| Kenji Yoshitsuru | |
|---|---|
 Kenji Yoshitsuru, coach of the Chiba Lotte Marines, at Chiba Marine Stadium. | |
| Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – No. 95 | |
| Catcher / Coach | |
| Born: May 3, 1971 Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| NPB debut | |
| April 11, 1993, for the Chunichi Dragons | |
| Last appearance | |
| 2, 2002, for the Chiba Lotte Marines | |
| NPB statistics (through 2002) | |
| Batting average | .236 |
| Hits | 147 |
| Home runs | 9 |
| Runs batted in | 59 |
| Stolen base | 6 |
| Teams | |
As player
As coach
| |
Kenji Yoshitsuru (吉鶴 憲治, Yoshitsuru Kenji, born May 3, 1971) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball catcher, and current the third squad battery coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).[1][2]
He previously played for the Chunichi Dragons, the Chiba Lotte Marines.
Professional career
[edit]Active player era
[edit]On November 21, 1992, Yoshitsuru was drafted fourth round pick by the Chunichi Dragons in the 1992 Nippon Professional Baseball draft.[3]
He made his debut in the Central League during the 1993 season, played 24 games.[3]
He played three seasons with the Dragons, but in 1996, his fourth season, he was traded to the Chiba Lotte Marines along with Tsuyoshi Yoda.[3]
He played in a career-high 98 games for the Marines during the 1997 season and set a career-high .283 batting average during the 1998 season, and he played 10 seasons with the Marines and retired after the 2002 season.[3]
In his 10-season career, Yoshitsuru played a total of 389 games, batting .236 with 147 hits, nine home runs, and 59 RBI.
After retirement
[edit]After his retirement, Yoshitsuru was the battery coach for the Chiba Lotte Marines from the 2003 season through the 2016 season.[4]
He became the third squad battery coach for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in the 2017 season and moved to first squad battery coach for the 2018 season.[4][5]
He will serve as the third squad battery coach for the second time during the 2023 season.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks press release 2022/11/28(月) プレスリリース 2023年コーチングスタッフについて(2022年11月28日現在)". Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site (in Japanese). November 28, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "Kenji Yoshitsuru". Baseball Reference. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
- ^ a b c d ""Weekly Baseball online player data 吉鶴憲治(よしつるけんじ) 捕手 右投右打" (in Japanese). Weekly Baseball online. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ a b "Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks press release 2016/11/5(土) プレスリリース 新入団コーチのお知らせlanguage=ja-JP". Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site. November 5, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks press release 2017/11/09(土) プレスリリース コーチングスタッフ担当変更のお知らせ". Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site (in Japanese). November 9, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
External links
[edit]
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Career statistics - NPB.jp (in Japanese)
- 95 Kenji Yoshitsuru PLAYERS2024 - Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site
.jpg){kind=small}  | This biographical article relating to a Japanese baseball catcher is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |