Yoichi Inoue

Yoichi Inoue (井上 洋一)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 165 lb.

• High School Takushoku University Daiichi High School

• Born February 5, 1949 in Koganei, Tokyo Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Yoichi Inoue played in Nippon Pro Baseball for 18 years.

Inoue signed with the Sankei Swallows in 1966, but he spent most of his first three seasons in the NPB Farm Leagues. He also led the Eastern League in RBI in 1969. He hit .281/.339/.351 in 1970, and he slumped to .211/.295/.303 in 80 games in 1971. Inoue struggled again in 1972 as he had a .170/.220/.234 batting line, and he went 13-for-61 in 1973. He played 55 games with a .203/.244/.351 batting line in 1974, and he hit .255/.301/.373 with 5 homers in 220 at-bats in 1975. However, he was 3-for-36 in 1976, and he was traded to the Lotte Orions for cash.

The Tokyo native played 88 games with a .202/.286/.303 batting line in 1977, and he went 2-for-20 in 1978. He then hit .221/.302/.312 in 80 games in 1979, and he became Lotte's starting second baseman in 1980. Inoue recorded a .228/.287/.340 batting line with 5 homers that season, and he crushed a career-high 6 homers with a .245/.324/.349 batting line in 1981. He lost his spot when Hiromitsu Ochiai shined in 1982, and he was 19-for-85 that season. Ochiai was moved to first base in 1983, and Inoue had a .220/.275/.263 batting line. He batted .252/.331/.383 in 1984, and he played 39 games with a .295/.354/.318 batting line in 1985. He announced his retirement after that season, and he was a minor league coach for the Swallows from 1987 to 1992.

Overall, Inoue hit .227/.292/.321 with 407 hits and 37 homers in 18 seasons in NPB.

Sources

• Wiki Japan