Koki Morita

Koki Morita (盛田 幸妃)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 195 lbs.

• High School Hakodate Yuto High School

• Born November 21, 1969 in Kayabe-gun, Hokkaido, Japan
• Died October 16, 2015 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Koki Morita played in Nippon Pro Baseball for 14 years and won an ERA title.

Morita was drafted by the Yokohama Taiyo Whales in the first round of the 1987 NPB draft, but he spent most of his first seasons in the NPB Farm Leagues, only pitchong 10 games combined with the big club. He was promoted to regular action in 1991, but he struggled and recorded a 5.02 ERA in 26 relief outings. Morita broke out in 1992, pitched 52 games and collected 14 wins. Although he only started 6 games, he still managed to pitch 131 2/3 innings and won the Central League ERA title with a solid 2.05 ERA. He also appeared in 1992 NPB All-Star Game 1, pitched 2 innings, struck out 4 and allowed a unearned run due to Takahiro Ikeyama's error.

The Hokkaido native struggled in 1993 because he tore his right ACL in winter; he recorded a 6.39 ERA in 22 games after recovering from the injury. Morita bounced back soon, as he notched 16 saves and 8 wins with a 2.48 ERA in 1994. He was selected into the 1995 NPB All-Star Game, pitched 2 innings with 2 strikeouts (against Darrin Jackson and So Taguchi) in Game 2. He ended up pitching a league-leading 57 games with 8 wins and 5 saves in 1995.

However, Morita was turned into a starter in 1996 and he couldn't adapt to the role. His ERA rose to 5.43 and he only had a 5-9 record. He struggled again in 1997 as he was 1-7 with a 5.31 ERA, and the Whales traded him to the Kintetsu Buffaloes for Hitoshi Nakane. Morita bounced back as a reliever, when he recorded a 2.91 ERA in 32 appearances. Nevertheless, he felt uncomfortable on August 13 and he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Morita underwent surgery immediately, and the doctor said that his career would end.

Morita didn't give up and miraculously came back to the mound 3 years later. He got the most votes to attend the 2001 NPB All-Star Game, and he pitched 1/3 of an inning in both Game 2 and Game 3. Although he didn't pitch well as his ERA was 7.06, he was still named the NPB Comeback Player of the Year. Morita also appeared in the 2001 Nippon Series Game 3, and he pitched a inning, with a strikeout of Alex Ramirez. He only pitched two more games in 2002, then announced his retirement. He passed away in 2015 due to the tumor.

Overall, Morita was 47-34 , collected 29 saves with a 4.05 ERA, struck out 434 and pitched 613 innings in 14 years in the NPB.

Related Sites

• Wiki Japan
• NPB.com Bio