Tatsuki Yamamoto

Tatsuki Yamamoto (山本 樹)

• Bats Left Throws Left
• Height 6' 0", Weight 171 lb.

• School Ryukoku University
• High School Tamanokonan High School

• Born August 31, 1970 in Kurashiki, Okayama Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Tatsuki Yamamoto played in Nippon Pro Baseball for 13 years.

Yamamoto was drafted by the Yakult Swallows in the 4th round of the 1992 NPB draft, and his ERA was 4.00 in 13 games in 1993. He pitched 13 games with a 4.73 ERA in 1994, but he slumped to a 9.64 ERA in 7 games in 1995. Yamamoto joined the rotation in 1996, and he went 4-8 with a 4.53 ERA. He was 3-6 with a 3.67 ERA in 1997, and he struck out 6 in 2 innings in the 1997 Nippon Series Game 2. Yamamoto added another 2 strikeouts in a shutout inning in Game 3, and he completed a shutout inning in Game 5. The Swallows beat the Seibu Lions in 5 games.

The Kurashiki native went 7-2 with a 2.03 ERA in 35 games as a full-time reliever in 1998, and his ERA was 3.38 in 51 games with 3 saves in 1999. He was 7th in appearances in the Central League that season, between Ryuji Kimura and Eiji Shotsu. Yamamoto then recorded a 3.29 ERA in 44 games in 2000, and he pitched 61 games with a 2.93 ERA in 2001. He was 5th in appearances in '01, tied with Hitoki Iwase. In the 2001 Nippon Series, Yamamoto pitched 1 1/3 shutout innings in Game 2, and he completed 2/3 of a shutout inning in Game 4. He struck out 4 in 1 2/3 shutout innings to get the win over Jeremy Powell in Game 5, and the Swallows beat the Kintetsu Buffaloes in 5 games.

Yamamoto struggled in 2002 as he only pitched 11 games with a 5.23 ERA, and he soon bounced back in 2003 with a 2.64 ERA in 50 relief outings. His ERA rose to 7.20 in 28 games in 2004, and he announced his retirement in 2005 after having a 6.28 ERA in 9 games. Yamamoto later coached Ryukoku University from 2012 to 2017 and Osaka University of Tourism from 2018 to 2020.

Overall, Yamamoto was 27-37 with 10 saves and a 3.85 ERA, struck out 448 and pitched 573 1/3 innings in 405 appearances in 13 seasons in NPB.

Sources

• Wiki Japan