Shoji Sadaoka

Shoji Sadaoka (定岡 正二)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 162 lbs.

• High School Kagoshima Jitsugyo High School

• Born November 29, 1956 in Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Shoji Sadaoka pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball for 9 years. His brothers were NPB outfielders Chiaki Sadaoka and Tetsuhisa Sadaoka, and his cousin was NPB outfielder Takuma Sadaoka.

Sadaoka was selected by the Yomiuri Giants in the first round of the 1974 NPB draft, but he spent his first five seasons primarily in the NPB Farm Leagues, and only pitched 18 game with the big club. He joined the rotation in 1980, and he was 9-8 with a 2.54 ERA. Sadaoka was 3rd in the Central League in ERA ,.18 behind Hiromu Matsuoka. He slumped to 11-7 with a 3.80 ERA in 1981, and he was 8th in strikeouts (122, tied with Tatsuo Komatsu). In the 1981 Nippon Series, Sadaoka pitched 5 1/3 innings with 3 runs allowed as the starter of Game 3, but Mikio Kudo got the win over him. The Giants still beat the Nippon Ham Fighters in 6 games, and Sadaoka won his only Nippon Series title.

The Kagoshima had his career year in 1982, and he was selected into the 1982 NPB All-Star Game; he pitched a shutout inning in Game 3. Sadaoka ended up 15-6 with a 3.29 ERA, and he was 4th in wins (tied with Takashi Nishimoto and Kazuyuki Yamamoto). Due to a wrist injury, he slumped to 7-7 with a 5.00 ERA in 1983, and he was sometimes used as a reliever. Sadaoka pitched a shutout inning in 1983 Nippon Series Game 1, then he surrendered a run in an inning in Game 4. The Giants were beaten by the Seibu Lions in 7 games. He then went 5-10 with a 4.58 ERA in 1984, and he recorded a 3.87 ERA in 47 appearances as a full-time reliever in 1985. He was 5th in games pitched in 1985, between Akio Saito and Jun Kawabata. The Giants then traded him to the Kintetsu Buffaloes for Shuzo Arita. However, Sadaoka refused to change teams, and he announced his retirement. The Giants used Kenji Awaguchi and Masaru Yamaoka instead to trade for Arita.

Overall, Sadaoka was 51-42 with a 3.83 ERA, struck out 492 and pitched 872 innings in 9 years in NPB.

Sources

• Wiki Japan
• NPB.com Bio
• 1982 NPB All-Star Game