Hiroya Tomizawa

Hiroya Tomizawa (富沢 宏哉) (Tommy)

• High School Koganei Technical High School

• Born July 25, 1931 in Tokyo Prefecture Japan

Biographical Information

Hiroya Tomizawa was a long-time umpire in Nippon Pro Baseball's Central League.

Tomizawa broke in in 1955 and remained in the CL through 1990. He worked 3,776 games, breaking Osamu Tsutsui's record of 3,447. His record only lasted five years, from 1986 to 1991, at which point Isao Okada surpassed him. He worked the Emperor's Game, 1959 NPB All-Star Game, 1960 Japan Series (the first umpire under the age of 30 to work a Japan Series), 1962 NPB All-Star Game, 1962 Japan Series, 1964 Japan Series, 1965 NPB All-Star Game, 1965 Japan Series, 1967 NPB All-Star Game, 1967 Japan Series, 1969 NPB All-Star Game, 1969 Japan Series, 1971 Japan Series, 1973 NPB All-Star Game, 1973 Japan Series, 1976 NPB All-Star Game, 1978 NPB All-Star Game, 1978 Japan Series and 1983 NPB All-Star Game. He was manning the foul line in game 7 of the 1978 Japan Series when Katsuo Osugi homered for the Yakult Swallows; Hankyu Braves manager Toshiharu Ueda argued the call for over an hour, saying it was foul. That would be Tomizawa's last Japan Series. He first appeared on the nomination ballot for the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018.  Sources include Japanese Wikipedia