Tadahito Iguchi

From BR Bullpen

Tadahito Iguchi

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 5' 10", Weight 185 lb.

High School Kokugakuin Kugayama High School
College Aoyama Gakuin University
Debut April 4, 2005
Born December 4, 1974 in Tokyo, Japan

[edit] Biographical Information

Tadahito Iguchi was a star in Japan before coming to the United States at age 30 to play in the majors. He has been part of the 2005 World Series winning 2005 White Sox as well as the division-winning 2007 Philadelphia Phillies.

He was a college superstar in Japan, winning a Triple Crown one year and setting a Tohto League record with 24 career homers. In 1996 he appeared on Japan's Olympic team.

Iguchi was the 1996 first-round draft choice of the Daiei Hawks. Before his first season began, he tore ankle ligaments and he struggled his first few years. He played for the West Oahu CaneFires in 1997. In his first three seasons he never hit over .224 or had an OBP over .310. He hit 21 homers in 1998 but the free-swinging player (234 Ks in 1998-1999) was not contributing as expected.

He emerged as a star in 2001 when he hit .261/.346/.475 with 30 HR. Finally utilizing his speed, he stole 44 bases in 53 tries to lead the Pacific League in swipes. He won a Gold Glove at second base (prior to 2001 he had served as Daiei's shortstop) and made his first Best Nine team. He also made the first of four consecutive PL All-Star teams.

Iguchi played for Japan in the 2001 Baseball World Cup and batted .214/.353/.357. He did drive in 10 in 9 games, tying Akihiro Higashide and Evert-Jan 't Hoen for third in the tourney behind only Chin-Feng Chen and Yohanny Valera. Iguchi also drove in the only run in the key semifinal loss to Cuba, singling home Higashide in the first against Jose Contreras. The large RBI total can probably be attributed to the fact that Iguchi hit behind Hirokazu Ibata (.561 OBP, 8 SB) and Higashide (.432 OBP), giving him lots of opportunities to plate runners.

In 2002 Iguchi regressed to .259/.317/.423 and his only honor was an All-Star spot. His 21 steals were third in the Pacific.

Iguchi changed his batting approach in 2003, focusing on hitting the ball more frequently to the opposite field. His production soared to .340/.438/.578. He increased his walk total by 54, led the PL with 112 runs, was second to Michihiro Ogasawara in OBP, 3rd in walks, 3rd in times hit by pitch tied for 3rd in doubles and led in steals (42). He again made Best Nine and was part of the first quartet of 100-RBI men in Nippon Pro Baseball history (joining him were Nobuhiko Matsunaka, Kenji Johjima and Pedro Valdes). The Hawks won their second Japan Series with Iguchi (they had won in 1999 and lost in 2000).

In 2004 Iguchi kept up the strong pace, hitting .333/.394/.549 with 24 HR, 96 R and 18 SB. His 170 hits were one back of the league lead and he was second to Matsunaka in runs and he was third in the PL in hitting. He again made the Best Nine. Daiei had the best record once again but it was the debut of playoffs in Japan and the Hawks fell to the Seibu Lions.

Iguchi went over to the US in 2005 with the Chicago White Sox. Expectations were low due to the poor showing of another PL infielder, Kazuo Matsui, with the New York Mets in 2004. Iguchi emerged as a top Rookie of the Year candidate and then provided some heroics in the American League Division Series to help lead the White Sox to their first postseason series victory since 1917. Overall, he hit .278/.342/.438 as a rookie with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases (in 20 tries). He posted a 104 OPS+ and tied for seventh in the 2005 AL with 6 triples. He only batted .191 in the postseason.

Iguchi was originally listed on the Japanese roster for the 2006 World Baseball Classic but later declined to play. He batted .281/.352/.422 for the 2006 White Sox (97 OPS+) with 18 home runs and 97 runs scored.

Iguchi started slowly for the 2007 White Sox, only hitting .251/.340/.382 (89 OPS+) after 90 games. With Danny Richar playing well in the minors, Chicago began peddling Iguchi. The Philadelphia Phillies lost Chase Utley to injury right before the trading deadline, making them a prime candidate. They dealt Michael Dubee to Chicago in exchange for Iguchi. Iguchi signed with the San Diego Padres in the off-season.