Shinji Inoue

Shinji Inoue (井上 真二)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 178 lbs.

• High School Kumamoto Technical High School

• Born July 12, 1966 in Tamana-gun, Kumamoto Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Shinji Inoue played in Nippon Pro Baseball for 12 years.

Inoue was drafted by the Yomiuri Giants in the fifth round of the 1984 NPB draft, but he spent his first four seasons primarily in the NPB Farm Leagues; he only played 41 games combined with the big club. Inoue finally broke out in 1989, and he hit .298/.376/.532 with 12 homers. He was voted as a starting outfielder in the 1989 NPB All-Star Game, and he was 0-for-2. Inoue's batting average reached .400 in June, but he then struggled and Matt Keough plunked him on his head, so he missed the entire September. Since the Giants had star outfielders like Warren Cromartie and Sadaaki Yoshimura, Inoue didn't have many chances after his All-Star season. He never had more than 100 at bats or played more than 55 games in the rest of his career, and he announced his retirement after the 1997 season. His 125 career home runs are still (through 2023) the record of the minor Eastern League. Inoue then coached the Giants from 2001 to 2006 and from 2019 to 2020.

Overall, Inoue had hit .253/.319/.420 with 112 hits and 16 homers in 12 seasons in NPB.

Sources

• NPB site
• Wiki Japan
• 1989 NPB All Star Game