason games. So, he was not with the Phillies when they won the World Series that year. However, he still received a World Series ring for his contributions to the team.
Back to Japan with the Chiba Lotte Marines
On January 19, 2009, Tadahito Iguchi returned to Japan. He joined the Chiba Lotte Marines team. He played for them until the end of the 2017 season. After that season, he announced he was retiring from playing baseball.
Becoming a Manager
On October 12, 2017, Tadahito Iguchi was hired as the manager for the Chiba Lotte Marines. He took over the role after the previous manager stepped down. He managed the team for several seasons.
On October 2, 2022, he announced that he was stepping down as the team's manager.
