Masataka Tsuchiya (Tsuchma02)

Masataka Tsuchiya (土屋 雅敬)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 6", Weight 140 lbs.

• High School Hiroshima Commercial High School

• Born October 8, 1924 in Hiroshima, Hiroshima Japan
• Died August 2, 2023

BR register page

Biographical Information

Masataka Tsuchiya played in the Nippon Pro Baseball for 7 years and once led the league in steals .

Tsuchiya was signed by the Kokutetsu Swallows when they were founded in 1950, and soon became a starting outfielder. His name was Goro Tsuchiya while signing. He blasted the first home run in Swallows' history on March 24, and ended up hitting .287/.365/.371 with 16 steals. The speedy outfielder recorded a .302/.375/.358 batting line in 1951, and led the Central League with 52 swipes. He still holds the record for most steals in a season for a player who doesn't meet the qualified plate appearances for a batting title. Tsuchiya slumped to .220/.305/.272 in 1954, and he lost his starting spot. He hit .272/.329/.299 in 1955, but his batting dramatically fell to .105/.181/.132 in 1956. The Hiroshima native transferred to his hometown team (the Hiroshima Carp) after the 1956 season, and changed his name to Masataka Tsuchiya. However, he couldn't find back his batting stroke, only hitting .233/.346/.308 and .228/.330/.253 respectively in the next two seasons. Tsuchiya announced his retirement after the 1958 season.

Overall, Tsuchiya had hit .254/.333/.308 with 140 steals and 372 hits in 7 seasons in NPB. He later was an announcer for Nikkan Sports.

Related Sites

• NPB site
• Wiki Japan