Takaya Kawauchi

Takaya Kawauchi (河内 貴哉)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 192 lbs.

• High School Kokugakuin Kugayama High School

• Born January 6, 1982 in Yawata, Kyoto, Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Takaya Kawauchi pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball for 11 years.

Kawauchi was selected by the Hiroshima Carp, Kintetsu Buffaloes and the Chunichi Dragons in the first round of the 1999 NPB draft, and the Carp won the lottery for his rights. He pitched 3 shutout innings in the All-Star Game in the NPB Farm Leagues, and won the MVP in 2000. He also started 10 games with the big club, and recorded a 4.25 ERA. However, he slumped to a 7.36 ERA in 8 games in 2001, and he had a 1-7 record with a 5.08 ERA in 2002. He still struggled in 2003, only starting 7 games with a 5.40 ERA.

The Kyoto native pitched well in the first half of the 2004 season. Kawauchi was selected into the 2004 NPB All-Star Games, relieving Koji Uehara in the 8th inning of Game 1. He pitched a shutout inning with 2 strikeouts - against Kenji Johjima and Hiroyuki Nakajima. However, he struggled after the All-Star break, and ended up 8-9 with a 5.72 ERA. The Carp moved Kawauchi out of the rotation in 2006 after he spending the entire 2005 season in the ni-gun, and he had a 1.76 ERA in 15 games. However, his ERA rose to 5.00 in 14 games in 2007. He then suffered from a left shoulder injury, and missed the next four seasons.

Kawauchi came back in 2012, having a 2.08 ERA in 28 games. He played a career-high 34 games in 2013, but his ERA rose to 4.50. Kawauchi only pitched 13 more games in the next two seasons, and announced his retirement after the 2015 season.

Overall, Kawauchi was 16-28 with a 5.06 ERA, collected 23 holds, struck out 299 and pitched 355 2/3 innings in 11 years in the NPB.

Related Sites

• Wiki Japan
• NPB.com Bio
• 2004 NPB All-Star Game