Shintaro Yoshitake

Shintaro Yoshitake (吉武 真太郎)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 190 lbs.

• High School Kunisaki High School

• Born June 3, 1975 in Kunisaki, Oita, Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Shintaro Yoshitake pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball for 13 years.

Yoshitake was drafted by the Daiei Hawks in the fourth round of the 1993 NPB draft. He spent his first season in the NPB Farm Leagues, then joined the rotation in 1995. He was 5-5 with a 4.28 ERA in his rookie year. Yoshitake improved and recorded a 3.44 ERA in 1996, but he still got 13 losses. The young starter was 7-7 with a 3.54 ERA in 1997, and ranked 5th in the Pacific League in complete games (7, 6 behind Tomohiro Kuroki). In the last game of the season, he pitched 9 shutout innings against the Seibu Lions, but Ken Suzuki hit a sayonara homer in the bottom of the 10th inning and robbed the PL pennant from the Hawks.

However, the Oita native slumped to 5-4 with a 4.58 ERA in 1998, and he was demoted to the ni-gun because his ERA rose to 7.23 in 1999. Yoshitake then mainly stayed there in the next 3 seasons, only pitching 24 games combined with the big club. The Hawks then turned him into a reliever in 2003; Yoshitake recorded a 4.43 ERA in 42 games. He only pitched 13 games in 2004.

The veteran finally adapted into the new role in 2005, and had his career year. Yoshitake recorded a 3.12 ERA in 61 games, and notched 32 holds. He ranked 2nd in holds (1 behind Tsuyoshi Kikuchihara and 2nd in appearances (10 behind Kikuchihara]]. He was also selected into the 2005 NPB All-Star Games, and relieved Kazuyuki Hoashi in the 7th inning in Game 2. Yoshitake retired Akihiro Yano and Hirokazu Ibata, then struck out Masahiro Araki to complete his work; Yasuhiko Yabuta succeeded him. He also set the PL record by collecting a hold in 8 straight games.

Yoshitake extended his solid pitching in 2006, notching 20 holds with a 3.02 ERA in 60 appearances. He ranked 5th in games played (15 behind Hisashi Takeda) and 7th in holds (20 behind Takeda). The Yomiuri Giants selected him as compensation when the Hawks signed Hiroki Kokubo. However, Yoshitake only pitched 19 games after that for them due to shoulder injursy, and he announced his retirement after the 2008 season.

Overall, Yoshitake was 30-41 with a 3.81 ERA, collected 52 holds, struck out 402 and pitched 669 innings in 13 years in the NPB.

Related Sites

• Wiki Japan
• NPB.com Bio
• 2005 NPB All-Star Game