Tsuyoshi Wada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tsuyoshi Wada和田 毅 |
||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wada with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in 2016.
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Pitcher | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: February 21, 1981 Kōnan, Aichi, Japan |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Professional debut | ||||||||||||||||||||
| NPB: April 1, 2003, for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB: July 8, 2014, for the Chicago Cubs | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||||||||
| NPB: October 1, 2024, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB: September 4, 2015, for the Chicago Cubs | ||||||||||||||||||||
| NPB statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 160-89 | |||||||||||||||||||
| ERA | 3.18 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 1,901 (Team record) |
|||||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 5–5 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 3.36 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 88 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Tsuyoshi Wada (和田 毅, Wada Tsuyoshi, born February 21, 1981) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played most of his career in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He also played for the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Wada represented Japan in the Olympics in 2004 and 2008. He also played in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. During his college years at Waseda University, he set a record for strikeouts. In 2003, he was named the Pacific League Most Valuable Rookie.
Contents
Early Life and High School Baseball
Tsuyoshi Wada was born in Kōnan, Aichi, Japan. He started playing baseball when he was in first grade. He played for the Kōnan Danchi Baseball team.
In 1991, his family moved to Izumo, Shimane. Wada later attended Shimane Prefectural Hamada High School. In 1997, his team made it to the 79th National High School Baseball Championship. They lost in the first round in a close game.
The next year, in 1998, Wada's team returned to the national tournament. They won their first two games, reaching the quarter-finals. They lost a very close game in extra innings. Even though Wada had a triceps injury, his fastball was very effective. Players from other teams said it looked much faster than it was.
Wada is considered part of the "Matsuzaka Generation" of baseball players. This group includes players born around 1980 who played in the 1998 Summer Championship.
College Baseball Career
After high school, Wada went to Waseda University. He started playing college baseball in his first year. He worked hard to improve his pitching style. Within two months, his fastball speed increased a lot.
He became a full-time starter in his second year. He quickly became known for getting many strikeouts.
Leading Waseda University to Titles
In his senior year (2002), Wada wore uniform number 18. This number was special for the team's best left-handed pitcher. He helped Waseda win two Tokyo Big6 league titles. This was the first time since 1950 that the university won back-to-back titles.
Wada set a new Tokyo Big6 record for career strikeouts, with 476. He also set a Waseda record for wins by a left-handed pitcher. His final college record was 27 wins and 13 losses. His dedication inspired younger players who later became professionals.
Wada was a highly sought-after player. The Fukuoka Daiei Hawks signed him before the 2002 NPB draft.
Professional Baseball Career
Fukuoka (Daiei / SoftBank) Hawks: Early Years
2003: Rookie of the Year
Wada joined the Hawks' starting rotation in his rookie year, 2003. He made his professional debut on April 1. He earned his first win on April 8. On April 16, he pitched his first complete game shutout.
He finished the year with 14 wins and 5 losses. He had 195 strikeouts. He was named the Pacific League Most Valuable Rookie. He also helped the Hawks win the league title and the Japan Series championship. He pitched a complete game win in Game 7 of the Japan Series. This was a first for a rookie in Japan Series history.
Wada also played for the Japanese national team in the 2003 Asian Baseball Championship. He helped Japan qualify for the 2004 Athens Olympics.
2004: Olympic Medalist
Wada played in the 2004 Athens Olympics. He helped Japan win a bronze medal. He earned two wins against Canada. In the regular season, he had 10 wins and 6 losses.
2005-2007: Consistent Performance
In 2005, Wada started the Hawks' season opener. He finished the year with 12 wins and 8 losses. He became the first Hawks pitcher since 1960 to have double-digit wins in his first three seasons.
In 2006, Wada played in the first World Baseball Classic. He pitched two shutout innings for Japan against Mexico. Japan won the game and the tournament. In the regular season, he had a great year with 14 wins and 6 losses. His wife gave birth to their first child that year.
