Tatsumi Murata

Tatsumi Murata (村田 辰美)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 10", Weight 162 lb.

• High School Rokugo High School

• Born July 9, 1952 in Yokota, Akita Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Tatsumi Murata pitched 15 seasons in Nippon Pro Baseball and made three All-Star teams.

Murata fanned 18 one game in high school but lost the contest when the other team's pitcher threw a no-hitter. He played for Mitsubishi Motors Kawasaki in the industrial leagues after high school. The Kintetsu Buffaloes chose him in the second round of the 1974 NPB draft. Tatsumi debuted in 1975 with 11 runs (6 earned) in 20 innings over 11 games. He had a 3.90 ERA in 15 outings in 1977 then was 5-2 with a save and a 1.82 ERA in 1978, walking just 8 in 73 2/3 IP. Murata went 12-8 with two saves and a 3.42 ERA in 1979 with 34 walks in 192 1/3 IP. He finished sixth in the Pacific League in ERA (between Koji Ohta and Toshoku Uda), 6th in wins (tied with Shinichi Yamauchi) and 9th in strikeouts (between Masumitsu Moriguchi and Takashi Imoto). He allowed 3 runs in 2 innings in the 1979 NPB All-Star Game, and he gave up a solo shot to Sadaharu Oh in Game 3. Murata also tied for the league lead with three shutouts. He allowed two runs in 4 2/3 IP in the 1979 Japan Series.

The Akita native fell to 7-7, 6.22 with two saves, giving up 165 hits and 57 walks in 136 innings in 1980. He was 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA In the 1980 Japan Series. With Kintetsu ahead of the Hiroshima Carp 3 games to 2, he started game six and was knocked out in a loss as the Carp went on to take the Series in seven games. Murata rebounded to a 3.34 ERA in 1981 though he again was 7-7. He finished 7th in the PL in ERA, between Yoshikatsu Umezawa and Shigekuni Mashiba). In 1982, the left-hander slumped to 7-11 with a 4.27 ERA and two saves, and he was 7th in losses. He did make his second All-Star team, and he completed 3 shutout innings in the 1982 NPB All-Star Game 1 then added another 2 shutout innings in Game 3.

In a reduced role in 1983, Murata was 2-6 with a 5.00 ERA in 25 games. He had a 4-9, 4.81 record in 1984. In 1985, Tatsumi was 9-14 with two saves and a 4.44 ERA, allowing 202 hits and 81 walks in 184 2/3 IP while striking out only 57. He still made his third and last All-Star team. The Yokota native had a 14-10, 4.08 record in 1986. In 1987, Murata was 4-7 with a save and a 4.92 ERA; he led the PL with 9 hit batsmen. He had one last good season in 1988, going 10-3 with a 3.32 ERA and again showing good control (28 BB in 124 2/3 IP) as in the early part of his career. Murata struggled in 1989 to a 4-6, 5.48 record. He allowed two runs in 1 2/3 IP in the 1989 Japan Series. Moving on to the Taiyo Whales in 1990, he gave up 3 runs in 7 2/3 IP to end his career. After retiring as a pitcher, Murata has worked as a TV baseball commentator and the pitching coach with the Buffaloes from 1993 to 1995.

Murata had a career record of 85-90 with 10 saves and a 4.19 ERA in 404 games.

Source

• Japan Baseball Daily
• Wiki Japan