Mitsugu Tanaka

Mitsugu Tanaka (田中 調)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 9", Weight 143 lb.

• High School Takamatsu Shogyo High School

• Born June 17, 1944 in Kida-gun, Kagawa Japan

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Biographical Information

Mitsugu Tanaka joined the Toei Flyers in 1963. At age 19/20, he went 2-1, 2.91 in 1964 in 48 games. Entering the rotation in '65, he had a 17-14, 3.06 season with 158 strikeouts and made the Pacific League All-Star team. In '66, Tanaka went 10-10, 2.91 and then followed with an 11-7, 3.00 year in which he again was an All-Star. In 1968, his ERA fell to 2.85 (8th in the league) but he was just 9-10. He was 9-11 in '69 with a 2.78 ERA, 10th in the league, and made his third and final All-Star squad. Tanaka declined significantly in 1970, going 4-10 with a 5.71 ERA and he was also under suspicion of throwing games in the Black Mist Scandal that year, though he was never penalized or found guilty. Mitsugu went 1-3, 6.17 in '71 to finish his Toei career at age 27. He moved to the Yakult Swallows in 1972 and finished his career with a 2-0, 5.28 line. Overall, he was 65-66, 3.33 in 366 games.

Source: Japanbaseballdaily.com by Gary Garland