Hisashi Takeda

From BR Bullpen

Hisashi Takeda (武田 久)

  • Bats Left, Throws Right
  • Height 5' 7", Weight 160 lb.

BR register page

Biographical Information[edit]

Hisashi Takeda was an effective reliever for the Nippon Ham Fighters in his 15-year career.

Takeda was 23-18 with a 2.27 ERA in college, and he played for Nippon Express in the industrial leagues. The Fighters picked him in the 4th round of the 2002 NPB draft. He was 1-0 in 2003 with a 3.06 ERA and 10 hits in 17 2/3 innings. Takeda walked 11 and gave up six runs in 7 1/3 innings in 2004. He had a breakout year in 2005, with a 2-0 record, two saves and a 0.79 ERA; he allowed a .197 average and 4 walks in 34 1/3 IP.

Hisashi's 2005 earned him a significantly increased role in 2006. He formed an excellent bullpen trio with Hideki Okajima and closer Michael Nakamura for Nippon Ham; Hisashi was 5-3 with 3 saves, 40 holds and a 2.09 ERA in 75 games. He walked only 8 in 81 2/3 innings and surrendered just a single home run. The right-hander led the Pacific League in appearances and holds. He set the Fighters team record for most games pitched in a season, and he was the first PL pitcher to get 40 holds in a season. On April 15, he teamed with Tomoya Yagi and Nakamura for the first combined no-hitter in Nippon Pro Baseball in 65 years, a 12-inning affair versus the Softbank Hawks. He made his first PL All-Star team, and he completed a shutout inning in the 2006 NPB All-Star Game 2. In the 2006 Japan Series, Takeda allowed one run in six innings as Nippon Ham took its first title.

Takeda was 7-6 with two saves and a 2.42 ERA in 2007 in 64 games. He was second with 40 holds (6 behind Yasuhiko Yabuta) and second in the league (1 behind Koki Watanabe). He was again an All-Star, and he pitched an inning with a solo shot allowed to Masahiko Morino in the 2007 NPB All-Star Game 1. He gave up one run in three innings in the 2007 Japan Series, and the Fighters lost to the Chunichi Dragons in 5 games. Takeda faded in 2008, with a 4-7 record, six saves and a 4.40 ERA. He still made his third All-Star squad, and he pitched a shutout inning in the 2008 NPB All-Star Game 2. He was fifth with 62 appearances.

Takeda became Nippon Ham's closer when they traded away Nakamura after 2008. He more than responded with a 3-0 record, 34 saves and a 1.20 ERA in 2009, leading the league in saves. He was the first player in NPB history to lead the league in holds and saves. He made his fourth straight All-Star team, but he surrendered a game-winning 2-run shot to Nori Aoki in the 2009 NPB All-Star Game 2 and got the loss. Takeda struggled in 2010, and he only got 19 saves with a 3.83 ERA in 58 appearances. He was 4th in saves (between Hiroyuki Kobayashi and Tsuyoshi Kawagishi) and 8th in appearances (tied with Yoshinori Tateyama, Takuya Furuya and Brian Sikorski).

The Tokushima native bounced back in 2011, and he had an elite 1.03 ERA in 53 relief outings. He didn't allow a single home run in 52 1/3 innings. Takeda notched 37 saves, and he led the league in saves for the second time in his career. He was also voted into the 2011 NPB All-Star Game, and he notched a save with a shutout inning in Game 2. Takeda then attended the 2012 NPB All-Star Game, and he completed a shutout inning in Game 3. He collected 32 saves with a 2.32 ERA in 56 appearances in 2012, and he won his third and last saves title. He also set the PL record with 11 saves in a month. He notched 31 saves with a 2.28 ERA in 47 games in 2013, and he tied Yoshihisa Hirano for 2nd in saves. However, Takeda's career faded rapidly. He allowed 10 runs in 7 1/3 innings in 2014, and he missed the entire 2015 season due to a left knee injury. He struggled again in 2016, and his ERA was 14.54 in 5 games. He only pitched 7 games for the big club in 2017, and he announced his retirement. He was named the pitching coach of the Fighters in 2024.

Overall, Takeda was 31-30 with a 2.61 ERA, collected 167 saves and 107 holds in 534 appearances, struck out 368 and pitched 566 1/3 innings in 15 seasons in NPB. As of 2025, he was 16th in saves in NPB history, between Katsuhiro Nagakawa and Marc Kroon.

Sources[edit]

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