Shoji Kawahara

Shoji Kawahara (川原 昭二)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 192 lbs.

• High School Kyushu Sangyo High School

• Born November 17, 1953 in Tosu, Saga, Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Shoji Kawahara pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball for 11 years.

Kawahara was selected by the Nippon Ham Fighters in the second round of the 1974 NPB draft, but he spent his first seven seasons primarily in the NPB Farm Leagues, and only pitched 17 games combined with the big club. He had a 4.02 ERA in 38 appearances in 1983, and he broke out in 1984. As a reliever, Kawahara pitched 59 games with a 3.40 ERA and a 11-7 record, and he led the Pacific League in appearances (tied with Shigekazu Mori). He was 5th in ERA (between Hisashi Yamada and Yukihiko Yamaoki) and 2nd in strikeouts (27 behind Yamaoki).

The Tosu native was selected into the 1984 NPB All-Star Games, and he pitched a shutout inning in Game 1 before allowing a 2-run homer to Kiyoshi Nakahata in Game 3. Kawahara was named the closer after Yutaka Enatsu left the team, and he collected 14 saves with a 3.77 ERA in 42 games in 1984. He ranked 3rd in saves (4 behind Yasujiro Suzuki) and 4th in appearances (6 behind Tamotsu Nagai and Yamaoki). Kawahara was still a solid reliever in the next two seasons, having a 3.20 ERA with 7 saves in 1985 and recorded a 4.80 ERA in 29 appearances in 1986. He underwent right knee surgery after the 1986 season, so he only pitched 15 games in 1987 and his ERA rose to 5.01. He had a 3.52 ERA in 19 games in 1988, then he announced his retirement after having a 2.63 ERA in 23 games in 1989. He then coached the Fighters from 1990 to 1992 and from 1995 to 1996. He also worked as a scout for the Rakuten Golden Eagles.

Overall, Kawahara was 30-17 with a 3.79 ERA, collected 29 saves in 276 appearances, struck out 418 and pitched 527 2/3 innings in 11 years in NPB.

Sources

• Wiki Japan
• NPB.com Bio
• 1984 NPB All-Star Game