Seigo Fujishima

Seigo Fujishima (藤島 誠剛) (Jaian)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 209 lb.

• High School Ganyo High School

• Born October 3, 1969 in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Japan

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Biographical Information

Seiguo Fujishima played for 11 seasons in Nippon Pro Baseball.

After hitting 68 home runs in high school, Fujishima was taken by the Nippon Ham Fighters in the third round of the 1987 NPB draft. He spent several seasons in ni-gun before making it to the big club in 1992. He did not do well in that debut, going 6 for 49 with a double, two walks and 24 strikeouts in 31 games. After another year back on the farm, he was 1 for 29 with a double, walk and 11 whiffs in 1994. That performance contrasted sharply with his play in the minors, as he won the Eastern League batting championship that season.

#36 was 8 for 59 with a double, homer, 10 walks and 19 strikeouts as a backup outfielder in 1995, then was 0 for 16 with 2 walks and 7 whiffs in 1996. He was primarily a pinch-runner in 1997, appearing in 73 games and getting only 20 at-bats (3 hits, a double, a homer, no walks, 10 strikeouts). He stole four bases in four tries and scored 16 runs. He did not play for Nippon Ham the next year.

He was up to 110 at-bats in 1999 and hit a surprisingly strong .245/.314/.482 with 7 home runs and 21 RBI; he still struck out too often (35 times). On May 12, he homered twice, including a grand slam; he entered the game with two career dingers. He played 33 games in the outfield as well as 12 at 3B or SS.

Fujishima was back under the Mendoza line by going 6 for 39 with 5 walks, two doubles and a homer in 2000 but rebounded to .255/.308/.429 with 4 homers and 19 RBI in 98 at-bats in 2001. He produced at a .228/.268/.370 rate with 5 HR and 23 RBI in 127 AB in 2002. Only LF D.T. Cromer and CF Tatsuya Ide held down regular roles in the Nippon Ham outfield that year, with numerous players joining Fujishima in a rotation in right field.

The Fighters then acquired Tomochika Tsuboi and made him their starting right fielder, putting Fujishima back on the bench. He went 12 for 42 with 3 doubles, 3 home runs and 5 walks in a productive but very limited 2003. He was just 3 for 18 with a homer, 3 walks and 8 strikeouts in 2004, then retired.

Overall, Fujishima hit only .198/.269/.348 in 405 games in NPB (679 plate appearances). He showed good power, wit h23 home runs and 86 RBI in 607 at-bats, but struck out 202 times. He stole 15 bases in 21 tries.

Source: Japan Baseball Daily by Gary Garland