Shinji Hamazaki

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Shinji Hamazaki (浜崎 真二)

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Biographical Information[edit]

Shinji Hamazaki managed and played in Nippon Pro Baseball.

Hamazaki and Kobe Shogyo High School were the runners-up of the 1922 Summer Koshien; they held a 4-run lead in the 7th inning of the final, but Wakayama High School scored 8 runs in the 8th and the 9th innings to beat them. He then played in the Industrial league. When the Japanese Professional Baseball League was around in 1947, the Hankyu Braves hired Hamazaki as their player-manager. Although he was 45 years old, Hamazaki still pitched 4 games with a 4.24 ERA. He was 3-3 with a 2.51 ERA in the next season.

The Hiroshima native collected his last win on May 7, 1950. He set the record for oldest pitcher to pitch a game and collect a win. These two records were held for more than 60 years, then Masahiro Yamamoto broke them in 2014. Hamazaki still holds the Pacific League record as of 2023. He also held the NPB record for oldest player to score a run, collect a hit, steal a base and drive in a RBI. As a manager, Hamazaki was 382-393 in six seasons with the Hankyu. When the Braves were beaten by the Nankai Hawks in 1953, he resigned to take responsibility for the team's failure.

Hamazaki then joined the Takahashi Unions as their new manager. However, since the team was very weak, he never led them to had an above-.400 percentage. Hhe then left the team and joined the Mainichi Orions and served as their ni-gun manager in 1957. He also worked as pitching coach for the Yomiuri Giants in 1960, and managed the Kokutetsu Swallows in 1963. Hamazaki was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1978.

Overall, Hamazaki was 5-5 with a 4.03 ERA and pitched 105 innings in 3 seasons in NPB. He was 535-639 as a manager.

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