Toshiya Sugiuchi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Toshiya Sugiuchi |
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Sugiuchi with the Yomiuri Giants
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| Yomiuri Giants – No. 101 | |||||||||||||||||
| Starting pitcher / Coach | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: October 30, 1980 Kasuga, Fukuoka, Japan |
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| debut | |||||||||||||||||
| April 1, 2002, for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks | |||||||||||||||||
| NPB statistics (through 2015 season) |
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| Win–loss | 142–77 | ||||||||||||||||
| ERA | 2.95 | ||||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 2,156 | ||||||||||||||||
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As player
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Toshiya Sugiuchi (杉内 俊哉, Sugiuchi Toshiya, born October 30, 1980 in Kasuga, Fukuoka, Japan) is a famous Japanese baseball player. He was a left-handed starting pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants. He is now a coach for the team.
Sugiuchi won the Eiji Sawamura Award in 2005. This award is given to the best pitcher in Japanese baseball. He has played for Japan in many big international games. These include the 2000 Sydney and 2008 Beijing Olympics. He also played in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic tournaments.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Toshiya Sugiuchi was born in Kasuga, Japan. He grew up in Ōnojō, Fukuoka. He started playing baseball in fourth grade. He played for the Onojo Little League team. At first, he was an outfielder, then a first baseman.
In sixth grade, he became a pitcher. He was the best pitcher on his team. He led them to the national tournament. In junior high, he helped his team reach the finals of another national tournament.
High School Baseball Journey
Sugiuchi went to Kagoshima Jitsugyo High School. He played in Japan's two biggest high school baseball tournaments. He played in them a total of three times.
In 1998, as a senior, Sugiuchi played against another top pitcher, Hiroshi Kisanuki. Sugiuchi's team won 3–1. This win sent them to the national championship.
Sugiuchi became well-known when he threw a no-hitter in a championship game. He struck out 16 batters. However, his team then played a very strong team from Yokohama Senior High. This team had future stars like Daisuke Matsuzaka. Sugiuchi struggled in that game.
After high school, Sugiuchi decided not to join a professional team right away. Instead, he joined an industrial league team. These are amateur teams made up of company employees. He joined Mitsubishi Heavy Industries–Nagasaki.
Industrial League Career Highlights
Sugiuchi played in the industrial leagues for three years. In 2000, he helped his team, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-Nagasaki, get into the Intercity Baseball Tournament. His team made it to the quarter-finals.
After this tournament, Sugiuchi was chosen for the Japanese national team. He played in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Japan finished fourth in that competition.
In 2001, his team won their first tournament title. Sugiuchi pitched very well in the semi-finals. During his time in the industrial leagues, he worked hard on his fastball. It became much faster.
In 2001, the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks chose Sugiuchi in the draft. They gave him uniform number 47. This was the same number as his childhood hero, Kimiyasu Kudo.
Professional Baseball Journey
Early Years: 2002–2004
Sugiuchi only won two games in his first professional season in 2002. During the off-season, he changed his pitching style. He decided to pitch only from the "stretch" position. This change helped him a lot.
In 2003, he had a great season, winning 10 games. He was a key part of the starting rotation. The Hawks won their league title. Sugiuchi then started two games in the 2003 Japan Series. He won both games and was named the Japan Series Most Valuable Player.
In 2004, Sugiuchi had a tough start. In one game, he got so frustrated that he hit his hands on a bench. He broke bones in both hands. He needed surgery and was out for three months. The team fined him for his actions.
Breakout Season: 2005 Success
Sugiuchi came back strong in 2005. He won the Pacific League MVP award for April and May. He quickly got his first 10 wins. He finished the season with 18 wins and only 4 losses. His ERA was 2.11, which was excellent. He also struck out 218 batters.
He led the league in wins and ERA. He was also voted the Eiji Sawamura Award winner and the league's Most Valuable Player. He had an amazing season with no hit-batters, wild pitches, balks, or errors.
Playing for Japan: 2006 World Baseball Classic
In 2006, Sugiuchi played for Japan in the first-ever World Baseball Classic. He pitched in two games but did not get a win. He struggled a bit during the rest of the 2006 season. He won 7 games and lost 5.
Comeback and Consistency: 2007–2008
Sugiuchi had another great year in 2007. He won 15 games and lost 6. His ERA was 2.46. He struck out 187 batters. He pitched a career-high 197 innings. He also had five complete games and three shutouts. He became the team's main pitcher after an injury to their ace, Kazumi Saito.
In 2008, Sugiuchi had another good season. He won 10 games and struck out a league-leading 213 batters. His ERA was 2.66. He missed some time playing for Japan in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This was the first time he had double-digit wins and over 140 innings in back-to-back seasons.
International Play and Milestones: 2009
In 2009, Sugiuchi played for Japan in the second World Baseball Classic. This was his fourth time playing in a major international event. He was used as a reliever in this tournament. He pitched very well, not allowing any hits in over six innings. He even got a save in a game against Cuba.
On April 5, 2009, Sugiuchi reached 1,000 career strikeouts. He was the fourth-fastest pitcher in Japanese baseball history to do this. He also reached 1,000 career innings pitched later that month.
Challenges and Triumphs: 2010 Season
Sugiuchi started the 2010 season as the Opening Day pitcher. He won his first game against star pitcher Yu Darvish. He continued to win games, though he wasn't always as dominant as before. He had a complete-game shutout in April.
He faced some challenges in June, giving up six runs in one game. This was his shortest start in a long time. However, he bounced back with several good starts, including two more complete games. He also started the second game of the 2010 All-Star Series.
Towards the end of the 2010 season, Sugiuchi had a tough period. But in a crucial game on September 25, he pitched a shutout against Darvish and the Fighters. This win helped his team stay in the lead for the league title. After the game, a very relieved Sugiuchi cried during his interview. He was happy he could deliver when his team needed him most.
Pitching Style and Strengths
Toshiya Sugiuchi is a left-handed pitcher. He is known for his smooth pitching motion. Even though he is not very tall (about 5 feet 9 inches), he is excellent at striking out batters. He averages more than one strikeout per inning.
He throws a four-seam fastball that can reach 93 miles per hour. He also uses a good slider, a strong changeup, and sometimes a curveball.
Sugiuchi is unique because he pitches only from the "stretch" position. He has great control over all his pitches. He is also good at hiding the ball with his glove during his delivery.
The Japanese media has called Sugiuchi "Mr. May." This is because he has had so much success in the month of May throughout his career. He won the Pacific League MVP award for May three times. He had a winning streak of 13-0 in May games from 2007 onwards.
Images for kids
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Sugiuchi with the Yomiuri Giants
