Hideo Koike

Hideo Koike (小池 秀郎)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 9", Weight 158 lb.

• School Asia University
• High School Shinshu Kogyo High School

• Born March 28, 1969 in Bisai, Aichi Japan

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Biographical Information

Hideo Koike was a one-time All-Star in Japan.

Koike struck out 111 batters in the spring of 1990, setting not only the Tokyo Metropolitan University League record, but the Japanese college record. He won two MVP awards in college. He also shut out a US college All-Star team while in school.

In the 1990 Baseball World Cup, Koike was 1-1 with a 8.76 ERA, the highest on Japan's squad. He gave up 21 hits in 12 1/3 IP. He was with Japan for a Silver Medal in the 1990 Goodwill Games. Koike was picked in the first round in 1990 by the Chiba Lotte Marines. He did not sign but opted to play in the industrial leagues before, inking a deal with Matsushita Electric.

Koike was picked by the Kintetsu Buffaloes in the first round of the 1992 NPB draft and this time, he signed. He debuted in 1993, going 3-4 with 2 saves and a 3.95 ERA in 27 games. In 1994, he went 5-2 with a 5.30 ERA in 19 outings. Koike improved to 4-8, 3.53 in 1995.

In 1996, Koike fell to 3-5, 5.94. He had a career year in 1997, going 15-6 with a 2.96 ERA. He allowed only 137 hits in 182 2/3 IP. He led the Pacific League in walks (96) but also tied Kiyoshi Toyoda and Kip Gross for the most shutouts (3) and tied Fumiya Nishiguchi for the win lead. He ranked 5th in ERA behind Satoru Komiyama, Akira Okamoto, Tetsuya Shiozaki and Toyoda.

Fading quickly, Koike went 7-3 with a 6.81 ERA in a 1998, allowing 99 hits and 51 walks in 78 innings. In 1999, he rebounded somewhat to go 6-11 with a 4.05 ERA. He made his only PL All-Star team. He played for Japan in the 1999 Asian Championship.

Koike was traded with Shigeki Sano and Kazuhito Yoshimura to the Chunichi Dragons for Kotaro Azuse, Ken Kadokura and Takuichi Furuike. He went 4-3 with a 4.19 ERA for the Dragons in 2000 and did not pitch in ichi-gun in 2001.

Chunichi released Koike, who resigned with Kintetsu. In 2002, the southpaw was 3-2 with a 5.94 ERA in 14 games. He became a LOOGY in 2003 and was 1-1 with a 3.78 ERA in 65 games. He fanned 57 in 52 1/3 IP. He led the Pacific League in games pitched. In 49 outings in 2004, he pitched just 27 innings and allowed 39 hits. He went 0-2 with a 6.33 ERA.

Koike moved to the Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2005 when Kintetsu folded. He pitched just 7 2/3 innings in 11 games, allowing 12 hits, 4 walks and 7 runs.

Overall, Koike pitched 304 games in Nippon Pro Baseball, rarely fulfilling the potential that made him a two-time first-round draft choice. He went 51-47 with 2 saves and a 4.40 ERA. He struck out 715 and allowed 890 hits in 944 innings, walking 471.

Primary Source: Japan Baseball Daily by Gary Garland