Naoki Matsumoto

Naoki Matsumoto (松本 尚樹)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 8", Weight 158 lb.

• High School Wakayama Municipal Shogyo High School

• Born September 11, 1970 in Wakayama, Wakayama Japan

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Biographical Information

Infielder Naoki Matsumoto played for six years for the Chiba Lotte Marines and for three years for the Japanese national team.

Matsumoto was his high school's top pitcher. While with Sumitomo Kinzoku in the industrial leagues, Matsumoto joined the national team and won Gold in the 1993 Asian Championship. He hit .357/.419/.747 in the 1993 Intercontinental Cup; Omar Linares beat him out as the All-Star third baseman. In the 1994 Baseball World Cup, he batted .400/.436/.514 with 3 steals and 10 runs in nine games. Antonio Pacheco was named All-Star second baseman in that tourney ahead of Matsumoto. He helped Japan take Gold in the 1994 Asian Games. In the 1995 Intercontinental Cup, the little left-handed hitter batted .364/.432/.606 with 10 runs in 8 games. This time, Norman Cardoze was the All-Star 2B ahead of Matsumoto. In the 1995 Asian Championship, Matsumoto was named the All-Star second baseman as he helped Japan win a Gold Medal and a spot in the 1996 Olympics.

In the fifth round of the 1995 NPB draft, Matsumoto was chosen by Chiba Lotte. He debuted with them in 1996, hitting .310/.310/.333 in 42 AB over 26 games. In 1997, Matsumoto batted .270/.305/.344 in 131 plate appearances over 53 games, playing second base when Koichi Hori moved to third.

Matsumoto hit .279/.320/.400 in a career-high 181 plate appearances and 85 games in 1998. Hori had moved to the outfield, but Julio Franco had joined Chiba Lotte to play second. Matsumoto saw his playing time when Franco was the DH.

In 1999, he slipped to a .240/.327/.320 batting line in 58 games (115 plate appearances). He again served as a backup to Hori. Matsumoto's playing time fell to 20 games (24 PA) in 2000 (.217/.250/.261) and 26 games (54 PA) in 2001 (.260/.302/.340). Overall, Matsumoto had batted .267/.312/.353 in his 268 games in Nippon Pro Baseball.

Matsumoto became a scout after his playing career ended.

Sources: Japan Baseball Daily by Gary Garland, Defunct IBAF site