Takashi Ogasawara

Takashi Ogasaara (小笠原 孝)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 8", Weight 167 lb.

• School Meiji University
• High School Funabashi High School

• Born November 29, 1976 in Funabashi, Chiba Japan

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Takashi Ogasawara has spent over a decade pitching in Nippon Pro Baseball.

Ogasawara had a 17-6 record in college and once fanned 18 in a game. The Chunichi Dragons picked him in the third round of the 1998 NPB draft. He allowed four runs in two innings as a rookie in 1999. In 2000, he had a 6.32 ERA and .313 opponent average, walking 14 in 15 2/3 IP. He was 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA in 2001. The Chiba native improved to 5-5, 4.03 in 2002 but struggled in 2003 (0-3, 7.77, .326 opponent average) and had leg surgery.

#43 was 2-2 with a 3.45 ERA in limited action in 2004 and bombed in five starts in 2005 (0-3, 7.31, .380 opponent average). He was better in a part-time role in 2006 (2-2, 3.72). The little lefty had his best season yet at 6-6, 2.99 in 2007. On August 25, he fanned 15 in a loss to the Hanshin Tigers. In the 2007 Japan Series, he started game 4 against rookie Mitsuo Yoshikawa of the Nippon Ham Fighters, with Chunichi up 2 games to 1. He struck out 6 in 4 2/3 innings but allowed two runs (Makoto Kaneko doubling in Takahito Kudo in the 4th, then loading the bases in the 5th on a double, walk and a single before a reliever walked Kaneko to force in a run). Chunichi recovered to win the game and the Series, their first Japan Series title in 53 years.

Ogasawara was 8-11 with a 4.70 ERA in 2008, allowing a .292 average after .242 in 2007. He was 4th in the Central League with 69 runs allowed, tied Tetsuya Utsumi for 5th with 71 earned runs allowed, tied Ken Takahashi for 9th with 42 walks, tied Kyohei Muranaka for third in losses and tied Seth Greisinger for 3rd with 20 homers allowed. In 2009, the veteran southpaw rebounded to 7-2, 3.13 to continue his roller-coaster career. He was back off the mark in 2010 (1-3, 6.84, .327 opponent average, 9 HR in 25 IP) and only worked 2 2/3 shutout innings in 2011. That brought his career record to 31-38, 4.17 in 184 NPB games.

He throws a slider, curveball, screwball and a fastball in the high 80s.

Sources

• Japan Baseball Daily
• Taiwan Baseball Wiki