Akichika Yamada

Akichika Yamada (山田 秋親)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 190 lb.

• School Ritsumeikan University
• High School Kita Saga High School

• Born September 19, 1978 in Kyoto, Kyoto Japan

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Akichika Yamada pitched in the Olympics and in Nippon Pro Baseball.

Yamada tossed a no-hitter in college; he was 17-6 at Ritsumeikan. He won a Silver Medal with the Japanese national team in the 1999 Asian Championship. In the 2000 Olympics, he struck out 10 in 8 innings while allowing 3 runs. He was a second-round draft pick of the Daiei Hawks in the 2000 NPB draft. Making his debut with the club the next year, he had a 2-2, 5.40 record but walked 32 in 48 1/3 IP. He was 5-6 with a 5.24 ERA in 2002, showing improved control (39 walks in 91 innings) but serving up 17 home runs.

The right-hander went 2-1 with a 4.15 ERA and 17 walks in 26 innings in 2003, appearing solely in relief. He improved to 6-2 with a save and a 3.90 ERA in 2004. In 2005, he walked 5 in 5 1/3 innings and allowed 4 runs (1 earned). He had shoulder surgery and missed all of 2006. In 2007, he allowed 3 runs in 6 innings and had surgery again (this time on his knee). He allowed one run, two walks and one hit in just 2/3 of an inning in 2008. He was then let go by the Hawks.

In 2009, Yamada played five games for the Fukuoka Red Warblers in the Shikoku-Kyushu Island League. He signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines for 2010 and was 1-0 with a 4.88 ERA in 28 outings. That brought his record to 16-11, 4.76 in 126 NPB games. In 2011, he did not play in NPB.

He throws a fastball, slider, curveball and forkball.

Sources

• Japan Baseball Daily
• Defunct IBAF site
• Taiwan Baseball Wiki