Tsuneo Nozaki

Tsuneo Nozaki (野崎 恒男)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 173 lb.
• School Rissho University
• High School Koyo High School

• Born April 17, 1947 in Wakayama, Wakayama Japan

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Tsuneo Nozaki was a pitcher in Nippon Pro Baseball from 1972 to 1978 in Japanese Baseball. His first four seasons were with the Nankai Hawks of the Pacific League, and he then pitched for three different teams over his final three seasons. He was never a front-line pitcher, as his busiest season was his rookie year with Nankai, when he went 4-6, 4.00 in 29 games, including 15 starts, and logging 119 1/3 innings. He would not match any of these numbers over his next six seasons - apart from posting slightly better ERA's in three of them. Still on August 19th of his rookie season, he pitched a one-hitter in defeating the Hankyu Braves. Overall, he went 9-13, 4.33 in 131 games, with 35 starts.

On September 29, 1974, he was retired on a fly ball by Hiroshi Takahashi of the Nippon Ham Fighters on a day when the versatole player became the first man in NPB history to play all nine positions in one game. He was the only batter Takahashi faced in the game - and in his career. He only went 4 for 39 as a hitter during his career.