Masahiko Mori (Olympics)

Masahiko Mori (森 昌彦)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 168 lb.

• School Asia University
• High School Chukyo University Senior High School

• Born August 25, 1965 in Kuwana, Mie Japan

Olympics-Reference page

Biographical Information

Masahiko Mori was a pitcher for the Japanese national team.

Mori never played professionally, appearing for NTT in the Japanese industrial leagues (1987-1997, 1999-2002). He was on the Japanese squad that won the Gold at the 1994 Asian Games, the first Asian Games to feature baseball as a medal event; he pitched against South Korea in the finals. He helped Japan win Gold at the 1995 Asian Championship as well. In the 1995 Intercontinental Cup, the 30-year-old was 1-0 with a save, though his 4.00 ERA was the highest on the Japanese squad. His four appearances tied Naoto Adacchi and Masanori Sugiura for the team lead. Japan won the Silver Medal, falling to Cuba.

Mori pitched six times for Japan in the 1996 Olympics, allowing 10 hits (3 homers), 6 walks and 4 runs in 8 innings, while fanning 10. He tied Jutaro Kimura for the team lead in games pitched and was second to Masao Morinaka in ERA. In the Gold Medal game's 13-9 loss to Cuba, he allowed two runs in one inning as the 5th of 6 Japanese hurlers, between Morinaka and Koichi Misawa. Mori retired in 1997 and coached in 1998 before becoming a player again. He continued coaching after he re-retired in 2002; in 2008, he moved to the high school ranks as the coach of Toyokawa High School.

His fastball peaked around 87 mph and he also threw a forkball and slider.

Sources

• Old IBAF site
• Japanese Wikipedia entry