Susumu Aoyanagi

Susumu Aoyanagi (青柳 進)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 167 lb.

• High School Nishi Nippon Junior College High School

• Born July 9, 1968 in Kurume, Fukuoka Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Susumu Aoyanagi caught for 14 years in Nippon Pro Baseball.

A third-round pick in 1986 NPB draft, he made it to the big Lotte Orions in 1989, going 2 for 9 with a walk and a double. The next season, he set a record with a 1.000 fielding percentage at catcher, hitting .227/.327/.387. He was at .222/.289/.292 offensively in 1991 then .245/.307/.385 in 1992, when he set career highs in games (107), at-bats (322), home runs (9), runs (38) and RBI (41). In 1993, he fell to .223/.270/.341. He was 19 for 76 with 3 doubles, 2 homers and 3 walks in a reduced role in 1994.

Aoyanagi spent his final seven seasons backing up superstar Atsuya Furuta of the Yakult Swallows. As such, he almost never played. He was 1 for 5 in 1995 and pinch-ran once in the 1995 Japan Series (in which Yakult beat the Orix BlueWave. In 1996, he was 6 for 32 with 4 walks and a double. He was 8 for 27 with 3 doubles and a walk in 1997. He did not play in the 1997 Japan Series as the Swallows topped the Seibu Lions. The veteran was 2 for 23 in 1998. He hit .309/.324/.559 in 71 plate appearances in 1999, driving in 21 in 68 at-bats. In 2000, he was 8 for 44 with 3 doubles and 6 walks. He was 0 for 1 to end his career in 2002.

Overall, the Fukuoka native hit .232/.294/.358 with 26 home runs in 1,196 at-bats and 596 games in NPB.

Source: Japan Baseball Daily