In 2007, Wada's ERA improved even more. He pitched the most innings and had the most strikeouts since his rookie year. He was the only active pitcher in the Hawks to have double-digit wins in his first five seasons. He had surgery on his left elbow during the season.
2008-2011: Injuries and MVP Season
In 2008, Wada started the season later due to elbow surgery. He was selected for the Japanese national team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Japan finished fourth. After returning, he pitched well but often lacked run support from his team.
In 2009, Wada was considered for the 2009 World Baseball Classic team. He was cut from the final team. He started the Hawks' season opener with 14 strikeouts. However, he had more injury trouble with left elbow inflammation. He missed most of the season.
In 2010, Wada had an excellent season. He won all five of his starts in interleague play. He was selected for the All-Star Series. Wada was named the Pacific League MVP for the 2010 season. He helped the Hawks win the regular season Pacific League pennant.
In 2011, Wada and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks won the 2011 Japan Series. They defeated the Chunichi Dragons in seven games.
Move to Major League Baseball (MLB)
2012-2015: Chicago Cubs
In December 2011, Wada signed a two-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles. However, he had Tommy John surgery in May 2012 for a torn ligament in his left elbow. He spent the rest of 2012 and part of 2013 recovering.
In 2014, Wada signed with the Chicago Cubs. He was called up to the Cubs on July 8. In 2014, Wada had 4 wins and 4 losses with a 3.25 ERA. His best game was on August 24, 2014, when he almost pitched a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles. He was removed after giving up only one hit, a solo home run. The Cubs won, and Wada got the win. He signed a new contract with the Cubs after the season. In 2015, he made seven starts before a shoulder injury. He returned later in the season as a relief pitcher.
Return to Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
2016: Strong Comeback
Wada returned to Japan and signed with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks for the 2016 season. He had a great year, finishing with 15 wins and 5 losses. He also had 157 strikeouts. He was honored as the Pacific League's wins champion and winning percentage leader.
2017-2019: Overcoming Injuries
In May 2017, Wada had left elbow surgery. He spent three months recovering. He returned in August and recorded his 1,500th career strikeout. He finished the 2017 season with 4 wins and 0 losses. In November, he started a game in the 2017 Japan Series.
Wada spent the 2018 season recovering from left shoulder pain.
In June 2019, Wada made a comeback. He finished the season with 4 wins and 4 losses. In October, he started a game in the 2019 Japan Series. He won the game, his first Japan Series win since his rookie year in 2003.
2020-2024: Setting Records
In 2020, Wada became the oldest pitcher in NPB history to win a League Championship game at age 39. He finished the season with 8 wins and 1 loss. He also pitched in Game 4 of the 2020 Japan Series, helping the Hawks win their fourth straight championship.
In August 2021, Wada had an unusual incident where his glove was stolen. He finished the season with a 4.48 ERA.
In July 2022, Wada broke the Hawks' team record for most strikeouts by a pitcher. He also recorded his 150th career win in NPB in September. He finished the season with 7 wins and 4 losses.
In April 2023, Wada became the oldest pitcher in Hawks history to record a win at 42 years and 1 month old. In July 2023, he played in the All-Star Game for the sixth time. At 42 years and 4 months, he set a new Pacific League record for the oldest player to play in the All-Star Game. He finished the season with 8 wins and 6 losses.
In 2024, Wada struggled with injuries. He announced his retirement on November 5, 2024.
Pitching Style
Tsuyoshi Wada is a left-handed pitcher. He is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 180 pounds. He has a unique way of throwing the ball. He keeps his throwing arm back and delays its swing. This makes it hard for hitters to guess his pitches.
His four-seam fastball is not super fast, usually around 88-89 mph. But it has good movement. He also throws a good slider, an occasional curveball, and a changeup.
Wada has good control over his pitches. He doesn't walk many batters. He has improved over his career in giving up fewer home runs.
Images for kids
-
Wada's first stint with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in 2009
