Tomohiro Tanimura

Tomohiro Tanimura (谷村 智博)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 8", Weight 167 lbs.

• School Kwansei Gakuin University
• High School Hotoku Gakuen High School

• Born August 3, 1947 in Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Tomohiro Tanimura pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball for 15 years.

Tanimura was drafted by the Hanshin Tigers in the first round of the 1970 NPB draft, and he joined their bullpen as a rookie. He had a 3.41 ERA in 24 appearances in his rookie year, then he entered the rotation in 1972. Tanimura was 11-11 with a 2.26 ERA, ranking 2nd in ERA in the Central League (.14 behind Takeshi Yasuda) and 10th in wins (tied with Yoshiro Sotokoba and Yataro Oishi). He was also selected into the 1972 NPB All-Star Game, but he allowed a 2-run home run to Katsuya Nomura and got the loss against the Pacific League; Nomura was named the MVP.

The Hyogo native was 7-12 with a 2.72 ERA in 1973, and he slumped to 5-13 with a 4.59 ERA in 1974. He ranked 9th in losses in 1974, tied with Jiro Ueda. He bounced back in 1975, and he was 11-9 with a 3.45 ERA. Tanimura was still a solid starter in 1976 as his ERA was 3.80 in 26 games, and he also had a 12-8 record. He was 10th in wins, tied with Ueda. However, his ERA rose to 5.62 in 1977, and he was removed from the rotation. Tanimura recorded a 7.13 ERA in 28 games in 1978, so he only pitched 9 games in 1979. The Tigers then traded him to the Hankyu Braves for Kouki Suzuki.

Tanimura was 7-7 with a 4.76 ERA in 1980, then his ERA rose to 5.33 in 18 games in 1981. He only pitched 7 games in 1982, and he was 4-1 with a 4.41 ERA in 1983. As a reliever, Tanimura pitched 7 games with a 5.11 ERA in 1984, and he also appeared in the 1984 Nippon Series. He relieved Shiro Miyamoto in the 6th inning of Game 3, and he pitched 2 innings with a run allowed due to Sachio Kinugasa's solo shot. The Braves were beaten by the Hiroshima Carp in 7 games. After having a 3.04 ERA in 12 games in 1985, Tanimura announced his retirement. In his last game on October 14, Tanimura completed the game while only surrendering a solo shot to Dick Davis in the 9th inning, and he got the win. He then coached the Braves from 1986 to 1990 and for the [[Orix BlueWave]/Orix Buffaloes from 2004 to 2006.

Overall, Tanimura was 72-82 with a 4.12 ERA, struck out 512 and pitched 1,489 innings in 15 years in NPB.

Sources

• Wiki Japan
• NPB.com Bio
• 1972 NPB All-Star Game