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 famous Japanese professional baseball player. He played as a second baseman and later became a manager. He managed the Chiba Lotte Marines team in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
A big moment in his career was in 2005. He played for the Chicago White Sox and helped them win the World Series. This made him the first Japanese player in a position other than pitcher to win a World Series.
Contents
Early Life and Amateur Baseball Career
Tadahito Iguchi was born in Tanashi, Tokyo, Japan. He started playing baseball in high school. After finishing high school in 1993, he went to Aoyama Gakuin University.
At university, he became a standout player. He set a record in the Tohto University Baseball League. He hit eight home runs in one season. He also won the "triple crown," 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 played in the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. His team won the silver medal for baseball.
Professional Baseball Journey
Starting with Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
After his amazing college career, Tadahito Iguchi was the first player chosen in the 1996 baseball draft. He was picked by the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks.
In 1997, his very first year as a professional, he hit a grand slam in his first game! A grand slam is a home run hit when all three bases are loaded with runners. This means four runs are scored.
In 2000, he had a shoulder injury and needed surgery. This ended his season early. After that season, he changed the Kanji characters of his first name. He fully recovered in 2001. That year, he hit 30 home runs. He also led the league with 44 stolen bases, which was his personal best. In 2003, he had a batting average over .300. He also had over 100 RBI (runs batted in) and again led the league in stolen bases.
Playing for the Chicago White Sox
After the 2004 season, Iguchi left Japan. He moved to the United States to play for the Chicago White Sox. In the 2005 MLB season, he had a .278 batting average. He also hit 15 home runs and stole 15 bases.
In the 2005 AL Division Series, he hit a big 3-run home run. This helped the White Sox win Game 2 against the Boston Red Sox. The White Sox went on to sweep the series. Three weeks later, they won the World Series championship!
In 2006, Iguchi had two games where he hit more than one home run. In both games, he hit a grand slam and another home run. One of these games was on May 20, which included a famous fight between the Cubs and White Sox.
On April 15, 2006, he made an amazing defensive play. He fell down while fielding a slow ball hit by Bengie Molina. Even from the ground, he threw the ball to first base. He still got Molina out!
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 Time with San Diego Padres
On December 18, 2007, Iguchi signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Padres. He played for them until September 1, 2008, when he was released.
Returning to the 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 the Phillies 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 part in the team.
Back to Japan with Chiba Lotte Marines
On January 19, 2009, Tadahito Iguchi returned to Japan. He joined the Chiba Lotte Marines team. He continued to play baseball there until the end of the 2017 season. After that season, he announced he was retiring from playing baseball.
Coaching and Managing Career
After retiring as a player, Iguchi moved into coaching. On October 12, 2017, he was hired as the manager of the Chiba Lotte Marines. He took over the role after the previous manager stepped down.
He managed the team for several years. On October 2, 2022, he announced that he was stepping down as the team's manager.
Images for kids
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Iguchi playing second base for the White Sox in 2006.
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Iguchi with the San Diego Padres
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Iguchi with the Chiba Lotte Marines
